Solo Max-Level Newbie - Chapter 420: Pain Pirate Crew (2)

‘Whooosh…’

The area where the serpents had rampaged was utterly devastated.

Nearly all 40 ships had been either half-destroyed or reduced to barely recognizable wreckage.

“…Damn it.”

Kopps, staring at the horrific scene, ground his teeth hard enough to crack them.

While he hadn’t committed his full forces to buy time…

He had never imagined that so many ships would be utterly annihilated.

“Missing… 2,546. Survivors: 17,” one subordinate reported solemnly.

Missing at sea was as good as dead.

In the end, all but 17 of them had become food for the serpents.

“See? I told you. That guy’s a pain in the ass,” said Nirasha, clicking her tongue.

“Yeah… definitely worth cursing. Now I get why you wanted to gut him so badly.”

‘Boom!’

Kopps drew his sword and struck a wooden fragment nearby.

“Kill him.”

‘Crash!’

Another slash deepened the cut in the wood.

“I’ll destroy him! How dare he do this to my fleet? That vermin thinks he can get away with this?!”

Kopps had completely lost his composure.

The crew held their breaths, terrified to even make a sound.

They knew all too well that a single mistake now would cost them their heads.

“Where is he?”

“Y-Yes?”

“I said, where is he?!”

“According to reports, he’s docked near the coastline and remains there. We’ve stationed forces along all the key pathways, so it’s only a matter of time before we catch him.”

The reason this island was considered impregnable was that it had been turned into a massive fortress.

Even if the sea was breached, the island was full of ways to kill intruders.

However.

Kopps had decided to use the most ruthless method available.

“Release the corpse-eating shellfish where their ship is docked.”

He didn’t know how they’d dared enter with such a small number, but there was no need to drag things out.

With this move, he intended to annihilate them completely.

—

A pristine white beach, endless rows of green palm trees, and crystal-clear waters with visibility 10 meters deep.

This place had all the qualities of a perfect tropical getaway.

Except for one.

[If only this weren’t a pirate island, it’d be absolutely ideal.]

Jinhyuk examined the paths leading further inland.

The paths looked natural but were, in reality, man-made constructs.

[There are a few spots worth probing, but most of them are probably traps.]

Wandering carelessly would lead to getting stuck in the jungle and dying of dehydration—or falling victim to one of the numerous traps.

“Ohoho! Contractor, behold! I’ve built a kingdom!” Alice exclaimed gleefully.

She had constructed a sandcastle during the brief moment of respite.

It was a crude mound of sand with twigs stuck in it, but the way she demanded praise was unmistakable.

“I’m kind of busy right now.”

“Look here. This is the banquet hall, this is the living room, and… this is the bedroom where I put in extra effort. Hurry, take a look! Come on, look!”

It seemed she hadn’t heard his excuse at all.

Jinhyuk silently took out a magic stone and placed it on top of the sandcastle.

“And… what does this mean? Could it be…?”

Alice’s eyes widened in shock.

Placing a shimmering jewel atop a castle just for the two of them—it brought to mind a scene from a drama she’d seen outside the Tower.

[Greenlight.]

It had to be. Even a passing dog would recognize it as a romantic signal.

But then.

“Mogi!”

Goguma leaped toward the magic stone.

The ancient species lunged far faster than Alice’s eyes could follow.

The thought to stop it barely crossed her mind before…

‘Thud!’

“Crunch! Mogi!”

The haven Alice had spent an hour constructing was obliterated.

“Kyaaa! My kingdom…!”

Her anguished cry echoed across the beach.

[Good. Things should quiet down now.]

Jinhyuk turned his attention back to the jungle, contemplating his next move.

He needed to decide which path to take.

“My lord, if we delay too long, the enemy will pinpoint our location and send reinforcements,” Wolyoung said.

“I agree. We should break through somewhere instead of wasting time here,” Chun Yoosung added.

He understood their concerns, but…

[The situation isn’t that simple.]

Taking the wrong path even once could waste all their remaining time.

It was better to spend more time now to ensure they started on the correct route.

Considering the island’s overall geography, the enemy’s troop placements, and Kopps’s prior strategies…

There was only one optimal route.

It was dangerous, but it led straight to the heart of the enemy.

“Let’s move.”

“You’ve finally decided?”

“Yeah. Tae-min, Yeonhwa, stay and guard the ship. I’ll finish this as quickly as I can and return.”

“Got it, hyung.”

“You said we might face hundreds of enemies, right? Well, that’s nothing we can’t handle.”

Lee Tae-min and Yoo Yeonhwa nodded confidently.

“Oh, and if the pirates don’t attack…”

“Yeah. I’ll try to find it.”

The [Millennium Conch] supposedly buried somewhere along the coastline. The chances were slim, but if they could find it, it would be a massive help in dealing with the Kraken.

With roles assigned, the group split up at the beach.

—

Jinhyuk headed toward the outer edge of the coastline.

Soon, a sheer cliff came into view.

“Wow. What a sight,” Alice said, marveling.

Its scale was impressive—easily over 300 meters high.

“There’s an opening, isn’t there? Is that where you plan to go?” Chun Yoosung asked, gesturing toward the cliff.

Indeed, a large cave wide enough for dozens of people to walk through was visible in the center.

“A route that allows us to infiltrate deep into the island without being spotted by the pirates? That’s the only one.”

