Solo Max-Level Newbie

I obtained a total of three items.

Each one was of an extraordinary kind.

[The Witch’s Spellbook]

[The Screaming Apple]

[Advanced Magic Stone]

The Witch’s Spellbook contained various kinds of barriers and curses, a grimoire inscribed with spells.

Although it predominantly featured dark attribute abilities, it definitely boasted rare barriers and curses befitting of a witch affiliated with the Grand Coven of Witches.

At the very least, there were barriers of 4-star grade, and even those reaching 6-stars or 7-stars.

However, what captivated Jinhyuk’s attention was not the spellbook.

‘The Screaming Apple.’

Who could have expected this to appear?

Apples grown from the Ghostwood absorb magical power.

It means that given enough time, they can completely consume even the most potent magical forces.

Jinhyuk’s mind raced.

‘Extracting magic from the Advanced Magic Stone… could amplify the apple’s magic absorption ability.’

If he used the two appropriately, it could even make the final thawing of ‘Frozen Tears’ possible.

A whopping 40 points in magic power for the final stage.

The icy energy had been so intense that, until now, it had been tucked away in a corner of his subspace inventory, but at last, the opportunity to deal with it had come.

The Advanced Magic Stone was precious, but it was incomparable to his magic stat.

Jinhyuk threw the skull-shaped, purple apple onto the ground.

“Kiyayayayaya!”

The apple’s mouth stretched open wide.

Soon, a horrifying scream pierced his eardrums.

…Now!

[‘The Screaming Apple’ absorbs the chill from ‘Frozen Tears’!]

“Kyaahaaahaaah!”

The scream intensified as the melted Advanced Magic Stone through ‘Primordial Flame’ made contact with the apple.

The scream was so sharp it could inflict internal injuries, so he didn’t forget to cover his ears.

Precise magical control and skilled adjustment were necessary.

But Jinhyuk completed the process without a single mistake.

[Your magic power increases from 233 → 273!]

Frozen Tears shattered.

All its magic was released as it was thawed in the fourth stage.

‘Things are really going too smoothly.’

He almost laughed, considering the situation.

Despite his careful planning, everything was proceeding exactly as he wanted.

No, it was beyond that level.

It went far beyond what he had anticipated.

That’s when it happened.

“Hey! That’s fake, right?”

He heard Ellis’s sharp voice.

Her face was flushed with a mix of embarrassment and shame.

Well, if it were me, I’d want to die of embarrassment too.

It meant that she had been fighting a holographic dragon and spirits all this time.

“No, if you knew this, you should have told me. You knew I’m not familiar with your culture, this is just too much! I feel so filthy and pathetic that…”

Hmm. Saying it like that, I kind of feel a bit sorry for her.

“I get it. As an apology, I’ll take you somewhere, so don’t cry. You’re from the True Clan, why would you shed tears like that?”

“…Going out? Where to?”

Ellis’s voice did a 180.

Having been stuck in the ruins on the first floor for so long, the mention of new entertainment spurred her into action more than anyone else.

“University.”

As it happened, he had business there.

Not to mention, the personal broadcast channel had been flooded with comments over the past few days…

…It would be good to wrap that up with this opportunity.

＊＊＊

If asked to name the top university in Korea, everyone would undoubtedly choose Korea University.

A dream school that only the chosen could attend.

Among its departments, the one with the fiercest competition was ‘Premedical Studies’.

“Look, it’s Senior Yoo Sung.”

“The top admissions into Korea University’s Premed… Not only does he look good, but he’s also athletic. What can’t he do?”

“He’s also a top-ranked climber in the Tower of Trials. Not many videos, but the views are no joke on each one, right?”

“On top of that, he never misses being the academic top of his department. Sigh. I’m in the library studying all day long, and I feel worthless. For real.”

Voices filled with envy and admiration resounded.

Chun Yoosung.

Due to his ice-cold personality, people hesitated to approach him, but he carried an overwhelmingly dominant presence at Korea University.

