Solo Max-Level Newbie - Chapter 362: Base Maintenance (2)

“Ple-please!”

Orun struck his hammer with all his might.

Sparks flew in all directions.

Only one chance remained.

If he failed this time, the material would be destroyed.

And needless to say, the blacksmith who ruined the material would lose his life as well.

Thump! Thump! Thump!

An eternity seemed to pass in just one second.

Orun slowly opened his eyelids.

At that very moment—

*Ding!*

With a cheerful sound, a golden mist poured out.

…Success.

“Wooahhh! It worked! It really worked!”

Orun let out a shout.

His voice was filled with the joy of barely surviving and the pride of his success.

“I knew it! I always believed in you. If it’s you, Master, I knew you’d succeed.”

“Y-yeah. Of course, I knew too. I just acted nervous for dramatic effect to keep things tense. Ahem, ahem!”

Orun puffed out his chest.

It seemed his old skills hadn’t completely vanished after all, as he shone brightly at the critical moment.

‘Good.’

Jinhyuk, with a satisfied smile, approached the finished product.

The blade was a blend of soft white and blue light.

A dagger about 40 centimeters long—a new weapon that would be put to use immediately.

[Soul of Havelian – Barnard]

Grade: Purple

Durability: 17,000 / 17,000

Attack Power: 35,000

Special Features: The weight decreases to 1g due to a lightening spell. Every attack applies a Bleed (+100) effect, and the critical hit rate increases by 10%.

Special Skill: Blessing of the Havelian Tribe (Passive)

When fighting alongside ancient species, spirits, or magical beasts, attack power increases by 30%.

It was a jackpot.

There was nothing more to say.

‘For a dagger to have this much attack power… this is surprising.’

A whopping 35,000.

And with the lightening spell, it would be even easier to handle.

The handling was similar to the Fang he’d previously used, which was quite satisfying.

However, what was most overpowered wasn’t the weight, the damage, the critical rate, or even the bleed effect.

It was the ‘special skill.’

As befitting a weapon with strong compatibility with magical beasts, it offered synergy with various species, which was its most appealing feature.

In battles where victory and defeat were decided by the slimmest margin, receiving a 30% buff meant he could fight against even higher-ranked enemies.

With this, he could go up against not just Kizakiel but even divine beings like Guntaper.

“Thank you. I really like it.”

Jinhyuk moved the dagger lightly.

The ‘Barnard’ scattered blue brilliance as it spun in a smooth arc.

The weight distribution was perfect.

And its sharpness was unmatched.

‘I can’t wait to enter a dungeon or labyrinth with this.’

This must be what it feels like to have your entire body itch with anticipation.

“I’m glad you’re satisfied.”

“Then, I should get going. My companions are waiting in the Imperial Capital.”

“They say there’s a ball being held there. Are you attending?”

“Sir Abraham forced an invitation on me, so I’m obligated to attend.”

“Hmm. I’m sure there won’t be any issues in the empire, but be cautious when you head out to the middle floors.”

“Is there something… going on?”

“This is high-level information from the Dwarven Kingdom, but… ahem, ahem!”

Orun coughed awkwardly and trailed off.

What’s this?

This sly old man…

“Sigh. I happened to hear that the empire’s ball will have a fine selection of wines. I might be able to sneak a few casks for you.”

“Ooh! I’m quite fond of that wine. It’d be great to have a taste. With some goat leg, it would be…”

“Enough of that. So, what’s the information?”

When Jinhyuk urged him, Orun finally began to speak.

“It’s about the 20th floor. I’ve heard that some players from your world recently went there.”

Players who went to the 20th floor…

That must mean Teresa.

Right after the raid on the 19th floor ended, several large guilds led by the European Olympus Guild declared their intent to conquer the 20th floor.

It was a hot topic in the news and media for two days straight.

‘The previous sub-master of the Olympus Guild died… and a new guy took the position, right?’

I’d heard they’d restructured quickly and achieved impressive results.

What was his name again?

I’d been too busy to remember it clearly.

What was important was that Teresa was involved in this raid.

“What did the players do?”

“Ahem. First, you know what kind of place the 20th floor is, right?”

“I have a general idea.”

The 20th floor is a battlefield where various monsters and species fight for dominance.

In this arena of intense survival of the fittest, everyone fought fiercely for even an inch of territory.

To survive, you had to crush others, and to climb higher, you had to tear others down.

However, there were areas on that floor where one absolutely should not approach.

The ‘Lesser Kings.’

These were monsters that occupied key areas on the 20th floor.

They possessed such overwhelming power and influence that even factions from higher floors avoided trespassing into their domains.

But…

“Don’t tell me… the players entered one of those domains?”

“That’s what I heard. They probably got greedy for the resources there. I hear they’re scouting around the mines, trying to secure a route inside.”

If it’s a resource they’d be greedy for, there’s only one thing.

“The magic stone… mine.”

“Yes. They went there. And as a result, the creatures occupying the mine are furious. The players may not know it yet, but a pursuit squad will soon catch up to them.”

“…”

Of all places, they went somewhere completely unrelated to conquering the 20th floor.

