Solo Max-Level Newbie - Chapter 395: Tangled Web (3)

The tense balance tipped entirely in Jinhyuk’s favor with his intervention.

*Shing! Slice! Thud!*

“Gah!”

“Arghhh!”

Jinhyuk systematically dismantled Lü Bu’s famed tight-knit formation, isolating the members and taking them down one by one, starting with the weaker lieutenants.

To those on the receiving end, his methods were nothing short of ruthless.

One by one, Lü Bu’s subordinates fell until only he remained.

“You take the rear; I’ll take the front. We’ve got plenty of time—just create an opening,” Jinhyuk instructed.

“Got it,” Chun Yoosung replied, his voice sharp with focus.

The two moved in tandem, their attacks perfectly synchronized.

It was as if their coordination had been measured to the millimeter, leaving Lü Bu unable to find an opening.

“You damn rodents!”

*Clang!*

The Sky Piercing Halberd was stopped cold.

The last time Lü Bu had been cornered like this was during his battle with those accursed three brothers.

“If you surrender now, I can make it painless,” Jinhyuk offered.

The more Lü Bu struggled, the more pain he would endure.

“Unacceptable! I… I, Lü Bu, cannot… fall here! To wretches like you!”

Lü Bu roared, his voice filled with desperation, as he poured every ounce of strength into his attacks.

But as his emotions boiled over, his movements grew more predictable.

*”Time to wrap this up.”*

*Clang!*

Jinhyuk deflected the incoming halberd with precision, redirecting its trajectory sharply.

The sudden shift startled Chun Yoosung, who was behind him.

“Hey, wait a minute!?”

*Clang!*

Chun Yoosung barely managed to parry the halberd, but their coordinated spacing was now completely thrown off.

What should have been a seamless defense turned into an opening wide enough for Lü Bu to exploit.

Chun Yoosung immediately understood the implications.

“You bastard! You’re using me as bait again, aren’t you?”

But there was no time to complain.

Lü Bu’s killing intent surged as he channeled every ounce of his remaining mana.

“At the very least… I’ll take you with me!”

*Wooooong!*

[Lü Bu activates the special skill *Fang Tian Frenzy*!]

From atop his Red Hare, Lü Bu unleashed a savage barrage of slashes and thrusts, fully utilizing the reach of his halberd.

“Damn it!” Chun Yoosung cursed as he swung his sword with all his might.

[Chun Yoosung activates *Soul-Chasing Sword Dance Fourth Style: Solar Eclipse*!]

*Clang!*

The graceful diagonal slash perfectly neutralized Lü Bu’s halberd strikes.

The two attacks met at a single point, creating a flawless balance.

*”Now!”*

Jinhyuk seized the opportunity Chun Yoosung had created.

He darted to Lü Bu’s side and—

*Stab!*

—drove Barnard straight into his heart.

Scarlet blood dripped from the blade.

“You… cowardly… scum…”

Lü Bu glared at Jinhyuk with bloodshot eyes.

“Hearing that from someone who betrayed his foster father is almost a compliment. Besides, weren’t you the one who started the whole gang-up tactic in the first place?”

In a life-or-death battle, there was no such thing as fairness. Thinking otherwise would mean death in the Tower.

*Thud!*

Lü Bu’s massive frame crumpled to the ground.

At the same time—

*Ding! Ding! Ding!*

[Level Up!]
[Level Up!]
[Level Up!]
[You have leveled up!]

[You have acquired *Sky Piercing Halberd*!]
[You have acquired *Red Hare*!]
[You have acquired ownership of the mid-tier stronghold *Xiaopei Fortress*! You can relocate your base if desired.]

Numerous system notifications filled Jinhyuk’s vision.

*”Four levels? That’s insane.”*

Even defeating a hero-grade entity like Lü Bu shouldn’t have yielded this much experience. At Jinhyuk’s current level, leveling up required an astronomical amount of experience.

*”The system must’ve factored in the involvement of Olympus and Sherry as difficulty-enhancing elements.”*

If that were the case, everything made sense.

