Chapter 104: The 21st Floor
“So many?”
[They haven’t been trampling worlds for long, but they’ve been doing it zealously. 12 years. That’s how long it took for 258 stars to fall.]
This meant that worlds had been disappearing one by one even as he grew up on Earth. Taesan grimaced.
“Why?”
[I don’t know either. The defeated ones are desperately struggling, but why should I guess their reasons?]
Lucifer scoffed, her face full of disdain for the beings called High Gods. Clearly, there was mutual hatred.
[But I have a guess.]
“…And what’s that?”
[They hate us.]
Taesan was momentarily puzzled. Hating gods didn’t seem like a reason to trample worlds, especially since Earth hardly showed any signs of divine presence.
Lucifer clarified for him.
[They hate us. And we’ve settled in the labyrinth. And adventurers from various worlds enter the labyrinth.]
“…They want to trample worlds that could enter the labyrinth?”
[Doesn’t that sound plausible?]
Lucifer shrugged.
[It’s all conjecture on my part. Whether it’s true or not, we won’t know unless we go and ask them directly.]
“But the possibility seems high.”
Taesan fell silent. The idea that the fall of his world, Earth, was due to a squabble among gods was overwhelming.
In the silence, Lucifer spoke up.
[Do you resent us?]
“With the scale of it all, it’s hard to even feel resentment.”
There was no particular emotion. Gods were beings who could crush even stars in their hands. The sensation was akin to hearing that a meteor created from colliding stars fell to Earth. The only difference might be that the meteor had consciousness.
One wouldn’t harbor feelings towards the colliding stars that spawned the meteor.
Lucifer murmured softly.
[That’s a relief then.]
“I have another question.”
Not all of his questions were answered yet. However, Lucifer raised her hand, stopping Taesan’s inquiries.
[That’s as far as we go. I can’t tell you more.]
“Why not?”
[You’re not yet qualified. I’ve given you enough service by talking this much. The rest can be discussed once you’ve descended further.]
It seemed there was a limit to what could be discussed at each level. Taesan was still at the 20th level, relatively low in the grand scheme.
“Then thank you.”
[Leaving?]
“I must descend.”
His business with Lucifer was concluded. Taesan looked at her, his gaze conveying a wish to be sent back to the labyrinth, but Lucifer just stared at him pensively.
“Lucifer?”
[You are strong.]
Lucifer suddenly began.
[But that’s only the story up here. The deeper you go, the stronger the foes you encounter, and the trials from the gods will be the same. There are gods who won’t mind if you die, and they will impose cruel trials on you.]
“That’s to be expected.”
Even Itaewon faced near-death experiences almost every level past the 50th, even without receiving any divine trials. If Taesan were to face those trials, he too would be in danger.
“But I’ll still try. You’ve seen what I can do.”
[Hmm.]
Lucifer tapped her cheek. She opened and closed her mouth several times, a brief period of tedium passing before she finally spoke.
[There’s an easier way to become stronger.]
“Really?”
[A way to definitely become stronger.]
She looked at Taesan with half-lidded eyes, her gaze carrying a hint of something.
Taesan realized.
“Are you talking about a pact with an Apostle?”
[…]
Lucifer didn’t respond.
Taesan was perplexed because Lucifer had said she wouldn’t offer him an Apostle’s pact. She had no intention of bestowing such a position on someone who wasn’t hers.
“Thank you for the offer, but I…”
[Who said anything about an Apostle’s pact!]
As Taesan attempted to express his refusal, Lucifer screeched.
“Then what is it?”
[…]
Lucifer remained silent. She agitatedly waved her hand.
A rift in space opened, leading back to the labyrinth.
[Go! If you say more, I’ll crush your head!]
“Ah, okay.”
Taesan reluctantly headed towards the opened space. Grumbling, Lucifer watched his back before finally speaking.
[And one last favor. When you meet those creatures in the labyrinth, you can borrow my name.]
“…Thank you.”
Taesan stepped into the space. The world began to shift.
[Just need to put a leash on him. He knows gratitude, so he wouldn’t refuse, right?]
With that incomprehensible murmur, Taesan arrived in the labyrinth.
“What was that all about?”
To the very end, the god remained a mystery.
Taesan looked around. The familiar sight of the labyrinth welcomed him, offering a strange comfort.
“Phew.”
He sat down on the floor.
Being back in the labyrinth felt like returning home, bringing a sense of ease. After spending time with Annetsha, Taesan felt a bit weary, so he took about two hours to rest.
It was only then, perhaps recovering from the shock, that the ghost murmured with a trembling voice.
[Gods… are they really that powerful?]
“Didn’t you know?”
[I knew they were strong. But to crush a star… I never imagined that.]
The ghost let out a bitter laugh.
[This makes me feel ashamed of my past self.]
“I feel a bit overwhelmed too.”
Taesan had set his goal to become as strong as the gods. Yet, their true power involved crushing stars, and they hadn’t even exerted much effort, making it difficult to measure.
Catching up to them seemed an impossibly distant goal, at least for now.
“But that’s a story for later.”
As Lucifer mentioned, he was still a player in the lower levels. There was no reason to give up just yet.
Completing Lucifer’s quest had brought numerous rewards. Taesan began to review them one by one.
[Special Always-Active Skill: Demigod Theory] [Proficiency: 2%] [A will to resist the gods. When facing beings directly related to gods, all stats increase. The will is not easily broken.]
