Solo Max-Level Newbie - Chapter 372: The Cult Leader of the Wraith, 'Sloth' (2)

The news that the ownership of the Gray Forest had changed caused a great commotion on the 20th floor.

Cray Veratiz was an overwhelmingly powerful force, with strength that could rival even the largest factions.

And the one most infuriated by this upheaval was none other than the cult leader of the Wraiths, *Sloth*.

“The saintess has joined a group called the Veteran Corporation.”

It was like a bolt from the blue.

The target they absolutely needed to secure had fallen into the hands of troublesome adversaries.

“Are you referring to the group led by a human named Kang Jinhyuk?”

“Yes. That’s correct. Our scouts are currently searching for their precise location, but they are being obstructed by a strange barrier.”

Even the powers granted by the Demon King made it difficult to detect them.

This could only mean that their opponents had also made significant preparations.

“And as we mobilize, other factions have started to move as well.”

“Do you mean the Black Hill Tribe?”

“Yes… At dawn today, a group of orcs occupied one of our temples.”

Hearing this, Sloth’s brows furrowed deeply.

And with good reason.

The Wraith cult controlled seven temples on the 20th floor, all of which were crucial to expanding the influence of the Demon King. Losing even one temple could weaken the faith of their followers.

“Which temple was taken?”

“The northernmost one… the ‘Sanctuary of Sin.’”

Of all places, they had lost the one that was the hardest to reclaim.

Their opponents had timed the strike perfectly, catching the cult off guard.

“Those damned orcs… always such a nuisance.”

These orcs, with their black skin and yellow eyes, were the Black Hill Orcs—an unusual breed.

Not only were they individually powerful, but they were also exceptionally intelligent. On the 20th floor, they were counted among the strongest factions.

“What are your orders?”

Sloth’s gaze alternated between the direction of the Gray Forest and the occupied temple.

The decision did not take long.

The saintess could always be captured later, as long as she remained on the 20th floor. But if the temple remained in enemy hands for more than twelve hours, their followers’ faith would begin to waver.

“Withdraw.”

Sloth bit his lip hard.

However, he didn’t forget to cast a burning glare toward the forest.

“You’re lucky this time, kid.”

The next time they met, Sloth vowed to skin every member of the Veteran Corporation alive and display them in the temple.

Just as the cult members were about to retreat—

*Rustle.*

Someone staggered out of the bushes.

“Hah… Haah…!”

A man, on the verge of collapse.

It was none other than Payton, the raid leader of the Olympus Guild.

“H-how…? Why are the cult members on this side of the forest…?”

Despair clouded Payton’s face.

In his current condition, he wasn’t confident he could take on even a low-level cultist.

Meanwhile—

“Keh-heh-heh! Ha-ha-ha-ha!”

Sloth burst into uncontrollable laughter.

This was undoubtedly the leader who had commanded so many humans.

The raid leader!

“Capture him alive!”

—

Two days had passed since Jinhyuk entered the Gray Forest.

While reinforcing the forest’s defenses, he kept a close watch on the movements of the other factions.

On the 20th floor, the most crucial task was determining how to dismantle the top three factions.

*Time to take care of some delayed matters.*

He had been too preoccupied to allocate his stat points earlier.

Though, to be fair, it wasn’t entirely his fault—certain individuals had been clinging to him like leeches.

*Alice… seems to have gone off to hunt strange insects again.*

She had taken Bellus and Ophelia with her, sweeping through the area like a storm.

Even Teresa and Frey seemed busy with their own tasks.

At last, Jinhyuk had some time to himself.

“Phew…”

Letting out a small sigh, he opened his personal status window.

*Ding!*

—

**Name:** Kang Jinhyuk
**Gender:** Male
**Level:** 156

**Stats:**
– Strength: 109
– Agility: 121
– Stamina: 67 → 73
– Mana: 402
– Gap: 100
– Luck: 10
– Adaptability: 78
– Vitality: 108.39

**Unused Stat Points:** 6
**Coins:** 11,451,129

**Class:** Ruler of Runes

**Unique Skills:**
– [Reverse Wheel of Heaven]
– [Fusion], [Grave of Swords], [Blessing of the Stars], [Judgment of Anubis]
– [Blood Demon Qi], [Mandala], [One Second Invincibility], [Thousand Poisons]
– [White Beast], [Shared Fortune], [Sanctuary of the Sun], [Dark Heaven Demon Art]
– [Triple Magic], [Giant’s Strike], [Dragon’s Breath], [High-Speed Sword]
– [Tombgrave’s Right Arm], [Berserker], [Domain of Wind], [Shadow Death]
– [Primordial Flame], [Blood Explosion], [Black Tears], [Tombgrave’s Leg]
– [Supernatural Might], [Core of the Legion], [Ancient Barrier], [Heavenly Demon Arts]
– [Mantra Taming], [Nihilism], [Ten Thousand Heavenly Poisons]

—

He had six stat points to allocate, and his level had reached 156.

