Solo Max-Level Newbie - Chapter 360: A New Weapon (5)

Shwoooosh…

The flowing sands quickly disappeared into the depths of the abyss, taking the crown with them, vanishing from sight in an instant.

“Damn it! You idiot! Are you out of your mind?” Kizakiel roared.

“I told you, it was an accident. If you’re desperate, why don’t you jump in and fetch it yourself?” Jinhyuk replied nonchalantly.

Gritting his teeth, Kizakiel glared at Jinhyuk.

“I’ll remember this,” he growled before diving into the pit.

He knew retrieving the crown wouldn’t be easy, but he couldn’t just give up. Letting the crown slip away for years again was unacceptable.

Boom!

A brilliant light surged downward as Kizakiel descended into the abyss.

“Hmm,” Jinhyuk murmured, watching Kizakiel disappear with a satisfied grin.

He had successfully removed a troublesome opponent.

Now, Gabriel would likely catch wind of what had transpired, so at least for today, there was no need to worry about that muscle-headed angel stabbing him in the back.

‘Now, it’s time to retrieve the crown…’

Of course, there was no way Jinhyuk intended to throw away the top-tier relic he fought so hard to get just to chase off Kizakiel.

The problem was…

Even Jinhyuk didn’t know exactly where the sands would carry the crown. Not even Kizakiel or Hastings could predict its exact flow.

But there was one being who could perfectly read the currents of the sands.

Jinhyuk’s gaze shifted toward Havelian, who stood nearby.

“I’m sorry for disturbing your home, but could you help me one more time?”

“Rooar?” Havelian tilted its head curiously.

“That item I dropped is very important to me. Plus, the guy who tried to kill you really wants it too. How about we give that fool a good slap in the face?”

“Roaar!”

Havelian leaped to its feet, wagging its tail fiercely as if ready to help.

Ordinarily, this would have been unthinkable.

It seemed using *Fridwen* to protect Havelian had been worth it after all.

Jinhyuk had sacrificed the *Crown of Tyranny* for this very moment, to catch two birds with one stone.

Thud!

Havelian hopped into the abyss with ease.

Even though Kizakiel had entered first, the outcome was already decided.

No matter how fast Kizakiel flew, he couldn’t beat Havelian, who knew the inside of the abyss perfectly.

‘While I wait, I should fully integrate this first.’

Jinhyuk focused on the long ice crystal in his hand.

A chilling sensation traveled from his fingers to his heart.

Controlling it required delicate precision, and beads of cold sweat trickled down his forehead.

How much time had passed?

[The crystal has reached its complete form!]

Crack!

The cold energy emanating from the *Soul of Havelian* was now fully contained.

At the same time:

Ding!

[You have conquered the 19th floor!]

[Top contributor: Player Kang Jinhyuk]

[As a reward for being the first to conquer the floor, you may choose one of three rewards.]

[Congratulations on your incredible achievement.]

[Your accomplishment will be displayed in the ‘Hall of Fame’ for one day.]

1. Coins – 4x the usual amount of coins will be awarded.
2. Special item – A random item that will help in the conquest of the 20th floor will be given.
3. Stronghold-related – You will receive an item that either strengthens your existing base or helps you conquer a new one.

There were three rewards to choose from.

“Hmm…”

Jinhyuk carefully reviewed the options.

The first choice was tempting.

‘Four times the normal amount of coins is definitely appealing.’

Having a guaranteed large sum of coins would allow him to buy whatever he needed or save them for future use. Having a strong financial base always meant being prepared for any situation.

But when considering the other two options…

The first choice seemed less attractive.

Jinhyuk shifted his attention to the second option.

The 20th floor involved a lot of resource management and siege battles. A useful item there would be invaluable.

Considering Kizakiel and the other factions, strengthening his stronghold was also a hard option to pass up.

“……”

The decision took longer than usual.

Both options had their own clear advantages, and only the future would reveal whether he made the right choice.

Finally:

“I’ll go with the second option.”

Jinhyuk made his decision.

[A hidden reward has been granted.]

[Time until the reward is revealed: 1D : 23H : 59M : 59S]

It would be two days before he could see the reward.

And he wouldn’t head to the 20th floor until after that.

Just then—

“Roaar!”

Havelian’s triumphant roar echoed from the depths of the abyss.

With everything settled here, it was time to head back.

＊＊＊

A day had passed since Jinhyuk left the Tower.

After running around nonstop, his body and mind were worn out.

He decided to take some well-deserved time off.

The place he chose to visit? A famous escape room café in Hongdae.

Alice’s eyes sparkled with excitement.

“Ooooh! So this is the famous place among humans?”

“Yeah. Yeonhwa and Taemin made a reservation for us. They insisted that I bring you along.”

“They seem like thoughtful individuals. I met them for the first time yesterday, and I was quite satisfied with our conversation.”

“Ah, right. You met them last night, didn’t you?”

