Solo Max-Level Newbie
chapter-225

Chapter 225: Dreamlike Paradise (2)

With a screech, the head of a grasshopper disappeared into the void, cleanly severed.

Jinhyuk charged forward without hesitation, a sword gripped in each hand.

“Keeeek!”

“Kiiieek!”

He had cut down countless bugs already, but the endless swarm seemed to have no end to it.

Then it happened.

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

An earth-shaking roar preceded the emergence of a colossal monster from straight ahead.

It was a Hercules Beetle, known to be among the largest of insects.

Kwaang!

Even with an ice sculpture shield deployed, Jinhyuk was sent flying several meters sideways.

The impact was akin to colliding head-on with a 20-ton truck.

Yet the onslaught didn’t end there.

Ssssscrick!

Just as the sound of skittering approached from the ground…

‘Below!’

Sharp legs burst forth from the dirt.

‘The Black Sand Centipede.’

Renowned as the most venomous among centipedes, it easily exceeded 10 meters in length.

With no time to even catch his breath, Jinhyuk quickly gained distance from it.

But the creature was marginally faster.

Hundreds of legs swiftly encircled Jinhyuk.

“Kiiii….”

Yellow eyes stared directly at him.

Chiiieeek!

Drool fell between its teeth, creating a pungent smoke as it hit the ground.

There was no doubt about it—thick with acid and poison.

“Instinct to protect the tree I understand… but couldn’t you be selective about who you attack.”

Seemingly invisible were the carcasses of its fallen allies, beheaded in its rush.

“Kieeek!”

The centipede’s maw gaped wide open.

A lethal poison devoured everything around it.

Golden roses and grasses melted.

In the midst of the noxious fumes, it seemed nothing could survive.

But then, at that exact moment,

The dense fog of poison that veiled the view was suddenly dispersed.

[Unique Ability ‘Thousand Poisons (千毒)’ activated!]

The venom spewed by the Black Sand Centipede paled in comparison to the dense miasma now spreading.

The ‘Martial Technique of the Tang Sect’—adopted from the Elves’ forest—was now unleashed.

Thousand Poisons.

A renowned martial technique from a prestigious family famed for their poison techniques, now recreated by Jinhyuk.

“Kiieee… Kekekeek!”

The Black Sand Centipede writhed in agony.

No matter how resistant it was to venom, it was no match for the Crane Crest Red, a toxic concoction capable of reducing a man to a bloody puddle in a minute.

The poisons of the Murim world differed fundamentally from those the creature had encountered before.

“I’m usually reluctant to use such a ruthless ability against humans, but for you… I can indulge without restraint.”

Jinhyuk gathered the dark miasma into shape.

Now resembling a skewer, inspired by Ellis’s signature ability, the Blood Lord.

Add the ‘element of fire’ to a poison-steeped skewer…

Hunting bugs couldn’t get more efficient than this.

Whoosh!

Poison and fire joined together in a destructive symphony.

The result? A downpour akin to the fiery rain of apocalypse.

＊＊＊

Boom! Kaboom! Bang!

Craters marred the landscape where the skewers hit.

Magic was consumed excessively, but there was no helping it.

Without this area-of-effect skill, too much time would be lost trying to penetrate the swarm.

Once again employing the ‘Sword Demon Emperor’s Stance,’ Jinhyuk took a grand leap.

His target was a butterfly, fluttering erratically to dodge the skewers.

Jinhyuk landed softly atop the butterfly’s back.

Bewildered by the scorching bombardment, the butterfly remained oblivious to its new rider.

‘Sure enough, you need a certain height to spot the weakness.’

Only visible from the sky was the white jade—essence sustaining the white tree.

Buzz!

Realizing its situation too late, the butterfly struggled desperately to shake Jinhyuk off.

Even with distorted senses, maintaining balance wasn’t easy, but Jinhyuk managed it with movements akin to acrobatics.

‘Not yet… it’s not time yet.’

Clutching another skewer and pooling his magic, he sought the perfect angle.

For a precise shot, he manipulated the butterfly slightly to the right.

Blinding it with venom, Jinhyuk deftly calculated the angle for his throw.

And the moment the antennae of the butterfly and the white tree were aligned.

Pzzzt…

The gathered magic and poison transformed into a 2-meter-long spear.

Jinhyuk hurled it with precision.

A gust cut through the air, trailing five scarlet rings.

Bang!

The sonic boom-threatened eardrums, as the spear broke the sound barrier and collided head-on with the white jade.

Kwaang!

With the impact of the throw, the entire fortress shook.

The blast forced the golden roses and grass to bend sideways.

But…

“Tch!”

Despite the flawless angle and strength, the white jade remained intact with just a slight crack while maintaining its glow.

“Groooaar!”

The tree let out a terrible wail.

By now, it must have realized something.

Even with countless bugs splattering against it, they meant nothing.

And that…

A single human posed a sufficient threat to its life.

“I am the sovereign of this land. I am Yggdrasil.”

For the first time, a deep voice emanated from the body of the white tree.

Yggdrasil.

While not comparable to the mythological World Tree, Yggdrasil, given time it could have spawned its own legends.