*”I cursed how tough this was, but now that I see the rewards, it doesn’t feel so bad.”*

The *Sky Piercing Halberd*, *Red Hare*, and ownership of Xiaopei Fortress—normally, obtaining even one of these would have been considered a jackpot.

The specific details of the rewards could be reviewed later. For now, his priority was allocating his stat points.

Jinhyuk activated his personal status window.

—

*Name*: Kang Jinhyuk
*Gender*: Male
*Level*: 160
*Strength*: 109
*Agility*: 121
*Stamina*: 73
*Mana*: 402
*Gap*: 100
*Luck*: 10
*Adaptive*: 78
*Energy*: 109.91

*Available Stat Points*: 12
*Coins Owned*: 13,683,466

*Class*: Master of Runes
*Unique Authority*: Wheel of Reversal (Phase 2)
*Unique Abilities*: *Fusion, Blade Cemetery, Star’s Blessing, Anubis’s Judgment, Blood Magic, Mandala, One Second Invincibility, Thousand Venoms, White Beast, Shared Universe, Sanctuary of the Sun, Black Heavenly Demon Art, Triple Magic, Colossus Strike, Dragon’s Breath, Swift Blade, Right Arm of the Tombgrave, Berserker, Domain of Wind, Shadowkill, Primal Flame, Bloodburst, Black Tears, Legs of the Tombgrave, Supernatural Strength, Core of the Legion, Ancient Barrier, Heavenly Demon Divine Art, Mantle Taming, Nihilism, World-Destroying Venoms, Red Hare Riding.*

*Skills*: Skill details are too numerous and have been condensed into “Collapsed View.”

—

Looking at the ever-growing list of unique abilities, Jinhyuk felt reassured.

*”At this rate, it won’t be long before I’m strong enough to take on the Tower’s major factions.”*

The time was drawing near.

The moment when all his carefully built progress would shine.

[*Mana increased from 402 → 414*.]

Jinhyuk invested all his available points into *Mana*.

The more unique authorities Jinhyuk copied, the greater the mana he would need to sustain them.

“You all did well,” he said, exhaling as he surveyed the aftermath.

Chun Yoosung caught his breath nearby, Alice approached carrying a pair of red daggers, and Frey emotionlessly tidied up the battlefield.

With that, the battle in the labyrinth was over.

—

*”Fools of the highest degree… This is so absurd, I can’t even feel angry anymore.”*

Nyarlathotep sighed softly.

In one corner of Xiaopei Fortress, a massive crater had appeared, something that had not been there before.

Golden streams of liquid trickled out from the earth—it was unmistakably the *Sun’s Spring Water*.

Of course, most of its content had already been siphoned away, leaving behind only dregs.

“I apologize… They allied themselves with Ragnarok, and I—”

Sherry’s face was ashen, her entire body trembling violently.

“You knew Kang Jinhyuk had close ties with them, didn’t you? Are you seriously trying to use that as an excuse?”

“I-I didn’t expect them to arrive at that precise moment—”

“Ah, you didn’t expect it. And as a result, you let the Sun’s Spring Water get completely stolen. What a simple and pathetic excuse.”

Nyarlathotep’s cold eyes focused on Sherry’s trembling form.

“On top of that, you even lost ‘Crimson Lotus,’ the relic I entrusted to you, didn’t you?”

A masterpiece crafted from the fangs of a Red Dragon. A relic far too valuable for a mid-tier administrator.

To have such a treasure handed over to the enemy so easily was beyond disgraceful.

Just breathing the same air as Sherry in this moment felt revolting.

“Please… Please give me one more chance! I’ve figured out his next objective. I know what he’s after, what he’s planning—everything! Please!”

“Unfortunately, there won’t be a next time for you. The upper-level administrators are already aware of what’s happened and are on their way here.”

“U-Upper-level administrators?! Surely you can stop them, Nyarlathotep! Like you’ve done before!”

“I could, but you no longer seem worth the effort. Thank you for your service. Now you can rest—forever.”

Nyarlathotep raised a hand slowly.

