Solo Max-Level Newbie - Chapter 430: The Kraken (1)

“Master, I’ll handle the right side.”

‘Clang! Clang!’

Wolyoung joined Chun Yoosung as they charged into the fray.

The two swordsmen, masters of their craft, danced across the Kraken’s massive body with precision.

Every slash of their blades left long, deep gashes, spraying blood into the sea.

At that moment, a searing, salty sensation brushed against their skin.

This was unmistakable.

The Kraken was preparing to unleash ‘Phase 2’.

“Everyone, fall back!”

Jinhyuk opened his subspace inventory.

What emerged was a silver-glowing elixir—an item crafted from the ‘Merfolk Scales,’ ‘Millennium Conch Shell,’ and ‘Abyssal Water’ he had obtained from Atlantis, courtesy of Tuna Sushi.

He infused it with a 3mm coating of magic and dropped it into the sea.

‘Splash!’

[‘Sanctuary Field – The Last Haven’ has been activated!]

[Attack locations will be revealed before they strike (0h: 29m: 59s).]

To combat the Apocalypse-class calamities, the Tower of Trials offered players a few tools to tip the scales.

On one hand, these tools served as lifelines, creating a sliver of hope in dire situations.

On the other, they were cruel tricks, stringing players along in seemingly impossible fights.

For those who could use them effectively, however, they could provide a crucial edge.

With this, Jinhyuk established a minimal safety net.

His eyes narrowed as he analyzed the battlefield.

He could predict where and when the Kraken’s attacks would strike.

The problem was the lack of players to execute his strategy.

Just as that thought crossed his mind—

“Kang Jinhyuk!”

A fleet of additional ships appeared on the horizon.

Maria led a group of magic-type players, casting high-circle spells.

‘Boom! BOOM!’

Explosions erupted as their magic hit the battlefield.

“We’re here to help!”

From another direction, Oh Ji-won and the Red Fang Guild’s rankers joined in.

Finally, the ships of the Samurai Guild, led by Yoshio, arrived.

It seemed Takeshi had successfully persuaded their guild master.

“So… you’re saying this is the only way we’ll win?”

“Have I ever been wrong in my predictions?”

“I know, I know, but… this just feels insane.”

“Just trust me. I saw this exact scene in my dreams.”

The ships surged through the waves, each one carrying reinforcements.

“Not everyone’s a coward, I see.”

With more players joining, the odds of victory had improved.

—

Jinhyuk surveyed the battlefield from the deck of the ‘White Pearl.’

On the left, a swarm of jellyfish approached.

From the center, great white sharks, each over 10 meters long, swam toward them.

These monsters synergized with the Kraken, enhancing its power.

‘Buzz!’

The Sanctuary revealed the Kraken’s next move one second in advance.

It was preparing to attack using bubbles emitted from its mouth.

Dispersing the initial impact would be critical.

‘ROOOAAAR!’

With a deafening roar, the Kraken unleashed countless bubbles toward the ships.

If hit directly, the ships would capsize.

But thanks to the Sanctuary’s early warning, Jinhyuk used the ‘Mechanical Overlord’ to deploy barriers that diverted the bubbles off course.

As the first attack failed, crimson light began to coalesce in the sky above the Kraken.

Attack markers appeared, signaling where the bolts of lightning would strike.

Each bolt was devastatingly powerful, making it impossible to block them all.

Fortunately, the lightning’s focus was centered on the ‘White Pearl.’

Jinhyuk quickly marked the drop points using ‘Glacial Sculpting.’

“Ahhh! Brother! Wait—hold on! Time out, time out!”

Lee Tae-min screamed as he frantically steered the ship.

‘ZAP! CRACK!’

Scarlet lightning struck mercilessly.

Despite the chaos, Tae-min managed to keep the ship moving, narrowly avoiding disaster.

Though the deck suffered holes, the ship stayed afloat.

The years of experience climbing the Tower together paid off.

“Nice job, Tae-min. I knew you could do it.”

“Brother, seriously. If you keep this up, I’m going to die. My hands are still shaking!” Tae-min groaned, his face pale.

Jinhyuk ignored the complaints. There was no time for sympathy.

“Focus on eliminating the jellyfish!”

He called out to the reinforcements.

The lightning absorbed by the jellyfish around the Kraken would amplify its next attack into a catastrophic explosion if left unchecked.

“Jellyfish… Got it!”

“You heard him, rankers! Move it!”

“Master, he said jellyfish! Just kill the damn jellyfish, you idiot! The squishy ones!”

The players moved immediately, following Jinhyuk’s command without hesitation.

Thanks to the established trust, there was no delay.

Their efficient teamwork created an opening.

During the brief lull in the Kraken’s attacks—

“MOOGIIII!”

[Goguma activates Lv?? ‘Breath’!]

Having been building up mana since the battle began, Goguma finally unleashed its attack.

A beam of light condensed into a single point was released all at once.

‘BOOOOOM!’

The beam pierced through the sky and struck the Kraken’s body.

‘KA-BOOM!’

