Solo Max-Level Newbie - Chapter 419: Pain Pirate Crew (1)

“Kill them!”

“Arghhh!”

The enraged pirates charged in unison.

Of course, Jinhyuk’s movements were far from simple enough to be hit by an attack fueled by sheer emotion.

With a slight shift.

Jinhyuk effortlessly dodged an incoming attack from the left and slipped inside like a slick eel.

Fast.

So precise and offbeat were his movements that for a moment, his figure vanished from sight.

“Ugh!”

“What kind of movement is this…?”

Even after gaining the upper hand, Jinhyuk did not cut down the pirates.

Instead, he leaped deeper into the ship.

“No way…!”

The first to realize the anomaly was the battle captain leading the 3rd Division of the Pain Pirate Crew.

“Stop him!”

His voice grew urgent, for he had figured out Jinhyuk’s intentions.

But it was already too late.

‘Crash!’

Jinhyuk cut through the mast in one swift motion.

‘Creeeeak…!’

With a groaning sound, the ship’s balance tipped dramatically.

From the start, his target wasn’t human lives but the ship itself.

[With a time limit in place, there’s no reason to deal with each of them individually.]

The pirates had made a critical mistake by loosening their encirclement due to his provocation. That lapse made things much easier on his end.

‘Boom! Boom! Boom!’

The mast, broken at an exact angle, caused the ship to veer sharply to the right.

Naturally, another ship from the Pain Pirate Crew, positioned at a close distance, could only watch as the damaged ship collided with theirs.

“Arghhhh!”

“Ughhh!”

Screams erupted from all directions.

Moreover, Jinhyuk wasn’t the only one using this strategy. Chun Yoosung and Yoo Yeonhwa were doing the same.

‘Boom!’

‘Creak… Crash!’

Instead of causing direct casualties, they maximized damage to the ships to create an opening, an unexpected move that caught the Pain Pirate Crew completely off guard.

“These filthy bastards…! Fight honorably! Do you have no pride or dignity?!”

“Hmm. Nope.”

“What?!”

“Honor doesn’t put food on the table. And if you really wanted a fair fight, maybe you should have brought enough people to even the odds. Don’t you feel embarrassed saying that?”

“Th-That’s…”

The pirate with a scraggly beard stuttered.

“Sure, it sounds great. Pirates live with romance and die with pride. Wow, how poetic. But take all that pride and go beg your captain for it after you lose all your men. Let’s see if he spares your head.”

That lunatic Corpse… he’d swing his blade before they could even finish speaking.

With his business here done, Jinhyuk extended his hand toward the sky.

At the same time.

‘Boom!’

A small firework lit up the sky.

A signal flare?

“What are you plotting now?”

“Nothing much. I had some bait left over from luring out Gigantdalos.”

The pungent, unique scent was highly effective in provoking sea-dwelling monsters.

Of course, during the Gigantdalos encounter, most other creatures had stayed away due to the apex predator’s presence…

But now, with the king gone, what would happen?

‘Gulp…’

A pirate, understanding Jinhyuk’s words, swallowed nervously.

This was madness.

“Your people… they’re still here, aren’t they?”

“My crew knows how to handle themselves. And me… well, same goes for me.”

Perched on the railing, Jinhyuk leapt into the sea.

And at that moment.

“Groooar!”

“Graaaah!”

The ocean roared once again.

From beneath the surface, enormous dark shadows appeared, shattering the waves.

Dozens of sea serpents.

Though they were mere juveniles compared to Gigantdalos, each one was still over 30 meters long—a giant among their kind.

‘Crash!’

‘Boom! Boom! Boom!’

“It’s… it’s the serpents!”

“Arghhh! Turn the ship around! We must get out of here now!”

Seafarers knew better than anyone the terror of the serpents.

These monsters would capsize ships and swallow floating humans whole—a nightmare of the sea.

Normally, a fleet of this size would deter the serpents, but the bait Jinhyuk had scattered had sent them into a frenzy.

“Graaaaah!”

The serpents attacked the pirate ships indiscriminately.

Even Jinhyuk’s own ship, the ‘White Pearl,’ was among the targets.

“He… he’s insane. How can anyone in their right mind do something like this…?”

Even the most seasoned pirates could only shake their heads in disbelief.

Throwing both his allies and himself into this hellish chaos was shocking enough to leave them in utter dismay.

But the Pain Pirate Crew overlooked two critical facts.

The first was that Jinhyuk’s skill, ‘Mentra Taming,’ worked even on ferocious monsters.

The second was that Jinhyuk had a summon—a dragon of considerable rank among its kind—that obeyed his commands.

Swept away by the waves, Jinhyuk had already climbed onto the back of a massive dragon.

“That was cutting it close. A second later, and I’d have been fish food.”

“Krhm. It’s a relief you’re safe.”

The dragon, known as Malang Black Crane, let out an awkward cough.

It had no choice but to manifest after being threatened with becoming skewered if it didn’t comply.

However, it never expected that the reason would be to rein in the serpents.

“Still, I’m the Azure Dragon of the East…”

“And?”

