Solo Max-Level Newbie

Tap! Tap!

“You need to eat.”

Jin-hyuk tapped the tiger twice on its back.

And,

“Kuaaak!”

A giant monster was smashed to the ground as the distance between the tiger and the jackals narrowed.

Tear!

The bodies of the jackals were torn apart like paper. Truly an overwhelming force.

“Eik!”

“…!”

Like ants climbing the back of a dinosaur, all five incarnations of Anubis were destroyed without even being able to fight back.

Tremble!

Lee Yuri’s body continued to tremble.

“T-this cannot be. My summons was helpless…”

This was absurd.

She had been sure that she was the strongest here. She thought it would be a matter of course that she would get the map too.

Why?

She wasn’t sure where that confidence had come from either.

What was certain was that the man in front of her was beyond her imagination.

“You. How many floors have you climbed the tower?”

“Well. How many floors do you think?”

“No way. You couldn’t have gone beyond 20, right?”

“…”

Jin-hyuk didn’t answer.

“21st. 22nd… maybe 23rd floor?”

Lee Yuri continued to ask.

It was cute that she only went up one floor with each guess.

Just the 20th floor would make her go crazy, so how would she react if he said he had reached the 50th?

‘Will she faint with foam in her mouth?’

He was curious but decided to wait for another time.

“I don’t think this is the time to ask which floor I went to?”

Jin-hyuk approached Yuri, and she trembled.

“W-will you kill me?”

“I have no interest in killing scared newbies.”

“No, you are a newbie too. I too am..!”

“Right, right. I know. Among the relics obtained from the Egyptian side, give me the ‘Mask of Tutankhamun.’”

At his words, her eyes widened.

“It is useless in Korea. Where are you going to use it?”

“You don’t have to know it. If you don’t want to enter the belly of a tiger, give it to me.”

Jin-hyuk glanced at the tiger next to him

“Grrrr…”

It had chewed up the jackals and came to them with blood still around its lips. She was afraid that the tiger would haunt her dreams that night.

“I- will give it to you! I will give it.”

Reluctantly, Lee Yuri pulled out the mask from within her bag.

It was a pharaoh’s mask made in gold.

[You have acquired the relic (replica) 'Mask of Tutankhamun.']

‘Nice.’

Following the relic he had obtained from the museum’s first floor before coming here, this was now the second that he had secured.

“Are you also after the map?”

“Map?”

Right. That was in here.

He didn’t pay much attention to it, so he forgot.

It only had information up to the 10th floor on it.

“Well, right.”

Jin-hyuk smiled and patted the tiger on the back for the last time.

“Guard this place. Let no one follow me.”

“Roar!”

The tiger guarded the entrance of the stairway to the next floor.

Then.

‘Let’s go.’

Jin-hyuk walked up the stairs and went to the next floor.

“This is really… surprising.”

Min Jung-woo was waiting there with a surprised look as he walked up.

He didn’t think that someone would break through Lee Yuri.

However, it was the same with the other person.

“Why are you here without entering inside?”

Min Jung-woo’s purpose must have been the Great Map of the East Island. He didn’t understand why he was waiting here.

“I wanted to do it, but someone put a barrier on it.”

Min Jung-woo extended his hand into the air.

Tung!

His hand was bounced back by an invisible force.

“Doesn’t matter if I use a physical or magical attack. Nothing goes through. It’s the first time I’ve seen such a barrier.”

Well, that was as expected.

“It is a 1 Star Barrier.”

“Oh. You know about this?”

“Well…”

Unlike the barrier he had set up around the museum, this was real. It was a barrier created using a skill.

Jin-hyuk narrowed his eyes.

‘Right, it is here.’

He knew a player who often used such an ability. There were too many of them in the game.

Jin-hyuk, who had fallen into thought, said

“I know how to destroy it, but.”

“But?”

“You will have to use fire magic constantly. That way, the barrier will weaken.”

“How long?”

“Until I go and get all the relics needed for it and come back.”

“Hahaha. So I use magic outside the barrier while you go inside?”

He had understood it correctly.

He wanted to tell him, ‘you did a good job.’

“I understand that you don’t want to believe me, but this is the only way. The day will be bright soon, the sun will come up, and we cannot all go out empty-handed, right?”

Entering the academy for credibility but coming out after earning nothing would be the worst outcome.

“Of course, I will yield the map. I have something else I need.”

“…”

Min Jung-woo kept his mouth shut.

Which path to choose?

Thoughts churned in his head. However, no matter how hard he thought about this, there was no other conclusion.

He had no other choice but to believe.

It would be awkward for Min Jung-woo, but what more could he do? This was the only way.

“You will surely hand the map over?”

“Yes. I also do not want to remain hostile to the magic user with a unique ability.”

“I…get it. I trust you.”

In the end, Min Jung-woo made his decision.

“Please do not rest and keep hitting it. Otherwise, I’ll get stuck in there.”

“I will try my best.”

Jin-hyuk stood in front of the barrier and then found its weakest point. It was a place where the flow of magic was slightly odd.

‘Here.’

… carpo.

A Latin word written in blood shone lightly.

“Now!”

Wheik!

At Jin-hyuk’s words, Min Jung-woo began to cast fire.

After a few moments, the hot flame quickly heated the barrier’s surface.

Jjjj!

A crack began to form in the middle of the barrier.

‘Yes!’

Jin-hyuk entered the barrier.

“H-hurry.”

Min Jung-woo was already breaking out in a sweat.

“Sure.”

He needed to make an effort anyway.

‘On my own, that is.’

Unlike the lower floor, the exhibition hall on this floor hasn’t been touched.

No.

To be exact, one thing had changed.

‘The task is done, and they seem to have left.’

Jin-hyuk looked at the empty case.

