Solo Max-Level Newbie

Kwoong!

The massive body of the Ant Ghost collapsed.

A thunderous roar scattered sand in all directions.

The named monster that had not budged an inch had fallen to just two arrows.

‘Those guys are……’

Jinhyuk’s eyes narrowed.

He had definitely encountered them on the 50th floor.

Their name was clear…

They were the residents known as the ‘Old Guard.’

Though not comparable to deity-level entities, they were ranked amongst the ‘heroes,’ a status granted to distinguished rankers.

Like Greece’s Theseus or Korea’s Cheok Jun-gyeong, they were of a caliber that recognized numerous achievements.

‘So, the 50th floor is involved after all.’

The fact that Nyarlathotep’s personal guard could freely float between the tower’s floors and had come here meant they were extremely wary of the crown’s collection.

“Are you the one known as Kang Jinhyuk?”

The largest man of the group spoke.

The other three were also formidable, but this one had an exceptional and different mana about him.

He was the leader.

“Yes, I am Kang Jinhyuk. And you are?”

“We are called the Old Guard. The protectors of the tower’s balance… let’s leave it at that.”

Protectors of balance my ass.

More like janitors for the dirty work of those high up.

“Wow, you guys sure look like something. So why would the Earth Defense Force be looking for me?”

“We are aware that you seek the crown.”

Shlick!

The greatsword on the man’s back was drawn.

Its dark edge was over 2 meters long—getting grazed would result in tearing, not just a cut.

“You don’t want any competitors, is that it?”

“We prefer to handle things cleanly, I’m afraid. Sorry, but you’re going to have to die here.”

A chill.

A cold killing intent began to seep into the surroundings.

Four Hero-class residents.

Moreover, these guys were specialized in taking down foes stronger than themselves.

‘I’ll have to shake things up a bit here.’

He had to create even a slight disturbance or opportunity to improve his odds.

Jinhyuk’s mouth twisted slightly.

“If you’re the giant man wielding a greatsword from the Old Guard, you must be ‘Hound.’ It’s all good, but it’s not like the number one is here in person. You’re showing off too much for a mere rank 4, aren’t you?” ṟÅΝȎ𐌱Èș

An offhand remark.

However, the meaning behind those words was anything but light.

“……!”

“……?”

“What…….”

The pupils of the three men and women shook as if hit by an earthquake.

“How do you know my name…?”

Hound, whose name had been called out, was momentarily shaken.

The Old Guard, personal guard of Nyarlathotep, was one of the most secretive organizations even within the tower.

Even the administrators did not fully know who the members were.

But how could a mere player who had not been in the tower for even three years know…?

Someone must have mentioned the Old Guard to him… that was the only explanation.

But.

‘It doesn’t make sense for him to know my rank.’

Only Nyarlathotep knew the rankings.

One entity alone had that information.

Hound’s composure was shaken even more violently.

And Jinhyuk didn’t miss that opening.

Securing his advantage, Jinhyuk.

Pfft.

Accelerated using the ‘Sword Demon Heavenly Command’.

In an instant, Jinhyuk’s body headed for the opposite end of the entrance.

He aimed for the only exit amidst the confusion.

“How dare you!”

Hound, a beat too slow, roared.

Simultaneously.

Swooooosh… Kaboom!

Three rays of light pierced the air.

The man with the longbow, unfazed, nocked another arrow with ease.

“While I’m here, not even an ant can escape.”

‘Blackrock’.

An archer within the Old Guard and one of the most skilled sharpshooters across the tower.

Even the Olympians like Artemis or Heracles would have a hard time claiming superiority over this monster.

“I’ve got a headache from the hunter to deal with.”

If Blackrock was seriously aiming for him, running back through the passage would be as good as suicide.

Jinhyuk immediately changed direction.

He headed for a much narrower and cramped cave.

Thus.

Jinhyuk’s body completely vanished into the dark passage.

“We’ve driven him into a corner.”

“Yes. Once he’s entered that path, it’s over.”

“He will run and eventually realize where he headed is a dead end.”

At a glance, it appeared like another escape route, but in reality, there was no way out of that passage.

“We must capture him alive. We need to identify the source of the information he has.”

“Yes.”

“Okay.”

“Feels like a drive hunt after a long time. This should be fun.”

Following Hound’s command, the chase began.

＊＊＊

Jinhyuk sped up even more as he entered the passage.

‘They must be assuming I’m heading to a dead end. Since they think I don’t know the lay of the land here.’

However.

Soon, they would painfully realize how wrong their assumptions were.

He intended to thoroughly punish them for trying to play catch with a rotten water denizen of the Tower of Trials.

But before that…

Jinhyuk quickly activated his personal status window.

[Real-time trade requires 1,000,000 coins in fees. Proceed anyway? Y/N]

“I’ll pay.”

The coins were precious, but he had no choice here.

To deal with them, he needed materials essential beyond the realm of autonomy.

He had originally planned to procure them on-site with more time.

But with the situation changed, he had to adapt accordingly.

[Waiting for the other party’s acceptance.]

