Solo Max-Level Newbie - Chapter 324. The Battle for a Spouse (2)
*Rumble…*
Teresa began to draw out her mana.
It was an overwhelming aura.
Even under normal circumstances, Teresa was formidable, but now that her mana was unsealed, her power was even more striking.
*Gulp!*
Jinhyuk swallowed dryly.
To unseal mana, you needed 1 million coins or equivalent items.
‘It looks like she’s unsealed at least to the third stage…’
There had to be a huge spender among Teresa’s viewers.
Or perhaps Teresa had used her own funds to buy items that unsealed her mana.
Either way, this was dangerous.
“It’s best if you stay still. If you resist, you might end up as a groom missing an arm or leg. Although, that might be an appealing look in its own way.”
Teresa let out a peculiar laugh.
The casual way she spoke such threatening words sent a shiver down his spine.
At the same time…
*Bang!*
Teresa launched herself forward, closing the distance in an instant.
Her sword was aimed at his left chest.
At the ‘Eternal Rose.’
*Vuuung!*
‘She’s not just trying to take the rose, but she might even slice off my shoulder.’
Jinhyuk instinctively threw himself to the left.
With his abilities sealed, he had to rely purely on his reflexes to deal with the situation.
But…
Teresa’s left hand moved like lightning.
Just as he was about to break free, a white hand grasped his tuxedo.
“Got. You.”
A smile curled up on Teresa’s lips.
“Damn it!”
To think such a slender arm could hold such immense strength.
There was no escape.
It wasn’t just his abilities that were sealed, but his stats were clearly nerfed as well.
“Hehehe. Don’t resist. Honestly, wouldn’t I make a pretty good bride? I come from a good family, have a great reputation, and I’m beautiful. Plus, I bet every day would be fun with me.”
“You sure know how to talk. You’re going to be so embarrassed when your corruption wears off. I highly recommend maintaining the dignity of your original personality.”
“Hmm. Well, that innocent side of me might kick herself under the covers, but I don’t care. I’m more of a ‘do it now, regret later’ kind of person.”
Teresa reached out boldly.
But just at that moment…
“Y-You! Get your filthy hands off him right now!”
Alice appeared, angrier than Jinhyuk had ever seen her.
Her voice trembled with rage.
The crimson tint in her eyes and her disheveled silver hair made quite an impression.
“That power… Just how many stages of the seal did you break?”
Teresa’s eyes narrowed.
There were a total of 10 stages to the ability seal.
Teresa had sold her holy rings to unseal up to the third stage.
But the aura emanating from Alice was far beyond just three stages.
Alice spoke as if it was the most natural thing in the world.
“I broke them all.”
-RewardMaster: All of them?
-Park Jong-hoon: Are you saying she broke all 10 stages?
-ftd: No way… It takes over 30 million coins to break all 10 stages. She really spent that much?
A massive commotion erupted among the viewers.
They were understandably shocked.
The prices of the items available in this event were ridiculously steep.
Everyone assumed the exorbitant prices were just for show, and no one would actually buy them.
-npu3: Did she hack to get coins? Is that even possible? The Empire and the Martial World barely managed to break through seven stages with full support.
-liron3333: Hold on. It’s not just her mana that’s been unsealed. Look at what she’s holding. Do you see that map?
Following the viewer’s comment, all eyes turned to Alice’s hand.
-StrongholdMaster: Whoa! I know what that is. It’s the most expensive item in the event shop. It costs 100 million coins. Can you believe someone actually bought it?
-cjm1: No way… She spent 100 million just to go on a date with Jinhyuk? Is this real life?
-FP: I checked the transaction history. She traded it for an ancient relic on the 20th floor. It’s a shield with a defense rating of 300,000.
-Silttaki: The best armor currently listed in the Tower’s auction house has a defense rating of 70,000. This is insane. Absolutely insane.
-Chris: This is beyond epic.
The chat was going wild.
‘Did that crazy vampire really buy a relic?’
The map in Alice’s hand emitted a faint blue glow.
Lower-grade maps could only track the traces left by a target.
But the map Alice purchased could track the target’s location in real time.
Pouring such an absurd amount of money into a special event item that could only be used within the event… What was she thinking?
‘Does she really… like me?’
Jinhyuk tilted his head, puzzled.
No way.
It must just be her possessiveness and obsession acting up.
There were some items in the event that weren’t in Alice’s collection, after all.
“You’re just a kid. Why don’t you go play somewhere else and eat your favorite dumplings?”
“Who… Who are you calling a kid, you foolish saintess!”
The word “kid” completely shattered Alice’s composure.
And the result…
Was nothing short of catastrophic.
[Alice activates the unique holy spear, ‘Apocalypse’s Revelation’!]
A crimson ring appeared behind her.
The absolute weapon of judgment was unleashed.
“Hey… you can’t bring that out here…!”
Jinhyuk shouted, but it was too late.
All the moisture in the air evaporated, and the clouds disintegrated.
A fierce storm erupted from the fully bloomed pair of wings.