The showcase had contained an iron sword with the words ‘Qianlong’ engraved on it until just a few moments ago.

It didn’t matter that people had been fighting downstairs. The person had secured what was needed and left.

‘Indeed, still not willing to take even the smallest risk.’

Skipping the most delicious meal?

Still, even that person wouldn’t know that what he took from this place was just a second-class relic.

‘I remember it being here…’

Jin-hyuk walked between the cases and stopped in front of one in particular.

A round, circular relic made of rusted iron.

The Sangpyeong Tangbo, coins from the Joseon era.

They were created during the Joseon era and used as currency until the end of that period. Of course, they were more than just simple coins now.

‘I finally found it.’

Jin-hyuk smiled.

The unique ability made for him.

And the last piece of the puzzle that he needed.

Finally, he had everything in hand, but as he thought that…

“W-what are you doing now!?”

Min Jung-woo shouted at him from the outside.

“What am I doing?”

“Why are you stopping at the wrong spot without securing the map right away?”

“Wait a minute. It doesn’t have feet to move. After I get what I want, I will bring it up to you.”

Don’t disturb such a good moment!

Jin-hyuk sat down. The relics from the museum were laid out on the floor.

‘Mask of Tutankhamun (B)’

What was needed here was the part that corresponded to the ‘right eye.’

Clench!

He touched the part with the eye, then placed it inside the ‘Persian Ceremonial Mold (E).’

[Two relics are reacting]

A short text.

It was a text that only came up when the correct relics came into contact simultaneously.

The words also meant he could push further but needed to pay a reasonable price.

Tap!

Jin-hyuk dropped the ‘Sangpyeong Tangbo (D),’ all 15 coins into the mold.

Right.

Woong!

He could feel a large amount of energy flowing from the mold.

[Three relics are reacting!]

[You have succeeded in fusion!]

[You have acquired the relic' Eye of Truth (SS)']

[Eye of Truth

Acquisition difficulty: SS

[Description: You can view the status window of other people. Able to determine whether or not what the subject said was true or false (3 times per day).]

‘Success!’

Ba-dump!

Jin-hyuk’s heart was beating loudly.

There were 5’ Eyes’ in this world.

Among them, the Eye of Truth was considered the best.

The eyes had the special ability to tell whether or not other people were telling the truth up to three times a day. It was indeed a deceptive item.

However, it wasn’t the acquisition of the relic which made him feel so excited. It was because he knew that a greater reward would follow from this.

[You have successfully fused through the worst probability]

[You have achieved a considerable performance]

[You have acquired the unique ability 'Fusion (Overrank)'!]

Fuse 3 B grade replicas to make an S grade or higher item. That was the condition to get the unique ability of Fusion.

And…

Of the countless relics and items, there was only one case where that combination worked.

It was just a case of merging these three relics.

[Unique ability 'Fusion'

Acquisition Difficulty: Unmeasurable (Overrank)

Description: By completing certain quests, you can store other people's unique abilities and skills in the 'Memory of the World' and create high-level abilities using those stored there.]

However, the difficulty of conditions to copying those abilities increased rapidly, with a chance that some conditions might even be modified.

The ability to copy and save the numerous skills which existed in this world.

The stored abilities could even be fused further to make more powerful skills. This was the reason and purpose for his coming here today.

“Phew.”

Jin-hyuk sighed.

He had been preparing all evening to get these two items, and thankfully, it had gone smoothly.

At that time.

“Look here! I don’t know what you are doing but do it quickly… I cannot hold for long!”

Min Jung-woo gritted his teeth and shouted. Now his face was turning pale.

A side effect of magic depletion.

‘Well. Let’s see what I need to do to copy the old man’s abilities?’

[Copy Condition: Min Jung-woo has always worn a mask to hide his emotions. Let him reveal his true intentions.]

‘In one word, make him mad, right?’

Of course, that was easy.

Especially since it was already this kind of situation, it would be even more straightforward. Jin-hyuk quickly took the map from its case and went to Min Jung-woo.

“The skill. You can stop using it.”

“What? What do you mean?”

“Actually, you didn’t have to use it.”

Shouldn’t there be something else? Min Jung-woo was doing this because he had asked him to use magic to weaken the barrier.

What was this new nonsense now?

The way he was working now was different from the start.

It would have been simpler to write the Latin spell ‘Pafe’ on the part where the barrier’s magic was deviating.

The person who made this barrier was just level 1, after all.

“T-then why did you ask me to use the… skill?”

Why?

“To deplete all your magic.”

Because of that.

Jin-hyuk watched him sweat profiles and work hard. The man didn’t even have the strength left to lift a finger anymore.

Then what if…

The map he had wanted so much was burned in front of him?

Wheik!

Jin-hyuk used a lighter he had on hand on the map in his hands. In an instant, the fire began to spread through the old parchment.

“W-what are you doing now! Why are you burning down the map?! Just why…?”

“As I said, I don’t need this map.”

He already knew everything about the tower.

The map meant nothing to him.

‘But. I mean, it isn’t worth giving to someone else either.’

With the map, someone could find information up to the 10th floor.

He would then lose the sole advantage that he had. Then obviously, he needed to get rid of the map.

Like right now.

“Y-You fucker! I will kill you! I will burn you dry! You fucking bastard!”

Min Jung-woo lost his temper.

‘Wow, this man spits out quite a lot of curses when he gets angry.’

This was why you couldn’t judge people by just their appearance.

[Condition has been met]

[You successfully copied the skill 'Element of Fire (B)'!]

[The copied skill is saved in 'Memory of the World'.]

[Element of Fire

Acquisition Difficulty: B

Description: Allows the user to handle flames and increases affinity with fire.]

A status window appeared, indicating that the conditions were met.

‘The element of fire…’

Not a bad start for the first copy.