Solo Max-Level Newbie - Chapter 368 : The Gray Forest (1)

*Boom!*

*Crash!*

“Screeeech!”

“Keek!”

The shimmering sword and shield moved erratically, and the limbs of the insects were severed and scattered in every direction.

The battle had already raged for nearly 30 minutes.

However, the endless swarm of insects showed no signs of stopping.

“Damn it! Look to the left, someone cover the left!”

“It’s over! We’re doomed!”

They were being pushed further and further into a corner.

Leaning against a tree to hold their ground was becoming increasingly difficult.

The other players, their stamina and mana completely drained, struggled to maintain formation.

Now, the only remaining hope was Teresa.

[Teresa activates Lv13 ‘Song of Battle’!]

[Teresa activates Lv14 ‘Last Sacred Prayer’!]

Her attack power, defense, and even healing abilities surged.

What little mana she had left was optimized to move efficiently.

And with the activation of *Last Sacred Prayer*, they were able to continue fighting, even as they neared death.

Everything was ready now.

*Whoooosh…*

A white cross descended from the sky.

From there,

“Let’s go.”

Teresa began her final stand.

*Bang!*

She deflected an incoming pincer strike with her shield.

*Thunk!*

She immediately thrust her sword into a weak spot in the insect’s exoskeleton.

“Screeeech!”

“Keek!”

One mistake would lead to certain death.

To survive even a second longer, everything had to be perfect.

Teresa swiftly cut down more than ten pincered insects.

Then, she dashed toward the large bugs swarming the path.

*Tah!*

Fast and nimble.

Her golden sword sliced through the trees that blocked the way.

*Thud!*

Enormous logs fell, blocking the passage.

“Whoa! She blocked the most troublesome path! Now, there are only two ways they can come at us!”

“As expected of Teresa! We’re good now! We’ll make it!”

“The Saint of Amsterdam is with us!”

The players erupted in cheers.

Thanks to Teresa’s overwhelming efforts, they were slowly carving out a retreat path.

If they could reach the valley about a kilometer away, the insects wouldn’t be able to follow easily.

Amid this hellish situation, a glimmer of hope began to appear.

But at that very moment…

*Roooaaaarrr!*

A monstrous roar echoed through the Gray Forest.

＊＊＊

*Thud!*

The trees were toppled to the left and right.

“A… A massive creature is coming!”

Something was approaching.

And it was coming at an incredible speed.

Moments later, what emerged from the forest was a catastrophe that robbed them of all hope.

“This… this can’t be…”

Teresa dropped her sword.

The creature before her was simply too overwhelming.

Standing at about 8 meters tall, it had 12 pincers and 3 grotesque heads.

But more horrifying than its appearance was the magical energy emanating from its body.

*Hissss!*

The poisonous aura it emitted blackened the nearby grass and trees.

Even the other insects fled from it, as it exuded a deadly poison.

[The Venomous Insect King ‘Craveratis’ has activated the special field skill ‘Domain Proclamation’!]

The king of the insects that ruled the Gray Forest.

The green barrier created by its roar engulfed the entire area.

*Gag… Ugh!*

“I… I can’t breathe…”

“We have to… get out of here… now.”

The players clutched their throats, coughing violently.

Just by breathing, scorching heat seeped deep into their lungs.

“How can it cast such a massive area-of-effect spell without any fluctuations in its mana?”

It was impossible to fathom how high its base mana levels must be.

“Is this why the cult stopped their pursuit? Because of this monster?”

Teresa swallowed dryly.

At that moment,

*Screeeech!*

Craveratis swung its pincers.

Its massive size did not slow its speed.

A pincer struck a tank on the flank.

*Crunch!*

“Aaaaagh!”

Both the shield and armor were crushed, and a fountain of blood erupted.

“It’s fast!”

“Damn it! I’ll distract it! Scatter and run!”

A magic user attempted to cast both fire and light magic at the same time.

*Boom!*

A blinding flash filled the area.

But it was a grave mistake to think they had created an opening.

Insect senses were not limited to sight.

They were optimized for hunting, using touch, smell, and hearing.

“I’ll devour you all… humans.”

Thick saliva dripped from its gaping maw.

“Haha… This is just… a death sentence, isn’t it?”

Despair turned to resignation.

A thick shadow of death loomed over their faces.

That would be the end.

*Rip!*

Flesh was torn apart and scattered in every direction.

“Richard!”

“Damn it! If defense, escape, and distraction are all useless, then what the hell are we supposed to do?”

“Ugh! If only we were at full strength…”

If only.

If the entire raid team had been able to perform at their best.

They wouldn’t have collapsed so easily.

But such wishful thinking was nothing more than that. Reality was always cruel.

*Screeeech!*

“Aaaargh!”

A short-haired woman trying to escape through a blind spot was caught.

“Kyah!”

An A-rank assassin with short-range teleportation abilities.

Despite her agility and stealth, she couldn’t break through the encirclement.

“No! Don’t eat me! Don’t…!”

*Crack! Crunch!*

It took less than ten seconds for the insect to devour a single person.

At this rate, everyone would end up in its belly.

‘I have to buy time so everyone can escape. Even if it costs me my life.’