“I can tolerate a lot of things… really, I can tolerate almost anything… but…”
*Rumble…!*
An unimaginable inferno surged forth.
The surrounding area was so deeply tinted red that even the viewers couldn’t see what was happening.
“But I will never give up on this!”
Her voice was filled with unwavering resolve.
Not to be outdone, Teresa also unleashed her full power.
[Teresa activates ‘Blessing of the Stars’!]
“I’m not giving up either.”
*Whoosh!*
A black starlight enveloped Teresa’s body.
This was pure madness.
The mana radiating from these two crazed beings caused the entire pavilion to shake violently.
But just before Jinhyuk could get caught up in the battle…
*Slip!*
He felt a soft touch around his waist.
“Jinhyuk!”
Andrea, with her nine tails, firmly grasped Jinhyuk.
“Andrea?”
“Let’s escape. Hold on tight!”
Andrea, in her transformed state, activated the power of her fox marble.
—
They ended up far from the pavilion.
On the way, they had encountered imperial ladies with the eyes of predators and martial world maidens with deadly determination.
-Oh my, that flower on your chest looks lovely. Why don’t we go somewhere quiet and have a little chat?
-Hohoho. What could I possibly do? I’m just genuinely curious about Young Master Kang.
This was the true terror of coins.
Even those who were once fragile were now immensely strengthened through items.
Thankfully, Andrea had been there to help, or he might have been done for.
“Haa… haa… haa…”
Jinhyuk panted heavily.
It had been a long time since he had run using only his physical stamina.
“Catch him!”
“Where is he?”
“Why is the tracking spell so slow? Ugh! This is frustrating!”
“My father should’ve spent more money on this. At this rate, someone else will get him.”
The voices of countless women still echoed from beyond the alley.
If they were discovered, he wouldn’t just lose the rose—he wouldn’t even have his bones left intact.
“Thanks, Andrea. You really saved me back there.”
“Hehe. I got praised.”
Andrea smiled brightly.
Yeah. It was good to have someone pure like her around.
Seeing her help without any ulterior motives made Jinhyuk feel like maybe he hadn’t lived his life completely wrong…
…Or so he was about to think.
Hmm?
Why did it feel like he was cornered in a dead-end alley?
Andrea blocked the only exit with a smile.
“Jinhyuk, do you remember that time?”
“An…drea?”
“The time you saved me from the mental ward. I really thought a prince on a white horse had come to rescue me. Until then, I thought my life was only about being a sacrifice or being discarded as a tool.”
“Yes. Thank you for remembering it as a good memory. Now, could you step aside?”
“This time, I’m not going to yield to my sisters. I’m going to be a little greedy, too.”
[Andrea activates Lv11 ‘Gumiho’s Temptation’!]
Her nine tails swayed gently.
Like looking directly at Medusa, Jinhyuk felt his entire body stiffen.
‘A mental… attack.’
This was bad.
With barriers and other stats sealed, if he fell to this…
Jinhyuk struggled, twisting his body.
But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t resist the skill with just his physical body.
“Hehe. Even you, Jinhyuk, can’t resist this in these conditions, right?”
Andrea took a step closer.
One of her tails brushed against his cheek.
Her hand reached for the rose.
‘Is this the end?’
Just as he thought that…
*Thud!*
“Huh…?”
A dull sound echoed, and Andrea’s body staggered.
The figures that appeared behind her were…
“My lord. I apologize for being late.”
Wolyong and…
“I don’t know how much longer I have to clean up after you.”
Chun Yoosung.
“How did you two get here?”
Jinhyuk’s eyes widened in surprise.
Chun Yoosung glared at him with disdain.
“Don’t play dumb. You asked Master to have me participate in this event! What did you do to threaten her into forcing me into this? Tell me now!”
Oh, threats, he says.
What a crude way to put it.
“I simply said that I’d hand over the camera I installed in your room in exchange for having you serve as my bodyguard.”
Chun Yoosung studying medicine.
Chun Yoosung training in swordsmanship.
Chun Yoosung sleeping in his bear-themed pajamas.
All I did was offer to hand over the footage I’d carefully recorded.
“How dare you say that out loud, you bastard!”
*Srrng!*
Chun Yoosung half-unsheathed his sword.
But then he seemed to recall his master’s warning and stopped himself from drawing it fully.
“Good boy. That’s right. No matter what, you wouldn’t go against your master’s wishes.”
It had been a smart move to send a telepathic message to Sage of Sorrow right after the competition began.
With two reliable allies now by his side, surviving the mid-game should be manageable.
At least, these two wouldn’t try to steal the rose from him.
“My lord, we should relocate.”
“Agreed. I’ve got a few places in mind.”
With people like Alice and Teresa possessing tracking items, staying in one place was dangerous.
They had to keep moving and buy time.
Just a little more.
If they could just hold out a bit longer.
Once one more condition was met, they could take control of the entire situation.
But just then…
*Step.*
The sound of footsteps echoed from the alley.