Solo Max Level Newbie Chapter 86: Psychiatric Ward, Floor 5 (2)
With a towering height of 3 meters, an iron-made triangular helmet, and a hammer reminiscent of a demolition vehicle, the monster that broke through the wall imposed an overwhelming presence just by existing. This was the named monster ‘Breaker,’ one of the formidable figures here.
The ‘Gluttonous Eyes’ quickly scanned the target.
Name: Breaker
Gender: None
Age: 1 year
Level: 45
Strength 100 Agility 15 Vitality 30 Magic Power 0
Remaining Stat Points: 0
Unique Ability: Persistent Hunter
Skills: Lv12 ‘Guillotine’, Lv11 ‘Armor Break’, Lv11 ‘Charge’, Lv10 ‘Weapon Enhancement’
[This target cannot be killed.]
The stark contrast between its enormous strength and nonexistent magic power was notable. However, the most vital piece of information obtained from the status window was the characteristic ‘cannot be killed.’ This monster had a tenacity that even the fiercest attacks could not sever its breath, and it could relentlessly chase its prey to the ends of hell. It was these traits that earned the psychiatric ward a reputation for being more challenging than other maps.
But that said, evading it proficiently was all that was needed. It wasn’t necessary to defeat these invincible creatures.
“Leader!”
“We… we are not scared, just…”
The zealots trembled, knowing better than anyone the imminent consequences. At that moment, Breaker grabbed the head of a zealot kneeling on the ground.
“Aaaargh!”
With a horrific scream, a flood of red blood gushed out. The monster possessed brutish, overwhelming strength.
‘I’d be spineless if I got caught.’
Jinhyuk frowned and lowered his stance. Now that this creature had appeared, it was time for a game of tag – a one-coin, life-threatening game of tag. If caught, it would mean logging out of life.
Thump!
He kicked off the ground and slid between Breaker’s legs. Breaker reflexively swung its hammer, but it was too late. Jinhyuk was already out, just a paper-thin distance from the attack. Instead, the poor hammer mercilessly smashed another zealot.
Boom! Crash! Bang!
With just one attack, walls were demolished and floors cracked like turtle shells. The power was overwhelming enough to pulp a human.
But no matter how strong an attack, it was useless if it didn’t hit. Jinhyuk dodged the hammer with the agility of an eel.
“Kraaagh!”
As the enraged Breaker became even more violent, it was the zealots who suffered under the wild swings of its hammer.
Between the mangled corpses, Jinhyuk gradually widened the distance with Breaker. Just a little more and he could exit through the corridor that had been broken open.
And just then…
[Breaker activates Lv12 ‘Guillotine’!]
Breaker drew its hammer back with both hands.
Kaboom!
The hammer shattered the ceiling and plummeted down towards Jinhyuk’s head. The impact combined the massive weight and speed and even rocks falling obscured his vision, making it seem unavoidable. But that did not matter.
“Friend Shield!”
Jinhyuk shoved a zealot forward.
“Wha— what!?”
The zealot screamed in confusion, and those became his last words.
Crash!
The hammer dug into the floor, and the unfortunate lamb returned to the bosom of God. Meanwhile, Jinhyuk grabbed a flashlight from the desk drawer in the corridor.
‘Good, nobody took it.’
Understandably, with everyone frantically fleeing, no one had the leisure to check the contents of the drawers.
Jinhyuk’s gaze shifted behind him. The Breaker was struggling to pull out its hammer, which was stuck deep into the ground, while all the zealots had been turned into a pulp.
‘He’s killed all his allies.’
Jinhyuk could have easily run away – he had enough time. But, instead, he repeatedly pressed the flashlight’s switch.
Click! Click!
“You’ll need to try a bit harder, won’t you? Do you really think you can catch me with such a sluggish body?”
Bright light pounded on Breaker’s eyes, brazenly provocative.
***
Three floors below the psychiatric ward.
This place held the key to exit the ward’s main gate and was also the abode of the ward’s master.
“How did the humans fare?” asked a man with a pale face and veins of blue vying for space. This man was the ward’s owner and the leader of the zealots.
From the shadows, another man responded, “We’re catching them smoothly. Some are still running around, but it’s just a matter of time.”
“Are you certain?”
“Absolutely, Your Holiness. You need not worry.”
Players were helpless with magic sealed, easily caught.
Everything was going as planned.
The corner of the cult leader’s mouth twisted into a satisfied smirk.
“When your group from the Mine Association first arrived, I wanted to put you all in the furnace. Player or not, you were all the same to us.”
But…
“Once I heard your purpose, I changed my mind. I never expected there to be such noble intentions among humans.”
“You flatter us. We’re merely doing what must be done,” said the man, bowing his head in reverence, which seemed to please the cult leader even more.
“Our god demands more sacrifices. Now, as the tower has opened and the ignorant flock in, it is the promised time for His second coming.”
Sacrifice.
That was why they were sequestered in the psychiatric ward.