*My Vitality is steadily increasing, and my growth is impressive.*

The points he had saved early on, including the ones allocated to Gap, had proven invaluable.

[Stamina has increased from 67 → 73!]

He invested the points into Stamina.

As he progressed to the upper floors, balancing his stats was becoming increasingly important. Unlike his steadily invested Mana, his Stamina was relatively low.

Now—

Jinhyuk calmed his racing heart.

*Random Skill Box [?]*

He never expected to obtain this by defeating Cray Veratiz.

*It’s notoriously difficult to open, and I’ve failed several times in the past.*

The [?] grade wasn’t just for show. If mishandled, the reward could be worthless, but if dismantled perfectly, it could yield an SSS-grade skill.

“Undine.”

Jinhyuk summoned the water spirit.

“Y-yes, Master? You called?”

“I need your help with something. But… why do you look so scared?”

“S-scared? No way! I’m totally fine! See? Brimming with confidence!”

“You’re stuttering.”

“N-no, I’m not!”

“And you’re avoiding eye contact.”

“M-maybe… just a little.”

Jinhyuk suddenly recalled something.

*Come to think of it…*

Undine had laughed herself silly while he suffered through some bizarre food experiments earlier. He could vividly remember her rolling on the ground, clutching her sides in amusement.

*Crack!*

A white thread of ice shot out from Jinhyuk’s fingertips.

“Eek! Y-you remembered, Master?”

“Of course I did.”

He had remembered perfectly.

“I’m sorry! I was out of my mind back then! I swear, it won’t happen again!”

Undine begged with all her might.

But it was already too late.

“From now on, you’ll be the spirit of sewage water, not just water.”

Jinhyuk mixed the poison ‘Ten Thousand Heavenly Poisons’ and ‘Blood Demon Qi’ into a vial. For good measure, he added a 10-year-aged canary fish sauce he had saved to feed Alice.

“It’s… perfect.”

“I’m sorry! Please, I beg you!”

“If you’ve committed a crime worth dying for… then die.”

However—

“If you guard this tent and make sure no one enters, I might forgive you.”

“I’ll guard it with my life! I won’t let anyone in! Trust me, Master!”

Undine declared with determination, taking up the role of sentry.

—

Having accounted for any potential interruptions, Jinhyuk examined the steel box from every angle.

*Judging by its design, it seems to be a Dark Elf artifact…*

And not just any artifact.

The inscriptions, though minuscule, indicated that it had been crafted by the Intalimen tribe, renowned for their expertise in artifact creation.

*I know exactly how to deal with this.*

Jinhyuk infused the cube-shaped box with mana.

*Click!*

The mechanism unlocked, and the shape of the box began to change.

—

[F-grade Random Box has been unlocked.]
[Upon acceptance, a random F-grade skill will be granted.]

—

*The first step is simple.*

The circuits were based on powers of two. As the difficulty increased, the number of circuits to be decoded rose exponentially: 1, 2, 4, 8… up to 4096.

Sweat trickled down Jinhyuk’s forehead as he focused on the intricate process.

—

[E-grade Random Box has been unlocked.]
[D-grade Random Box has been unlocked…]

—

Finally, after what felt like an eternity—

*Click!*

The last mechanism clicked into place.

“I did it!”

Jinhyuk let out a triumphant shout as the golden box revealed its contents.

—

[Three SSS-grade Skill Cards have been unlocked.]
[Select one skill.]

—

Each card was adorned with elaborate designs, radiating a mysterious aura.

*Which one should I choose?*

Just as he was about to decide—

*Boom!*

A commotion erupted outside the tent.

“Why is this water idiot blocking me? I need to see my contractor!”

Alice’s voice echoed loudly.

“Please! If you go in, Master will turn me into sewage water!”

Undine pleaded desperately but couldn’t stop Alice.

“What are you hiding in there—huh?”

Alice burst into the tent, her gaze shifting between Jinhyuk and the three golden cards.

“What are these strange cards?”

Tilting her head, she studied them closely.

“Why does the one on the right have a seal… only given to bosses?”

“…What?”

Jinhyuk’s eyes widened.

The cards all looked identical. He hadn’t noticed any distinct seals or magic auras.

*Does this mean… only Alice can see it?*