The impact was so powerful that it split the clouds.

It was the kind of destructive force one would expect from an ancient species’ breath attack.

Not to be outdone, Alice followed up by unleashing a barrage of hundreds of ‘Blood Spears.’

“How dare a disgusting lump of tentacles challenge me?!” Alice roared.

‘Thwack! Thwack! BOOM!’

The Kraken’s body was torn apart, turning it into a bloody mountain.

Despite being the boss monster of an entire floor, it could not withstand two consecutive direct hits.

But…

That was all.

Emerging from the thick smoke was the Kraken, still standing strong.

The Kraken’s ability to heal outpaced the damage inflicted on it. Its massive size and resilience made dealing significant harm nearly impossible.

However, one thing was certain—they had succeeded in driving it to the brink of rage.

‘ROOOOAR!’

The Kraken’s roar reverberated across the sea, shaking everything in its path.

‘Even with Casey, Judro, Goguma, and Alice at their peak under ‘Zodiac Twelve Palaces,’ it’s still not enough,’ Jinhyuk thought grimly.

While he had anticipated the Kraken’s overwhelming power, seeing their attacks achieve so little left a bitter taste in his mouth.

Suddenly, the Kraken’s legs disappeared beneath the water.

‘Rumble!’

The ocean began to churn with unprecedented ferocity.

[The Kraken has activated its special skill, ‘Wrath of the Sea.’]

Waves rocked violently, quickly transforming into massive whirlpools.

‘This is bad….’

Jinhyuk swallowed hard.

The largest whirlpools, some spanning tens of meters, were forming closest to the Kraken. But the farther they spread, the larger and stronger they grew, resembling black holes.

Every ship on the ocean was being pulled inexorably toward the Kraken’s location.

‘We have to stop this before the skill fully activates.’

Jinhyuk activated [Mighty Chaos].

Four massive spectral arms materialized on his shoulders, each wielding a spear infused with different magical energies.

The spears glowed with the power of [Blessing of the Stars], [Mandala], [Blood Magic], and [Primodial Flame].

Using the enhanced strength from ‘Triple Magic,’ Jinhyuk hurled the spears into the whirlpools.

‘BOOM!’

A 10-meter spray of water erupted from the impact.

Despite the force behind the strike, the whirlpools only intensified, expanding further.

“Damn it….”

On the horizon, a fleet of ships came into view.

The guild alliance’s ships had reappeared.

They had plenty of time to retreat to safety, yet they remained in the water.

Instead of fleeing to land, they merely kept their distance, now finding themselves pulled into the Kraken’s trap.

This was a disaster in the making.

The Kraken’s passive ability increased its attack power by 5% for every ship it sank.

With over 100 ships visible, the creature could grow powerful enough to devour several floors of the Tower if left unchecked.

—

‘ ‘ ‘

“What the hell is happening?!”

“I don’t know! The sea just—”

Ships lost all sense of direction, dragged into the maelstrom by the raging currents.

Even unique abilities and skills designed for navigation were rendered useless.

“Some kind of large-scale magic is affecting the entire field, but I can’t pinpoint what’s causing it.”

“Dammit! So there’s nothing we can do?”

“I… I’m afraid not.”

Eventually, the fleet arrived at the worst possible location—the heart of the Kraken’s domain.

“This… this can’t be happening….”

“Prepare for battle!”

“It’s the Kraken!”

The fleet descended into chaos. No one had expected the Kraken to control the sea itself and create whirlpools as part of its arsenal.

“Teresa! What the hell have you done?!”

Lothain, the deputy commander of the Holy Cross Order, erupted in fury.

In his mind, this disaster was entirely Teresa’s fault.

Coincidentally, he spotted her standing on the ‘White Pearl.’

She was alive, defying all odds.

“Teresa!”

Lothain’s voice boomed across the battlefield.

“Deputy Commander Lothain?”

“Why did you fail to stop the Kraken and instead drag us all into this nightmare? I told you to stop it, even at the cost of your life!”

“I…”

“Save your excuses! I see now—you were too busy saving your own skin, leaving innocent lives to perish in your stead! Damned disgrace!”

“I’m sorry… that wasn’t my intention….” Teresa lowered her head.

“If you’re sorry, then get out there and—”

“Wow. Listen to the old coward barking like a house pet,” Jinhyuk interrupted, cutting Lothain off mid-sentence.

“What? Coward? What did you just say?!” Lothain’s voice trembled with anger.

“You heard me. You’ve done nothing but run with your tail between your legs, and now you’re pointing fingers? Even a streamer caught running hidden ads would have more shame than you.”

“You dare—”

“Oh, I’m not done yet.”

Jinhyuk smirked coldly.

How dare this pompous fool criticize Teresa, who had risked her life repeatedly?

“You’ve got some nerve shifting all the blame onto a woman half your age while you cowered in safety. If I were you, I’d be begging the demons to take me because even Eden’s angels would disown your sorry ass. Now, unless you want me to make you recite the Lord’s Prayer while I beat you, shut up and stay down.”