Solo Max-Level Newbie Chapter 101: Medusa Raid (1)
1. Half of the raid party will die due to a trap.
2. One of them will clear the trap unscathed and obtain the ‘Scorching Flame’.
The snake that drinks fire was a trap that only activated when both of these conditions were met.
“It’s interesting because this creature is of named rank. The fact that other beings in the labyrinth have noticed our presence is concerning.”
“What… you mean to say?”
Maeda’s pupils dilated rapidly as he heard the explanation.
But as the leader of his raid, he was quick on the uptake.
“Correct. Soon, we’ll not only have to face this creature but Medusa at the same time.”
The Gray Temple’s labyrinth was different from others as the boss monster was not confined to a single room but roamed freely.
Just by looking at the statues near the entrance, one could easily infer that Medusa was able to move throughout the labyrinth freely.
Of course, while it was one thing to factor in the possibility, nobody could have anticipated facing both a named monster and the boss simultaneously.
Just then, a piercing sound echoed.
“Kiii!”
It was a massive snake, reaching nearly 10 meters tall, with flames flickering all over, flicking its tongue as it eyed the players.
While people were talking, the creature couldn’t seem to wait to join in.
“No need to struggle so. We won’t ignore you.”
Jinhyuk raised his head high.
[Flame-Drinking Snake]
Level: 55
Description: A pet snake raised by Medusa, composed entirely of flames, thus impervious to all physical attacks. Moreover, it can belch concentrated fire stored in its body, which in a narrow space, could be as devastating as a dragon’s breath, so exercise extreme caution.
Jinhyuk, with ‘Eyes of Gluttony’ activated, read the detailed description of the target.
Though only level 55, it should not be underestimated as it could only be damaged by magical attacks and possessed a small, efficient breath attack, especially deadly in a straight corridor without cover.
“Ah, we haven’t even had the chance to prepare yet.”
Maeda’s voice trembled.
With the Samurai Guild nearly annihilated, there was no way they could confront the snake.
They couldn’t even muster enough strength to wield their weapons or armor, let alone form a proper battle lineup.
“Ugh…”
Takeshi, too, seemed on the verge of losing his mind due to fear.
His foresight did not include this scenario.
Good.
With a dramatic flair in place.
“Have you all grasped the situation? Shall we revise our calculations once more?”
“What? What calculations are you suggesting?”
Surprised, eh?
Now that the master-servant relationship had been established, surely it was time to revise the contract.
“Hand over the shield of Perseus. Better it be used by me than someone who doesn’t know how.”
Pearls should not be given to pigs.
Especially when one’s life is on the line.
Jinhyuk offered Maeda a chance to save his life.
But Maeda was not one to easily accept such terms.
“Don’t spout nonsense! Do you know what this is… no, damn it. What kind of fool would hand over a sacred relic for free!”
“Is that so?”
That’s unfortunate.
Still, having offered one last chance to the same species and being rejected, there was nothing more to do.
“Then let’s recover the shield from the corpse.”
Jinhyuk drew a cold final line.
At the same time.
Kukukuku!
Moisture in the air started to evaporate.
Lips dried up, and skin turned rough.
Through dry, blurred eyes, an orb of flame could be seen in the snake’s maw.
[‘Flame-Drinking Snake’ activates Lv15 ‘Blazing Spear’!]
“Get, get out of the way!”
Maeda exclaimed desperately.
But where could they possibly flee to in the straight corridor?
“Aaaargh!”
“Save, save us!”
Instincts desiring survival clashed with the grim reality of the situation.
In that moment.
Kwakakakakakaka!
A condensed red sphere cut across the corridor.
“It’s… coming!”
“How the heck can we…”
“You’re wrong.”
The players of the Fighting Fathers Guild, including Yi Yeonggwon, stood gaping with shock.
The approaching fire seemed unstoppable by any means.
Just then.
[Lv8 ‘Glacial Sculpture’ has been activated!]
A massive ice crystal formed before their very eyes.
It was Jinhyuk.
He overlaid the Glacial Sculpture with an enchantment, and pale runic letters shone with a bluish light.
Using contrasting elements for defense.
While he couldn’t vouch for a dragon’s breath, he could certainly block a flame from a snake.
The Fighting Fathers were now safe.
“Dammit!”
Maeda, too, hid behind the shield of Perseus.
Pssssht…
The relic’s power activated, spreading a pink barrier around him.
But, the range was far too small compared to Jinhyuk’s enchantment, barely covering two or three people.
Everyone took a deep breath.
Then.
The blaze swept through the corridor.
＊＊＊
Chiiiik!
A mirage lifted off the ground.
The Samurai Guild’s players, turned into charcoal, dispersed into a handful of ashes.
It happened so quickly; they had no time to feel pain.
But, perhaps that was for the best.
“Ugh… Aaaargh!”
Maeda screamed in agony.
Scorched over his entire body, it was a wonder he could scream at all.
Only someone with his measure of magic skill could cling to life in such a state; had he been an ordinary player, it wouldn’t have been surprising for him to die instantly from such grievous wounds.
“That’s why I told you. Handing over a relic you can’t use properly might be for the best.”
Maeda could have avoided death by simply surrendering the relic.
