Solo Max-Level Newbie - Chapter 369 : The Gray Forest (2)

Casting two spells simultaneously is typically referred to as *double casting*, and anything beyond that is called *triple*, *quadruple*, or *quintuple casting*.

But here, the breath attack, comparable to high-level magic, was being cast as a quadruple.

The magic-based players knew exactly how complex that formula must be.

Without at least dozens of rankers calculating and responding to each attribute’s strength, the chances of stopping it would be nonexistent.

“Damn it, you mean it wasn’t even using its full power yet?”

“How the hell are we supposed to block that?”

“Even getting grazed by it means… it’s over.”

The estimated range of the attack’s destructive power spanned hundreds of meters.

With their exhausted bodies, they couldn’t even attempt to evade it.

However, “It’s alright. Now.”

As everyone panicked, Teresa calmly opened her mouth.

A warm, reassuring glimmer flickered in her green eyes.

That’s right.

The most dangerous moment had already passed.

There was no longer a reason to tremble in fear.

“Teresa… What do you mean…? Ah! Look at that person!”

Only then did everyone turn their eyes to Jinhyuk.

His movements had been so fast, and the dim lighting of the forest made it hard to see, but now they could clearly tell who he was.

“It’s Kang Jinhyuk!”

“Really? That’s Player Kang Jinhyuk of the Eight Great Guilds!”

“He actually came all the way here?”

There was no doubt about it.

That figure, that magical power.

The strongest ranker everyone knew had appeared here.

＊＊＊

“A quadruple-element spell, huh? I guess the ruler of the forest lives up to its title.”

Jinhyuk muttered softly in admiration.

Indeed, not many bosses would be capable of using such power.

At least, not in the mid-level floors.

“This makes you a perfect test subject.”

Jinhyuk infused mana into his sword.

*Bzzzzz!*

A crimson aura enveloped the blade.

[The spirit of Havellian’s Fang—Barnard responds to its master’s call!]

The sword’s color shifted.

Its once-blue blade now emitted a faint purple mist due to the dark red energy radiating from it.

“Time to give this blade a proper demonstration.”

It was clear the new sword was on another level compared to his previous fang. The way it felt in his hand was entirely different.

*Tap.*

Jinhyuk’s body, accelerated through the use of *Sword Demon’s Heavenly Steps*, disappeared from sight.

A gust of wind brushed the ground, heading straight for Craveratis.

From above…

…downward.

*Slash!*

The sword cleaved through the hardened exoskeleton in a single stroke.

“Screeeech!”

Insect fluid sprayed in all directions.

It was a clean, efficient movement, leaving nothing to be said but that.

*Shlick! Shlick!*

The wounds multiplied at an increasingly rapid pace.

And the amount of blood spilling out was now impossible to ignore.

That’s when…

*Thud! Boom!*

Craveratis buried its legs deep into the ground.

As if to say it was firmly stabilizing its weight, its massive body anchored in place.

Simultaneously,

It launched a tail attack with an unpredictable trajectory—the same attack that had broken Teresa’s arm in one blow.

“I’ll kill you!”

*Wham wham wham wham wham!*

Countless slashing marks appeared on the ground.

The intent to grind the target to dust was obvious.

However, Jinhyuk dodged every single strike.

It wasn’t that he was reacting; it was as if he already knew where each attack would land.

*Tap… tap… swish!*

He grazed the neck, the heart, the temple.

Each time, the margin for error was paper-thin.

But no matter how many times Craveratis attacked, it could never land a hit.

“Is that… is that really human movement?”

“An A-rank assassin couldn’t even react, and yet… I can’t believe what I’m seeing.”

“I’ve already lost track of him five times.”

“Haha… I was celebrating being promoted to ranker, but now I just feel like a fool.”

“If this guy had been the raid leader instead of Peyton… our expedition would’ve succeeded for sure.”

Those watching the near-supernatural spectacle could only gulp dryly.

“……”

Teresa, too, stood with her mouth slightly open, staring at the scene as if watching a movie.

To find any consistency in the pattern of those attacks seemed impossible.

She had broken her arm on the first strike, after all.

“He really… is someone who knows no limits.”

The world Jinhyuk saw and felt was on an entirely different level from that of an average player.

Perhaps it was something only a high-level veteran could perceive from an entirely different dimension.

*Vwooooom!*

Finally, Craveratis’s tail began to slow.

Taking advantage of that opening,

*Boom!*

Jinhyuk dove into the insect’s vulnerable underbelly.

He took the same route Teresa had, but the speed was incomparable.

His ability to read the attack patterns, his ability to judge the situation in an instant—all of it was on a different level.

“Screeeech!”

Which left Craveratis completely flustered.

The woman it had faced earlier had been formidable—a leader-level opponent with a group of powerful subordinates.

Yet now…

‘How can the gap be this vast?’

For the first time, Craveratis felt like it was facing a wall of unimaginable height.

If things continued like this, it would be defeated.

Making that judgment, Craveratis opened its three mouths toward the sky.

[Craveratis activates the unique ability ‘Army Ants’!]

*Ssssssss!*

A strange scent mixed with green smoke began to fill the air.

What is this…?

Jinhyuk’s eyes narrowed.

He was familiar with the creature’s unique ability, which involved a transformation of sorts.

“Hah. So I figured you were a proud boss, but I didn’t think you’d resort to using your unique ability when pushed. Though, I thought you didn’t like using that ability?”

“How… How do you know about my power?”

Of course, he knew.

He’d fought with divine beings who had a superior version of this very ability. How could he not?

He understood its strengths and weaknesses, inside and out.

“Your ability lets you transform all the other insects in the area into members of your species, doesn’t it?”

Jinhyuk shrugged as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

Hearing this, Craveratis’s eyes narrowed, growing colder than they had ever been.

