Solo Max-Level Newbie - Chapter 341: The Auction House of the Gods (2)
Thud! Thud! Thud!
The sound of footsteps grew louder.
A deafening rumble reverberated through the auction house, shaking the entire place.
Soon, a figure appeared—a man standing over 5 meters tall.
With bulging muscles and a half-naked body, his presence was overpowering, especially with his shaggy beard that exuded a sense of dominance.
There was no way not to recognize him.
How could anyone not know?
This was the great hero known as the strongest warrior of Greek mythology.
‘I thought they’d just send some underlings to conduct the auction on their behalf…’
It seemed the scale of this auction was far more significant than expected.
For someone of this stature to come all the way here…
Thud!
The footsteps stopped.
“Kuhaha! We finally meet. The old one-eyed hags said you’d be here, but I wasn’t sure. Turns out, it was worth coming to this foolish place.”
Hercules, standing before Jinhyuk, let out a hearty laugh.
“Did you come all the way here just to meet me?”
“That’s right. I don’t believe in prophecies, but I do believe in what I see with my own two eyes.”
Hercules pointed a finger at Jinhyuk.
“Seeing you handle that guy on the 50th floor was quite the spectacle. Honestly, I didn’t think you’d survive in that way.”
With the pleasantries out of the way, it was time for the main topic.
“I already know that the toothless Norse gods have approached you. I don’t know what they offered, but they’re a sinking ship.”
Loki and Thor.
It seemed word had already reached the Greek side that these two deities had made contact with Jinhyuk.
Well, considering Hermes, who was second to none when it came to gathering information, it wasn’t surprising.
“So, you’re saying it would be a loss to side with them?”
“That’s right. If you’re going to climb the Tower, it’s better to align with a stronger faction. It benefits you too, doesn’t it?”
Since Odin, the chief deity of the Norse gods, had lost his crown, the influence of the Norse pantheon had plummeted.
In fact, the Greek gods were openly encroaching on Odin’s territory.
It was no secret that several large and small battles had already broken out.
‘The Greek gods are certainly an attractive force. If I align with them, they’ll back me up solidly.’
At least in terms of conquering the late 30th floors and early 40th floors, their help would definitely be efficient.
But for some reason…
Jinhyuk hesitated to accept their offer too quickly.
There was a reason he couldn’t get involved with the Greek gods.
‘Those guys are even more treacherous than demons.’
The Greeks had a habit of discarding their hunting dogs after the hunt was over. It was a hard and fast rule among their pantheon.
In the past, Jinhyuk had suffered greatly from not knowing this, and he had no intention of repeating that mistake this time.
“Hmm. This is too important a matter to decide right now. I’ll take my time and think it over.”
“Unfortunately, I need an answer right now. I have a personality that demands immediate satisfaction.”
“Well, that’s unfortunate because I’ll have to decline.”
At Jinhyuk’s firm refusal, Hercules’ eyebrows furrowed deeply.
“Are you… serious?”
“I’m here to enjoy the auction today, not to decide which faction to join.”
Jinhyuk brought his hands together politely, as if he truly regretted his decision.
Normally, this would be the point where the other person would back down.
Normally.
“I see… What a shame.”
But for a hero as reckless as Hercules, the concept of refusal simply didn’t exist.
Vuuuuuung!
A potential threat that could become a nuisance needed to be crushed from the start.
That was how Hercules distinguished between friend and foe.
A massive fist swung toward Jinhyuk with immense speed.
It was filled with killing intent.
Dangerous.
In that moment, Jinhyuk’s body responded instinctively.
[The unique ability ‘Right Arm of the Tombgrave’ has been activated!]
Jinhyuk’s right arm transformed.
The fist flying toward his face collided head-on with the arm he raised to block.
KWAANG!
A huge shockwave exploded outward.
“Hooh?”
Hercules’ eyes visibly shook.
He had never expected a mere human to block his attack.
But Jinhyuk was just as surprised.
‘I’ve really gotten strong.’
To think he could endure even a single blow from Hercules.
It was astonishing even to him.
Facing deities wasn’t something Jinhyuk could have imagined just two years after the appearance of the Tower of Trials.
[The Gap Stat is fully activated!]
Rumble!
The sight of a much smaller hand gripping a massive fist was grotesque, to say the least.
But it only lasted for a moment.
He was being pushed back.
At least for now…
A direct confrontation with a higher-tier god was impossible.
Not to mention, the fatigue from the battle with Shub-Niggurath was still weighing heavily on him.
“……”
Jinhyuk gritted his teeth.
At best, he could hold out for a few seconds.
That was his limit.
“Are you still refusing to join us?”
“I’ve already told you. I have no interest in teaming up with scumbags. And I especially don’t like the idea of bowing to someone else.”
“Is that so? Your last words are rather short.”
The veins in Hercules’ arm bulged.
But at that moment—
Whoosh!
A soft green mist spread into the air.
“GRAAHHH!”
Hercules let out a scream of pain.
His panicked retreat looked completely out of place for someone of his size.
“You damn bastard… You dare use poison on me!?”
It was a unique blend of **Cheondok (Thousand Poisons)** and **Black Tears**.