He’s dug his own grave, hadn’t he?
“Reap what you sow. Blame yourself.”
Sympathy?
Not a chance.
After all, they were the ones who had crossed the line first.
Furthermore, the trait ‘Heartless’ left Jinhyuk without mercy for his recognized enemies.
It might be a defense mechanism to save the majority.
To survive, to climb to the top of the tower, to prevent the destruction of humanity, anything in the way must be removed.
‘Before the next breath comes, in just a few minutes… we need to…’
Jinhyuk approached Maeda, who was nearing unconsciousness.
He then breathed cold into the shield which had fallen to the floor.
Along with a faint vapor.
The once heated surface of the shield cooled down.
[Shield of Perseus]
Difficulty to obtain: S (Red)
Description: A relic used by the mythical hero, Perseus, when he confronted Medusa. It boasts incredible defensive power but Athena, the owner of the shield, also valued the worthiness of those who bore it. Depending on the player’s skill and potential, the shield’s power adjusts accordingly.
The reason it failed to block even the serpent’s breath was clear.
‘Only those who prove their worth may wield this shield.’ That seemed to be the gist.
Jinhyuk gripped the shield firmly.
Warm.
From his fingertips to the top of his head, he felt the flow of magical power.
The shield was responding.
Unlike before, the shield rang with joy at having met its rightful owner.
Then, something happened.
“Wh-who are you… really?”
Takeshi, unharmed from hiding behind Maeda, spoke out.
His voice was shaking.
Hardly surprising.
He’d used his incomplete foresight multiple times, but Jinhyuk’s future remained unseen.
‘Even with my limited abilities, I should at least glimpse some minor future.’
Be it hours away or decades ahead.
There should be some point in the future he could confirm.
But Jinhyuk’s future was dark as if covered by a blackout curtain.
The reason was unclear.
What was certain, though, was that this man was different from any other player he’d encountered.
“Answer me. You, what is your relation with this tower?”
“Odd, isn’t it? Even with your ‘great eye’, you can’t figure it out?”
Jinhyuk sneered with a smirk.
“Y-you knew of my… abilities?”
For someone who had never revealed his unique abilities to anyone, it was baffling how they could be so easily exposed.
‘How are all these impossible things happening? That power, that ability. It’s out of human reach. Correct. It just can’t be possible.’
“That makes sense.”
Jinhyuk shrugged nonchalantly.
Then, he coolly added more.
“I am one of the beings at the very top of the tower.”
One of the beings at the very top of the tower?
Takeshi mulled over those words.
But only for a brief moment.
There was only one thing that those words could mean.
“Could it be…!”
Had it been the truth all along?
That would make sense of everything.
The absurd power and abilities.
Even the future that foresight couldn’t see. All of it.
‘He is not a human… but a deity.’
Takeshi had caught glimpses of the deities somewhere within the tower.
Beings whose mere voice would make the atmosphere tremble, whose simple gestures could split the earth.
It felt so detached from reality that he never spoke of it to anyone in his guild, but to think he’d actually encountered one of those noble beings…
There’s no chance against mere human flesh.
Merely crossing a deity could erase one’s very existence.
Thump! Thump! Thump!
His heart pounded wildly.
His body felt ready to crumble any second.
“I, how dare I have committed such a sin…”
Trembling like a leaf, Takeshi bowed his head pale as a ghost.
The sight of him was pitiable.
‘Pfft!’
Watching this, Jinhyuk barely contained a bursting laugh.
He was truly in peril.
It almost slipped out.
‘So, peering into the top of the tower makes one easily deceived.’
A deity? As if.
‘If I were a god, would I be toddling up the tower one floor at a time?’
Perhaps I’d build an elevator going straight from the first floor to the fiftieth and fly up at breakneck speed?
As the old saying goes, “If your head isn’t smart, your body suffers.”
Truer words were never spoken.
But Jinhyuk maintained a calm expression.
Considering Takeshi’s position within the Samurai Guild, he might still prove useful later.
Ah.
But before that.
“Kieeeee!”
The second breath attack was unleashed.
A blazing fury cut through the corridor, ready to incinerate everything in its path.
Yet, again, Jinhyuk stopped the flames with a mere gesture.
[‘Plausible Elemental Barrier’ is activated!]
[You have accomplished the second condition required for your first job advancement!]
Kwaang!
Ice and fire collided, creating a thick steam.
This defense was thanks to the combination of opposite-element skills and the barrier, but to Takeshi, it might as well have been the power of a deity.
“Yes, indeed…!”
“Don’t be surprised by this. Instead, do you mind if I ask a question?”
“Of course, anything!”
“I descended to see what humans are like, but there’s a lot I still don’t understand. The tower’s rules are rather bothersome. Even as a deity, I cannot simply act at will. There are constraints like potentiality and restraint that limit my power.”
The easiest way to dodge a question is to invoke rules unknown to the other person.
There’s no way they’d know.
‘How would you know what I barely understand?’
The very game whose balance and coherence had been shattered probably wasn’t even fully grasped by its creators.
So, any nonsense would fly.
Especially as long as the other person believed he was a deity.
“On that note, I have a small favor to ask.”
Jinhyuk spoke slyly, getting straight to the point.
