Solo Max-Level Newbie - Chapter 380. Perfect Victory (2)

While Jinhyuk was conquering the 20th floor, the war between **Ragnarok** and **Olympus** was also nearing its conclusion.

The outcome was a resounding victory for Olympus.

Though they struggled in Jotunheim, the tide of the battle had already been decided.

“…I’ve heard that every region has fallen, except for Yggdrasil.”

“Wow, that news spread fast, even to players? Hahaha, how embarrassing.”

“Well, I have my connections, so I get information quickly.”

The truth was, Jinhyuk’s knowledge came from memorizing every possible scenario from his past experiences.

But there was no need to reveal that to Loki or Thor.

“In that case, I’ll get straight to the point. As you said, our situation isn’t great. Thanks to Yggdrasil’s unique geography, we’ve managed to hold it, but even that won’t last much longer.”

Losing Yggdrasil would spell the end for Ragnarok.

The World Tree symbolized the heart of their mythology—it was Ragnarok itself.

“So, what exactly do you want from me?”

“I’ve heard about the achievements of your faction. To be honest, it’s hard to believe a human could be that strong.”

As expected—they were asking for help.

But even with the strength of the Veteran Corporation, they had to know it wouldn’t be enough to take on Olympus’s main forces, right?

Almost as if reading Jinhyuk’s thoughts, Loki added quickly:

“Oh! We’re not asking for something unreasonable. Actually, what we need is a specific item.”

“You want the material needed to protect Yggdrasil… the core of the great barrier. You probably have access to two of the three components, so the last one you need is the ‘Sun’s Springwater,’ right?”

“…!?”

Loki’s eyes widened in stunned silence.

He hadn’t expected Jinhyuk to figure it out so easily from that one hint.

“Hah! You hit the nail on the head. That’s exactly it. Our only hope is to protect Yggdrasil. But the World Tree won’t survive Olympus’s relentless assault without the necessary materials.”

Thor, the massive figure standing next to Loki, stepped in with a booming voice.

The sheer presence of Thor was enough to make it hard to breathe.

Even with his mana suppressed to an extreme degree, his power was overwhelming.

It made Jinhyuk wonder—just how strong would Thor be at full strength?

After all, in the past, Thor, the great hero of Ragnarok, had been slain by the Demon Realm before Jinhyuk ever had the chance to face him.

‘That was one regret I had—unlike Hercules, I never got to fight Thor properly.’

It was one of the few things that had disappointed Jinhyuk during his climb up the tower.

But now…

‘What if I fought him now?’

Jinhyuk’s fingers twitched slightly with anticipation.

It hadn’t even been three years since he entered the Tower of Trials.

Normally, fighting a deity would be something to avoid at all costs. It was practically taboo.

But for some reason…

He didn’t feel even the slightest bit of despair.

In fact, it felt doable.

Even if his opponent was one of the toughest gods.

“Hey, ease up on the bloodlust, will you? We’re not here to fight. We came prepared with something I think you’ll like.”

Misinterpreting Jinhyuk’s intent, the two gods hastily got to the point.

Loki reached into his cloak and carefully pulled out a white leaf.

“This is…?”

Jinhyuk’s pupils trembled.

He had expected a tempting reward—but not this.

“A leaf of **Yggdrasil**.”

“Haha…”

“You really do know everything, huh? No need for an explanation, then.”

Loki and Thor exchanged incredulous glances.

Even among the gods of Ragnarok, only a handful had ever seen a leaf from the World Tree.

“So, what’s your decision? You hold the Crown of Dominion. You know exactly how valuable this leaf is.”

The Crown of Dominion was one of the most powerful artifacts in the tower—but it came with significant drawbacks.

It was designed for beings with a level over 500 or monstrous bodies capable of wielding tremendous power, like the Celestial Giants.

Naturally, the requirements for using it were immense.

However, with the right refinement…

‘This leaf will allow me to adjust my mana, making the crown usable even at my current level.’

The offer was highly enticing.

It exceeded his expectations by far.

“When’s the deadline?”

The deal was sealed.

And the next destination was already decided.

＊＊＊

When Jinhyuk returned to the ballroom, a rather entertaining scene greeted him.

Rumble…!

The chandelier above shook violently.

The warm, elegant atmosphere of the banquet was nowhere to be found.

“You’re finally here? Good luck cleaning up this mess.”

Chun Yoosung clicked his tongue as he greeted Jinhyuk.

“What do you mean?”

“You’ll see soon enough…”

Jinhyuk turned toward the ballroom—and there it was.

“I must say, Saintess, you look rather tired today. Praying all day really seems to have aged you overnight.”

“Is that so? And here I thought an ancient little brat like you would know better than to think flashy clothes could hide your age. You look like a child playing dress-up in her mother’s wardrobe.”

“Do you want to die?”

“I plan to live for a long time, thanks.”

It was Alice and Teresa—locked in a vicious war of words.

Though they weren’t wielding weapons, their words were sharp enough to cut.

‘When did Teresa develop such a sharp tongue…?’

Jinhyuk sighed deeply.

Just then—

“Hehe, Jinhyuk, come over here for a moment.”

Andrea, smiling sweetly, approached him.

Though she was smiling, the atmosphere around her felt… dangerous.

And as if to confirm that suspicion…

Swoosh.

Rustle…

A group of figures surrounded Jinhyuk, each one familiar.

They were the followers from the 5th-floor asylum.

Specifically, Andrea’s personal followers.

“Andrea… What exactly are you doing?”

“Well, there’s an event coming up where guests dance in front of the emperor.”

Jinhyuk vaguely remembered hearing something about such an event.

“And what does that have to do with this?”