The one thing Hercules had a trauma about was poison.
“You know, guys who cling on like you aren’t very attractive. This is what happens when you won’t back off.”
“I’ll tear you to pieces!”
Hercules roared in rage.
Crack!
The marble floor cracked like a turtle’s shell.
BANG!
And then, his body shot forward like a bullet.
Or at least, it tried to.
Before he could even lift his feet off the ground, someone grabbed his wrist.
“How dare you stop me! Who are you?”
“Is the great hero of Greek mythology really losing both his composure and his mind just because of a player?”
“You…!?”
Hercules froze.
Even the most reckless of heroes had no choice but to take a step back now.
Because his opponent was one of the strongest deities known to myth.
Jinhyuk, who had been preparing for a fight, turned to look at the new arrival.
Another big name had shown up.
‘So, a faction that holds a crown has joined the auction as well.’
There was once a faction in the Demon Realm that held a crown, but they had lost it.
And the one responsible for that was…
The being standing right in front of him now.
The word “divine” was often thrown around, but in this case, there was no better way to describe it.
A representative who executed the will of the gods.
Standing before Jinhyuk was one of the mightiest deities.
“Hello, Kang Jinhyuk. I’ve been wanting to meet you for a long time, and it seems I finally have the chance.”
A beautiful woman smiled warmly.
She had long blonde hair tied to one side.
Her frame was slender, as if she could break at any moment, yet the power radiating from her was immeasurable.
It was the archangel **Gabriel**, one of the four archangels and a member of **Eden**, the powerful faction that controlled the 44th floor of the Tower of Trials.
She was a being capable of defeating most boss monsters with a single blow.
“I came to make sure everyone knew that today’s main auction has been canceled. I’m glad I could stop something awful from happening.”
“The main auction was canceled? What are you talking about? That fairy, Setilda or whatever, didn’t mention anything about that.”
Hercules immediately protested.
“The small auction with the representatives of the gods will proceed as planned.”
However…
“The main auction has been postponed for two days. One of the items up for bid is so rare, it required the delay.”
“Wait… Don’t tell me ‘that’ is going to be put up for auction?”
“Yes. So, Hercules, you might want to gather more funds before coming back. None of us want the auction to end anticlimactically, after all.”
Gabriel smiled brightly.
Then, she turned to Jinhyuk.
“Kang Jinhyuk, I’ll see you again in two days. By then, many gods and factions will be present, and you’ll have the chance to choose the best offer. Of course, I hope you’ll consider **Eden** among your options.”
As usual, she maintained a polite and pleasant smile.
That was simply the nature of angels.
In two days…
Things were bound to get interesting.
Jinhyuk had a good idea of what might be up for auction.
“Understood. I suppose I’ll call it a day and head back.”
Jinhyuk nodded.
***
[While a wave of tributes continues around the world…]
[It has been reported that many world leaders and guilds have sent personal messages of thanks to Kang Jinhyuk for his significant contributions.]
[Breaking news: The guild ‘Veteran Corporation’, where Kang Jinhyuk serves as Master, has been ranked among the top 8 guilds in the world!]
Articles were flooding the media and the internet with constant coverage.
There had been outbreaks before, but never one as hopeless as this.
“Hooh. Impressive. But why is there no mention of me?”
Alice’s eyes sparkled as she asked.
“Well, there is something, but most of it comes from strange fan clubs. Should I show you?”
A quick glance showed they were full of bizarre content that didn’t exactly uphold the dignity of a vampire.
But still, wasn’t attention better than none at all?
“N-never mind! I’ll stick to enjoying my noble pastimes.”
“Pastimes? Besides eating and sleeping, do you even have any hobbies?”
“Ahem. Don’t be surprised once you see. Humans do it all the time.”
“Huh. Sounds suspicious…”
Jinhyuk, wearing a doubtful expression, followed Alice into her room.
Fake cobwebs and skulls, along with eerie candles, decorated the space.
What a bizarre taste.
“I was watching a movie.”
Alice pointed to a tablet screen.
Hmm, this was…
A familiar film.
*Twilight.*
The iconic romantic fantasy between vampires and werewolves.
“Wow. You’re into this kind of thing?”
“Indeed. But the more I watch it, the more it pisses me off.”
“Huh?”
Wouldn’t it be normal to find it sweet or cool?
Why was she getting angry?
The reason soon became clear.
“How dare those filthy werewolves challenge such a noble race? Back when I was the head of the family, they wouldn’t have even dared imagine it! What on earth are the current family heads doing, letting things get this bad!?”
Alice pounded the table with her small fist, clearly indignant.
Expecting a normal reaction from this vampire was definitely a mistake.
“Enough with the nonsense. Get ready to head out.”
“Heading out?”
“Since we finally have some downtime, do you plan to stay cooped up in the house all day?”
There were still two days until the auction reopened.
They’d head to the 19th floor after that.
Until then…
He intended to enjoy some much-needed rest.
“Ohohoho! Of course, I’ll go… I mean, if my contractor pleads for me to accompany him, I can’t refuse. After all, a noble being can’t just say no to a request.”
Alice jumped up from the bed, trying hard to maintain her composure.