Solo Max-Level Newbie - Chapter 356: A New Weapon (1)

The newly claimed Crown of Tyranny.

And the power struggle within the upper floors involving the mighty force, Olympus.

These two issues had the entire Tower buzzing with activity.

The already tense atmosphere, which had felt like the calm before a storm, had now erupted into full-blown chaos.

“…How are things progressing?”

A beautiful angel opened her mouth to speak.

Gabriel.

She was overseeing the current investigation, representing ‘Eden.’

In response to Gabriel’s question, reports started pouring in from various directions.

“Olympus has officially begun their invasion of the 41st floor. Up until now, the two factions were engaged in small skirmishes in areas where their influence overlapped. However, now we’re seeing large-scale, simultaneous battles breaking out.”

Greece’s ‘Olympus’ and the Norse’s ‘Ragnarok.’

These two factions had, as of yesterday, entered into a fateful confrontation.

“Although the gods of Ragnarok are responding, the difference in power is too vast.”

“They’ve already lost five critical strongholds, and the path to Jotunheim has been cut off. If this continues…”

Jotunheim was one of the highest-ranking ruins on the 41st floor.

The fact that the heart of their territory was within range meant that the power gap was overwhelmingly one-sided.

It was clear that Olympus had prepared thoroughly and timed their attack perfectly.

“The balance might collapse,” Gabriel remarked, her face grave as she looked at the status screen.

At that very moment, countless lives were being extinguished amidst storms of fire and ice.

Just then—

“Archangel, are we not going to intervene?”

A muscular angel with large wings spoke.

Kizakiel.

He was a battle angel, often taking on the role of crushing enemies on the frontlines.

His belligerent nature was expected, and his ruthlessness made him a figure feared by both friend and foe alike.

The Angel of Bloodshed.

If there was any term to describe Kizakiel, it was this.

“Do you think the Commander of the Battle Legion should participate in this war between the two factions?”

“Upholding the balance of the Tower is the law of God and our mission. We must punish those disturbing the upper floors.”

A massive aura of malice surged from Kizakiel’s body.

Tangible flames engulfed his entire form.

His overwhelming power caused the other angels to step back, trembling.

“Just give the order, and I’ll eradicate both of these heretical factions. I’ll also tear off the head of that human, Kang Jinhyuk, and bring it back with the Crown.”

Punishing both factions was one thing, but securing the Crown of Tyranny was equally crucial.

Eden, too, desired to gather all the Crowns to challenge the 50th floor once more.

However—

“I’ve made a pact with him. At least until we secure that artifact, we must avoid any conflict with him, for any reason.”

The Necronomicon, the expedition log of the 50th floor.

Right now, that book was more important than the Crown itself.

Eden could eventually secure the Crown if they wished, but…

No matter how hard they tried, they could not obtain that book.

“…There must be something I don’t know. Understood. If that is your will, Archangel…”

Kizakiel clenched his lips tightly, clearly dissatisfied.

But he could not openly protest.

No matter how powerful a leader he was of Eden’s battle legions, defying Gabriel’s orders was unthinkable.

“And one more thing.”

Just before leaving, Gabriel added a final instruction.

“Don’t forget to secure the Guide.”

“You mean that Pesis guy?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

Among the numerous Guides in the Tower, one individual stood out: Pesis.

“We must bring him to our side.”

Though he preferred to wander alone, making contact difficult…

One way or another, they had to find a reason to approach him.

At least by finding someone who had already made contact with him.

—

At the same time.

Thump! Thump! Thump!

After sending his party out of the Tower, Jinhyuk was busy digging through the sand.

There were two methods to conquer the 19th floor.

Either defeat the boss monster in the conventional way, or find the hidden place and secure the relic deep within.

Jinhyuk had chosen the latter option.

“Hmm.”

He scratched his chin.

Even with the map he obtained from Uasis, finding the exact location of the weapon was no easy task due to the shifting nature of the sands.

At best, he could only make a rough estimation based on memory.

The rest was left to his instincts and grueling manual labor.

“Thanks to that, I’ve been digging in the sand for over 12 hours now.”

To be more precise…

“Huff, huff… I’m going to die, master…”

“Just kill me instead. Even as a ghost, I’ll haunt you.”

“Quiet, all of you. You’re giving me a headache.”

Jinhyuk was supervising the ones working hard instead of him.

The scene resembled a massive excavation site, with elementals sweating profusely as they worked tirelessly to find the hidden room.

“Come on, stop complaining and keep at it. We’re almost there. I can feel it.”

“It’s been 12 hours since you said you could feel it, master,” complained Undine.

Her small arms trembled from exhaustion.

But—

“And so?”

“Huh?”

“Are you saying you don’t like my request? That it’s too dirty and demeaning to continue?”

“N-No, it’s not that… But, we also have our own rights as elementals. We think we deserve at least 10 minutes of rest for every hour of work.”

