Solo Max-Level Newbie - Chapter 422: Apostle of the Thousand Years, Nirasha (1)

The sky was densely packed with crimson spears.

Countless supreme lances aimed at the ground, their numbers defying calculation.

“Alice…”

Nirasha licked her lips.

The members of the Veteran Corporation were all monstrous in their own right.

But if one were to pick the strongest among them, it would undoubtedly be the silver-haired woman before her.

A blood magic user, specialized in mid-to-long-range combat.

A mysterious ranker capable of single-handedly fulfilling the role of an entire large guild.

But Nirasha knew Alice’s true identity.

She had learned it recently from the gods of the Thousand Years.

Alice von Ataraxia.

Once, she had been one of the absolute rulers of the tower, unrivaled by anyone.

Even if she couldn’t unleash the full extent of her former power now, she was still far beyond the reach of ordinary players.

“You killed all those subordinates and made it here?”

Kopps muttered in disbelief.

It had been less than 30 minutes since she passed through the ‘Crystal Cave’ and infiltrated the stronghold, yet she had already reached the captain’s tent—the most fortified area.

“There’s a limit to what one should aspire to. Living within that limit is the only way to avoid an early death.”

Alice calmly declared the harsh reality.

“Normally, I wouldn’t care what you did, but you raised a blade against my contractor.”

That alone was reason enough for them to die.

In this world, the only one allowed to oppose her contractor’s will was herself.

[Alice activates her unique ability, ‘Blood Lord’!]

Rumble!

The mana surged, painting the sky crimson.

With a mere gesture, this entire area would vanish from the map forever.

However—

“Do you and Kang Jinhyuk think of me as a fool? Did you really believe I’d face you without a plan?”

Despite the overwhelming storm of power before her, Nirasha didn’t flinch.

In an instant, the atmosphere became chilling, and the air shifted dramatically.

Vrrrm!

The wooden fragment in Nirasha’s hand began to glow gold.

A shard of ‘Vimana’, the fabled airborne fortress of the gods.

An artifact imbued with the gods’ mana, created by the divine beings of the Thousand Years.

The crimson spears descending from the sky collided with the golden arrows rising from the ground.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Brilliant explosions illuminated the air.

It was like witnessing a mythical war unfold.

The clash of their powers possessed an extraordinary and devastating force.

“…!”

Alice’s pupils trembled faintly.

She hadn’t expected the gods of the Thousand Years to support Nirasha to this extent.

But—

Nirasha wasn’t done playing her cards yet.

[Nirasha activates her second job advancement skill, ‘Avatar’!]

‘Avatar’ had an effect equivalent to divine possession.

It allowed a player to temporarily reach the stature of a god by letting a deity dwell within their body.

No matter how skilled Kang Jinhyuk or the Veteran Corporation were…

They couldn’t possibly surpass the power of the Thousand Years that dominated the 45th floor.

“Hahaha! This is exhilarating…! Right now, I feel like I can take on anyone!”

Nirasha burst into wild laughter.

“Hmm. A battle against an ancient being… It seems coming down to the lower floors was worth it. Looks like this will be a fierce fight, so let’s replenish my mana first.”

The deity connected to the ‘Avatar’ ability was ‘Rakshasa’, the blood magician known in Buddhist lore as a fiendish demon.

Crack!

Crunch!

“Aaaagh!”

“P-please spare us, Captain!”

The bodies of the surrounding pirates twisted grotesquely.

The sickening sound of bones breaking echoed through the air.

“…”

Kopps didn’t spare them a glance.

They had already agreed to this.

“This should suffice.”

“Good? Then let’s go!”

Nirasha and Rakshasa’s voices overlapped.

Crackle!

Black spheres began spinning at high speed.

Fast.

Alice changed direction mid-air.

The blood spears exploded as they collided with the spheres, aiming to neutralize them.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Once again, the sky turned crimson-black.

But amidst the shattered fragments of the spheres, something resembling wings began to form.

“Carrion flies, huh? Not to toot my own horn, but they’re pretty persistent.”

Rakshasa blew a gust of wind.

The flies, infused with life, formed a thick cloud as they swarmed toward Alice.

“Times really have changed, haven’t they? For a half-baked errand runner of the Thousand Years to dare challenge me.”

“Haha! This is just another thread in the web of causality. Accept your fate, ghost of Ataraxia.”

“No matter how much you struggle, it’s useless! Soon, our Gandhara Guild will set the standard for all guilds!”

Rakshasa and Nirasha shouted in unison.

Whoosh!

The wind roared as the black cloud of flies rushed at Alice.

And almost at the same time—

A crimson halo appeared behind Alice.

Her unique holy spear, ‘Apocalypse of Revelation’.

A divine blaze capable of burning all things to ash began reducing everything in sight to cinders.

“Impressive, as expected.”

“Doesn’t matter. There are plenty of flies where those came from.”

Killing and burning them was futile.

The overwhelming numbers were on Nirasha’s side.

Using the distraction of the flies, Nirasha hurled chakrams forged of mana.

The chakrams curved mid-air, targeting Alice in less fiery areas.

And then—

[Kopps activates the artifact, ‘Silver Coin of the Ghost Ship’!]

A silver coin with a skull engraved on it began to spin.

Bang!

Kopps’ flintlock pistol fired.

“A mere bullet…!”

Alice reacted immediately.

Though she was locked in combat with Rakshasa, she hadn’t overlooked Kopps’ presence.