They talked big about ascending the tower for humanity’s sake.

But in reality, they were too busy lining their own pockets.

And that greed would lead to a catastrophic outcome.

‘Even if the large guilds joined forces, they won’t be able to handle this.’

Only someone who had experienced the chaos on the 20th floor could understand just how brutal it was.

Thus, Jinhyuk could predict exactly what would happen to the guilds currently on the 20th floor.

＊＊＊

*Boom!*

*Rumble!*

With a massive explosion, a fountain of blood burst forth.

Pandemonium.

There was no better word to describe the current situation.

“Argh! My, my leg!”

“Healers! What are you doing? The healing isn’t keeping up!”

“Damn it, we’re giving it everything we’ve got! What do you expect us to do when we’re running out of mana?”

It had been three days since they entered the 20th floor.

But it felt like they had already spent three years here.

That’s how nightmarish the relentless monster attacks had been.

At that moment…

“Everyone, stick behind me! I’ll buy us some time!”

Teresa stepped forward, trying to restore the crumbling formation.

[Teresa activates her unique ability, ‘Blessing of the Stars’!]

As a dazzling light descended, the monsters’ attention shifted to Teresa.

The ‘Executioners,’ who wore black hoods and wielded long scythes, all changed targets at once.

“Kill… Kill her. Sacrifice her to the gods!”

“Prepare for the blood ritual! Build the altar with flesh and bone!”

“Kieeeek!”

They were currently fighting the ‘Cult of Wraiths.’

The cultists served the demons and had long since lost their sanity, becoming fanatics.

Though they didn’t employ organized tactics, a fearless army was a nightmare on its own.

Driven by a determination to kill their enemies even at the cost of their own lives, the damage to the raid group was becoming uncontrollable.

*Slash! Slash!*

Teresa swung her sword, imbued with the light of the stars.

“Ugh!”

“Gaaah!”

The executioners’ bodies were shredded by the divine-powered strikes.

Although they counterattacked by swinging their scythes, they couldn’t deal a fatal blow to Teresa, who was clad in heavy armor.

In no time, Teresa restored the formation and charged into the enemy lines.

A war of attrition would only harm them in the long run.

In that case, the only way to end the battle quickly was to capture the enemy commander.

*Boom!*

Unlike the other executioners, one of the cultists wore a white hood.

An ‘Elder.’

That one was the leader of the fanatics.

Teresa pushed herself to move even faster.

The ordinary cultists and named executioners moved to protect the Elder.

The wall around him grew thicker and thicker.

“Protect Teresa!”

“Support her! We have to make sure she gets through!”

The rankers in the raid group shouted with veins bulging in their necks.

*Boom!*

*Boom!*

Long-range fire support from the damage dealers followed.

And through that opening…

“This ends now.”

Teresa finally reached the Elder.

Her sword rose high into the sky.

At the same time—

“Tu Ark. Akraba.”

The Elder activated a blood-drenched curse spell.

A curse that twisted space and contorted limbs enveloped her entire armor.

*Creak!*

Her white armor slowly began to deform.

“Urgh…”

Teresa’s face twisted in pain.

But she didn’t stop swinging her sword.

‘Something like this… is nothing.’

She had faced far worse.

In much harsher conditions.

She knew a player who had fought and won through those trials.

That’s why she couldn’t afford to whine or complain here.

She couldn’t let a mere opponent like this keep her stagnant!

*Slash!*

Teresa’s sword cut through the air with a clean trajectory.

“Akraba…”

*Splurt!*

Blood spurted out wildly.

The Elder’s body slowly collapsed.

And with that, the battle was over.

＊＊＊

An hour had passed since the fight ended.

The raid group was busy tending to the wounded and setting up camp.

“Dammit. What kind of floor is this? Don’t they know the meaning of ‘enough?’ This is ridiculous.”

“At this rate, we’ll all die of exhaustion. I can’t even remember the last time I rested properly. Damn it.”

“No kidding. This all happened because we were greedy for that magic stone or whatever.”

The remaining players who were still in one piece grumbled.

Even though they were hungry from exhaustion, the jerky and water wouldn’t go down their throats.

‘Everyone’s really worn out.’

Teresa looked around the campsite with concern.

The morale was dangerously low.

If they didn’t turn things around soon…

Not only would they fail to conquer this floor, but the large guilds gathered here might be completely wiped out.

That would mean the entire reputation of Europe would plummet.

‘I can’t let that happen.’

For the sake of the Rosenberg family, that was something she absolutely had to prevent.

“Sigh.”

Teresa quickly made her way toward the largest tent.

“Teresa?”

“What brings you here?”

The two players guarding the entrance immediately stood up.

“Is Mr. Faden inside?”

“Yes. The raid leader and vice leader are currently in a meeting. If you have business, please wait a moment. They gave strict orders not to let anyone in.”

“It’s urgent. I need to see them right away.”

“Y-but…”

The male player trailed off, looking troubled.

But just then—

*Boom!*

A heavy impact shook the ground.

“Ahhh!”

“W-what is that?”

“Get the rankers over here, now!”

An abnormal event had occurred outside the tent.