Solo Max-Level Newbie

Thud! Thud! Thud!

The sound of footsteps grew louder and as they did, a thunderous roar seemed to shake the entire auction house. Soon, a man about 5 meters tall revealed himself. His bulging muscles and half-naked body paired with his bushy beard exuded an overwhelming presence.

There was no way anyone could fail to recognize him—the greatest hero of Greek mythology. ‘I thought at best they’d send minions for a proxy auction…’

Clearly, the stakes of this auction were higher than anticipated, warranting the presence of such a heavyweight. Thud! His footsteps came to a halt.

“Ha ha ha! Finally, we meet. I had my doubts when those cyclops told me you’d come here, but it seems it was worth the journey.”

Before Jinhyuk stood Hercules, laughing heartily. “You came all this way just to meet me?” Jinhyuk queried.

“That’s right. I don’t believe in prophecies, but I do believe what these two eyes see,” Hercules said, pointing a finger toward Jinhyuk.

“It was quite a sight, you taking down the guy from the 50th floor. Honestly, I didn’t imagine you’d survive like that.”

After the introductions came the main point. “I know those toothless Norse types approached you. I don’t know what they offered, but they’re a sinking ship.”

Loki and Thor. That the Norse gods had contacted this side was already known to the Greeks—with Hermes around, they wouldn’t be far behind in information.

“Are you saying it’d be a loss to join them?”

“Yeah. If you’re going to climb the tower, it’s better for you to join a strong force, right?”

After Odin, the chief Norse deity, lost his crown, the influence of the Nordic gods had plummeted. The Greek deities had openly begun invading Odin’s territory.

“It’s true that Greece has its own charm as a force. If I were to choose, they would play the role of a solid backup.”

Certainly, in conquering the upper 30’s and lower 40’s floors of the tower, they would be efficient. But for some reason, Jinhyuk didn’t readily accept the offer. Because there was a reason he should never get involved with the Greeks.

‘They are even more insidious than the demons.’

To the Greek gods, a hunting dog that has served its purpose must be discarded—a principle they’ve stuck to for ages.

“Hmm. It’s too important a decision to make on the spot. I’ll need time to think it over.”

“That’s unfortunate, but I need an answer now. I’m someone who needs to have his desires fulfilled immediately,” Hercules insisted.

“If that’s the case, I’m afraid I must decline.”

At Jinhyuk’s reply, Hercules’s eyebrows furrowed deeply. “Are you serious about that?”

“I’m here purely to enjoy the auction today. I don’t intend to choose a faction to join,” Jinhyuk said, hands clasped in a mock gesture of politeness.

Normally, this was where Hercules should back off, but normalcy had no place here.

“What a pity,” Hercules lamented. There wasn’t room for refusal in the world of a hero who does as he pleases.

Whooom!

Annoying obstacles should be crushed, that was Hercules’s way of splitting friends from foes.

His fist flew at a tremendous speed, intending a hit filled with killing intent. It was dangerous.

In that moment, Jinhyuk readied his body to respond. [Your unique ability ‘Tombgrave’s Right Arm’ activates!]

His arm, completely transformed, clashed head-on with the incoming punch.

Kaboom!

A massive shockwave spread throughout the area. “Oh?”

Hercules’s eyes trembled — he’d never expected a human to block his attack. But Jinhyuk was equally shocked.

‘I’ve gotten really strong if I can withstand even Hercules’s strike for a moment…’

Facing deities just two years after the tower’s appearance was beyond imagination. [Your Discrepancy stat has activated to its maximum capacity!]

Kukukukuku!

Jinhyuk’s smaller hand held the massive fist at bay — a grotesque sight. But it was only for a moment. He was being pushed back. A face-off with an upper-tier deity was still an impossibility, not to mention the fatigue from his battle with Shub-Niggurath weighed heavily. ṙã𐌽Ố𐌱Ës̩

“…,” Jinhyuk clenched his teeth.

He could hold on for at most a few seconds.

“Do you still insist on not joining us?” Hercules asked.

“I’ll say it again, I don’t team up with jerks. Besides, I’m definitely not into joining anyone,” Jinhyuk retorted.

“Is that so? What a brief last word.”

Hercules’s arm tensed up, but at that moment…

Swoosh!

A faint green gas filled the air. “Argh!”

Hercules screamed in pain, stepping back awkwardly.

“You damn fool! How dare you use poison on me!?”