Jinhyuk’s voice grew colder.

“No, I mean… as great as I am, I think it’s a bit much to drag me into such trivial matters. Shouldn’t you respect my dignity a little…?”

“Should I?”

The chilling tone froze the air.

“No, no, that’s not what I meant. It’s not like I’m complaining…”

“Not complaining?”

“…Fine. My mistake. Ahem! Taming these insolent worms is indeed the very reason for my existence.”

[Malang Black Crane activates the skill ‘Weather Manipulation’!]

Using its jewel, it calmed the waves and extended its influence over the serpents.

“Graaaa?”

“Kiiii….”

The serpents hesitated to charge forward under the mysterious and overwhelming aura.

It was as if they were facing Gigantdalos itself.

Each serpent lowered its head as much as possible, signaling no intent to fight.

Of course, a few of them failed to read the atmosphere…

“Mo-o-ogi!”

But any budding resistance was immediately crushed by the glaring presence of Goguma.

Indeed, this was why it was essential to keep reliable subordinates close.

Even in such precarious situations, their presence proved invaluable.

[Good. With this, the fleet is neutralized… The remaining survivors will return to their base and report that I can command sea dragons.]

This battle would serve to teach them that fighting on the sea was far too dangerous.

The pirate crew could no longer delay by engaging in naval warfare.

One arm was severed… now it was time to cut off the other.

Riding on the back of Malang Black Crane, Jinhyuk pushed forward with greater determination.

[Time is running out.]

The first red lightning bolt had struck, and soon, a storm that would engulf the skies was bound to follow.

If proper preparations weren’t made before then, most of the players here would end up as bones beneath the sea.

The situation was dire.

“Nyarlathotep. That lunatic actually unleashed the Kraken at this timing.”

Jinhyuk’s mind raced with countless scenarios.

—

The scenario “Apocalypse.”

One of the worst catastrophes that could occur within the Tower was about to unfold on this floor.

[The first red lightning bolt becomes a storm, and eventually, thirty-nine bolts will mark the beginning and the end. Everything afloat on the sea will return to nothingness, and all life that faces it will become mere prey. Fear it, and pray only that the disaster of the deep does not seek you.]

If the collapse of the great divine Ragnarok and the fall of Ygdrasil had the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse…

This event involved the worst possible monster that could obliterate the entirety of the 29th floor: the Kraken.

An “Apocalypse” was akin to a natural disaster and inevitable in its occurrence, but…

[The timing couldn’t be worse.]

The opposing side had chosen this moment, when everything Jinhyuk needed to address was hopelessly tangled, to play such a powerful card.

[Messing with the Old Guard and thwarting every scheme Hastings has been working on… I should have expected this.]

This one stung deeply.

Time and resources to prepare were woefully inadequate.

Still, at least they hadn’t missed the “omens,” a small mercy in an otherwise bleak situation.

Jinhyuk bit his lower lip tightly.

At that moment.

“Even after achieving such an overwhelming victory, it seems something is troubling you.”

Alice, standing nearby, spoke with a worried expression.

“I thought I was hiding it well. How did you notice so quickly?”

“Because this is the first time I’ve seen my contractor so deeply troubled.”

Apparently, his expression betrayed everything.

After spending so much time together, her perceptiveness had become unnecessarily sharp.

“It’s a headache, honestly. I’ve got countermeasures for the pirates and Gigantdalos, but the last issue… to be frank, it’s the kind that doesn’t have a clear solution.”

“Are you saying it’s dangerous?”

“…As it stands, we’d be lucky if our chances of success were even 3%.”

The worst possible terrain: a floor consisting almost entirely of “sea.”

The only places to stand were the ships, and even the most powerful 8-star or even 10-star vessels couldn’t withstand the Kraken.

Furthermore, except for certain specialized attacks, most strikes couldn’t even harm the Kraken, exponentially increasing the difficulty.

“Hmm. I don’t fully understand what kind of monster it is, but… I believe in you. No matter how impossible the enemy, I know you can overcome it.”

A gentle smile spread across Alice’s face.

“After all, weren’t you the one who managed to land a blow against the Vampire Lords, whom even I had given up on?”

“Wow. Such kind words from you. Are you craving mint chocolate or something?”

“W-Who would eat toothpaste? And if you’re so moved, why don’t you offer something more delicious?”

“Fine. When this is over, I’ll buy you whatever you want.”

“I’ll make sure to eat until my stomach bursts.”

Alice clenched her fists tightly.

She didn’t forget to add one last comment.

“Don’t carry the burden all by yourself. Trust in the comrades around you. No matter what, everyone is here because they chose to fight alongside you.”

Chun Yoosung, silently sharpening his blade at the bow.

Wolyoung, ever-watchful in the shadows.

Yoo Yeonhwa and Lee Tae-min, who had been with him since before the Tower appeared.

And even their tearful little queen.

No matter how dire the situation, they would stand by him.

Not a single one of them had fled or betrayed him even during the manifestation of Shub-Niggurath.

“Alright. Let’s finish this cleanly and then take a proper trip together.”

There was yet another reason to ensure this story ended in a happy ending.