Solo Max-Level Newbie - Chapter 429: The Saintess’s Duty (3)

‘Buzz.’

This sensation…

These were not the angels from Gabriel’s moderate faction.

The energy emanating from the status window carried a sinister and cunning aura.

[The deities of Eden demand that you accept their proposal if you wish to save the saintess.]

As expected.

Jinhyuk had seen this coming ever since Teresa was chosen as Eden’s apostle.

While Eden outwardly seemed to abandon Teresa under the guise of their typical “self-sacrifice” ethos, the reality was entirely different.

‘They planned this all along—to use Teresa’s sacrificial nature to corner her and bait me into making a deal.’

But would things really go as they hoped?

“Speak,” Jinhyuk said, feigning ignorance.

[The deity ‘Wings of Truth’ demands ‘Abraham’s Obedience.’ In return, they promise to save Teresa’s life.]

The Wings of Truth referred to Uriel.

‘Abraham’s Obedience’ was a contract akin to the biblical tale of Abraham offering his son Isaac as a sacrifice. The signer must pledge their most treasured possession on the altar, with the risk of it being destroyed should they break the contract or defy Eden.

In short, it was an eternal shackle.

Furthermore, it was also a demand to betray Gabriel and side with Uriel’s faction.

“No… don’t. Don’t do this because of me,” Teresa protested, shaking her head vehemently.

Her determination to avoid being a burden was palpable, even if it meant facing death.

But Jinhyuk brushed off her objections with ease.

“Don’t worry. Nothing you’re afraid of will happen, and I’ll make sure to save you.”

Losing Teresa here wasn’t an option.

[Copy Condition: Teresa has always lived for others, believing her own sacrifice is inconsequential. If you can convince her to abandon the Holy Cross Order and choose Veteran Corporation, you will gain the ability to copy one of her unique holy chants or skills.]

[If you secure a personal defection agreement from the Fallen Saintess, the copied ability’s effectiveness will increase by 10%.]

Although Teresa was an honorary member of Veteran Corporation, her roots remained tied to the Holy Kingdom, Eden, and the Holy Cross Order due to her family’s interests and personal beliefs.

The copy condition required breaking all of those ties.

To copy Teresa’s second ability, this was a goal Jinhyuk had to achieve.

He could manage most of it, but one additional condition troubled him.

‘Convincing that stubborn woman won’t be easy.’

Jinhyuk clicked his tongue. He wasn’t even sure what conditions he could offer to win her over.

[The deity ‘Wings of Truth’ asks again: Will you accept the proposal?]

For now, saving Teresa was the priority.

For anyone else, this contract—designed to be absolute—would be a nightmare.

But…

‘Not for me, who knows its loopholes.’

Jinhyuk’s lips curled into a subtle smirk.

“I accept.”

As he nodded, a beautiful angelic statue appeared before him.

This was a mid-level administrator from Eden, prepared to ensure fair trade and enforce contracts.

‘Buzz!’

[Under the arbitration of Mid-Level Administrator ‘Acaphel,’ the contract is finalized.]
[Player ‘Teresa’s’ vitality is restored.]

The ‘White Flame’ by the angel’s left hand reignited, glowing brilliantly.

Teresa’s labored breathing began to ease.

But then…

[Due to Abraham’s Obedience, the ‘First Reward for Conquering the Tower’ is placed on the altar as a sacrificial offering.]

A violet document appeared by the angel’s right hand.

Its text was distorted and broken, and its appearance was warped beyond recognition.

Even Eden’s authority couldn’t decipher its nature.

Naturally, Uriel had not anticipated this outcome.

Without knowing the value of the offering, it was impossible to measure its worth as a sacrifice.

[The deity ‘Wings of Truth’ demands to know what this absurdity is!]

“Why? Didn’t you say it had to be my most treasured possession? This is it,” Jinhyuk said, shrugging casually.

“Even Acaphel hasn’t raised any objections. If I were cheating or offering a fake, they’d have reacted immediately. But they haven’t, have they?”

[The deity ‘Wings of Truth’ protests, claiming they cannot accept something they cannot identify!]

“Not my problem. If you don’t know what it is, that sounds like a skill issue. Maybe you’ve spent too much time lazing around in your heavenly clouds. Oh, or maybe the fat clogging your divine belly has reached your brain?”

‘Fwoosh!’

Before Jinhyuk even finished speaking, the violet document burst into flames.

Unable to discern its value, Uriel decided to destroy it entirely.

Yet Jinhyuk’s expression remained unchanged, his faint smile unwavering.

‘Nice try.’

There was no way it could be destroyed.

The ‘First Reward for Conquering the Tower’ was something that transcended the logic of every being within the Tower.

‘Originally, I planned to trade this, but using it like this isn’t too bad either. Oh well.’

Saving Teresa was worth it.

After all, there was no transaction that could surpass the value of obtaining ‘White Flame.’

Ultimately, the offering lost all value as a sacrifice, since it couldn’t be destroyed.

[The deity ‘Wings of Truth’ rages in fury!]

It was almost amusing to imagine the enraged angel thrashing in frustration.

But Jinhyuk had no time to humor a seething Uriel.

A small boat had silently approached the ‘White Pearl.’

Standing on it were two golden-haired siblings.

“Hello, big brother. Have you been well?”

“Earlier was so much fun. Where did you go? You disappeared and made us miss a great show.”

Standing on the small blood-soaked boat were Casey and Judro, twins armed with a halberd and a battle hammer, grinning wickedly.