The tip of a black claw touched Sherry’s forehead.

*Slice.*

A sharp line ran from top to bottom.

“I don’t… want to…”

Scarlet blood spurted like a fountain.

*”Wretched creatures, always wanting more than they deserve. Isn’t that right?”*

At his remark, the man standing silently beside him finally spoke.

“The mid-tier administrator’s failure is undeniable. But it’s also true that Kang Jinhyuk is no ordinary individual. At first, I didn’t understand how so many of our Old Guard had fallen to him… but now I do.”

“Oh? Are you saying even you, the leader of the Old Guard, think highly of a mere player?”

The man didn’t dare mention that Jinhyuk had previously bested even *Shub-Niggurath* in a confrontation.

“I’m simply advising caution, as even a lion hunts a rabbit with care.”

“A lion and a rabbit, huh… Hahaha! Fair enough, that’s an apt comparison.”

Nyarlathotep chuckled briefly, but his mirth soon faded.

His expression turned cold, a lethal edge in his gaze as he addressed the man.

“So, how do you plan to start this rabbit hunt?”

“We’ve identified his next destination. We’ll coordinate with Olympus and eliminate him before he can hand over the Sun’s Spring Water to Ragnarok.”

“Now that’s the kind of answer I like. Very well, I’ll leave this matter in your hands.”

The gears were turning toward the start of *Apocalypse*, one of the Tower’s defining trials.

For this moment, everything had to proceed flawlessly.

—

Tower of Trials, 1st Floor

The first floor of the Tower, known as the *Tutorial Zone*, was a hub of activity where countless events took place. Since the Tower’s opening, it had become a popular destination for players and non-players alike.

With over 98% of the area cleared by players, even ordinary people could now freely enter.

“To think this place used to be so empty… It’s surreal to see it bustling like this,” Jinhyuk murmured nostalgically, watching the crowds.

What had once been a ghost town in the game was now teeming with families, couples, and tourists, making it feel more like the middle of bustling Myeongdong.

“You call this fun? Bringing me to such a mundane place? Even if it’s not a romantic venue, you should at least have some standards when inviting a lady out.”

Alice pouted, clearly dissatisfied. She had dressed up for the outing and wasn’t thrilled about spending her rare day off inside the Tower.

“Don’t complain too much. There’s no better spot for a group outing than here. Besides, weren’t we supposed to meet at the Lion Fountain at 2 PM?”

Just then—

“Jinhyuk! Over here!”

A bright, cheerful voice called out.

It was *Teresa*, waving as she approached with a radiant smile. Following her, grumbling as usual, was *Chun Yoosung*.

“Am I late?”

“No, you’re right on time. We still have ten minutes before the festival starts,” Jinhyuk replied.

The group had gathered for the *Festival Event*.

Every year, the Tower celebrated the anniversary of its opening with a festival filled with events and rewards. While Jinhyuk had previously ignored these events, this year’s rewards included crucial items for climbing the Tower.

Teresa’s eyes sparkled as she flipped through a catalog.

“Rings that boost holy power, necklaces… Wow, they’re being really generous this year!”

“I even saw some decent martial arts manuals, though they’re only B-rank,” Chun Yoosung added grudgingly.

“I rather like this floral ring. Let’s start there,” Alice chimed in, her earlier complaints forgotten as she eyed the prizes with interest.

Even Chun Yoosung and Alice, who had initially complained, were now intrigued by the rewards.

“This is a prime opportunity to stock up on valuable items, which is why I asked you all to come along,” Jinhyuk explained.

“Don’t lie. You needed us for the cooperative missions, didn’t you? I saw some events that require a minimum of four people,” Chun Yoosung shot back.

“Come on, don’t make me sound so self-serving.”

“Fine. So, where do we start?” Chun Yoosung asked, cutting straight to the point as usual.

For someone as devoid of sentiment as him, diving into the action was the only option.

*”A guy like this deserves the most grueling event to start with.”*

“Animal Park,” Jinhyuk declared with a grin.

The first stop would be a massive *zoo-themed event.*