Solo Max-Level Newbie - Chapter 326: Gate Open - 11 Hours Before (Part 1)
The question “Why?” was inevitable.
Alice had clearly obtained the Eternal Rose with just one second left on the timer.
“What is this? Why on earth…?”
Alice stammered as she stared at the Eternal Rose in her hand.
The golden rose still hadn’t lost its luster.
“The flower on the right side of your chest is a fake.”
“A… fake?”
“Yep. It’s a fake. And this is the real one.”
A new rose appeared on Jinhyuk’s left chest.
[The 3-star ‘Vision Distortion’ barrier has been released.]
By using the barrier, Jinhyuk had hidden the real Eternal Rose on the left and attached a fake one, made of ice, on the right.
Everyone had been so focused on obtaining the rose that they failed to consider where it was initially placed.
In the end, their premature certainty of victory turned out to be their downfall.
The item Jinhyuk had taken from the Soft Black Crane had also played a significant role in perfectly crafting the ice sculpture, enhancing the deception.
“I… I thought I won. I thought I beat everyone and got the rose… Huh. I even planned to go to the lake and the restaurant….”
Alice’s voice trembled as tears welled up in her eyes.
Hmm.
Seeing her so genuinely upset, I felt a slight twinge of guilt—about 0.1 mg of it.
It’s like a faint prickling sensation, as if a needle was scratching a part of me that might have a conscience.
“Don’t be so sad. Even if it’s not for this event, I’ll take you to the places you want to visit later.”
It’s not that I don’t want to spend time with her.
It’s just that, right now, I don’t have the time or luxury to do so.
“R-Really?”
Alice’s eyes widened, resembling a rabbit’s.
“Yeah, so stop crying. What would people think, seeing the great progenitor of vampires crying in front of everyone?”
“…Okay. But in exchange, give me some blood! It’s been a while!”
“B-Blood?”
“I’ve been moving around a lot lately, and I’m feeling drained. Normally, I would’ve been able to see through the barrier, but I didn’t notice because I was low on mana.”
“…Hah. Fine. Just think of it as donating blood.”
As Jinhyuk sighed, Alice quickly calmed down as if nothing had happened.
Despite the many complications, all matters in Murim were finally resolved.
Now…
Jinhyuk’s gaze turned to the distance.
Yes, it’s time to begin the great war that awaits outside the tower.
—
Korean Awakener Association.
Jinhyuk had come to discuss the imminent worst-case scenario: an outbreak.
“Thank you for coming, Player Kang Jinhyuk.”
Han Sangjin, the head of the association, greeted Jinhyuk with a heavy expression.
“Oh…”
He suddenly realized he hadn’t offered anything to his guest, and his face flushed.
“I apologize. I’ve been so preoccupied. We have coffee, green tea… and other beverages. What would you like?”
“I’m fine. More importantly, you mentioned you had information about the gate… I’d like to hear about that first.”
Jinhyuk sat on the sofa.
Han Sangjin also sat down, his expression growing even more serious.
“To start with the most critical point, it seems we can predict when the outbreak will occur.”
“…! Does that mean you’ve completed the mana analysis?”
“Yes. Our specialized team has measured it, and they estimate that the outbreak will occur in about 11 hours.”
Recently, analyzing the mana of gates through high-grade mana stones and measurement-type Awakeners had made significant progress.
Although there might be a margin of error, 11 hours seemed like the correct limit.
‘It’s almost exactly as I expected.’
The thought, ‘The association has really advanced,’ crossed Jinhyuk’s mind.
Given the level of technological progress, it’s quite impressive.
“There’s not much time left.”
Of course, at this point, evacuating people is meaningless.
Wherever they go, everything will turn to nothing.
Han Sangjin was aware of this, which is why he had called Jinhyuk here.
“But there’s still a way.”
Han Sangjin got to the main point.
“Player Kang Jinhyuk, how much do you know about the mana tolerance of gates?”
“Are you referring to the principle that each living being requires an equivalent amount of mana to cross through a gate?”
“Exactly. A-grade monsters require an A-grade gate, and S-grade monsters need at least an S-grade gate with a matching tolerance. However, the gate that’s about to have an outbreak doesn’t have enough capacity to handle the monsters trying to cross over.”
Jinhyuk immediately understood the implication behind Han Sangjin’s words.
“You’re suggesting there’s an external power source supplementing the gate’s mana.”
“That’s what we’re hypothesizing.”
It was a plausible theory.
For a being like Shub-Niggurath to manifest in its true form, an extraordinary amount of mana would be required.
Naturally, the gate alone wouldn’t be enough to handle it.
Especially since Shub-Niggurath was preparing to manifest simultaneously all over the world, the required amount of mana would be astronomical.
‘I do have a contingency plan in mind, but the chances of success are slim.’
It would be more realistic to prevent Shub-Niggurath’s manifestation entirely.
“Where is this source located?”