A skill obtained while facing Harmon’s angel, appropriately enhancing stats when confronting beings related to gods.
The extent wasn’t clear, but a stat increase was always welcome. The more encounters with divine-related beings, the more useful the skill would become.
But Demigod Theory wasn’t the only skill obtained from defeating the angel.
[Divine Power]
[Proficiency: 0%]
[The power of a god. A blessing given when someone believes and follows. For now, it seems meaningless.]
“What’s this about?”
[Not sure.]
The ghost seemed equally unsure.
[Divine power is granted by a god. It’s a power that should be given, but having it… what does that do?]
“Guess we’ll see.”
For now, he would keep it. Perhaps it would find its use someday.
Then, there was the reason he had undertaken Lucifer’s quest in the first place: dark magic.
[Dark Magic]
[Proficiency: 1%]
[Allows the manipulation of the Demon God’s magic. Uses demonic energy to cast dark magic. The power and range depend on the amount of demonic energy spent. Currently, it seems only basic power can be harnessed.]
Different from magic, the main difference was that the power and range depended on the amount of demonic energy spent.
Taesan reviewed the dark magic he had obtained from defeating Jagan.
[Basic Dark Magic: Marbas’s False Flame]
[Mana Cost: 13]
[Basic Demonic Energy Cost: 5]
[Proficiency: 1%]
[A demon. Summons a substance in the shape of flames controlled by Marbas. The temperature, capable of melting the sun, has been significantly reduced, likely to cool off against mere ice.]
Unlike magic, it mentioned a “basic demonic energy cost,” implying that more demonic energy could be expended if desired.
‘More flexibility in its use?’
Magic could be altered with magic explosion and magic acceleration, but the magic itself remained unchanged. Frost Arrow, no matter what, remained Frost Arrow.
Dark magic seemed a bit different. Taesan continued to explore the skills he had acquired.
[Special Always-Active Skill: Dark Plunder] [Proficiency: 1%] [The essence of darkness is engraved within you. Steals the darkness from enemies you kill.]
As Lucifer mentioned, similar to Balzahar’s Trophy of Victory. Even without paying attention, his demonic energy would naturally increase, which was beneficial.
[Title: Favored by the Demon God]
[A token given only to those cherished. Allows the use and learning of dark magic. The first non-demonic being to receive it.]
[Demonic Energy + 5]
The title was straightforward, seemingly a certification that he could now learn dark magic.
Lastly, the two pieces of dark magic Lucifer described as a “service.”
[Basic Dark Magic: Decarabia’s Twisted Vegetation]
[Mana Cost: 12]
[Basic Demonic Energy Cost: 6]
[Proficiency: 1%]
[A demon, Decarabia manipulates vegetation. It seems only fragments of roots that swallowed stars can be summoned.]
This was the dark magic Jagan had used. Countless tree roots burst from the darkness, restricting movement.
[Foundational Dark Magic: Raum’s Emotional Turmoil]
[Mana Cost: 7]
[Basic Demonic Energy Cost: 3]
[Proficiency: 1%]
[A demon, Raum intervenes with emotions. Inflicts the target with terrible illusions. For now, it seems to only show illusions within the range of human imagination.]
“That’s all, then.”
This was the extent of his immediate gains. As Taesan was organizing his thoughts, he realized something else.
“I also have this.”
The golden dragon Balveness had given him one of its claws, which was the same golden color.
[Claw of the Golden Dragon] [A part of the guardian of the world. It seems like only a very powerful individual could even touch it.]
There was a blacksmith he knew who might be able to work with it.
Taesan headed upwards. The shopkeeper looked surprised to see him.
“You… met with the Demon God?”
“Can you tell?”
“I can feel the power. It’s rare for the Demon God to recognize someone who isn’t a demon…”
The shopkeeper’s gaze shifted to Taesan’s hand, where the mark of the Demon God was inscribed.
Nodding as if understanding, the shopkeeper said,
“She’s put her mark on you. Didn’t expect the Demon God to do that?”
“Huh?”
“It’s not a bad thing for you.”
The shopkeeper waved his hand dismissively.
Feeling somewhat uncertain, Taesan then went to meet the blacksmith.
“What do you need?”
“I was wondering if you could work with this.”
Taesan presented the golden dragon’s claw. The blacksmith, Harfran, initially inspected it with disinterest, but his eyes widened in astonishment.
“…Where did you get this?”
“From a place other than the labyrinth. I got it while completing a quest. Can you refine it?”
Harfran sighed deeply, his expression filled with awe as he handled the claw.
“This is something… Can I do it? If we’re talking about possibility, yes, it’s possible.”
“Are there conditions?”
Harfran nodded.
“If the core material is a dragon’s claw, the other materials also need to be of a similar caliber. You might need to go down another 10 floors or so just to gather one suitable material.”
It couldn’t be used immediately. Taesan had anticipated this, so he accepted the news calmly.
Itaewon also used several dragon-related items, most of which he had equipped upon exiting the labyrinth. The implication was that such gear was typically obtained upon clearing the Solo Mode.
“Then keep it. I’ll bring the materials when I find them.”
“I’d be grateful.”
Harfran looked at the claw with a gleeful eye. To Taesan, who decided not to disturb his fascination any further, the blacksmith’s gaze seemed almost dreamy.
Finally, the 21st floor. According to Itaewon, the monsters encountered here were different from before.
‘Spirits.’
That was the type of monster from the 21st to the 30th floor.