“Judging by your face, despite the favorable conditions, it’s a damn dangerous path, isn’t it?”

The entrance was devoid of pirates.

For those familiar with every nook and cranny of the island, it was unthinkable that they wouldn’t know about this passage.

This only confirmed that the pirates didn’t even bother guarding it because no one could breach it safely.

—

[You have entered the ‘Crystal Cave.’]

Unlike the dark exterior, the interior was illuminated with a dazzling light.

True to its name, the cave was filled with enormous blue crystals, some several meters tall.

‘Clink!’

In Jinhyuk’s hand appeared a scythe embedded with a glowing eye.

It was the ‘Spectral Tree Scythe’ once wielded by Abigail of the Levicita clan.

From this point onward, both melee and magic skills had to be used strategically due to the unique traits of the cave’s inhabitants.

“Get ready. They know we’re here and will come soon,” Jinhyuk warned.

Following his words, the others prepared for battle.

Alice readied her ‘Blood Lord,’ Chun Yoosung activated ‘Song of the Sword,’ and Wolyoung drew upon her ‘Shadowstep: Mortal Slash.’

Then it began.

‘Thud! Thud! Thud!’

Heavy footsteps echoed through the cave.

“Fresh prey! This will be delicious!”

“Tired of eating those stinking crabs and bugs. Is this a feast at last?”

“Ahhh… I can’t wait. Where are they? Where?”

With eerie voices, monsters resembling centaurs emerged.

Their upper halves were humanoid, but their lower bodies were that of horses. However, what stood out most was that they lacked heads on their shoulders. Instead, their stomachs housed mouths lined with rows of razor-sharp teeth.

These monsters were known as ‘Cave Eaters.’

Their name derived from their notorious habit of devouring anything that entered the cave.

“They’re disgusting creatures,” Alice remarked, throwing a crimson spear.

The spear, breaking the sound barrier with no propulsion system, impaled a monster’s chest and embedded itself in the wall behind it.

However.

‘Wriggle! Wriggle! Wriggle!’

What appeared to be a fatal wound healed rapidly.

“Ouch! That hurt.”

“Such lively prey. They’ll taste even better.”

The Cave Eaters raised massive axes made of blue crystals, which resonated with the other crystals in the cave.

In an instant, the crystals turned yellow.

From above, to below.

The axes came crashing down.

Alice frowned and created a shield using her blood. She stood her ground, intending to deflect the attack without dodging.

But when the axes collided with her shield…

“…!?”

Alice’s expression shifted dramatically as an unsettling sensation coursed through her.

‘Crack!’

The shield created by her ‘Blood Lord’ began to fracture.

Under normal circumstances, such a thing was unthinkable.

No mere monster on the 29th floor should have been capable of penetrating the defenses of a Vampire Lord.

At that moment.

[Unique ability ‘Triple Magic’ has been activated!]

Jinhyuk intervened.

Three magical circles appeared, each channeling a different elemental spell.

Fire, ice, and wind.

The combined elements struck the Cave Eater directly.

“Graaaah!”

For the first time, a pained scream echoed from the creature.

“You can’t kill them with single-element attacks!” Jinhyuk shouted.

The peculiarity of this place lay entirely in the crystals.

As the crystals’ colors changed, so did the attributes that affected the Cave Eaters.

In other words, the type of attack required shifted with each pattern.

Ordinary players, with their limited arsenal of 2-3 skills, would find this place maddeningly difficult…

[But I’m built differently.]

Be it magic, physical attacks, or even mental-based abilities.

He was prepared for anything.

Behind Jinhyuk, over a dozen magic circles materialized.

A grand pentagram for large-scale magic and the Spectral Tree Scythe in his hand.

The word “counter” didn’t exist when facing such a versatile player.

“Just handle the ones coming from the flanks. After clashing a few times, you’ll get a sense of when to use your abilities.”

They pressed forward decisively.

Jinhyuk took the lead.

‘Boom! Boom! Boom!’

Various spells cleared the path ahead.

“Graaaah!”

“How does he know the secrets of the cave?!”

“Just die already! Die!”

The Cave Eaters, accustomed to hunting disoriented prey, couldn’t comprehend the situation.

Jinhyuk had already deciphered the patterns of over 100 different crystal colors.

Moreover, he used counter-abilities in perfect synchronization, minimizing damage to his allies.

And as if that weren’t enough…

The rest of the group quickly adapted to the crystals.

Their combat senses were extraordinary.

Without the crystals’ power, the Cave Eaters wouldn’t have lasted even ten minutes.

Finally, the coup de grâce…

The ancient species gathering its energy at the rear.

At that moment, the crystals dimmed, losing their color.

The cave turned dark.

Simultaneously.

[Goguma activates ‘Attribute-less Breath!’]

“Mo-o-o-gi!”

A translucent beam cut through the cave.

The perfectly timed attack reduced the dozen or so Cave Eaters to dust, leaving no trace behind.

As expected…

Goguma was Goguma.

‘At this pace, we should reach the heart of the base within an hour.’

Jinhyuk sketched out the timeline in his mind.

It seemed like they might even have more time than anticipated.

But just as he thought that…

[You have received an incoming call!]

‘Ding!’

‘Ding!’

‘Ding!’

Urgent notifications appeared in quick succession.

It was from Yoo Yeonhwa and Lee Tae-min.