Solo Max-Level Newbie - Chapter 348. Hidden Place on the 19th Floor (2)

The Crown of Conquest.

A holy relic that only the most violent and battle-hardened could possess. This crown had always stirred up enormous upheavals within the Tower.

More than half of the major incidents in the Tower’s history coincided with the change of ownership of this crown.

Therefore…

Jinhyuk was moving faster than anyone else to get his hands on it.

If the forces in the upper floors learned about it, they would surely swarm to the 19th floor like a hive of bees.

And currently…

Amidst the sand dunes of the desert on the 19th floor…

Two figures faced each other.

“……”

A lean figure standing over 2 meters tall.

A sly grin curled at his lips.

At a glance, he could be mistaken for a famous movie star.

However, that was merely a facade to blend in with the human world.

The true form hidden within that shell was anything but pleasant.

Nyarlathotep. [1]

A messenger and herald serving Azathoth [2]. He was a god-like entity from the 50th floor, and aside from the administrators, he was the only being who could freely float between the Tower’s levels.

In front of him stood…

An elderly gentleman wearing a bowler hat and a monocle.

A snowy white beard suited him perfectly.

This was Rick Hennessy, the owner of the upper ranks and one of the Tower’s middle-tier administrators.

“It was a mistake to come down here so soon after completing my work. I should have sent a deputy or used another administrator.”

Rick didn’t bother to hide his irritation.

“Keke. Oh my, oh my. It seems I’ve disturbed the great Rick Hennessy.”

Nyarlathotep chuckled mischievously.

He shrugged and sank into the plush sofa in the middle of the room, not forgetting to pour himself a glass of fine wine.

“Care for a sip? No? Oh, right, you don’t drink anything other than that odd coffee.”

“I’ll pass on the wine. Instead, answer me, Nyarlathotep. Why didn’t you immediately retrieve the Crown of Conquest? Why did you leave it unattended?”

“Ah… that?”

Nyarlathotep toyed with the wine glass, swirling it with his finger.

Sluuurp!

In an instant, the wine was completely absorbed through his fingertip.

“I wanted to retrieve it quickly too, but my mother suggested leaving it as a form of entertainment.”

“Was it out of respect for the Heavenly Demon?”

“No way, it was just out of curiosity. After all, to her, the inhabitants of the lower floors aren’t even considered real opponents.”

“That much is true.”

Rick nodded in agreement.

“But what about the human? Wasn’t his name Kang Jinhyuk? I understand that you’ve taken a liking to him, but he’s interfering with our plans far more than expected. If suspicion falls on you, it will be a headache.”

“I’ve established enough of a relationship with Kang Jinhyuk. His target is limited to Hastings. I’ve already spread information about that through Gabriel.”

“Hoho. So you’ve even recruited someone from Eden?”

“No. She doesn’t know the full extent of the situation. She simply believes that Hastings is behind everything.”

Rick waved his hand lightly toward the air.

Wooong!

A space opened, revealing countless items beyond imagination.

“Nice aroma.”

Rick savored the taste of his coffee deeply.

“Whistle! No matter how many times I see it, your spatial ability is impressive. Your mother wasn’t exaggerating when she said you practically own the Tower itself.”

Nyarlathotep whistled, then added another comment.

“Kekeke! By the way, Hastings would faint if he knew the truth. He firmly believes he’s the only one we’ve chosen. You should’ve seen how obsequiously he grovelled.”

“He needs to believe that he’s in control of everything. I prefer to stay one step behind.”

“Yeah, exactly. That way, it’s easier to manage.”

“This pointless conversation can end here. This time, make sure you retrieve the crown, Nyarlathotep. If things go wrong again, you’ll have to pay the price as well.”

“Don’t worry. I’ve already recruited some exceptional individuals. Just make sure that the Necronomicon doesn’t fall into that human’s hands. That book… it would be nice if it disappeared forever. It’s such a constant source of trouble.”

“Understood. I’ll take care of that.”

“Good. I’ll leave it to you then, my eternal companion.”

Nyarlathotep filled his wine glass again, his expression one of amusement.

＊＊＊

Whoooosh!

A sandstorm whipped through the air, carried by the scorching winds.

The storm, mixed with tiny grains of sand, was dangerous on its own.

In fact, most of the monsters inhabiting this area retreated into their dens whenever a storm like this hit, not showing their faces at all.

“It’s really something.”

Chun Yoosung murmured as he looked outside.

They had arrived at a temporary shelter under Yua Sis’s guidance.

A cave full of stalactites provided excellent refuge from the storm.

“It’s a good thing we can store food from outside in our subspace inventory on the 19th floor. Since we can’t go outside until the storm passes, I’ll treat you to some fine French cuisine in the meantime.”

Teresa rolled up her sleeves, eager to show off her skills.

Marbled beef, sea urchin and lobster from the Mediterranean, along with fine red wine.

The ingredients laid out were extraordinary.

The aroma of the spicy tomato-based arrabbiata sauce combined with scallops and shrimp filled the air, making everyone’s mouth water.

It was hard to tell whether they were on a raid or filming a food show.

Even Alice, who had been sulking, could be felt clamoring from inside the ring.

Maybe this would be a good opportunity to get back on her good side.

As the cooking continued, Jinhyuk approached Yua Sis.

“Yua Sis.”

“Yes?”

“Do you have a moment? I’d like to ask you something.”

Yua Sis, who had her legs tucked beneath her in a loaf position, smiled warmly.

“Of course. What is it?”

“It’s about the place we’re heading to.”

“You mean the Dunes of the Sun.”

The hidden place on the 19th-floor ruins: the ‘Dunes of the Sun.’

A place where the sun never sets, not for 365 days a year.