So much so that there were rumors he might actually be going through his second life.

Whether or not he was aware of the stares around him, Chun Yoosung walked across the campus with an expressionless face.

Following the path for quite a while, he arrived at a serene clearing.

Rustle. Rustle.

The bushes shook, and kittens peeked out their heads.

While the kittens were known for their skittishness, they approached Yoosung as if they were familiar with him.

“Eat.”

Yoosung silently filled bowls with wet cat food and lean chicken breast, specifically for the kittens.

He emptied the dirty water and poured fresh water into the bowls.

“Nyaang. Nyaang.”

“Nyaaaa…!”

The cats eagerly ate the food while happily purring.

But then…

“……!”

Something ominous caught Yoosung’s perception.

While it attempted to hide cleverly, his sharply honed senses pinpointed the presence’s location.

“You…!”

Yoosung leaped into the bushes in a single bound.

And then…

“Ah, wait a minute. Just a minute! I didn’t have any bad intentions.”

Jinhyuk hastily waved his hands.

“Bad intentions, you say? Then what’s all this?”

Yoosung pointed to the myriad floating status windows.

The broadcast system displayed a chat log filled with messages from numerous viewers.

-Kim Jinwoo: Lololol got caught.

-NovelAddict: Thought it was a murderer for a sec, scared the hell out of me.

-Qrem: Look at those murderous eyes. Oozing with killing intent, 50,000 percent!

-JeLuce: Hey Swordsman bro, hi.

-Mumma: I’m a fan! Haha!

-Lch: Wow, really sharp. He caught that?

-Shin Myung-geun: No wonder he’s said to be strong.

-SoItIs: Meanwhile, taking care of kittens is heart-melting stuff.

“Have you been shooting others secretly, acting all innocent?”

Disgust filled Chun Yoosung’s expression as he clicked his tongue.

“Spying? It was just a live broadcast. I filmed everything from start to finish, that’s all. Who are you to paint me as such a scoundrel?”

-SoYoonMom: Isn’t that the same thing?

-Ggo: I’ve had a drink but never drunk-driven, is it that?

-Jackdaw: Judge, we need a beat here.

-Insomniac: The verdict is death.

“…….”

Yoosung opened his subspace inventory.

Space twisted as a sword hilt protruded halfway out.

“Hey, don’t pull out a sword. We’re on campus here. It’s a gun-free zone.”

-qet: Just gonna slash right away. Lol.

-Pikachu: Honestly, if something like this happened, it would be justified.

-Lord of Salvation: True. We could easily make a 5-part drama with what’s happened so far.

-Snowy: Read that contemplative post and to be honest, it was harsh.

-qpw: Vigilante justice might be necessary here.

Public opinion shifted drastically. 𝖋𝖗𝖊𝖊𝔴𝖊𝖇𝔫𝖔𝖛𝖊𝖑.𝖈𝖔𝖒

Next time, I’ll have to fill the ranks with more trustworthy people. This is dangerous.

“Wait, wait, listen to me. I’m here for a very important reason.”

“What are you doing here?”

“To be honest, a lot of viewers were curious about your life as a medical student. Among them, a big spender put down mission coins.”

At first, they started with mission coins in the tens of thousands, but as the pot grew larger, it soared up to 300,000 coins.

“So, you started the broadcast?”

“Yes.”

“Without even asking for my permission?”

“Yes!”

Jinhyuk nodded cheerfully.

-Meister: The stakes were too high to compromise.

-Gasp: 300,000 coins, that’s a king’s ransom.

-Gen: With that much, you could even sell your soul.

-Skskdksdkj: [Mission accomplished: 300,000 coins received] message just popped up. Congrats congrats.

‘It’s like taking candy from a baby.’

It was a success. Jinhyuk was thinking just that when…

“Meow!”

Suddenly, a kitten jumped up and bit Jinhyuk’s finger.

