Solo Max-Level Newbie - Chapter 378: The War of the Stairs (3)
The plan had been flawless.
It was crafted to make the enemy believe they held the upper hand, instilling them with confidence—only for everything to be overturned in an instant.
Sloth had eagerly anticipated watching Jinhyuk crumble as his rear flank descended into chaos. The thought of it made his heart race with excitement.
But now…
That hope shattered completely at this moment.
“They had… such overwhelming forces?”
It was beyond belief.
The beings defending the Fortress of Giants were just as powerful as the greatest factions on the 20th floor.
Moreover, they were a mix of mythical beasts, divine creatures, and even dragons.
High-ranking entities—comparable to bosses of labyrinths and ancient ruins—were gathered en masse.
“Kyaoo!”
When Goguma unleashed its breath attack, a brilliant white beam tore through the sky.
The sheer firepower was unimaginable.
Despite being a young dragon, it was not to be underestimated.
“Arghhh!”
“Retreat! Get out of the way!”
The panicked angels frantically summoned their mana.
[‘Barrier of Solomon’ has been activated!]
A pure white wall of energy appeared around the angels—a powerful defense imbued with layers of divine power.
With this, they thought the dragon’s breath could be blocked…
BOOM!
The wall shattered, and the angels behind it evaporated instantly.
Over fifty angels were reduced to dust in a single blow.
“T-This… this isn’t just any dragon.”
It was impossible for a mere dragon to wield such devastating power.
But it also made no sense for one of the ‘First Dragons’ from the 46th floor to appear here—they acted solely for their own gain.
So then…
Who was this dragon standing before them?
There was no time left to ponder the answer.
“They’re coming from above!”
Malang the Black Crane, the azure dragon capable of controlling the weather, made his move.
Given the angels’ natural advantage in aerial combat, their ability to maneuver freely in the sky was a major threat.
However, the Black Crane possessed the power to neutralize that very advantage.
“At least when I tell that fool white tiger and that lazy turtle about this, I can say I fought some real angels. Not just small fry.”
The Black Crane muttered, trying to convince himself.
Even as one of the Four Sacred Beasts, the fact that he was following Jinhyuk’s commands gnawed at him.
[Malang the Black Crane activates ‘Weather Manipulation.’]
Shhhhh…
The sky split open, unleashing a torrential downpour.
“We… we can’t keep our balance!”
“Forget the sky! Everyone land on the ground before we crash into each other!”
Blinded by dark clouds and lightning, the angels were thrown into disarray.
Amid the chaos, T-Bone and his ghostly warhorse charged directly into the enemy’s ranks.
The aura blade he conjured cleaved into the angels as they descended.
BOOM!
The full weight and speed of the warhorse were channeled into a single devastating strike.
A massive angel barely managed to block the attack with his shield.
“Grr… I thought undead creatures only obeyed their own kind. Why are you risking your lives to protect this place?”
T-Bone’s eyes gleamed with intensity.
“Our master isn’t just any human.”
“And I won’t tolerate anyone disrespecting him.”
Only those who bled, toiled, and endured suffering within the Veteran Corporation had the right to speak ill of him!
[T-Bone activates ‘Broken Blade.’]
Sizzle… Crack!
The blade in his hand began to corrode, turning black.
*Broken Blade*—a skill that sacrifices the weapon’s integrity for unparalleled offensive power.
BOOM!
Blades clashed once more, as the battle raged on.
Meanwhile, at the forefront…
Andrea, transformed into her fox spirit form, faced off against Kizakiel.
“So… you’re one of the lower-floor bosses?”
“Yup. I’m Andrea, the one in charge of the ‘Asylum of Madness.’”
“This is absurd. Now even bosses are siding with players?”
“Why? Do you have a problem with that?”
“You call that a question?! A being who rules over a floor has no business serving a climber. Have you no pride or honor?”
“Pride? Honor? I don’t care about those things. I was supposed to be dead long ago, anyway.”
Discarded after being used, destined to be sacrificed as a mere pawn—that was the fate Andrea had been assigned.
“Pride, honor… None of that matters to me. I’ll throw it all away if I have to.”
Her nine tails swayed gracefully.
*Foxfire Play*—a skill that combines magic and illusions, making her an incredibly tricky opponent.
Her swift and unpredictable movements, inherent to fox spirits, made her nearly impossible to pin down.
However, difficult to catch was still just that—difficult, not impossible.
No matter how skilled a fox spirit might be, Andrea was no match for Kizakiel.
BOOM! BOOM!
His blade tore through the air.
“Argh!”
Andrea was hurled nearly ten meters away.
The sheer force of his sword’s wind pressure alone was overwhelming.
This was Kizakiel, the battle commander leading the angels of Eden.
“Thinking you can challenge Eden, the rulers of the heavens, just because you’ve gained a few special powers… I’ll make sure you pay dearly for your arrogance.”
Just then…
“You’ve left plenty of openings.”
From Kizakiel’s shadow, a figure emerged.