That was why they brainwashed dim-witted humans to transform them into zealots.
It was all to gather offerings for their god.
The cult leader faced forward, more precisely, the players they had captured.
“Please… save us!”
“Pl…please! I’ll do anything, please just spare my life!”
These were the players who had been in the same room as Jinhyuk, who thought they had escaped through the ventilation ducts but were soon apprehended by the zealots.
“Do not be too afraid, my lowly followers. I will give you the choice,” said the cult leader, caressing a young East Asian woman’s cheek with his chillingly cold hand.
“A choice?” she trembled.
“If you convert and follow me, you shall be spared from being burned alive.”
The possibility of survival, the chance to avoid the most horrendous death, caused the four of them to waver.
“But as proof of your conversion, you must kill another.”
Only two could live among the four. Only those who abandoned their humanity and demonstrated true repentance could earn a new life.
The cult leader dropped a black dagger to the floor as an invitation to make the choice of who would live and who would die. The four looked petrified as they regarded the dagger and each other. Then suddenly…
“Your Holiness, you should take a look at this.” One of the zealots monitoring the CCTV urgently called the cult leader.
“What is it?”
The cult leader looked at the screen and couldn’t believe his eyes.
“How can this… What in the world…”
Playing out on the screen was a sight of a single player teasing the divine avatar, ‘Breaker.’ The pursuit of players in these parts was not uncommon. But what was astonishing was the way this particular player was toying with the avatar. Despite the opportunity to escape, the player kept Breaker’s attention by maintaining a certain distance, and the actions of turning the flashlight on and off were almost too agitating to watch. The effortless movement and the sharp prediction of the trajectory, along with the remarkable calm in a life-threatening situation, were more than an ordinary sealed player could exhibit.
“Impossible… How can a mere human mock a divine avatar like this?”
The cult leader roared and grasped the monitor with both hands, scratching the screen with angry gouges.
The man beside him also watched the display and shakily identified the individual in question.
“Kang Jinhyuk? How did he get here?”
“Kang Jinhyuk? You know of this person?”
“Yes, he’s an S-rank Ranker from Korea…”
The man knew.
“He is the most significant potential threat to our plans.”
Even if their unique abilities and skills were sealed, underestimating this player would lead to a severe reckoning.
***
Boom!
Another swing and miss from the hammer.
Close to twenty minutes and hundreds of attacks later, Jinhyuk had easily dodged all of them.
‘It’s quite fun, doing this after such a long time.’
Mocking the opponent by dodging around pillars, using the terrain and obstacles to limit movements, even activities once thought mundane now brought a fresh thrill.
Yet the most exhilarating part was watching the other side’s frustration boil over to the point of self-mutilation and raging tantrums. This pleasure of observing provided the driving force to enjoy the game of tag.
After all, it had once been a mere pastime.
“Kuhoooh!”
Breaker was frantically rampaging.
Kaboom! Kaboom!
Now it didn’t matter whether it was damaging itself; the hammer was devastating the ceiling and the floor entirely.
Jinhyuk subtly adjusted the distance, not out of boredom or mere pleasure in tormenting the other side, but because:
‘We’re almost there.’
If he pushed Breaker to a certain level, he could grab the attention of the creature the 5th-floor cult and zealots worshipped as their god.
At that moment:
[‘The Rotting Heart’ takes an interest in your actions.]
A red status window appeared before him.
‘As expected.’
The Name ‘The Rotting Heart’ belonged to one of the supreme beings in the upper levels of the tower, similar to Elis.
While this being went by various monikers…
People commonly referred to them as ‘Demon Kings.’
The ring vibrated slightly.
Elis would also have felt the mana emanating from the recipient’s message.
But there was no need for worry.
Regardless of whether the opponent was a Demon King or a Devil,
At the end of the day, he was just a divine being from the 40th floor of the tower.
And more importantly, knowing everything about his foe gave Jinhyuk a decisive edge.
“Well, well. To what do we owe the honor of your presence in such a humble place?”
Jinhyuk smiled faintly.
[‘The Rotting Heart’ proposes to become your sword.]
[A second job advancement opportunity has arisen.]
[If you accept the divine offer, you can change jobs to ‘Black Apostle.’]
‘Just as I thought.’
The second job advancement ‘Black Apostle.’
If Theresa was a Saint Knight blessed by the stars,
Then the Black Apostle was a Black Knight under the protection of the Demon King—boasting completely different powers, but with the downside that one had to serve as the Demon King’s underling for life.
‘The biggest problem is, if you refuse, you are cursed by the Demon King.’
Once cursed, a death warrant is issued by all demonkind against the person.
Needless to say, no player who had experienced the ‘Tower of Trials’ and rejected the Demon King’s offer had survived free from the curse.
No one wants to carry such an unsupportable penalty.
And definitely not now when the game has become reality.
Therefore…
“I’m sorry, but I will have to decline. How can a tiger cub roll over for a chihuahua?”
Jinhyuk chose a path no one else would tread – just as he always had.