“Oh? You want to rest?”

“Not a lot… just a little. I think we all deserve a minimum break, right? Isn’t that right, everyone?”

Undine, mustering all her courage, sought support from the other elementals.

They all nodded in agreement, trying to gather as much bravery as they could.

“Sure. If it’s that tough, you should rest.”

“Really!?”

“Of course. Take a nice, long rest.”

Jinhyuk smiled warmly as he summoned ‘Hellfire.’

“For all eternity.”

The burning inferno started to heat Undine’s water body.

“Eek! I’ll work! I’ll work hard!”

“Everyone, work like dogs! Move!”

“Let’s get to work. Now!”

Once again, the site bustled with activity.

Right at that moment—

“Wait. Hold on.”

Jinhyuk pulled out a kettle and poured a blue liquid from it.

A low-tier mana stone brewed tea, cooled with some ice. It was a cheap energy-boosting drink.

“Before we start again, have a drink. It should help with the fatigue.”

“M-Master…”

“Thank you…”

“You even prepared this for us…”

Their eyes welled up with emotion.

That’s why you can’t let your subordinates get too comfortable. You drive them hard, instill fear, and when they’re at their breaking point, you throw them a small bone.

‘There’s a reason why bad guys are always irresistible.’

Having placated the elementals, Jinhyuk started focusing again on where the hidden room might be.

—

The anomaly was moving at 10 km/h.

Humidity was at 17.5%.

The angle of the passageway had shifted by 1.5 degrees due to the battle with the Hound earlier, which had to be factored into the calculations.

There were dozens of variables to consider, but Jinhyuk had excavated relics under worse conditions before.

“The second tunnel on the left. Start there next.”

“Here? The Gnome said there was nothing here.”

Even the earth elemental was confused.

There were no vibrations indicating anything from the ley lines.

Still, Jinhyuk continued digging based on his instincts and experience.

‘We’re almost there.’

He could feel the finish line approaching.

The real problem would begin once they found the room, though…

‘With the traps and guardians inside, it’ll be tough with my current strength.’

A powerful ally would be needed.

Agility alone wouldn’t suffice to overcome the traps inside. Other attributes were also required.

And just then—

Wooong!

The space around Jinhyuk began to distort.

[A higher deity is partially manifesting!]

A red status window flashed repeatedly.

“Who…”

His curiosity didn’t last long.

The figure that emerged was all too familiar.

Beriel.

One of the Demon Kings of the Abyss had manifested on the 19th floor.

Though, clearly unable to fully manifest, his size was much smaller.

Roughly the same as Alice.

Beriel flapped his small demon wings, struggling as he perched on Jinhyuk’s shoulder.

“Huff… Huff… Damn, moving with just a tiny avatar is exhausting.”

Beriel panted like a squirrel.

“Wow. What brings you here? This doesn’t seem like much of a vacation spot.”

“You! What do you mean ‘what brings me here’?! You promised to become my Apostle, didn’t you? Yet you haven’t kept that promise, so I had to come myself!”

Ah…

That promise.

He vaguely remembered some messages, but he’d ignored them and eventually forgotten.

“Ah, the Black Apostle. Of course, I remember.”

“Don’t lie!”

“No, really. I’ve been researching the Abyss, preparing to transfer my job to an Apostle.”

At Jinhyuk’s words, Beriel’s expression softened slightly.

“So… does that mean you’re ready to contract with me now?”

“I would love to, but I can’t make a contract with you. Not yet.”

“If this is just another excuse—”

“Gunthafell.”

Jinhyuk cut him off with a single word.

The deity whom he’d formed an enmity with at the giant’s stronghold, now a full-fledged enemy.

Not long ago, Jinhyuk had even encountered him at the Auction House of the Gods.

“He threatened me recently. If I made a contract with you, he’d destroy every outpost and ally I have, even using a relic from the Demon Gods. I have no choice.”

“He said he’d use *Kavalado’s Sword*… just to stop you from becoming the Black Apostle?”

“He must really hate me.”

Of course, this was a lie.

But Beriel had no way of verifying it.

Private communication between deities and players was something no other deities could eavesdrop on.

“And with the relationship between Ragnarok and Olympus becoming increasingly hostile, you know I’m entangled in numerous interests.”

“I’ve heard about the tension between those two factions myself.”

“My only option is to grow stronger, find a relic that can counter *Kavalado’s Sword*. That way, even if I sign a contract with you, the Abyss won’t suffer the consequences.”

“Hmm. That’s not entirely without merit. If your growth is substantial enough, not even Gunthafell could plot behind the scenes.”

Beriel, seemingly convinced, nodded.

“In that case, I could use a little help.”

“Hm?”

“I’m about to enter a tricky place, but after a big fight earlier, all my comrades are outside.”

To conquer this place…

…he needed a sturdy shield.