Solo Max-Level Newbie
chapter-234

Chapter 234: Bloodline of Guntapher ‘Antrad’ (1)

[The battlefield selection has been dismantled.]

As the world of imagination shattered, the two figures inside were revealed.

One of them was wearing clothes beyond imagination.

“……”

Cheon Yoo-seong looked down at the ground with a face twisted in shame.

To think that this ice-cold guy was wearing a lacy French maid outfit.

And that he would be witnessing it in person.

“Pfft!”

“Shut it!”

“Sorry, but really… Pfft!”

“You… I’ll kill you if you show your teeth one more time!”

“Okay. Okay. I get it. I’ll really stop laughing now. Look. Completely serious face. Seriously 100% right n… Hahahaha! Seriously, this is mad, is this for real?”

Jinhyuk couldn’t help but turn away, laughing.

Swoosh.

Cheon Yoo-seong, his face red with fury, had drawn his sword halfway.

The atmosphere felt like it might snap and shatter the hard-earned truce in an instant.

If I’m lucky, I won’t get beheaded with that sword.

Walking at night would still be scary, though…

‘But at least I’ll rake in a ton of views on Beautube.’

His character might be prickly, but maybe because he has some mixed heritage, he has an unexpectedly solid fan base.

An average idol can’t even come close to competing.

The value of this luxurious footage was priceless.

‘First things first, I need to upload this.’

Being the first to post it is crucial.

Jinhyuk cautiously activated the broadcast system and uploaded the footage, keeping an eye on Cheon Yoo-seong.

[Secret Hobby of the Sword Saint (Feat Cross-dressing Man/Secret Life/Fool)]

An instinctual warning was blaring at its peak.

But at the same time, BJ’s instinct was also squirming.

Even if Cheon Yoo-seong came knocking on the door with his sword, not uploading this video would be a disgrace to the title of BJ.

‘If I’m going to regret it, let that be a problem for future me.’

Jinhyuk nodded his head.

And just then.

[You have successfully copied the unique ability ‘Shadow Extremity Kill’.]

[You have successfully copied the skill ‘Battlefield Selection’.]

[The copied abilities are stored in ‘World’s Memory’.]

Messages appeared one after another, indicating a successful copy.

Jinhyuk barely swallowed the burst of cheer.

Battlefield Selection.

Although I couldn’t copy it because it was overshadowed by the ‘Song of the Sword’, it had been on my wish list ever since I first met Cheon Yoo-seong in the corridor.

‘This is a unique barrier I cannot reproduce with my existing Barrier Mage abilities.’

The last piece would come into play when Cheon Yoo-seong would obtain that skill later, so with this, I had achieved everything I wanted.

Good.

All that’s left is to deal with the giant skeleton wreaking havoc in the garden.

“Calm down and listen. I’ll tell you how we’re going to handle this situation.”

Jinhyuk muttered something into the fuming Cheon Yoo-seong’s ear.

As the conversation progressed, Cheon Yoo-seong’s expression dramatically changed.

“… Are you crazy? Are you serious?”

He had no choice.

What Jinhyuk suggested was nothing short of suicide.

But still.

“It’s possible.”

Jinhyuk was smiling.

As if probabilities and risks didn’t matter at all.

＊＊＊

Kukukukuku!

With a single gesture, the castle walls crumbled.

Flames burst forth from the eyes and mouth of the flame skull.

“Ugh…”

“Never thought such monsters existed.”

“These giants are nothing.”

The empire’s knights and warriors present could all manipulate ki, meaning they could potentially harm higher demons with sword energy or aura blades.

But that only rings true if they could actually approach within striking range.

Anyone who dared to get near the fire skull, ensconced in daunting flames, was none.

‘Too weak.’

The flame skull surveyed below.

Trembling creatures, paralyzed with fear.

And for this being, trampling them all was the very mission it was sent here for.

Whoooosh!

“Aaargh!”

“Uaaah!”

Bodies were engulfed by flames brought about by the intense heat, knights and titans alike, their metal armor branding their flesh.

Sssszzzt!

The nauseating smell of burning flesh turned everyone’s faces pale.

“Damn it, spread out!”