“Aww, don’t play dumb!” Andrea giggled, covering her face as if embarrassed.

At the same time—

Srrng!

Clink!

Weapons of various shapes and sizes appeared from the hands of Andrea’s followers.

“I really, really want to dance with you, Jinhyuk. Hehe. The other girls are too busy fighting, so… will you kindly be my partner?”

A chill ran down Jinhyuk’s spine.

This was dangerous.

“Yoosung… Help me out here.”

“I told you already—you’re on your own for this one. I’m not getting involved.”

Chun Yoosung turned away without hesitation.

“Damn it!”

Thud.

Jinhyuk bolted from his spot, sprinting down the side corridor of the terrace.

“You won’t escape!”

Andrea, followed by her devoted believers, charged after him in a stampede.

How long had he been on the run, chased relentlessly by Andrea’s fanatical followers?

Just as Jinhyuk was cornered, salvation arrived—from none other than **Frey**.

**Boom!**

Using her spear, Frey collapsed a section of the wall, creating enough confusion to cover Jinhyuk’s escape.

“Thanks, Frey. You really saved m—” Jinhyuk paused mid-sentence.

Frey stared up at him with her usual stoic expression.

The blue dress she wore—where she had found it, he had no idea—complemented her equally blue hair perfectly.

The problem, however, was…

“What’s dancing?”

It quickly became clear that Frey wasn’t exactly on his side.

“…It’s a kind of social activity. Completely useless for combat.”

“I’ve never done it before.” Frey tilted her head, her expression unwavering.

But then, her next words sent a shiver down Jinhyuk’s spine.

“I believe it would be beneficial for data collection if I tried it. The probability is 100%.”

“…”

He was thoroughly doomed.

“There you are, idiot contractor!”

“If I can’t have you, I’ll just cut you down.”

As Alice and Teresa joined the fray, the situation turned into an even deeper nightmare.

＊＊＊

**One hour later.**

The chaotic battle finally came to an end.

Though calling it a “victory” for any side would be a stretch—it was a mess of bruised egos and crushed hopes.

With Jinhyuk nowhere to be found, Alice, Teresa, Frey, and Andrea stood awkwardly among the ballroom crowd, watching the grand highlight of the night: the dance.

Elegant pairs glided across the dance floor, the sight stirring bittersweet emotions in the onlookers.

“…Haaah.”

Alice let out a long sigh.

She had imagined herself in Jinhyuk’s arms, dancing among the crowd.

But no matter how hard she tried, things just never went her way.

“I’m going to look for him some more. What about you, Saintess?”

“I think I’ll stay here for a bit.”

“You give up easily. Do whatever you want.”

With that, Alice disappeared into the crowd, leaving Teresa alone.

As Teresa sat on the steps leading to the ballroom floor, Chun Yoosung quietly approached her and extended a hand.

“Hm? Are you trying to comfort me?”

“I’ve been taught that a woman shouldn’t be left to sulk alone.”

“Heh… You really are something.”

With a soft chuckle, Teresa rose to her feet.

“But I suppose I should give you the chance to dance. Otherwise, you’ll probably brood over it forever.”

[Teresa cancels her ‘Corruption’ state.]

“Yoosung?”

Teresa’s eyes widened in surprise.

“Ah, uh… W-Well…”

“This way.”

Without further explanation, Chun Yoosung gently led Teresa to the center of the dance floor.

The elegant melody resumed, and soon, the two were gliding across the floor in harmony.

＊＊＊

“Hah… Did I finally shake them off?”

Jinhyuk let out a sigh of relief, hiding among the crowd.

In the chaos of running, he hadn’t even noticed that he had ended up in the middle of the ballroom, where couples danced to the music.

‘If I stay hidden a bit longer, I can sneak out when the dance ends.’

After all, no one could catch him if he really put his mind to it.

But just then—

“Keh-heh-heh! My disciple, you seem quite unpopular. Standing here all alone, are we?”

A familiar voice boomed from right behind him.

“Wait… Master? How did you even—wait, what do you mean, unpopular?”

“Worry not, child! Your master is here!”

Before Jinhyuk could react, his master, the **Dark Emperor**, seized his wrist with a firm grip.

In an instant, the Dark Emperor’s other hand—like a hook—clamped onto Jinhyuk’s waist.

“M-Master?”

“Behold! This is the ancient art passed down through generations: the ‘Dance of the Black Heavenly Conqueror!’”

**BOOOM!**

A massive shockwave rippled across the ballroom floor.

“Master, if you do that, this entire place will collapse!”

“True strength lies in power! When I dance, no woman can resist!”

More likely, they *all died* resisting, you lunatic!

Jinhyuk’s desperate pleas went unheard as the Dark Emperor began his wild dance.

“Whe-he-he-heeeep!”

**WHOOOOSH!**

The dance was a whirlwind of insane rotations, with Jinhyuk spinning so fast he was almost invisible.

It was like riding a carousel at 100x speed.

Marble tiles cracked and flew from the floor as the whirlwind tore through the ballroom.

“KYAAAAH!”

“Everyone, run!”

“If you get caught, you’re as good as dead!”

Terrified nobles scrambled out of the ballroom.

Pillars toppled like toothpicks, and chaos reigned. Even the current emperor wept in despair, while Penheimer foamed at the mouth. Meanwhile, Abraham stood on the sidelines, laughing uncontrollably at the spectacle.

Not even the rebellion had caused this much destruction. The proud legacy of the empire, built over centuries, was moments away from turning to dust.

“Master, I’m going to die! I’m really going to die!”

“Endure it! This is all part of training to win a woman’s heart! Behold! **Dance of the Black Heavenly Conqueror, Third Form!**”

No! I’m telling you, I’m going to die!