It was Wolyoung, lying in wait for the perfect moment to strike.
Slash!
His blade slipped between the cracks in Kizakiel’s armor, tearing into his flesh.
“…!”
Though Kizakiel twisted his body at the last second to minimize the damage, blood trickled from the wound.
A red streak marked the pristine white of his armor.
“You will pay the price for stepping foot where you don’t belong.”
Wolyoung melted back into the shadows, waiting for the next opportunity to strike.
Shhh…
From the shadows, dozens of figures emerged—elite assassins belonging to the *Shadow Corps*.
“Attack.”
“Yes, sir.”
In unison, the masked warriors drew their blades.
—
“There’s no need to worry about the rear anymore.”
Jinhyuk gave a relaxed shrug.
With trusted allies guarding the stronghold, he could finally breathe easy.
“……”
Sloth waved his hand, and the mirror that had shown the Fortress of Giants vanished.
“Why? Not going to watch anymore?”
“There’s no point. It’s meaningless now anyway.”
Kizakiel couldn’t sustain the fight for long.
Since he had been exiled from Eden, prolonging the battle would only increase the risk of other angels getting involved.
In other words…
…The plan had completely failed.
“I admit it—I’ve lost the fight at the rear. To be honest, I didn’t expect you to be this prepared.”
“You’re surprisingly quick to give up. If you’re going to surrender so easily, you might as well give up your life too… it’d save both of us a lot of trouble.”
With *Nihilism* sealing Sloth’s abilities and the flow of mana suppressed through pressure points, the outcome was already clear.
There was no need to say which side victory had chosen.
Swoosh.
Jinhyuk extended *Barnard* forward.
Wooong!
The dark red energy enveloped the blade completely.
But.
“Sorry, but I’m not the type to stubbornly cling to pride or risk my life for nothing.”
Annoyance and fear of risk kept Sloth from crossing dangerous bridges.
“You’re running away? Even with so many subordinates still alive?”
“There are still plenty of followers left, yes. But with your strike force closing in, it’s only a matter of time before the defenses collapse.”
Sloth’s gaze shifted to the right.
Beyond the sprawling forest, a faint scent rode on the wind.
“You’ve set up an ambush of trolls. Strong ones, too—unusual for creatures from the lower floors.”
“Wow. You’ve got quite the nose. I placed them as far away as possible, but you still sniffed them out.”
Jinhyuk let out a small chuckle.
His second hidden card had been prepared to ensure total victory.
The trolls of the Frostfang Tribe, accompanied by dire wolves, lay in wait to ambush at the perfect moment and end the battle in one swift strike.
But Sloth had seen through it all.
‘If he’s planning to escape, he must have a way out.’
With followers used as shields, teleportation magic would make it impossible to stop him—at least for now.
“Finally, it’s your turn. Hold him off while I make my escape.”
“Grrr…”
A twisted Death Knight appeared before Sloth.
The undead creature, barely clinging to traces of its former humanity, drew the sword from its side.
Srrrng!
“That one…”
Jinhyuk’s eyes narrowed.
He recognized the figure immediately.
Though the knight’s body was clad in black armor, the face beneath it was clear.
**Payton.**
The traitor who had once led the raid alliance.
In the end, after desperately clinging to life, this was his fate—an undead servant, bound forever to Sloth’s command.
“This one was crafted with particular care, given the quality of the materials.”
Rare artifacts from the Demon Realm and high-grade equipment had been invested without reserve.
And now—
[Sloth activates the Lv35 skill ‘Mana Transfer.’]
A specialized skill that channels the caster’s mana into the target.
Rumble…!
“Graaaah!”
Infused with Sloth’s power, Payton let out a ferocious roar.
Terrifying energy radiated from his entire body.
It was only natural—Payton now carried Sloth’s strength within him.
“Kill… them all.”
Payton raised his sword high with both hands.
“Well, I’ll be off for now. Next time, I’ll come better prepared.”
Without hesitation, Sloth turned his back and activated his teleportation magic.
Gray runes began to swirl in the air.
He believed that with this, his escape was assured.
[The unique ability ‘Bloodburst’ has been activated!]
The distance between Sloth and Payton was only a few meters.
The blood within Payton’s body rapidly expanded.
“You were always going to abandon Payton to cover your escape. And I knew you’d use Mana Transfer to make it more convincing.”
“What… What are you saying?”
Sloth’s pupils widened in shock.
The teleportation magic and the explosion inside Payton’s body happened almost simultaneously.
BOOOOM!
That brief moment was all Jinhyuk needed.
“Graaaah!”
The teleportation magic failed, and Sloth’s upper body was caught in the explosion.
With no time to brace himself or form a defense, the result was catastrophic.
＊＊＊
“Ugh… Ugh…”
Sloth, missing his right arm and a third of his face, crawled across the ground, groaning in agony.
Killing him now would be easy.
One quick slash of the sword would end it.
But instead of finishing the job…
“……”
Jinhyuk gripped *Barnard* firmly, standing over Sloth.
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE
