Solo Max-Level Newbie
chapter-97

Solo Max-Level Newbie Chapter 97: The Grey Temple (1)

Located on the third floor was the “Grey Temple.”

At the entrance of this place stood priests managing the temple, whose role was to assist players with their first job change.

Could this be called the most popularly activated “Job Introduction Center” within the tower?

Most players received quests related to their first job change from these priests, then roamed around the tower to complete them.

In most cases, the goal was not the labyrinth of the temple itself, but to meet the priests.

However, the story changes completely once you enter the temple.

Inside the labyrinth was one of the most terrifying monsters from the Grecian era.

It was a place of extreme difficulty that boasted more than twenty incidents of annihilating entire raid parties.

[Medusa’s Lair]

This was the labyrinth that Ssa-ul-abi and Jin-hyuk had agreed to tackle.

Just then.

Woong!

A radiant light poured down from the sky, accompanied by a dazzling flash.

A space transfer magic had been activated.

“We have arrived,” announced the mage player who had reached the destination.

“Thank you. We arrived comfortably thanks to you,” Jin-hyuk expressed his gratitude succinctly.

He meant it.

It would have taken them a full 12 hours of walking, but they had been transported in just a few seconds.

It was moments like these that made him understand why players chose to pursue magic and change their jobs in that direction.

Of course, that didn’t mean he was considering changing to a mage himself.

‘After all, I can copy skills.’

With the ability to fuse all skills and even higher versions of those skills, why would he need to learn magic as a primary job change?

Why bother when he could simply copy the skills from the mage in front of him?

But, when Jin-hyuk checked the copy conditions, he couldn’t help but sigh dismayingly.

[Copy Conditions: Male with a height of 160cm and a weight of 107kg, also suffering from severe baldness. Has been a lifelong singleton for 38 years. The only one to greet him when he comes home is a female carp in the fish tank. Please find him a life companion. If successful, you can copy one of his unique abilities or skills.]

Gulp.

Jin-hyuk swallowed dryly.

“……”

For a moment, multiple candidates flashed through his mind, but none were a good fit.

‘It might be easier to just bring the head of a Balrog.’

Or surviving a Dragon’s Breath might even seem more feasible.

This copy condition could arguably be the most difficult one yet.

Jin-hyuk grabbed his temple with his finger.

A wrong introduction of Yu-Yeonhwa could turn all those under him, including Yoo Cheon-Young, into enemies.

And that was not all.

He might even get an uppercut from Yu-Yeonhwa.

Thinking about the mighty strength that could knock down an armored gorilla in a single blow, sweat trickled down Jin-hyuk’s spine.

Theresa’s compliant nature might allow her to accept, but the thought of tormenting himself with guilt for the rest of his life felt overwhelming.

As for Elise… let’s not talk about her. There was no need to risk his life just to gain a skill.

Some things are not meant to be.

‘Let’s give up on this one.’

Jin-hyuk made a clean decision to give up.

At that moment.

“You’ve arrived.”

Kim Ki-tae and about ten men and women, each exuding controlled magic power, approached.

They were players from the second raid party of the Ssa-ul-abi guild.

‘Indeed, it seems that the Ssa-ul-abi side has come prepared this time.’

The guild had a total of eleven raid parties, and it was quite unusual for one of the main parties, either the first or second, to be mobilized.

These were not the kind of assets to be used as expendable items.

“Haha, it’s an honor to meet you, Player Kang Jin-hyuk. I am Lee Yeong-gwon, the captain of the second raid party.”

A man with a tall stature and brown hair approached Jin-hyuk.

The square shield on his back and the hefty-looking axe suggested that he took on the roles of both a tank and a damage dealer.

Jin-hyuk’s eyes narrowed.

This name, Lee Yeong-gwon…

He had heard it before.

‘That guy from the TV when I was eating gopchang with Elise.’

A player who had been notably active in the 5th floor’s ‘Arena’ recently.

Although victory and the resulting ‘freedom’ were taken by rankers from top world-class guilds, Lee Yeong-gwon climbed up to the very top of the Seed rankings as well.

He had the ability to stand against powerful opponents without faltering, and his quick judgment in team combat earned him the leadership of the fifth raid party—now he had surged to the role of the main attack party’s captain.

This was his first test in his new role.

“I am Kang Jin-hyuk. I am looking forward to working with you.”

“It’s actually us who should be asking you for favors. I personally watch all of your YouTube videos, Kang Jin-hyuk Player.”

Lee Yeong-gwon beamed an excited smile.

Then, the other players started talking all at once.

“I’m in charge of the sub-damage dealer, my name is Ha Yeon-su. This dungeon is truly difficult, but with Player Kang Jin-hyuk, we feel confident.”

“If we have Kang Player with us, a mere dungeon should be no problem.”

“I’m the main healer of the raid party. Could we possibly take a picture together? When I mentioned that Kang Jin-hyuk would join this raid, my friends simply wouldn’t believe me…”

“Cough! Actually, I would also like one photo…”

“Can I put my arm around for the picture?”

The atmosphere was as if they had met their favorite celebrity.

They all tried to converse with Jin-hyuk, eager to exchange a word or two. Some even asked to register as friends or for personal contact information.

‘This is not even a fan meeting.’

