Solo Max-Level Newbie - Chapter 361: Base Maintenance (1)

The Giants’ Fortress.

The place they had initially taken as a base had grown to a ‘medium-large’ scale after Jinhyuk had taken over.

It wasn’t due to the Empire’s protection or any internal factors, but purely because of the name Jinhyuk had built for himself.

And now…

“Wow. We’re finally here.”

Jinhyuk, Chun Yoosung, and Alice had visited the fortress after a long time.

Only Teresa couldn’t attend, as she was urgently summoned in Europe.

“Hmm. It recovered faster than I expected. That skull-headed Antrad sure didn’t mess around, though.”

Chun Yoosung looked around in amazement.

“Hmph.”

Alice, for some reason, seemed sulky.

It appeared she hadn’t enjoyed the recent holiday they spent outside the Tower.

‘Is she still upset about the shaved ice?’

It was probably best to leave her alone for now.

The three of them walked past the front gate and headed towards the garden.

The familiar sight of the fortress walls lined up greeted them.

Memories of the intense battles they had fought here flooded back.

‘Well, after enduring all that, this place is now thriving for a reason.’

The existence of a fortified base meant that other forces wouldn’t dare mess with them easily.

Strengthening the base was essential for the impending power struggle in the upper levels.

By already having a solid foundation, Jinhyuk held an advantage over other players, a whole different league of leverage.

At that moment…

“Oh, it’s been a while.”

A blond man standing at the entrance of the garden greeted them with a bright smile.

It was Abraham.

A Grand Swordmaster belonging to the Empire.

Having sided with the Emperor during the civil war with the nobles, Abraham’s current position and power within the Empire were unparalleled.

Even those newly raised to the rank of duke dared not speak out in his presence.

Next to him was Penheimer.

“Player Kang Jinhyuk. It must have been a long journey. You’ve worked hard.”

“No, I should be the one thanking you for taking care of this place in my absence.”

Jinhyuk welcomed the two warmly.

No matter what, it was always good to see people you had shared hardships with.

“As you requested, we reinforced the walls and placed around 23 types of defensive spells. All at a minimum of 5th Circle. With these, neither ordinary monsters nor bandits will dare approach.”

Twenty-three 5th Circle spells…

That level of defense made this fortress one of the best.

Only a handful of fortresses in the Empire were as fortified, excluding the capital.

On top of that, there were the White Tree Tangrasil and the Barrier of the Dreamlike Lost Paradise. It was on par with a large-scale stronghold.

However…

“The ones aiming for this place won’t be ordinary.”

“So, you’ve gotten involved in something troublesome again? If someone like you, a monster, reacts like that, it must be serious.”

Abraham asked with an intrigued expression.

To a man who had spent his life honing his sword, meeting worthy opponents was a lifelong desire.

Ah, how delightful these battle enthusiasts were.

Just a little provocation, and their whole body itched for action.

“It’s the Upper Floors people. There was some friction while conquering the Tower, and now they’re grinding their teeth, waiting for a chance. It won’t be easy to track my movements perfectly, but if they aim, they’ll likely target this place.”

“Oh? The Upper Floors? Are you saying they’re going to invade this place? Perfect. It’ll be a good chance to test the swordsmanship I’ve recently mastered… I mean, it’s certainly a dangerous situation.”

Abraham, as if pleased, wiggled his fingers.

On the other hand, Penheimer spoke with a worried look.

“Could this place turn into a sea of fire again?”

The Empire had just stabilized internally, and the war with the martial arts world was at a standstill.

He probably didn’t want to see the peace and prosperity the Empire had just attained be wiped out by another war.

Of course, that was understandable.

‘I would feel the same.’

However, as the conquest of the Tower progresses, there will eventually be no safe place left, not on any floor.

As the Upper Floors are liberated and the crowns gather in one place, the binding force suppressing the 50th floor will weaken.

In the end, the ancient beings, whose power was previously suppressed by the system’s strict limitations, will start crawling down to the lower floors.

When that happens, the Tower will turn into one massive hell.

Knowing that future, Jinhyuk was already preparing for the inevitable variables.

“Penheimer.”

“Yes?”

“Do you trust me?”

“…….”

A sudden question.

Though short, it carried significant weight.

If anyone else had asked such a question, they might have responded by questioning how one could expect to be trusted in such a dire situation.

However…

“…I trust you.”

He had no choice but to trust him.

The Empire, teetering on the brink of despair, and the many kingdoms that faced ruin…

The one who had helped them continue their days of hopelessness…

Was none other than Jinhyuk.

When everyone said it was impossible, the one who made it possible was the hero standing before them: Jinhyuk.

“Then, trust me this time as well. The Empire won’t be engulfed in flames again. I’ll make sure of it.”

“My apologies. I was too concerned about the future. I momentarily forgot that all this peace is thanks to Player Kang Jinhyuk.”

“Hahaha! Call me anytime if you need me. If you wish it, my knights and I will cross the plains to reach this place in no time.”

With this, support from the Empire was guaranteed.

They could spend any free time strengthening the fortress while staying here.

He had planned to remain for a few more days anyway, as he wanted to hand over the ‘Soul of Havellian’ to Orun.

“Well, we’ll be going now. I’ll stop by again before we leave.”

“You’re leaving already? We’ve prepared a banquet in the capital. Won’t you attend?”

“A banquet?”

“Yes. It’s an honor to have heroes visit, so we’ve arranged a fitting celebration. It would be a great honor if Player Chun Yoosung and Lady Alice could also grace us with their presence.”