“Close range is no good. It’s a dog’s death either way!”

“We need reinforcements from the casters!”

The retreating troops hesitated.

But not the flame skull. It took their fear for granted.

However.

“…?”

Amidst the chaos, two humans boldly advanced towards it.

If they were gripped by fear to the point of irrationality, it would be understandable.

Wishing for this nightmare to end might be easier.

Yet.

Their faces, as they drew closer, showed no hint of tension. Instead, they smirked, aggravating the flame skull.

Especially the man at the front, wielding a dagger.

“…You’re laughing? Have you gone mad from terror?”

“Sorry to disappoint, but it’s been so long since I’ve felt such emotions.”

Jinhyuk shrugged.

“An insolent human like you…”

The flame skull began to rise.

Magma spewed forth, the ground fractured further, and the skeleton emerged halfway from the earth, revealing its gigantic form.

If knights were rendered into molten metal by its heat, one could only imagine its power.

[Lv.11 ‘Glacial Sculpture’ is activated.]

Shattered ice formed a transparent barrier.

“Ho. Not bad. Any ordinary human would have had their lungs burned out just by breathing.”

An admiring exclamation escaped the flaming skull’s mouth, but then it hesitated.

Realization.

It remembered. “This magical power… Yes, it’s you. You’re the whelp who shot an arrow at me from the window.”

A long-range magical spell condensed with three attributes.

Though it failed to wound, its power rivaled even some demons.

“Right. I wanted to blow your skull off in one hit, but turns out it’s pretty tough. Guess you’ve been consistent with your calcium intake?”

Silence ensued in response to the provocation.

For a moment, only silence.

Yet that moment was fleeting.

“Of course, you would talk nonsense without knowing who I am. If you had the slightest idea about my stature or the floor I hail from, regret and despair would be all you’d feel right now.”

“Over-inflated self-consciousness. Maybe I know more about this tower and world than you do?”

“Don’t get cocky with the little knowledge you possess as a lowly creature. Your existence is but a speck compared to the eternity we’ve lived.”

“Hard to agree with that. Besides, it’s not ‘Flame Skull,’ it’s better if I call you ‘Flame of the Black Valley’ ‘Antrad’, right?”

Antrad.

A scion of Guntapher, one of the legion commanders in the demon world, leading the vanguard seeking to expand his influence through the Martial Association to the lower floors of the tower.

That was the identity of this being.

“How… dare you know my true name? What are you!”

“I told you. I’m a human who knows much more about this tower than you do.”

“To the very end! You think I’d believe your nonsense?”

Kukukuku!

Anger surged, the might of the mage power overflowing.

The heat gnawed at the earth, growing fiercer.

And finally.

Antrad stood up completely, dwarfing the giants, nearly twice their size.

His head rose above the castle walls.

A battle with an upper-floor creature…

‘To be honest, I’m a bit nervous.’

The mood was ripe for a confrontation.

The taunting had served its purpose.

Now it was time to begin.

“Cheon Yoo-seong!”

Jinhyuk signaled to Cheon Yoo-seong, standing by his side.

“Damn it. I am not your bait!”

Cheon Yoo-seong snapped back with annoyance, but did not forget his role.

Tap!

With a light step, Cheon Yoo-seong sprinted clockwise in large strides.

His target was not Antrad, but the smaller demons starting to emerge as a result of its rise.

[Cheon Yoo-seong activates his unique ability ‘Song of the Sword’!]

[The arcane art of the Blade Soul Sword is replicated through the Sword Saint’s hands.]

A dazzling light emerged, and soon a fierce beast plunged into the midst of the demons.

Swish!

“Keeeeek!”

A three-headed female monster lost all her heads in one strike.

“Krraaaak!”

Following, the cyclops staggering behind lost its single eye and let out a pained scream.

“You pieces of meat only worth a single bite…”

“Giggle. Since it’s a woman, the flesh must be tender. I’ll eat you up whole.”

“It’s not a woman. It’s a man. Look well. The clothes are strange, but it’s a man.”

“Not rotten meat, I hope?”

The demons took turns sneering at Cheon Yoo-seong’s attire.

“If one more of you remarks about my clothing, I’ll treat t