As the name implied, the deeper one went, the hotter it became.

‘It’s said the deepest part is as hot as the surface of the sun.’

He had been here before, but he had failed to reach the deepest part.

Back then, the crown hadn’t been his goal, and there were far more interesting things to explore than the Dunes of the Sun.

“I need a map of the rooms inside the dunes.”

“A… map?”

“I understand that your Dryad race has passed one down for generations. It’s a tool used by the guardians of the forest to fulfill their duties.”

Due to the nature of the dunes, anything imbued with strong magic is drawn inward.

If the crown was here, it would be located at the innermost part of the dunes.

To find the crown within the limited time, they needed a map detailing the interior layout.

“You really… don’t miss anything, Player Kang Jinhyuk. How do you know so much about the secrets of our race?”

“I’m afraid I can’t tell you that. Besides, what matters isn’t where the information came from, but what you can achieve with it.”

Yua Sis hesitated for a moment at Jinhyuk’s words.

Normally, this would be grounds for drawing her weapon to get to the bottom of things. Whether there was a spy within their ranks or a leak, it had to be addressed.

But that wasn’t the priority.

At least not now.

Right now, as Jinhyuk had said, they needed to focus on using the information to complete their mission.

“Very well.”

Yua Sis plucked a flower from her hair.

Wooong!

The petals unfolded, growing larger and larger until they revealed a map made entirely of petals.

It showed all the rooms and their locations within the Dunes of the Sun.

‘Good.’

Jinhyuk clenched his fist slightly in satisfaction.

With this, finding the crown would be much easier.

But at that moment…

“…Huh?”

Yua Sis suddenly raised her head.

“What is it?”

“Th-that….”

Her face crumpled, and her pupils shook with deep distress.

It was no wonder.

Even as they spoke, the Dryads she had stationed outside the waterfall were being slaughtered.

“My sisters… all of them… Who could be doing something so cruel…”

Yua Sis muttered blankly.

While the loss of her companions was tragic, something far more serious was happening.

Jinhyuk’s mind raced.

‘It’s not just random players or residents after the ruins.’

If it were, they would’ve either attempted to communicate with the Dryads or abandoned the raid entirely.

The ruins were certainly tempting, but only if the effort was worth the reward.

No one would massacre the Forest Clan just to enter.

Unless…

Unless there was something in there that was worth all the bloodshed.

‘Hastings… Did they know about the crown?’

That was the only explanation that made sense.

They needed to hurry.

They had to move… now.

＊＊＊

The meal was postponed, and instead, Jinhyuk explained the situation to everyone.

“I understand, but are you seriously suggesting we go through that storm? Are you out of your mind?”

“Jinhyuk…”

Chun Yoosung and Teresa both wore troubled expressions.

“…There’s less than a 3% chance of survival.”

Even Frey calmly assessed the grim reality.

The sandstorm had completely cut off visibility, and trying to pass through it would leave them torn to shreds within 30 minutes.

Even using magic to protect themselves had its limits.

“Don’t worry. There’s actually a way to navigate the storm.”

“There’s a way? Are you sure?”

“Yeah. There are some restrictions, but in this situation, we’ll have to give it a try.”

Jinhyuk gathered the droplets at the tip of a stalactite.

Pzzzt!

He infused it with runic magic, causing the water to glow a soft turquoise.

“What kind of restrictions were you keeping quiet about until now?”

“You need an incredibly deep reservoir of magic or internal energy for it to work. I’ll be fine, but I’m worried it might not be effective for the rest of you.”

“Hmph. I can’t just let that slide.”

Chun Yoosung narrowed his eyes.

“Are you implying that I’m weaker than you? Is that what you mean?”

“No, I wasn’t looking down on you or anything. I’m just concerned about a worst-case scenario.”

“Tch! That still sounds like you’re belittling me!”

Chun Yoosung snatched the droplet.

Immediately, he activated his ‘Protective Aura.’

A soft glow enveloped him, coating his body in a layer of qi.

With the added effect of the droplet, a rather impressive-looking armor formed around him.

“Watch closely. I’ll break through that storm before you even get the chance to move. Try to keep up.”

Chun Yoosung confidently marched into the sandstorm.

“Aren’t you going to follow him, Jinhyuk?”

“Let’s wait a bit. Let’s just watch for now.”

Teresa asked, but Jinhyuk made no move to follow.

Instead, he observed Chun Yoosung with a careful expression.

A moment later…

“Argh! Damn it! Is this thing really working? I-it feels like I’m going to die!”

Chun Yoosung’s scream echoed from within the storm.

Hmm.

Looks like it’s not enough.

If Chun Yoosung was struggling this much, they would need much older stalactites to produce a stronger effect.

“Come to think of it, I think there’s another route deeper inside the cave. It’s been so long that I almost forgot, but it should be much safer.”

Jinhyuk quickly adjusted their course.

***

Footnotes:
[1] Nyarlathotep: A deity from H.P. Lovecraft’s Cthulhu Mythos, often referred to as the “Crawling Chaos.” Unlike other deities in the mythos, Nyarlathotep interacts more directly with humanity, serving as a messenger and enforcer for the Outer Gods, particularly Azathoth. He is known for his many forms and his manipulative, often malevolent, influence on those around him. In this story, he serves as a messenger and herald of Azathoth.

[2] Azathoth: Another deity from H.P. Lovecraft’s Cthulhu Mythos, also known as the “Blind Idiot God” or “Nuclear Chaos.” Azathoth is the most powerful of the Outer Gods, dwelling at the center of the universe, where it mindlessly and chaotically rules over all of creation. It is often described as a monstrous entity, unaware of its surroundings, and is considered the creator of the universe in Lovecraftian lore.