Ring… Ring…

The sound of the call rang out several times.

And the very next moment.

Ding!

“Hmm, this is rather unexpected.”

A familiar voice resounded alongside a small projection.

Rick Hennessey.

The owner of a heavyweight trading firm and a middle manager of the tower appeared.

“Hmm. I was just about to go to bed. What brings you to call me at this late hour?”

“Sorry to disturb your rest. It was quite urgent.”

“Haha. What can I assist you with?”

Rick, with his amiable face, chuckled heartily.

“I’m being chased by some nasty guys, and I need a few items to face them.”

“If players like Kang Jinhyuk are being pursued… they must be no ordinary pursuers.”

“That would be the personal guard of a deity called Nyarlathotep. They call themselves ‘Old Guard.’ Ring any bells?”

Upon Jinhyuk’s words, there was a 0.1-second pause.

But it was only momentary.

“That’s news to me. Us managers also have limited information on that level.”

“Ah, of course. That’s fine. The items are what I need your help with, after all.”

“Please, tell me.”

Rick stood up slowly.

An enormous collection of items filled the status window behind him.

Items so rare, they were usually beyond sight.

“What I need is…”

Jinhyuk began to speak.

＊＊＊

“He went this way. About 500 meters away. He’s moving slower than expected.”

Blackrock estimated the distance to the target.

“Odd. I thought he would have reached the end of the passage by now.”

Hound was also carefully examining the traces left on the ground.

Clearly, not even a minute had passed since someone had been there.

Given the specs of their prey, it was impossible.

“Perhaps he has his reasons for biding his time. If you leave it to me, I can go ahead alone and take care of him.”

The short-haired woman… no, Selly, known as the 27th rank of the Old Guard, volunteered for swift pursuit.

But.

“No.”

Hound sensed something foreboding in Jinhyuk’s actions.

“He’s experienced in all sorts of battles. If he deliberately slows down, it must mean we need to be following him for a reason.”

“A trap… you mean?”

“Yes. It looks like he already knows that the path is blocked.”

Choosing a dead end was not just to escape to a corner.

“Interesting.”

A smile crept up on Hound’s lips.

What seemed to be a straightforward hunt might turn out to be much more enthralling.

“Leave nothing unchecked.”

The four shadows swept across the caverns.

After some time had passed…

“Captain.”

“Yes…”

Hound discovered a set of runes on the ground.

Hidden ingeniously using sand and crevices between rocks.

It was invisible to the ranger Blackrock’s eyes.

“A barrier. And quite a high-level one at that.”

Five stars…

No, this could be six stars or even higher.

‘To make such a barrier trap in such a short time…’

Their prey was indeed no easy game.

‘Ordinarily, it would be the hunter that gets hunted.’

But.

That only applies to ordinary cases.

This case was far from ordinary.

Kwaaang!

With one slash of his greatsword, Hound disrupted the core of the barrier rune.

A precise and flawless strike without any error.

By dealing cautiously like this, there would be no room for variables.

“Let’s keep moving.”

Hound took the lead.

Despite facing various types of traps, they were insufficient to deceive the Old Guard.

Boom! Crash!

The meticulously crafted traps were all neutralized.

Barriers, magic, and even rare items proved meaningless.

Finally arriving at the last location.

There, Jinhyuk was waiting alone, with all plans foiled.

“Not bad. Honestly, if it weren’t us, your plans would have worked.”

Hound praised sincerely.

“…As expected of the Old Guard. I didn’t anticipate you’d arrive unscathed. Thanks to you, the expensive items I bought turned out to be worthless.”

“Quick to surrender, that’s good. So, how did you learn about us?”

“Huh? Why should I tell you?”

“If you’ve played all your cards, wouldn’t it be better not to suffer a painful death? Best if you open that mouth of yours.”

Hound drew lines with his greatsword towards Jinhyuk’s limbs, as if warning of dismemberment one by one.

But.

Despite the violent threats, Jinhyuk remained nonchalantly shrugging.

“Ah… Did you really think that was all I had prepared?”

If so, he was truly sorry.

Their expectations…

They were about to be utterly shattered.

“What was in front was merely a warm-up.”

A distraction and a plausible reason provided.

The real deal starts now.

[‘The Mirror that Unties Boundaries’ and ‘Riven’s 11 Jewels’ resonate!]

[‘The Thread of Conviction’ activates!]

Eight of the 11 jewels acquired from Rick at a high price were used for this magic.

Wooong!

A blinding light changed the entire field of vision.

‘The Quartet of the Sun.’

The imposing landscape suspected to harbor the crown was revealed.

“This place…”

Hound gripped his greatsword tightly.

And before them…

Stood fully prepared challengers, ready for battle.

[Unique abilities… awaken.]

[‘Song of the Sword’ activates!]

[‘Blessing of the Stars’ activates!]

[‘Marionette Play’ activates!]

[‘Whispers of the Forest’ activates!]

“Now let’s have a proper fight. Fair and square, evening the odds.”

Jinhyuk grinned.