“Hmm… Thanks, but banquets are a bit…”

Just as Jinhyuk was about to politely decline…

“I-I-I want to go! To the banquet!”

Alice, who had been sulking the entire time, suddenly declared with great enthusiasm.

“Alice?”

“I’m going! I absolutely must go.”

“Why are you so eager all of a sudden?”

“Th-that’s…”

Alice recalled another secret weapon she had stored in her spatial inventory.

[Lost Ancient Imperial Family Dress]

The dress worn by the last princess of the Felstein Kingdom. Crafted by numerous artisans over many years, this dress is adorned with jewels so precious that even dragons would covet it.

Durability: 5,000 / 5,000

Special Effect: Increases charm by +100 when worn.

She had failed to make an impression outside the Tower, but this time, she was determined to succeed.

With that foolish saintess absent, her chances were even higher.

As for that skinny, unresponsive blue-haired girl… she wasn’t even worth considering as a rival.

“Leave such trivial things to you guys.”

Chun Yoosung turned away, losing interest.

But then…

“Hmm. That’s too bad. I was hoping to spar with you at this opportunity.”

Abraham shrugged casually as he spoke.

“You wanted to spar with me?”

“Well, it looks like you know your way around a sword. You’d be a good practice partner.”

At those words…

Chun Yoosung’s steps came to an abrupt halt.

“Hooh. So you’re saying I’m just good enough to be your practice partner?”

“Yes. That’s about what I think.”

“I’ll attend your damned banquet. But you’d better avoid drinking. You might regret it if you lose an arm.”

“I’m looking forward to it.”

And so, an unexpected duel was set.

It seemed that attending the banquet was inevitable.

＊＊＊

Thud!

“Ouch!”

Boom!

“Ouch! This is just…!”

Crack!

“Oops, my hand slipped. Damn it!”

“You old geezer! What the hell are you doing, breaking every damn kitchen knife I give you?”

A chorus of shouts and yells echoed from the blacksmith’s shop.

The voices were louder than the hammering, which meant this was the right place.

“Hmm! Well, I’ve made a mistake, so just give me 2 silvers. It’s barely enough for labor costs.”

“Two silvers, my foot! I’ll have the guards arrest you soon enough, so you’d better clean your neck and wait. Ptooey!”

A man stormed out of the shop, holding a broken kitchen knife, fuming.

“Sigh. These young ones these days don’t trust a craftsman’s skills… Tsk tsk.”

“Who would trust someone who keeps breaking stuff? I thought you’d have gone out of business by now. But here you are, still working, Old Man Orun.”

“Huh? And who might you be?”

Orun’s eyebrows shot up.

It was someone he most wanted to see and yet didn’t want to meet at all.

“Damn it, you’re still alive and kicking… I mean, haha! Long time no see. So, what brings you back here?”

“I need you to forge a weapon out of this material. It’s quite high-grade, so it’s beyond my ability to handle.”

Jinhyuk pulled out the ‘Soul of Havellian’ from his spatial inventory.

The long crystal that shimmered with a blue light radiated a magnificent brilliance.

“Th-this is…”

Orun’s pupils shook violently.

He swallowed dryly as his throat constricted.

And no wonder.

Such rare materials were hardly ever seen.

His instincts, honed from his days as a royal blacksmith, were tingling.

“Can you do it?”

“I-I can do it. Of course, I can.”

“But I don’t feel too confident… Especially with all those complaints piling up outside.”

“Ahem! Sure, I might have made a small mistake earlier, but that was just because I was dealing with some kitchen knives. Give me something like this rare material, and I’ll show you my real skills. Didn’t I do a great job with Balmung?”

“That you did.”

It was still hard to handle, but Balmung was definitely a masterpiece, largely thanks to Orun’s craftsmanship.

Crack!

“Then, it’s been a while since I’ve had a chance to really show off my skills.”

Humming a tune, Orun grabbed a massive hammer from the blacksmith’s forge.

“This cold, heavy feeling. It’s been too long.”

“You know, I haven’t said to start yet. Maybe you should warm up a bit…”

“Hoho! Here we go!”

[Orun activates Lv18 ‘Blacksmith of the Fallen Kingdom’!]

Vwoooom!

A golden mist rose around his hammer.

Boom!

[Due to a clumsy mistake, the reinforcement probability of the ‘Soul of Havellian’ has decreased!]

[Remaining attempts: 2]

“Haha. As expected, it’s not an easy material. Good, good. This makes it all the more fun.”

This didn’t seem reassuring at all.

But Orun’s hammer was already rising high once again.

Boom!

The hammer struck the side of the crystal.

Brilliant sparks flew, and the hammer resonated with a faint hum.

[Due to a ridiculous mistake, the reinforcement probability of the ‘Soul of Havellian’ has decreased!]

[Remaining attempts: 1]

Another failure.

“Don’t worry. The last swing is where a blacksmith’s true essence shines! Trust me until the end.”

He was asking for trust…

Of course, he would trust him.

But…

“By the way.”

Just before the final hammer strike, Jinhyuk smiled.

“If you break it, this entire forge will break with it.”

He had every intention of turning it to dust.

Not a trace would remain.

“Haha… ha, ha…”

A bead of cold sweat trickled down Orun’s forehead.

No one understood better than Orun that Jinhyuk was not joking.

Vwooom!

The hammer began to glow even more intensely.

And at that very moment…

“H-Hyaaaah!”

Boom!

The final hammer strike exploded.