Chapter 114 : Floor 24. The Guide of Sin (3)
As footsteps approached, Taesan lifted his head.
“Hello?”
“You look younger than I thought.”
“Appearance doesn’t matter much, does it? But… yeah, you do look young. Barely in your twenties?”
The Guide of Sin assessed Taesan with a lack of tension.
Taesan counted them. After the fourth, no others showed themselves.
“Only four of you?”
He had expected all the Guide of Sin from the third tier to come. Knowing Taesan had defeated Jazan from the second tier, and considering Horion’s death, it would have been sensible for all to come down. But only four?
“They’ve been stuck here for decades. They might have been a threat in the past, but… their strength has faded.”
“Not all of them came… does it matter?”
The number, whether large or small, didn’t matter to him. A woman awkwardly waved her hand.
“Uh… Warrior. Hello?”
“It’s nice to see you, but we’re not exactly on greeting terms, are we?”
“True.”
The Guides awkwardly laughed, but their eyes soon hardened.
The air suddenly became tense. Taesan drew his sword.
[You have activated Reconnaissance.]
[Hazin Loiya]
[Level: 65]
[Health: 3165]
[Equipped Weapon: Spear]
[The Subdued.]
A man with brown hair and an Arabian look, holding a trident, eyed Taesan aggressively.
[Baven Luata]
[Level: 65]
[Health: 2995]
[Equipped Weapon: Dagger]
[The Subdued.]
A man in tight black clothes, presumably a rogue, held no weapon.
[Arenesia Cluius]
[Health: 2350]
[Equipped Weapon: Staff]
[The Subdued.]
The only woman among them, with long blue hair and a staff, seemed to be a mage.
[Cassian]
[Health: 2991]
[Equipped Weapon: Bow]
[The Subdued.]
Lastly, an archer.
Roles were clearly distributed. Taesan stretched his shoulders, waking up his muscles and alerting his mind.
“No need for a long chat, right?”
“Of course.”
With his response, Taesan charged.
[You have activated The Path of the Wind Stag.]
[You have activated Acceleration.]
His speed was incredibly fast, surpassing their expectations for engagement, leaving them flustered.
But they were adventurers of the 30th floor after all and began to respond swiftly. The mage waved her staff.
[Arenesia has activated Madness.]
[Judgment unnecessary!]
“What, what?”
Madness was repelled. Cassian shot an arrow. It had the power and speed worthy of the 30th floor.
Taesan didn’t evade but manipulated the wind instead. The gathered wind twisted the arrow’s path, missing him entirely.
“Damn!”
Clang!
Hazin’s spear clashed with Taesan’s sword. Feeling the force through the spear, Hazin was shocked.
‘He’s stronger than me!’
Taesan had a statistical advantage. Believing he was superior due to his peak condition at the 30th floor, Hazin had let his guard down, creating an opening.
Taesan’s sword ignited with blue flames, bypassing Hazin’s spear to strike his chest.
[226 damage to Hazin]
“Wait!”
“What kind of damage is that!”
They didn’t just stand by. The mage began chanting, the archer prepared another shot, and the rogue attempted to stab Taesan in the back.
[You have activated Decarabia’s Twisted Vegetation.]
And roots surged forth. The black energy of the vegetation swept through the room, forcing them to halt their attacks.
“Dark magic!”
“He’s not a demon, but…!”
Crack.
While they regrouped, Taesan continued to press Hazin.
Hazin fought back, activating skills and using his spear techniques to escape the crisis.
But all were blocked.
Skills were neutralized by Taesan’s slight movements, and spear techniques were penetrated by the Stormscar Sword. In an instant, more than half of Hazin’s health was depleted.
“Do something!”
“What can I do!”
[You have activated Frost Arrow.]
[You have activated Scorching Sphere.]
Taesan pressured Hazin while simultaneously using magic, dark magic, and spirit skills to pressure the other three. At the precise timing of their actions, Arenesia, frustrated by the relentless attacks, exclaimed.
“Does he have eyes on his back or what!”
Taesan’s field of vision was nearly 100%. It was as if he had no blind spots, making it hard for them with their 40-50% proficiency to understand the level of his control.
Taesan swung his sword fiercely. Hazin’s spear was overwhelmed by the force and violently shook. Taesan thrust his sword, sending the spear flying.
“Ah.”
The spear soared into the air, and Taesan’s sword pierced Hazin’s chest.
“Ah, ahh…”
[You have defeated Hazin Loiya.]
“Ack!”
Arenesia gritted her teeth and swung her hand. Her mana drained away as the spell materialized.
[Arenesia has activated Storm Arrow.]
Crash!
The wind split, forming a giant arrow. The arrow, repelled by Taesan, showed his interest.
“Strong.”
It was one of the strongest spells he had seen. If hit directly, it could reduce hundreds of health points.
“Intermediate magic… fitting for the 30th floor.”
Arenesia glared at Taesan, swinging her hand again.
The arrow was launched, leaving no room to dodge.
But Taesan had no intention to dodge.
[You have activated Forced Duel. For 10 seconds, no one but Baven Luata can deal damage to you.]
The colliding arrow exploded, losing its magical force and scattering.
“Wait, what!?”
Confused by the unexpected turn of events, Taesan charged at them.
The Guide of Sin.
They were not weak. If the four combined their strength simply, they could have pressured Taesan.
However, their coordination was clumsy, and they were unprepared.
The rogue failed to target Taesan’s back, and the archer couldn’t apply any pressure. The mage was continuously checked and couldn’t manifest any magic.
The belatedly manifested magic was also rendered meaningless by the Forced Duel.
They likely never had to synchronize before. Without a common enemy, it was a natural outcome.
Even if their coordination had been perfect, it wouldn’t have changed the outcome.
Forced Duel prevented anyone but the targeted individual from interfering with Taesan.
That was the result.
“Cough.”
“That was somewhat troublesome.”
The last remaining rogue’s chest was pierced. He tried to escape, weaving through, but couldn’t hide from Reconnaissance. The life faded from the rogue’s eyes.
[You have defeated Baven Luata.]
[Your level has increased.]
[Your Spirit Enhancement has been activated. Agility has permanently increased by 36, strength by 21, intelligence by 19, health by 100.]
[You have acquired the special activation skill [Stealth].]
Taesan had defeated four Guide of Sin, raising his level by 4. His stats had increased even more, and he acquired two skills.
“Status.”
[Kang Taesan]
[Level: 60]
[Shield: 329/329]
[Health: 3830/3830]
[Mana: 716/716]
[Magi: 44/44]
[Strength: 1246]
[Intelligence: 915]
[Agility: 1102]
[Attack + 145]
[Defense + 172]
[The target is in optimal condition.]
Every stat had risen by about 100. Defeating four Guides equated to progressing through two dungeon floors.
And there were skills.
[Special Activation Skill: Stealth]
[Mana Cost: 20]
[Proficiency: 1%]
[Conceals oneself. Hides presence. Still very rudimentary.]
A version of Invisibility. Given the description, its effects seemed similar.
Probably a skill for those unable to learn magic. Not hugely significant, but still useful.
[Beginner Magic: Wind Explosion]
[Mana Cost: 9]
[Proficiency: 1%] “Explodes the wind.”
A straightforward description. Its effect was just as simple. Taesan raised his finger.
[You have activated Wind Explosion.]
Boom!
Wind exploded in front of Taesan, forcefully slapping his face and pushing him back.
Although not very powerful, like Lightning, it had no delay and wasn’t limited to Taesan’s vicinity. Useful for restraining actions or blocking projectiles.
“So, when will they come?”
More were expected beyond these four. According to the ghost, about five more remained.
“Who knows… They might not come at all.”
The ghost mumbled ambiguously.
“They’re dead.”
Silence was broken by a man’s voice. In front of him, four gems had lost their glow.
“…All four?”
“Yes.”
The manager spoke with a sigh.
“They’re all… dead.”
“So quickly? It hasn’t even been two hours!”
Someone protested in disbelief.
“Even if they couldn’t win, they could have escaped! Don’t lie!”
“I thought so too. That’s why I sent them.”
The difference in equipment was absolute. Even if the adversary was a remarkable adventurer from the 24th floor, breaking through the 30th floor’s equipment would take significant time. They believed even in trouble, escaping wouldn’t be hard.
“But… they’re all dead.”
Silence returned.
The manager struggled to speak.
“Should we go up and fight too?”
“…That’s not very appealing. They killed four in less than two hours. Six of us might not make a difference.”
A calm woman mused. Not an incorrect judgment, but not entirely correct either.
“If that demon was here…”
The demon who had recently left the third tier. The Guide granted permission to descend deeper by the headquarters.
Initially envious, they wanted to see the difference for themselves. But a short time together showed his monstrous strength. They realized they couldn’t compete even on the same floor.
He might have stood a chance. But the manager shook his head.
“He’s already descended. And he said he wouldn’t return. It’s a pointless thought.”
“What do we do then…?”
Confused, they couldn’t decide. The manager thought hard and spoke.
“Let’s wait. That adventurer is still on the 24th floor.”
Their location was the 30th floor. Descending would take time. A man frowned.
“And give him time to get stronger?”
“Our chances are already slim. Rather than that, let’s contact below.”
“Lets wait for the headquarters to return.”
A dismal decision made them groan.
It sounded grand but boiled down to one conclusion: pray the headquarters returns before the 24th-floor adventurer becomes unbeatable. If prayers are answered, they survive; if not, they die.
Their abilities wouldn’t affect the choice.
“But there’s no other way.”
The manager argued. The others silently agreed.
“Then it’s decided. Contact them and run. Try to survive until the headquarters return.”
Someone muttered forlornly. They all smiled bitterly.
Leaning against a wall, Taesan mumbled.
“They’re not coming.”
He had waited for about two hours. Enough time for them to realize something was wrong and come up, but they were nowhere to be seen.
“Your prediction was right.”
“The Guides are broken-hearted. They’re cowards who delay decisions. But I’m disappointed.”
The ghost grumbled.
“They’ll probably wait for the headquarters to return. Whether that’s good or bad for them…”
“Doesn’t matter to me.”
Even if the headquarters came down, it wouldn’t matter. He was prepared.
“But… I might need to give them some time.”
“Why?”
“I’ve received a quest.”
Taesan looked into the void.
The quest log displayed a return to Earth.