Jinhyuk had concocted a special blend of ‘Thousand Poisons’ and ‘Black Tears’. Hercules’s unique trauma was, in fact, poison.

“Don’t you know that clingy men have no charm? If you didn’t stick around so much, this wouldn’t have happened.”

“I’ll tear you apart!”

Hercules roared with rage. The marble floor cracked under his wrath…

Boom!

…as his body shot out like a bullet, or rather, would have if someone hadn’t caught his wrist before he could launch.

“Dare you block me! Who are you?”

“The greatest of Greek gods, and you’ve lost your reason in anger to a mere player?”

“Who are you?!?”

Hercules stopped in his tracks. Even the unrestrained hero had to yield to this opponent, another of mythology’s mightiest deities.

Jinhyuk, too, found himself gazing intently at the new arrival.

‘A king crown holder at the auction?’

Their dominion over the tower surpassed even the once king-crowned Demon Realm. And their arrival here…

The newcomer’s sheer ‘holiness’ could only be described as fitting. An archangel, an executor of the divine will, stood before Jinhyuk.

“Hello, Player Kang Jinhyuk. I’ve longed to meet you, and now we finally can.”

The beautiful woman with her long blond hair tied to one side smiled pleasantly. Despite her slender figure, her magical power was immense.

Archangel Gabriel, one of the four great archangels and a member of ‘Eden’, the towering power over the 44th floor of the tower. A being capable of destroying ordinary boss monsters with a single blow.

“Sadly, the main auction has been postponed. Some wanted to know if you were aware, and it’s fortunate I arrived in time to prevent a terrible scene.”

“Postponed? And what’s this nonsense about the auction not being held today?” Hercules immediately demanded.

“Today’s smaller auction for the delegates of the gods’ will proceed as planned.”

However, “The main auction has been postponed by two days. A particularly precious item is to be exhibited.”

Hercules was stunned. “You mean ‘that’ will be presented?”

“Yes, so don’t waste your strength now. Return and gather sufficient funds. We don’t want the auction to end in disappointment.”

As Gabriel grinned, she turned to Jinhyuk.

“Player Kang Jinhyuk, we’ll see you again in two days. By then, you should be able to choose a force under favorable conditions. And we from ‘Eden’ would appreciate if you consider us too.”

She always maintained a pleasurable smile. Jinhyuk couldn’t help but feel intrigued by what awaited.

“Understood. For today, it’s best I take my leave.”

Jinhyuk nodded.

***

[Mourning continues worldwide…]

[It’s reported that presidents and guilds from various countries have personally thanked Player Kang Jinhyuk for his contribution…]

[Breaking news: ‘Veteran Corporation’, led by Player Jinhyuk, has become one of the world’s top eight guilds!]

A barrage of articles heated the media and the internet. While outbreaks weren’t new, this level of despair was unprecedented.

“Hmm, not bad at all. But where are the tales of my valor?”

Elysis blinked furiously, seeking recognition.

“Well, there are some, mostly from peculiar fan clubs online. Shall I indulge you?”

One could perceive the loss of vampiric dignity among the array of fan publications, yet such attention surely outweighed indifference.

“En-, enough! I, the noble, have more refined tastes.”

“And what might those ‘refined tastes’ be?”

“Cough. You’d be surprised, humans enjoy it too.”

“Really now, it sounds suspicious…”

Warily, Jinhyuk followed Elysis into the room adorned with false cobwebs and gothic candles.

Elysis was watching something on a tablet — Twilight, the fantasy-romance saga featuring vampires and werewolves.

“So, you’re into this kind of stuff?”

“Indeed. However, this movie grows on me the wrong way.”

Jinhyuk expected reactions like it being mesmerizing or thrilling, but Elysis’s dissatisfaction was a mystery that soon unraveled.

“How dare those werewolves challenge a noble race! When I was a prince, they wouldn’t even dream of it! What are those clan leaders doing?!”

The little vampire’s unwarranted fury was palpable as she pounded on the table.

“Cool it with the nonsensical rants and get ready to go out.”

“Going out?”

“We have a rare day off. Do you plan to spend the whole day locked up?”

With two days until the auction reopened, the 19th floor would wait. Till then, he planned to fully unwind.

“Oh! Of course… Ahem. If my contractor desperately wants me to join, I can’t refuse a noble request.”

Trying to mask her eagerness, Elysis leapt from the bed, ready to accompany Jinhyuk into the day’s adventure.

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