“You’re more dangerous than I thought. This ability is something only those in command of the factions on the 20th floor should know about.”

It was a unique power, known only to the top leaders among the factions on this floor.

Yet this stranger, a human he had never seen before, knew about it in detail.

But still,

“Even if you know, there’s no way to counter it.”

Now that the ability was activated, the outcome was certain.

All the insects in the forest would be transformed into the same species as Craveratis, the ultimate combat race.

Soon, the surrounding insects began to change shape.

*Crack! Crack!*

With eerie sounds, hundreds of three-headed insects emerged from the shadows.

Miniature versions of Craveratis.

“Flesh… soft meat…”

“Juicy blood and innards. I’ll eat… all of it…”

Their magical power was now incomparably stronger than before.

“Screeeeech! How do you like that? Can you handle these numbers?”

Craveratis let out a spine-chilling laugh.

“Hmm. I guess that’s quite a few.”

There were easily hundreds of enemies.

Each had received the *Army Ants* buff, boosting their physical abilities while removing their intelligence.

They had become mindless pawns, entirely loyal to Craveratis’s commands.

But despite this,

*Rustle.*

Jinhyuk’s ears perked up at the sound of something rustling in the bushes.

“No matter how slow they are, they should be arriving soon.”

“Arriving? What are you talking about?”

Craveratis’s question became the catalyst.

“Screeech!”

“Eat… Eat… Eat them!”

“Rip them apart!”

The transformed insects leaped forward.

At the same moment,

*Boom!*

The bushes on the opposite side split open.

*Roarrr!*

A massive white-furred beast let out a thunderous roar.

Havellian.

The spirit beast Jinhyuk had saved now made its debut.

*Crackle!*

A surge of ice erupted, instantly freezing the advancing insects in a straight line, turning them into ice sculptures.

“Wow. The rookie’s doing pretty well. Where did the master find such a monster?”

“Stop the chatter, let’s move. This is our chance!”

“But I hate bugs… They’re so creepy with all those legs.”

“Don’t you think our master is about a hundred thousand times scarier than these bugs?”

“Everyone, be quiet. You’re giving me a headache.”

Led by Undine, the spirits joined the battle as well.

‘Perfect.’

Jinhyuk’s lips curled into a smile.

With the spirits and the spirit beast joining him, his attack power increased by 30%.

The mana emanating from Barnard grew even more intense.

“What… What are these creatures?”

Craveratis glanced around in disbelief.

The sight of noble beings like spirit beasts and elemental spirits obeying a mere human was impossible to comprehend.

Though overwhelmed with confusion, this was only the beginning.

Would the sight before it be akin to witnessing a natural disaster unfold?

*Rumble… rumble…!*

The ground began to crack and tremble.

The source of the disturbance?

A towering, muscular old man appeared, storming into the battlefield with immense force.

“To think that mere insects would dare block my path… Pathetic.”

It was none other than the *Dark Emperor*.

And beside him, two figures drew their swords: Chun Yoosung and Chuhon Saryeong.

“Master, it’s them.”

“Oh my, the young master wasn’t kidding. There really are quite a lot of them.”

“I apologize for dragging you into this. I had hoped to solve it with our own strength…”

“No need for apologies. Fighting alongside my disciple isn’t such a bad thing, you know? In fact, I’m rather happy about it.”

Chuhon Saryeong smiled softly.

“Chun Yoosung… Alice… Dark Emperor… all of you!” Teresa exclaimed, staring in disbelief at the newly arrived reinforcements.

She had never imagined she would see them all again, especially not here in this forsaken place.

They had all come. Come to save them from this nightmare.

However,

The swelling emotions in her chest didn’t last long.

“Oh no…”

A gasp of dread escaped Teresa’s lips.

She had momentarily forgotten what kind of terrifying presence had just arrived on the battlefield.

＊＊＊

“Who… who are you people?”

“You want to know who we are?”

Jinhyuk’s smile widened, as if he had been waiting for this question.

[The Gray Forest has been recognized as a boss field.]

[The broadcasting system is now active.]

At this moment, every scene was being recorded for broadcast.

While the stream was private and no viewers could currently enter, just the fact that Jinhyuk was “live streaming” was already enough to generate massive attention.

‘Once I edit this footage and upload it, I’m going to make some serious waves again.’

For a successful broadcast, after all, the most important thing was…

“Alice!”

“Yeah, yeah. I know. Just give me a second!”

Alice bit her lip, her expression betraying a mixture of reluctance and frustration. Her neck and face flushed red with embarrassment, and any trace of dignity as an absolute being was nowhere to be found.

“Dear, just accept it and move on,” the *Dark Emperor* patted Alice on the shoulder gently, trying to comfort her.

With a resigned sigh, Alice finally spoke, her lips trembling.

“W-we are the *Veteran Corporation*. And I… am the long-ranged dealer, *Yellow*.”

“Pfft, hahaha! Well done! I am the master’s teacher. I guess I’m the *Black* whatever.”

“I’m Chun Yoosung. Melee class… *Blue* position. And for the love of all that’s sacred, do not post this anywhere, you bastard.”

Despite their various gripes, Jinhyuk’s mind was already buzzing with ideas on how to use this material to make the battle footage even more entertaining.

‘Yup… this is turning out better than I expected.’

Zoom in on each one, capture their positions clearly… excellent for editing.

Finally, Jinhyuk’s gaze turned toward Teresa.

Their eyes met, and Teresa could feel his intense, almost overwhelming attention.

Next to her, Undine had formed the words “Healer – PINK” out of water, floating in the air beside her.

At this point, there was no way out.

“I… I’m the healer of the *Veteran Corporation*, *Pink*!” Teresa shouted, on the verge of tears.

(TL Note: WTF. LOL)