That it could speak signified that it had been affected by the recent attack.

“Dare you infiltrate this paradise, wounding me no less. Do you truly wish death?”

Yggdrasil inquired.

At the same moment, a faint magical aura rose from Jinhyuk.

“I don’t have any death wishes. Talking trees are quite fascinating… I would’ve straightaway sold it to Rick if it weren’t for the bugs swarming it.”

“What? You plan to sell me?”

“A middle manager who handles peculiar items. He’d likely pay a good price… Though with these bugs, I’m contemplating just burning it all down.”

Jinhyuk flashed a nonchalant smile.

That retort left Yggdrasil momentarily speechless.

Understandable.

It led an exalted life, revered as sacred by spirits, living in lofty solitude.

Even Ogarkun, the king of giants, dared not treat it with such impudence.

But what is this?

How can a mere human, who lived no more than a century, utter such audacious words?

“…You have adapted to the curse of my barrier, I see. But do you think that’s the extent of my curses?”

“Well, with what I’ve seen so far being quite disappointing, can’t say I have much hope.”

“That talk… You will surely regret it.”

[Yggdrasil activates its ‘Second Curse!’]

[The curse targets one intruder to drain twice the amount of magic used in battle.]

[The target is Player Kang Jinhyuk.]

Be it sword, bow, or magic, it didn’t matter.

The curse was crafted to absorb double the magic used by the target in combat—a diabolical enchantment.

This was why Yggdrasil and the giants had been able to defend this fortress for so long.

“How does it feel? Emperors’ famed Swordmasters, great Wizards, and Murim high experts all kneeled before this curse. Soon, you too will be just another one of those arrogant fools!”

“Indeed. It’s rather tricky.”

No matter how many attacks he launched, absorbing double the magic used meant pouring effort into a bottomless ocean.

To attack meant accruing nothing but losses.

“Now that you’re here, your penance for trespassing is to nourish me with your blood and flesh.”

Yggdrasil solemnly proclaimed death.

Of course…

“Then I’ll use your big, hulking body for campfire wood. You’re so large you’ll burn bright all night.”

Such words did not intimidate Jinhyuk.

“To the very end…!”

Kukukukuku!

It was as if an earthquake struck. The ground began to wriggle.

Tree limbs surged at an incredible speed towards Jinhyuk.

＊＊＊

‘…Caught.’

Jinhyuk’s eyes narrowed.

The 12-star barrier was invisible to divine beings in the tower’s upper levels.

Meaning, here he could unleash his abilities without the gaze of the Egyptian ones.

Knowingly.

Jinhyuk took advantage of Yggdrasil’s three questions.

And.

Obtained the answers he sought.

[Unique Ability ‘Anubis’ Judgment’ activated!]

[All the target’s abilities are reduced by 50%!]

Status windows appeared successively.

“What… what is this…?”

Aware of the anomaly, Yggdrasil twisted and contorted.

Baffling, indeed.

While ensconced as the mid-tier guardian, it had never encountered the powers of the higher deities.

However, true dismay would only begin from now.

Apart from nerfing the target’s capabilities, Anubis’ Judgment had another effect.

Namely.

[You can designate a Combatant.]

The power to select a combatant.

Screech…!

While no verbal indication was given, the target had already been determined.

Stalks were cut from their roots as green sap sprayed all around.

“Arghhh!”

Cries filled with pain emanated from Yggdrasil.

[The undead monster ‘T-bone’ is designated as the combatant.]

[Since ‘Anubis’ Judgment’ was used out of the sight of the Egyptian deities, its potential has escalated to its utmost limit!]

[Necromancer-related ability scores temporarily rise to Lv100.]

[Time limit: 0h:4m:59s]

The diminutive Skeleton Warrior was no more.

In its place stood a knight over 2 meters tall, enveloped in black armor, a void where eyes should be emitting a pale blue gleam.

This was a Death Knight, among the strongest in the undead lineage.

At the witness of countless experiences and growth, a stature ordinarily reachable only in a distant future.

By being named the combatant, T-bone had leaped to this height in an instant.

“Foolish! Do you not realize that attacking me will only donate magic?”

“Sorry, but ‘combatant’ designations aren’t considered direct attacks by me. Plus, undead are unaffected by any curse.”

It wasn’t random that T-bone was brought along.

Out of the three, only T-bone fit perfectly for this situation, hence the choice.

“Impossible… That cannot be!”

In a rush, Yggdrasil checked the tree’s remaining magic.

Indeed.

The severed limb should have instantly regenerated, yet it remained wounded.

Throb! Throb! Throb!

And the pain remained as severe as ever.

“Whatever trick you pulled, I don’t know… are you betting on that… toy? A Death Knight, hardly a match for a Grand Swordmaster?”

“Not all Death Knights are created equal.”

At least in this moment.

Not even the Empire’s Grand Swordmaster Abraham nor any of the Murim’s top ten experts could match T-bone.

A higher Egyptian deity’s powers were in full bloom.

“Master.”

T-bone, armed with sword and shield, stood before Jinhyuk.

“Your command.”