Jinhyuk recalled Alice leaving the hotel in a hurry late at night.

“Y-Yes. I had some questions about the modern world, and I sought their advice. Surely, there’s nothing wrong with that, is there?”

Alice hastily explained herself.

“Of course. I told you to take a break, so whatever you do is up to you.”

“Phew…”

Alice let out a small sigh of relief.

Her mind replayed the conversation from the night before in vivid detail.

—”So, do you like Jinhyuk oppa?”

Yeonhwa had asked with a sly smile, dropping a bombshell question.

Naturally, Alice had denied it immediately, but modern-day expert Yeonhwa saw right through her.

After all, Alice had spent most of her life dealing with pride, battles, and noble responsibilities. She was a total novice when it came to romance.

—”Listen to me, I’ll teach you how to break through that wall of his.”

—”Exactly! If you want to get his attention, you need to be more proactive.”

Yeonhwa and Taemin had both offered advice on how to capture Jinhyuk’s heart, even down to the specifics of booking a horror-themed escape room.

And their suggestion had sounded quite plausible to Alice.

—”Make sure to act scared. You’re strong, but don’t crush anything when a ghost shows up.”

—”It might be cliché, but sometimes the basics are the most effective. Besides, I doubt Alice knows much about this stuff.”

Alice had diligently taken notes on everything.

Yes.

The plan was perfect.

For once, she would drop her tough exterior and show a more delicate, vulnerable side.

She had even brought heirlooms from Ataraxia and binge-watched countless popular YouTube videos for crash courses on modern dating.

But despite all her preparations—

“……”

A blue-haired girl stood next to Jinhyuk.

It was the homunculus, Freyja Nabarl, whom they had met in the Dunes of the Sun.

“And who is *that*?”

“Hmm? Who? Oh, you mean Freyja—”

“I *know* who she is!” Alice clenched her fists, her silver hair standing on end.

“W-Why are you getting so mad?”

“I thought it was just the two of us spending time together!”

Ah. *Just the two of us*?

So that’s what this was about.

Now Jinhyuk understood why Alice was upset.

He guessed that sharing the limited servings of ‘Monster Bingsu’—a special dessert limited to 50 orders per day—wasn’t something she had planned on.

It made sense that she’d want to eat it all herself, given how delicious it was.

Nodding, Jinhyuk silently agreed.

Seeing him nod, Alice’s temper flared even more.

Snap.

The last string of patience in Alice’s mind snapped.

“You idiot!”

Alice’s fist flew through the air.

＊＊＊

[*The Cabin Where the Moon Vanished*]

A horror-themed escape room with five stars for difficulty and fear factor.

It was rumored that couples who entered the room would inevitably become closer due to the terrifying nature of the experience.

Yeonhwa had strongly recommended this one.

‘Calm down, Alice. It’s not over yet.’

Alice took a deep breath, trying to steady herself.

She had memorized all the room’s traps and hidden paths the night before.

She hadn’t spent an entire day planning for nothing.

The room was dark, cobwebs covering every corner.

Creeeeak…

An eerie noise echoed in the air, as if a chainsaw-wielding maniac might burst through the door at any moment.

“C-C-Contractor…”

Alice timidly tugged on Jinhyuk’s sleeve, her voice quivering.

“I-I’m scared… of this place.”

Her big, pleading eyes and small, hunched posture were her secret weapons.

But…

“Don’t lie. Even if an entire tribe of ogres showed up, you wouldn’t blink. What’s there to be afraid of? Unless there’s a dragon egg or a deity lurking here, I can’t imagine you getting scared. Even then, they’d probably run away if they saw you.”

“Hey.”

“Hmm?”

“…Do you have a death wish?”

Alice muttered through clenched teeth.

She had prepared so much, but none of her key moments had worked out.

To make things worse, Freyja, with her indifferent expression, was moving through the escape room flawlessly.

“Freyja, that’s not how you do it. Look, you need to turn the lock to the left three times.”

“Turn the lock… three times. Got it.”

Jinhyuk patiently explained, helping Freyja with each step.

Seeing their hands brush together made Alice’s forehead vein twitch.

“I-I don’t know how to open this either. Should I just turn it to the left?”

Alice fumbled with a round lock, pretending to need help.

But Jinhyuk, still focused on Freyja, didn’t even notice her plea.

“Hey! I’m asking you something!”

“Yeah, turn it to the left. Or try the other way if that doesn’t work.”

“Left… three times…”

Crrrack!

Snap!

The metal lock started to crumple like paper under Alice’s strength.

“Three times to the left, my foot!”

Simultaneously…

Whooom!

A dark red aura swirled around Alice.

“E-Alice? What the hell? You begged to come here, and now you’re acting crazy.”

“I don’t care anymore. Nothing matters now.”

Alice’s terrifying aura spread throughout the entire escape room.

“Just die, you idiot!”

BOOM!

A massive explosion rocked the entire building.