Solo Max-Level Newbie
Chapter 371: The Sect Leader of Wraiths ‘Sloth’ (1)

Chapter 371: The Sect Leader of Wraiths ‘Sloth’ (1)

A hexagonal box glinting with a faint silvery sheen.

Hmm. Who would’ve thought this would turn up here?

Jinhyuk narrowed his eyes.

A Random Skill Box was a kind of disassembly item. The type of rewards it yielded depended on how much the solidly sealed box was dismantled.

‘In other words, the more I dismantle it, the better the skill I can acquire from the existing skills on the 20th floor.’

However, disassembling the random box was a story for another time.

When everyone around him had vanished. That was the moment to extract skills from this box.

“Jinhyuk-ssi!”

“Ka, Kang Jinhyuk Player-nim!”

Players who had been trembling with fear during the battle rushed over in a single stride.

Exhaustion was evident on their faces.

They had been continually on the run since arriving on the 20th floor, so it was only natural they had reached their limits.

“Are you all right?”

“Yes. Thanks to Jinhyuk-ssi arriving just in time, we were spared annihilation.”

Theresa nodded her head.

Then, as if they were waiting for it, the others expressed their gratitude.

“Re, really, thank you. I thought it was all over. That everything had come to an end…”

“When the raid leader abandoned us, we gave up everything.”

“How can we ever repay this kindness… Kang Jinhyuk Player-nim is a savior to our guild.”

Sobs echoed from here and there.

They truly thought they were done for.

That they would be hunted down ruthlessly, losing their lives, one by one.

But then.

In the worst moment, the strongest ally appeared.

The High Water Corporation.

“Really, you were all incredible. I heard you only take in strong members, but seeing it firsthand, that saying seems like an understatement.”

Carlos, the male mage who participated in the raid as battalion commander, muttered with a face full of emotion.

High Water Corporation…

Could even renowned rankers from major guilds handle any one of them?

It was doubtful they could even chase after the shadows of these individuals, let alone match them, even if Olympus, including the other six major guilds, were combined.

‘Of course, lately big-name rookies have emerged.’

With the magical power churned out from the Tower of Trials, latecomers were starting to awaken and join their ranks.

Among them, talents that stood out existed.

Like Payden, who was currently acting as the vice-master of Olympus Guild.

But to compare them to the likes of Cheon Yuseong or Ellis was nonsensical.

‘…And that muscle-bound elder and the blue-haired girl defy imagination, too.’

The scene of sweeping away the bugs just earlier was still vivid in memory.

A gap of overwhelming difference.

These were rankers who alone could fulfill the role of an entire raid team.

‘That white-armored knight must be an incredibly skilled fighter as well…’

Carlos glanced to the side.

There were Ebrachim, adjusting his weapons, and Pessis, who was tending to the injured.

The two also looked anything but ordinary at first glance.

But the most outrageous of all…

‘Was Player Kang Jinhyuk.’

Carlos steadied his trembling fist.

A boss that dwarfed the entire raid group.

Even Theresa, a Holy Knight, who is considered among the top five in the world including the Papal States, couldn’t stand up to that monster.

Jinhyuk, who had unilaterally crushed such a hopeless opponent, appeared no less than a god to Carlos.

“Take care of the injured and prepare for camping. We’re staying here tonight.”

“Eh? Camping?”

At the mention of camping, Carlos and the other players were startled.

“Are you worried about the sect members?”

“Th, that’s right.”

Even though they had just averted an immediate crisis, the clingy pursuit of the sect had not ceased.

Having targeted them obsessively so far, they would continue to tighten the siege.

“Don’t worry. We should be able to hold out at least for tonight.”

Jinhyuk smiled faintly.

[Currently a ‘Wide-Area Illusion’ barrier is activated within a 15km radius.]

He had already put up a barrier around the forest.

Since they had moved quickly to this spot, only a 6-star grade was possible, but he had set it up in triple layers, making it not so easy to dismantle.

***

The players of the allied raid group all fell into a deep sleep, one after another.

And Jinhyuk…

He was in quite a tricky situation, drenched in cold sweat.

The incident started this way.

Feeling hungry, they decided to gather some nearby food.

And since they were going to eat anyway, might as well eat something tasty…

‘But that was fine until…’

Jinhyuk’s head throbbed as he pressed his temples.

The problem was that this had turned into a heated competition.

“Contractor. Isn’t this cute? You have to eat this. Okay? Not the other stuff, just this one.”

“Oh my. Our little one brought something that looks like it would kill someone upon ingestion. Is that what you call an ingredient? That aside, this beautifully-shaped mushroom would be much better.”

“…All of them have a 0% survival rate. The one I brought is the most recommendable as food.”

Ellis, Frey, and for some reason, Teresa, who seemed to have imposed self-restraint and awkwardly succumbed to her dark side, were preparing a terrible dinner in front of the campfire that even witches from the Misty Village would flee from.

Jinhyuk’s gaze turned toward the ingredients each had brought.

First and foremost, Ellis, who was most eagerly promoting her choice, brought the carcass of an insect species Jinhyuk had never seen before even in the Tower of Trials.

It was cute as Ellis put it, sporting three legs, but the purple spikes covering it instinctively screamed “danger.”

And if it wasn’t for the mushroom Teresa had foraged, which was the ‘Widow Maker’ mushroom known for its deadly poison.

‘Isn’t it common sense that poisonous mushrooms are generally colorful?’

What was she thinking bringing a mushroom that shimmered with rainbow colors?

Lastly, Frey had brought something horrifying as well.

‘A grey wasp nest with honey.’

While it tasted insanely good, to the point of being addictive, consuming more than a set amount leads to severe hallucinations.

It was better described as a drug than food.

“So, whose are we going to eat? Mine, obviously, right? Right? Contractor!”

“Any sane person wouldn’t eat what the little one brought.”

“Who are you calling a little one! You stupid saint!”

“The honey… is good for the body too.”

It seemed like if he didn’t choose, they’d force-feed him instead.

Indeed, they all gathered manpower, surrounding Jinhyuk as if encircling him.

Of course, there was no escape route.

If he didn’t make a choice, he might end up having to eat all of those items.

“Hahaha! Indeed, nothing beats a glass of fine wine after victory. If you finish eating the ladies’ offerings, my disciple, you’ll have to join me for a drink too. I’ve brought thirty dong’is, and we won’t sleep until we finish it all.”

Even the Star Emperor had laid out huge jars of liquor, undoubtedly over 60-proof.

“……”

This place was hell.

Or at the very least, akin to hell.

Jinhyuk slowly closed his eyes.

With a face of complete resignation.

“Hehe, would you be jealous, Cheon gongzi? Shall I procure something tasty for you too?”

“………… It’s fine. You should eat your fill, Teacher.”

Chun Yuseong crunched on a tree berry.

And thus…

As the night deepened.

***

A landscape unlike anything of this world.

An oppressive sky dotted with grim constellations and red giant stars came into view.

And then…

A figure walked along a path lined with grotesque vegetation.

“……”

With sealed lips, he just kept his gaze focused ahead.

Given his typically cheerful demeanor, the current atmosphere was unbearably somber.

It was a necessity.

The event to occur shortly was not something even Nyarlathotep could find pleasant.

After some time…

At the edge of the blackening vegetation sat a half-human, half-animal being with long pink hair, possessing the upper body of a human and the lower body of a goat.

Seated on a throne woven from dark branches, she was lost in deep thought, an image of both enchanting allure and surreal dreaminess.

And towards her…

“Mother.”

Nyarlathotep softly broke the silence.

The being, who sat unmoving, turned her head.

“You’re late.”

“My apologies. There were things I had to handle.”

“I see. Of course. I heard about the deterioration of Oldguard.”

A brief sentiment.

But the implications of her words were profound.

Woong!

“Ugh!”

Nyarlathotep buckled as his torso bent at a 90-degree angle.

Overcome by a power beyond cognition, Nyarlathotep’s body quivered thinly.

Shub-Niggurath.

Appropriately named the ‘Mother of All Things’, her true power was indeterminably immense.

Even Nyarlathotep could not stand against her force.

“That… that was…”

“Tell me now. I am waiting.”

“I merely sought to steal a crown possessed by a human for our future. If it’s only one player and not a major power, it certainly seemed feasible…”

“Ultimately, you’re saying you underestimated the opponent and went complacent, despite directly witnessing that human banish this mother?”

Shub-Niggurath rose from her seat.

Plants spread left and right as her laugh filled the surroundings, teetering on the edge of madness.

“But…! That man only overcame you by resorting to trickery, did he not?”

Nyarlathotep stubbornly contested, while Shub-Niggurath spoke calmly.

“The first hourglass has begun to pour its sand.”

“Could it be…! Are you suggesting that causality has begun to flow?”

Nyarlathotep’s eyes bulged with incredulity.

‘The First Hourglass’ was a kind of future vision.

Like the ‘Three Fates’ of Greece or the ‘Book of Revelation’ from Eden, it wielded a strong portent of the future.

However, unlike the others that broadly forecast the future, ‘The First Hourglass’ foretells only one event:

Someone’s entry on the 50th floor.

“Yes. It won’t be long. Someone will come to where we dwell. And that someone will likely be that human.”

Unlike the predictions of other tiers that can vary in interpretation, no such thing exists for ‘The First Hourglass.’

Once the sand starts to spill, it is certain someone will reach the 50th floor.

“Mother, you overestimate that human. With numerous strong contenders beneath the tower, why would it be him to come here? To surpass all powers in the 40th tier?”

Ordinarily, this would be absurd.

No matter how prominent, for players who had been in the Tower for only a few years to reach the pinnacle was unthinkable.

Nonetheless, Shub-Niggurath’s face was filled with more conviction than ever.

“That’s why I can’t sleep. I keep being supplied with playthings to alleviate my boredom.”

Sararuk.

A grain of sand falls in the hourglass.

“Send an order to the minions released in the lower tower. We will join the power struggle too.”

As she declared, the entities of the 50th floor began to stir.