But—

Crack!

A hole formed in the blood shield she had conjured.

“Heh, the so-called Veteran Corporation… I’ll make sure you regret ever challenging me on these seas.”

An effect with a one-in-three chance of bypassing all defenses.

On the 29th floor, even the Shield of Aegis or the Body of Hercules would not withstand such power.

“Tch….”

Alice staggered heavily.

Her wounds were healing rapidly, but the mana spent on regeneration had disrupted her overall balance.

At this rate…

…it was dangerous.

Especially since the combination of those two was perfectly specialized for hunting higher beings.

If it weren’t for that gun, they wouldn’t be nearly as threatening.

However, targeting Kopps first was impossible; Rakshasa and Nirasha wouldn’t simply stand by and watch.

“Die!”

Their attacks came in unison.

From every direction—front, back, left, and right.

A storm of perfectly-timed strikes aimed to exploit every weakness.

Alice fought desperately to counter them but couldn’t block them all.

Boom!

“Argh!”

Alice’s ring was shattered, and she plummeted to the ground.

“So, even the famed head of Ataraxia is no different. Stop struggling pathetically and stay still. Soon, you’ll be at peace… Hmm?”

Nirasha, who was closing in, abruptly turned her head.

Something was approaching rapidly from the left.

“What the—!”

Boom! Boom! Boom!

A violent gust swept across the ground.

—

The ‘Domain of Wind’ combined with the ‘Primordial Flames’ and topped off with an ancient dragon’s breath.

Nirasha, hit by the triple-elemental storm, was sent tumbling pathetically.

“Ugh….”

The metallic taste of blood flooded her throat.

Even with the full acceptance of the gods’ power, the attack she had just endured was overwhelming.

“That… human is Kang Jinhyuk?”

Rakshasa gazed at Jinhyuk, riding atop Goguma as he approached.

Indeed…

It was no wonder the upper-floor powers and divine entities had taken an interest in this player.

It was hard to believe that a mere human possessed such strength.

Jinhyuk carefully helped the fallen Alice to her feet.

“Are you okay? Any serious injuries?”

“Did… did you come to save me?”

“Of course. You’re an invaluable… ally. There’s no way I’d leave someone so important behind.”

“A one-of-a-kind… precious companion….”

Alice mumbled with a face as red as a ripe persimmon.

Somehow, the words seemed distorted and incomplete, but at least she appeared unharmed.

Relieved, Jinhyuk stood up.

“Nirasha….”

“Kang Jinhyuk!”

Their gazes locked.

The bitter grudge that had started back in the Empire was finally reaching its conclusion.

“I was willing to leave you alone if possible. I thought an Apostle chosen by the Thousand Years might be useful for climbing the tower.”

But there was a limit to stupidity. He hadn’t expected Nirasha to put more effort into hindering him than ascending the tower.

Even if that weren’t the case, fighting head-on was rarely the most efficient approach.

But now, things were different.

Relations with the Thousand Years would become strained, but this stage was set perfectly. One of them would have to exit here.

With a flick,

Jinhyuk summoned ‘Crimson Lotus’ into one hand.

In the other, he held the ‘Scythe of the Wraithwood’.

“Looks like you didn’t see how your partner was taken down.”

“Not my partner, my main DPS.”

“Then I’ll make you end up just like your main DPS.”

“I said, main DPS!”

Why couldn’t they get it?

Did these people collectively block out reason from their ears?

“Ahem! Contractor, hold on a moment. The man has a point….”

“Moogi!”

Even Alice and Goguma nodded in agreement.

And then—

Bang!

The sharp crack of a gunshot pierced the air.

The defensive magic Jinhyuk had deployed shattered entirely.

Crash!

Only by deflecting with ‘Crimson Lotus’ at the last moment was he able to avoid a fatal wound.

Any slower, and he would’ve had a gaping hole in his body.

“Ho. Not bad reactions.”

Kopps re-aimed his flintlock pistol.

“But how many times can you withstand this?”

Rakshasa’s relentless abilities combined with Kopps’ sniping created an unbreakable duo.

Even with a third party interfering, it wouldn’t disrupt their synergy.

All it did was add one more target.

Moreover, with the influence of an artifact that controlled the field, all variables were neutralized.

‘Betrayer’s Salt’.

The artifact could extend the trait of the 29th floor—halving stats upon contact with seawater—to the land.

He had saved it for a last resort, but if the situation became dire, it could completely overturn the balance.

“I know.”

“What?”

“I know about every artifact you have.”

Kopps’ artifacts—’Davy Jones’ Flintlock’, ‘Silver Coin of the Ghost Ship’, and finally, ‘Betrayer’s Salt’.

Jinhyuk was fully aware of all their features.

“Now… let me show you what I’ve prepared.”

Jinhyuk slowly released the mana he had been gathering.

[Unique Ability: ‘Shared All Things’ has been activated.]

If they borrowed the power of gods…

He would replicate another legend.

[Mutual Understanding has been maximized!]

[Battlefield Selection: ‘Moonlit Forest’ is unfolding!]

The scenery shifted.

Everything in view…

The world they knew was being rewritten.

A dark forest bathed in moonlight.

This was the 39th floor of the Tower of Trials. The territory of the True Ancestors.

More precisely—

It was the place where Alice had fought her final battle against the clan leaders who betrayed her.

“Let’s see whose teamwork is better.”