Jin-hyuk found himself in an uncomfortable situation due to the overwhelming attention.

He had expected the prideful main raid party of Korea’s second-ranked guild to show.

It seemed, however, they were willing to toss aside their dignity if it meant forging connections with a top-ranker.

Just then, Kim Ki-tae added a statement.

“While Lee Yeong-gwon is the nominal captain of the raid party, we will give all decision-making powers to Player Kang Jin-hyuk. Moreover, you are free to take all the spoils of the raid. Just one thing. Please ensure the success of the conquest.”

In simpler terms, they were prepared to give everything in return for the title that the Ssa-ul-abi guild had conquered the labyrinth.

But they were not seeking everything—just one spot beside the name Kang Jin-hyuk.

They were willing to forgo both pride and benefits if it meant heightening the guild’s honor.

The weight of being Korea’s second-ranked was certainly not light.

‘I was planning to strike them back hard if they were greedy.’

It’s a different story if they understand their position that well.

“Agreed. I will accept those terms.”

Jin-hyuk nodded in agreement.

“We will enter the labyrinth as soon as the preparations are complete. If you have anything else to do, Player Kang Jin-hyuk, please wrap it up now.”

“How long might that take?”

“It would probably take about 30 minutes.”

Thirty minutes.

That should be enough time.

***

Another motive for coming here was the first job change.

Priests in white robes could be seen within the stone structure of the temple.

Jin-hyuk quickly made his way there.

“Welcome, stranger. I see you have an unfamiliar face.”

An older priest spoke.

“I’ve come for the first job change. I heard I had to come here to receive the related quest.”

“You’ve come to the right place. To grow stronger, one must take on a job that suits them. Now, let me ask you. What is your direction? If it’s swordsmanship, then become a swordfighter. If magic, then a mage. If you wish to protect your companions, then a tank or healer would be appropriate.”

The priest snapped his fingers lightly.

Then…

[Available jobs have been disclosed.]

A long list appeared.

‘The world setting of this tower really is insanely vast.’

The occupations available in the Tower of Trials were truly countless.

The examples the priest provided were just the most popular ones; in addition, one could choose from a variety of unpopular or hidden jobs—assuming certain conditions were met.

However…

“Ugh, they all seem quite boring.”

Jin-hyuk muttered, clearly unimpressed.

Swordfighters, mages, healers, archers, and so on.

He had either played roles like these on alts or fought to exhaustion against other players or monsters possessing such jobs.

He was fully aware of how their unique abilities and skills worked, including their strengths and weaknesses.

‘Climbing the tower is also good.’

The securing of humanity’s future through the conquest of the 50th floor—the importance of such an endeavor was painfully clear.

However, there was something of equal, if not greater, importance.

Indeed, even more crucial was the thrill and the entertainment.

‘If everything is the same, it becomes unbearably dull.’

The well-worn DNA of a high-level player required a new stimulus, even if only a small one.

To once again find interest in this world.

For that reason, Jin-hyuk wanted to choose a new job.

“Sort by unpopular.”

Upon issuing the command, the list rearranged in reverse order.

Painter

Fisherman

Novelist

Barrier Master

Sculptor

These jobs were unsuitable for battle or difficult to grow in.

Unsurprisingly, they weren’t popular among players, and therefore many were virtually obsolete.

‘Hmm…’

Jin-hyuk stroked his chin in thought.

He needed to pick something that suited his taste.

‘Aside from two, they’re all in the arts.’

While being a painter or novelist wasn’t terrible, they took too long to develop.

A beautiful painting or a great novel that would be remembered in history—these were certainly valuable.

But what was the point if it took 10 years to complete? By then, humanity would have either perished or the tower would have been conquered.

For the same reasons, the slowly progressing fisherman wasn’t appealing.

And as for the sculptor… there were several reasons why it was an unwelcome choice.

It felt like a great sculptor from another dimension might appear at any moment.

It didn’t take long to decide.

“Barrier Master. I’ll go with that.”

Jin-hyuk made his choice.

“Ah, Barrier Master for your first job? Are you serious?”

The priest, utterly astonished, asked again.

Though many players had approached him with requests for hidden job quests, this was the first time anyone had willingly chosen an unpopular job.

It was natural for him to be surprised.

Yet Jin-hyuk nodded firmly once more.

“Yes. An unpopular and complicated job is exactly what I’m seeking.”

While the field of barriers was known for its complexity, that was usually the case for the average person.

‘Having already acquired ancient runes and High Elven language, it’s just challenging enough to ignite a bit of my fighting spirit.’

Not to mention, he found it amusing to toy with Cheon Yu-Seong with sword techniques.

But, toying with barriers might be even more enjoyable.

‘That guy was also quite well-versed in barriers.’

Yes.

That was the main reason.

“……I understand. It’s your choice after all.”

Reluctantly, the priest handed over a black scroll to Jin-hyuk.

It was a scroll listing the requirements for changing to a Barrier Master.

But just as Jin-hyuk received the scroll, a commotion suddenly erupted from the direction of the temple.

It was undeniably the sound of a magical confrontation, and a strong one at that.

‘What’s going on?’ Jin-hyuk turned his head towards the noise.

There, alongside the Ssa-ul-abi guild members, stood other figures.