“I had a few things to take care of. More importantly, did you finish what I asked?”

“Just like you said, we wiped them all out.”

“Yeah. We probably chopped off more than a hundred limbs alone.”

Judging by the state of the boat, they’d gone on an absolute rampage, leaving the remnants of the Ghandara Guild so devastated they’d never dare challenge anyone again.

This marked the first card Jinhyuk could play.

“This time will be a bit trickier. We’re hunting a giant octopus.”

“Looks tough, but there’s plenty to chop. I won’t be bored.”

“Kekeke! I hope the octopus feels pain just like humans. Don’t you think so, big brother?”

“Stop fooling around and stay focused.”

…They moved out.

A massive magic circle appeared in Jinhyuk’s hands, and stars scattered their radiant light across the sky.

‘Wooooong!’

The constellations glimmered against the night sky.

[Barrier ‘Zodiac Twelve Palaces’ is being deployed….]

Lines of starlight stretched across the ocean, forming a celestial connection.

It was beautiful.

So beautiful, even the roaring calamity of the Apocalypse and the sea stained red with the blood of sea dragons faded into the background.

Amid this light, a new world began to reveal itself.

[‘Gemini’ is being activated!]

Among the twelve zodiac constellations, Gemini was unique in its activation condition.

As its name suggested, it could only reach its full potential when utilized by twins, granting them unparalleled efficiency.

“Whoa?”

“This is amazing. Is this your power, big brother?”

Casey and Judro marveled at the blue energy coursing through their bodies.

Their attack power, defense, mobility, and even their innate abilities were all enhanced.

Their bodies felt lighter, sharper—capable of engaging any enemy with ease.

—

‘ROOOAAAR!’

The Kraken, its vision altered, let out a low growl.

It was already infuriated by the interference of pesky insects when it should be consuming every life on the floor.

But it didn’t matter.

To the Kraken, they were nothing more than prey, no matter how much they struggled.

‘Krrrumble!’

One of its massive legs swept across the ocean, creating a towering 50-meter wave.

“Hold on tight, everyone!”

Lee Tae-min shouted, his voice strained as the ship veered sharply to avoid the tsunami.

The ship accelerated, cutting through the waters toward the end of the wave.

‘Boom!’

‘Bang! Bang!’

Cannons on the ship’s side unleashed a barrage of explosive shells against the Kraken.

The bombardment was like something straight out of a movie.

Yet despite the heavy firepower, the actual damage to the Kraken was negligible.

The few scratches it sustained healed almost instantly.

It was then that Casey and Judro, bolstered by Gemini, sprang into action.

They leaped over a 20-meter wave and struck the Kraken’s massive body.

‘Splat!’

Their halberd and hammer dug deep into the Kraken’s flesh.

– “Annoying little flies.”

The Kraken found the twins’ antics irritating, like moths rushing into flames.

With a simple twist of its body, the Kraken wrapped them in its suction cups and crushed them completely.

Their bodies were mangled beyond recognition, their deaths all but certain.

Yet…

“Kekeke!”

“This power suits us perfectly.”

To everyone’s shock, Casey and Judro staggered back to their feet.

The power of ‘Denial,’ a blessing granted by Gemini, rendered them effectively immortal as long as the barrier remained intact.

Like unkillable zombies, they pressed forward.

Casey climbed further along one of the Kraken’s legs, hacking and slashing deeper into its body.

‘Crash!’

‘Crack!’

“Come on, hit me harder. Show me what you’ve got.”

“Kyaaahaha! Look at that—it bleeds red just like humans. So bright!”

The twins laughed maniacally as they exchanged blows with the Kraken.

Even if it took dying ten times to deal one significant wound, they considered it enough.

Their grim resilience bought time.

While the twins distracted the Kraken, Veteran Corporation’s members prepared their second wave of attacks.

[Unique Ability ‘Triple Magic’ is being activated!]

The assault began with magic.

The key was to secure mobility even outside the ship.

Jinhyuk cast spells on each member, granting them wings of light that allowed them to move freely.

Next came suppressive fire.

Spears of ice forged by ‘Glacial Sculpting’ rained down.

‘Crash!’ ‘Boom!’

The ice shards exploded upon impact, scattering dazzling shards across the battlefield.

They weren’t meant to harm the Kraken but to obscure its vision.

“This fight is absurd. We need to succeed thousands of times, while the Kraken only needs to hit us once,” Chun Yoosung muttered with a sigh.

Having faced countless powerful named monsters and bosses, this was still leagues beyond anything he had encountered.

Fighting at the forefront against such a monstrosity weighed heavily on him.

“Yeah, honestly, it’s hopeless. I feel like running away myself,” Jinhyuk admitted.

“Oh? You’re saying you’d tuck your tail and run?”

“Who would dare face this thing head-on unless they were an overconfident ranker?”

It was a job reserved for the strong, brilliant, and heroic—a far cry from a self-proclaimed ordinary person like Jinhyuk.

“Of course, it’s nonsense to say I’m the strongest. Not as long as you’re around.”

‘Sling!’

Chun Yoosung unsheathed his sword and charged forward.

Fast.

Light.

The blade glowed brilliantly as it unleashed an unrelenting barrage of strikes.

‘Slash! Slash! Slash!’

The storm of sword energy raged like a tempest.

Whoever said the world was run by cunning minds clearly never fought a monster like this.

“That’s absolute nonsense.

‘The world moves because of villains.'”

Jinhyuk nodded in satisfaction, as if he couldn’t agree more.