Chapter 141: The God of the Sword, Ehily (Part 1)
“Haah… Haah…”
With a loud crash, a monster collapses. A smile spreads across the man’s face as he watches.
[10th Floor Clear Reward]
[Five Blue Potions]
“Wow…”
The man, Kim Yohan, exclaims in amazement. For the first time, he has managed to clear the 10th floor alone.
“Yes!”
He clenches his fist in triumph. This was a feat he had never imagined achieving before.
Kim Yohan was a Normal Mode player. Like many others, he had initially been overwhelmed and struggled to adapt before finally entering the labyrinth. However, he had been stuck on the 5th floor for several months, unable to progress.
His lack of talent was painfully apparent. He struggled against even minor attacks and had narrowly escaped death from monsters of the same level multiple times. While others who entered the labyrinth alongside him progressed, he alone remained stuck, known throughout Normal Mode as a failure, unable to find a proper party and suffering in solitude.
But now, all of that was over.
“This is truly…”
He gazed at his skill with awe.
[Divine Blessing: Struggle and Death]
[Grants all abilities related to struggle and death.]
This skill enabled him to clear the 10th floor alone. The newfound talent it bestowed upon him was astounding. He could now withstand attacks from monsters he previously couldn’t handle and defeat them with minimal damage.
Thanks to this skill, he had grown remarkably stronger. And there was one person he owed this to.
“Kang Taesan… was it?”
When the world was on the brink of destruction and choices were given, he was in Busan, so he had never seen Taesan in person. However, he had heard stories from others in Normal Mode.
The one who single-handedly defeated numerous Hard Mode monsters.
The one who faced and overcame creatures that others couldn’t even resist.
And the one who bestowed blessings upon all of them.
Thanks to Kang Taesan, Yohan was able to conquer the labyrinth. His gratitude towards Taesan was indescribable.
“I should thank him if I ever meet him.”
Reaching a place he believed he could never attain filled him with emotions beyond simple gratitude. Unbeknownst to him, a golden aura emanated from his body. This aura crossed dimensions and reached someone.
[Divine Power increased by 1%.]
Taesan paused after slaying a monster.
“Why did this suddenly increase?”
[…Indeed, why?]
His Divine Power had increased out of nowhere, causing Taesan to frown.
“Did this monster possess Divine Power?”
[Unlikely.]
“I don’t get it.”
Uncertain about the increase, Taesan continued his descent through the labyrinth. The 31st floor was nearing its end. He found a secret room and checked the reward.
[A sword imbued with holy energy]
[Attack Power +25]
[A sword blessed by the gods. Now, only its remnants remain.]
It was a weapon on par with his current one. He decided to sell it at the shop.
[Adventurer’s Title activated. Secret room rewards are doubled.]
“Whoa?”
Another sword imbued with holy energy appeared. Taesan collected it with satisfaction.
“Not bad.”
Though he didn’t need the weapon, it would fetch a good price at the shop.
After gathering the rewards, Taesan continued his advance and soon encountered the boss.
[A knight with remnants of a shattered will has appeared.]
Clank.
A white knight, similar to those he had faced before, brandished its sword. Taesan drew his dual swords and charged.
Clash!
Without activating any skills, he continuously used Wolf’s Fang and Dancer’s Dance. The knight, not one to be defeated easily, countered with its swordsmanship.
Clang!
Taesan’s sword smoothly parried the knight’s blade and pierced its armor. He stomped on the knight’s knee as it tried to counterattack, then struck its head.
[You have defeated the knight with remnants of a shattered will.]
Victory came easily. Taesan swung his sword around.
According to Lee Taeyeon, from the 31st floor onward, monsters wielding various weapons would appear. Thus, Taesan focused on improving his swordsmanship, significantly increasing his proficiency.
[Advanced Skill: Storm Scar Sword]
[Proficiency: 39%]
[Swordsmanship passed down from a fallen world. Only one person currently practices it. Proficiency is near mastery.]
He was close to reaching 40%.
Despite the rapid progress, Taesan’s expression was grim.
“It feels like I’ve hit a wall.”
His swordsmanship proficiency was improving, and there was almost no delay in activating Wolf’s Fang and Dancer’s Dance. But that was it. There seemed to be no new breakthroughs.
The ghost agreed.
[You’re reaching the limit. I mentioned before, it becomes really difficult to improve beyond a certain point without guidance.]
“Have I reached that point?”
[You’re at the critical stage. It’s a consolidation process where what you’ve learned and your accumulated skills need to merge to create something new. But that’s… not easy.]
“It’s not going to be easy.”
[Indeed, it’s a challenging task.]
The ghost spoke in a vague tone.
[There are a few methods, but none are feasible here. You need to figure it out on your own, but I’ve never seen anyone manage that. Even with the talent of struggle, swordsmanship is a different field. What should we do…]
Finding a way to learn higher-level swordsmanship…
Taesan pondered but couldn’t find an easy answer.
“Guess I’ll think about it gradually.”
[Take your time. Once you break through this stage, things will get a bit easier.]
First, he checked the clear reward.
[A white sword]
[A pristine white sword, forged from minerals unobtainable here.]
[Attack Power +35]
“Nice.”
Taesan wielded dual swords. He needed another weapon besides Carvath’s Relic. The one he was currently using had an attack power of 25, so he naturally planned to switch.
[Used ???]
[Obtained a golden sword.]
[Golden Sword]
[Attack Power +45]
[A pristine golden sword, forged from minerals unobtainable here.]
[This feels annoying. Are they mocking us?]
The ghost murmured irritably.
Taesan switched weapons again and descended to the 32nd floor.
[32nd Floor Quest Begin]
[Defeat the boss of the 32nd floor and proceed.]
[Reward: Bloodstained Armor]
[Secret Reward: ???]
“Seems like they’re not planning to give any magical items.”
Since the previous floor had knights, all the rewards were related to them. He was hoping to learn new magic, so it was a bit disappointing. Taesan sold the equipment he had obtained to the shopkeeper.
“Why do you have two of these?”
The shopkeeper looked puzzled as he collected the holy energy-infused swords.
“This should be… about 14,000 gold. Will you sell them?”
“I will.”
It was a satisfactory amount. He was finally gathering enough to buy something from the shopkeeper.
“What will you buy?”
“Not now.”
There was no rush. The lower he went, the better the equipment sold at the shop, so he planned to wait.
Taesan left the shopkeeper and descended to the 32nd floor. The monsters there, like those on the 31st floor, wore armor and wielded swords. They moved more precisely and faster than those on the 31st floor.
But that was all. He continued to break through, relying solely on his swordsmanship.
And soon, he found another god’s altar.
[You have discovered the altar of Ehily.]
[First discovery bonus]
[Strength permanently increased by 10. Health permanently increased by 30.]
“It’s been a while.”
Though not necessary, it was a pleasant reward.
Taesan closed the window and looked at the altar. The altar was very simple. In fact, it hardly looked like an altar.
A massive sword pierced the floor, reaching up to the ceiling.
An aura as sharp as a blade emanated from it.
He could guess who the owner of this altar was.
The ghost confirmed his guess calmly.
[The God of the Sword, Ehily.]
“As expected.”
He had suspected it. Since the God of Magic had a place in the labyrinth, it made sense for the God of the Sword to be here too.
“This feels a bit strange.”
He didn’t know how the God of the Sword would react to him.
In a way, Taesan had stolen the aura Ehily bestowed upon Bekweseata by ascending with his own divine power. It wasn’t strange to think he had intercepted divine power. Moreover, Bekweseata had also been destroyed. Though the Demon God had directly trampled it, Taesan’s involvement was undeniable, which made him feel uneasy.
[It shouldn’t matter. The God of the Sword is the most indifferent deity in the labyrinth. Even if they don’t show interest in you, they won’t be hostile either.]
The ghost spoke confidently. If he said so, it was likely true that Ehily wouldn’t be hostile.
Taesan approached the sword and touched it. A chill seeped into his hand.
At the same time, an aura flowed from the sword. It was calm yet heavy, filling the room.
Within the aura, several emotions could be felt.
Curiosity.
Doubt.
And welcome.
[As expected, there’s no hostility.]
[Sub-Quest Initiated]
[Ehily’s domain of influence has diminished.]
[Ehily wishes to test you, who have found their altar. If you accept, enhanced trials will come to you. If you overcome them, rewards will follow.]
[Reward: Determined by Ehily based on your performance.]
“Enhanced trials from the start, huh.”
[Even the indifferent Ehily must have heard about you. They’re not planning to take it easy. So, from here on…]
The ghost murmured with interest.
[What kind of trial will it be? Ehily is a deity who shows almost no emotion. I’ve never heard of them giving enhanced trials, so what could it be…]
“What trial did you receive?”
[Similar to Larkiratus. I had to defeat Ehily’s minion.]
“Then, will I also face a real minion?”
[Most likely.]
As they speculated about the nature of the trial, the system window appeared.
[Sub-Quest Accepted]
[Ehily’s power imbues the ghost.]
“What?”
[Huh?]
They froze. From the sword embedded in the ground, a massive aura began to envelop the white ghost.
The ghost flailed in panic.
[Wait a moment!]
[Condition 1: Land a successful strike on the ghost in an equal state.]
[Condition 2: Do not use any skills unrelated to swordsmanship.]
[Condition 3: This quest does not end unless the conditions are met.]
Taesan’s eyes widened as he read the conditions.
[Ah… Ah…]
The ghost groaned. The white, ghostly figure, reminiscent of a movie ghost, began to transform.
“…Is this possible through divine power?”
Taesan muttered in disbelief.
Platinum hair flowed down, and a balanced physique formed. Expressions began to appear on the once featureless face.
The ghost was gone.
In its place stood the prince of a fallen world.
“Ah… Ah…”
The ghost looked down at its hands. After staring blankly for a moment, it finally let out a chuckle.
“This is… quite unexpected.”
“I’m just as surprised.”
[The Prince of the Fallen World, Bardray, has appeared.]