Teresa resisted the venom as she summoned her divine power.

*Vwoooom!*

“Ugh!”

Her mana backfired on her body.

Between detoxifying the poison and worrying about her companions, her entire body was overloaded.

The pain was so intense that her consciousness threatened to shut down all her senses.

But still.

‘I can’t give up. I won’t.’

Teresa barely held onto her fading consciousness.

—Wouldn’t it be better to hand over control to me? That way, you might actually stand a chance.

“No… I won’t rely on you.”

—Heh. Our little goody two-shoes is quite stubborn. You do realize that brute won’t go easy on you? Just let me take over and make it easier for both of us. It’s the only way for you and me to survive.

A sweet, seductive voice whispered in her ears.

If she chose ‘corruption,’ she might escape from this crisis.

But, Teresa refused to listen to the other personality’s temptations.

‘He wouldn’t want that.’

Her thoughts went to the one she had been drawn to.

The one she had met in the tower ruins and who had been by her side ever since.

She didn’t want him to see her slowly consumed by darkness.

If she overused corruption, she would eventually lose her sense of self.

Teresa raised her shield at an angle.

As the pincers flew toward her,

*Clang!*

She deflected the impact to the side.

Simultaneously,

*Tah!*

She shifted her weight forward and charged.

Many pincers flew at her, but Teresa calmly countered.

*Clang! Clang! Clang!*

She used the flat of her sword to change their trajectory, disrupting the timing of the attacks.

In doing so,

‘This is it.’

She managed to get within striking distance, right up to the creature’s vulnerable underside.

Now, all she needed to do was plunge her sword, brimming with divine power, into its body.

…or so she thought.

*Whoosh!*

Something brushed past Teresa’s face.

“…!?”

To be honest, avoiding that attack wasn’t due to skill but sheer luck.

‘I… I didn’t even see it.’

She couldn’t tell how the attack was executed.

All she saw was its tail moving furiously, and she realized it was using it as a weapon.

“Screeeech!”

Like a chain whip, attacks with unreadable trajectories flew at her.

This time, she couldn’t dodge.

*Crash!*

“Aaagh!”

With a tremendous impact, Teresa’s body was flung high into the air.

She finally came to a halt after slamming into a large log.

*Throb! Throb!*

Amid the wreckage, Teresa staggered to her feet.

‘My arm… it’s broken.’

If it was a miracle that she had blocked the attack, it was a miracle.

But it was more than just a simple fracture. Her bone had been shattered into fragments.

Even with the *Blessing of the Stars* healing her, it would take time to recover.

Of course.

*Thud!*

“Screeeech!”

Her opponent had no intention of giving her that time.

…This was the end.

Everyone watching wore expressions of despair.

Teresa also gritted her teeth as she saw the massive insect approaching.

Even if she activated ‘corruption’ now, it wouldn’t make a difference.

The venom had already spread from her lungs to her heart.

*Whoosh!*

The pincers came flying toward her.

A huge shadow loomed over her face.

“Ah…”

A pitiful groan escaped Teresa’s lips.

But at that moment,

*Boom!*

The pincers that were about to tear her apart were suddenly stopped by something.

“Even in this situation, you’re still trying to save others. That’s just like you, Teresa.”

Standing in front of you, blocking the attack, was Jinhyuk, holding a dagger.

“Jinhyuk…?”

“I’ll take it from here. You can rest now.”

＊＊＊

The ruler of the Gray Forest and the king of the insects.

Those were the titles that described Craveratis.

Among the factions on the 20th floor, notorious for their fierce competition, it proudly dominated its vast territory.

Anyone who entered the king’s domain was nothing more than prey.

But now…

‘…What is this? What kind of insignificant creature is this?’

The human with black hair standing before it did not exhibit the behavior typical of prey.

He wasn’t trembling in fear, nor was he running away.

Nor was he making a clumsy attempt at resistance, as most prey would.

But none of that mattered.

For an arrogant fool, there was only one fitting end—death.

*Thud!*

One of Craveratis’s massive pincers swung horizontally.

Just as it had done countless times before, it would shred the prey into pieces.

But in that instant…

[Activating unique ability…]

The surroundings turned pitch black.

[…The ‘Grave of Swords’ is blooming.]

Everything darkened.

*Boom boom boom boom boom!*

A black crescent moon emerged, veiling the sky above the forest.

It was as black as obsidian.

That was the impression the Insect King had when it first glimpsed the crescent moon.

“Screeeech!”

A piercing scream erupted from the king.

The pincer that had been swinging toward Jinhyuk was severed midair, spinning as it fell.

“You’re too busy staring at the moon, bug. Looks like you lost a leg because of it.”

“Screeeech! How dare you! Do you know who I am?”

“You’re just a big bug squatting in a small forest. What else would you be?”

“A… a big bug?”

“Yep. To me, you’re not much different from a cockroach. Well, except that you’re too big to squish underfoot. That’s the only difference.”

Jinhyuk smirked.

“I’ll kill you… I’ll rip you to pieces!”

From Craveratis’s three mouths, different powers began to gather.

*Rumble rumble rumble!*

Poison, fire, lightning, and wind.

Four different elements were combined into a single breath attack, ready to annihilate its target.