Apparently, it was quite dissatisfied with someone treating its owner so brashly.

‘Cute. Even a creature like this follows its master.’

But then…

“……?”

Jinhyuk’s body staggered greatly.

His head spun as though he’d been struck from behind.

-Da: Aren’t you overacting? Does the kitten’s fang hurt that much?

-Blank: Did it do 1 damage?

-Han Sooyeon Love: I’m more worried whether the kitten’s teeth are okay.

-dkdjdn: That expression. That face. That movement. He’s gunning for broadcast controversy.

Could it be……?

Jinhyuk’s gaze narrowed.

One of the cats… was not just an ordinary cat.

A spirit beast.

And not just any ordinary spirit beast—one that wields poison.

＊＊＊

When he opened his eyes, he was staring at an unfamiliar ceiling.

Although unclear about what had happened, his consciousness remained hazy, suggesting he had been unconscious for quite a while.

Where is this? Thoughts barely formed when…

Clank! Clank!

He realized his entire body was tightly restrained.

The bright lights and the smell of disinfectant stung his nostrils.

And then…

The figure of Chun Yoosung, clad in a white coat, was also in sight.

Could this be an operating room?

“There was a spirit beast among the cats. It followed me after I helped it when it was hurt and collapsed in the tower. With no other place suitable to keep it, I’ve been caring for it here.”

So that was it.

“But why am I tied up?”

Clank! Clank!

He was bound tightly.

He couldn’t budge at all.

“Can’t you just release me and talk? Body and mind, both are clear. I feel like I could check myself out now.”

“That’s not possible. Treating this lightly could lead to tetanus and potential arm amputation. Or even death from sepsis if neglected.

Well, why only envision the worst-case scenarios?

“Then, send me to a hospital? I count on trained medical doctors who have completed their residencies. Or a guild healer would be fine too. I’ll pay whatever it costs… Please, just…”

“Don’t say such regretful things. Isn’t there a doctor right in front of you? At least I’ve learned to distinguish arteries from veins. The left… Hmm. Or maybe it’s lower? Ah, don’t worry too much. It’s a 50-50 chance anyway. Or was it 1 in 4? Assistant. The scalpel.”

Chun Yoosung spoke coldly.

“Yo, Yoosung?”

Jinhyuk’s pupils quaked.

Insanity.

For all he knew, he might die at the hands of a crazed medical student.

His instincts screamed a dire warning.

That he needed to get out of here immediately.

“Ellis! Andria! Don’t just stand there, do something about this.”

Jinhyuk asked for help from Ellis and Andria, who were beside him.

It was unclear when Andria had arrived, but judging from the looks of things, it was clear that Ellis had contacted her.

“Sister. We need to perform a blood transfusion, right? You can’t just suck it out, can you?”

Andria added, looking earnestly at Ellis, who was preparing a straw.

“Eh? Ah… this? I’m just going to get a taste. Only a taste.”

Ellis licked her lips, baring her sharp fangs.

Hey, you can’t do this.

Wearing a nurse’s uniform and trying to take a patient’s life, does that make sense?

Andria, you at least have to keep your head on straight. You’re not even a vampire, so why agree with this?

Hurry up and stop her. Stop them!

As Jinhyuk desperately thrashed his body, it was right then.

“Gogogogoooo!”

Sweet Potato rushed in to save its master.

[Sweet Potato activates Lv12 ‘Fear’!]

The entire operating room shook tumultuously.

Unfurling its magnificent wings, the presence of an ancient being was unmistakably commanding.

With that, the five elementals along with T-bone appeared.

“Yes, good work. I’ve always trusted you.”

“Mogi! Mogi!”

“Destroy everything. Burn those ungrateful wretches to ash with your breath!”

Jinhyuk shouted with glee.

However, the following words from Chun Yoosung…

“I’ve heard that ancient species are particularly fond of magic stones.”

…signalled that matters were about to take a strange turn.