“A few hours ago, after a magnitude 2 earthquake, a small island emerged 3 km off the coast near Dokdo.”
The location wasn’t too far.
Using spatial magic, he could reach it right away.
“The major guilds, including Dangun and Silla, are preparing their attack squads, but we’d like you to lead them. Of course, you’ll have full authority over the raid, and we promise a national-level reward once this is over.”
Within the next 11 hours.
They had to find and destroy the source of mana.
“Understood.”
Jinhyuk accepted the association’s proposal.
—
Crackle, crackle!
The sound of a campfire crackling echoed through the room.
Hasting silently watched the large screen in the attic.
A video recording of the event in Luoyang from a few hours ago was being replayed.
“…”
After watching the video repeatedly, Hasting crushed the wine glass in his hand.
Crack!
Shards of broken glass scattered on the floor.
At that moment…
“Murim failed in the end, too. Sima was someone I thought would be useful, but to waste the Azure Dragon so miserably….”
The woman sitting across from Hasting spoke up.
She had long, flowing purple hair and an enchanting, mysterious aura that exuded from her bewitching eyes.
This was Hyacinth de Shephiltino, the head of the great vampire family and the leader of the Shephiltino clan.
“We even told them how to control the Four Guardians, but now I’m starting to think Kang Jinhyuk might be a god, not a mere human. He might even be greater than the administrators.”
“Please, stop with the sarcasm. I’m not in the mood to brush off such remarks.”
“Oh my, I apologize. I misspoke in front of the great upper administrator.”
Seeing Hasting’s face contort into a scowl, Hyacinth raised her hands slightly in a gesture of mock surrender.
“We’ve already lost two clan leaders. The remaining ones are so on edge that none of them attended this meeting except you, Hyacinth. If this continues, our alliance itself might be in danger.”
Even Exensio, who was present, chimed in.
As the new head of Ataraxia, it was uncomfortable for him to see the former head, Alice, gaining more influence and power.
“It’s understandable that the clan leaders are anxious. But please, bear with it for a little longer. I’ve already recruited a very capable individual.”
“Are you saying you have a pawn even more competent than Sima?”
“That’s correct. Ah! They’ve just arrived.”
Hasting looked toward the door.
At that moment…
Creak…
The wooden door opened.
Two figures entered.
One was a red-haired woman from the Demon Association, Melena, and the other was an elderly man who looked to be in his seventies.
“We… we’re here.”
Melena glanced around nervously.
She was already branded and bound to Jinhyuk, but the individuals before her were literal overlords of the tower.
It was only natural for her to feel a sense of dread and for her throat to dry up.
“Are they humans? Are these the capable people you mentioned, Hasting?”
Hyacinth frowned.
The card she had been expecting turned out to be mere players.
And both of them seemed to have hardly any mana—a pair of worthless worms.
With this group, they wouldn’t even come close to Sima, let alone the lower clans.
“Heh. Do they really seem that way? If so, why don’t you test their strength yourself, Hyacinth?”
“You’re not serious, are you? You want me to waste my power on these humans who look like they’d die from a flick of the wrist? They wouldn’t survive even a single strike.”
“Hmm. So you’re doubtful. If you manage to subdue them in one go, I’ll give you anything you want from my personal vault.”
If it was the personal vault of an upper administrator… it must be overflowing with treasures that could surpass even those of the higher-level bosses.
“Alright. I’ll hold you to that.”
Hyacinth drew a blood-red rapier.
Crack!
As mana surged, the unique lightning skill of the Shephiltino clan flickered.
But then…
“Huh?”
Hyacinth’s pupils quivered.
[The activation of Lv?? ‘Lightning Spear’ has been canceled.]
Crackle! Cra… Crack!
The brilliantly shining lightning began to fade.
It wasn’t due to a lack of mana.
Nor was there any other apparent problem.
It was as if something was blocking her.
Hyacinth’s power had been sealed.
“You… just now…?”
This couldn’t be real.
That such a power existed…
“Didn’t I tell you? This power will definitely work on that damned human, too.”
Hasting’s lips curled into a smile.
“Greetings, mighty rulers of the tower. I am Nietzsche, the first and last of the Round Table, and I lead the Demon Association.”
The elderly man bowed deeply for the first time.
Codename: Arthur.
But unlike the other executives symbolizing the Round Table, he was called by his name.
‘Nihilism.’
The one who wields the power of nothingness.
In his presence, no unique ability or skill retains its brilliance.
In other words…
He’s someone who can nullify all variables.
“The humans are probably heading to the island I’ve prepared as bait. I ask the two of you to serve as this one’s guardians. Whether it’s Kang Jinhyuk or Alice, if their powers are sealed and they can only rely on their physical strength, wouldn’t they be easier to kill than plucking a chicken’s neck?”
“Definitely… possible.”
“…That sounds tempting.”
A thick, murderous intent spread across the faces of both Hyacinth and Exensio.