Chapter 159: Floor 35, Guide of Sin (1)
[I’ve been watching you with great interest. Your battles have been quite entertaining.]
She sat in a chair, smiling as if she were watching her own child’s growth with delight.
[Though I was slightly disappointed that the battlegrounds were unrelated to me… I’m still quite satisfied.]
“I’m glad to hear that.”
Kang Taesan had fought in their territory, knowing it would be a hassle but aiming for this outcome.
The demon, who had been smiling and watching Taesan, tilted her head.
[You’ve changed.]
“What do you mean?”
The demon narrowed her eyes as she quietly observed Taesan.
[What’s this? Where did you get something like that?]
She spoke in a curious tone.
[I feel a power that directly interferes with your soul. It’s dangerous but powerful. Strange… It’s not something easily obtained.]
“Even you, the Demon God, don’t know?”
[I am indeed a great god. I know many things and can do many things. But I’m not omnipotent. Even a god cannot know everything.]
The demon grumbled. Taesan deduced from her words.
The Realm of the Forgotten Goddess.
Even the gods couldn’t detect what transpired there.
[Still, it’s not bad. It’s dangerous, but… with that power, you can become even stronger. And as you grow stronger, so will my power.]
“What does my strength have to do with yours, Demon God?”
Taesan was not her apostle. He didn’t trust her.
Yet, the demon spoke as if there was a connection between them, even though there wasn’t.
Instead of answering, the demon changed the topic.
[Let me explain why I came here.]
“Before that, what you mentioned earlier…”
[I have one reason for being here.]
The demon cut him off.
She didn’t seem inclined to explain further, so Taesan remained silent.
With a playful expression, she spoke.
[You’ve grown stronger.]
Her black pupils glowed.
[You’ve grown much stronger, faster than I anticipated.]
She said it with a vague expression.
[It’s a good thing, but… too fast. I expected you to gain this level of power much later.]
Even Taesan thought his current growth was quicker than expected. The biggest factor was his victory over the Apostle of the Forgotten Goddess. One battle had raised his level by four, increased his soul force, and earned him the reward for defeating a tough opponent.
[It felt unfair, so I’ve brought it forward a bit.]
“What do you mean?”
[When you reach the 35th floor, the Guides of the Sin will be waiting for you.]
Taesan realized why the demon had descended.
It was a kind of balance patch. If he continued growing stronger and reached the 40th floor, he could handle the Guides of the Sin without any issues.
So, before that, she decided he should fight the guides at a stage where it would still be a challenge. That was her judgment.
Taesan nodded.
“I understand.”
It wasn’t bad news for Taesan either. The sooner he faced them, the more he could gain.
The demon chuckled, satisfied with Taesan’s unhesitant response.
[Yes, grow stronger. And someday, I hope you come to my side. There’s someone waiting for you.]
With a laugh, the demon’s presence disappeared.
[Goodbye. I hope we meet in a deeper place next time.]
“Until next time.”
Taesan voiced his farewell.
A ghost watching quietly muttered.
[You’re probably the first human the Demon God has shown such emotions to.]
“Probably.”
When she first met him, the Demon God had said she had no interest in anything that wasn’t hers. She placed no value on humans.
Considering that, it was a significant change.
As the demon’s presence vanished completely, Taesan moved. He first sought out the secret room, bypassed the traps, and claimed the rewards.
[Ancient King’s Robe]
[Defense +40]
[A robe worn by a great king from an era now only recorded in history. The magical protections to guard the king have mostly faded.]
It was a fairly usable robe.
Next, Taesan headed for the boss. He swung his sword at the black knight charging at him with a wail.
Crash.
The knight tried to block Taesan’s sword but was overwhelmed by the sheer force, crashing to the ground. Taesan raised his sword again. The knight tried to resist, but it was too late.
Crash.
Taesan’s sword struck several more times.
[You have defeated the boss of the 34th floor. You have received the basic reward [Ring of Hathuria].]
[You have identified a hidden element of the 34th floor. You have received the reward [???].]
It had been a while since he saw a floor clear reward. Taesan checked the ring.
[Ring of Hathuria]
[Health +10]
[Mana +10]
[Attack Power +15]
[Defense +15]
[Strength +10]
[Agility +10]
[Intellect +10]
[A ring worn by Hathuria during his mortal days. It holds the lingering presence of one who rose to a great position.]
It was a decent ring that boosted all abilities. Taesan removed the bronze ring that increased health by 20.
“I can finally take this ring off.”
It was a ring given to him by Ainzhar when they first met.
Although it was a gift, he believed Ainzhar would understand.
[You used ???.]
[You obtained the Hidden Snake’s Belt.]
[Hidden Snake’s Belt]
[Defense +4]
[Agility +30]
[A belt made from the skin of a snake that lived deep in a lair. The snake remembers its death.]
“That description is rather unsettling.”
Taesan muttered as he wore the belt. It wasn’t great in terms of performance, but belts were hard to come by, so it was decent equipment.
“Alright.”
After stretching his shoulders, Taesan headed to the 35th floor.
[35th floor quest begins.]
[Defeat the boss of the 35th floor and pass.]
[Reward: Helmet of Madness.]
[Secret Reward: ???]
As he descended the stairs, the shopkeeper spoke to him.
“There are some pests waiting outside.”
“I’ll deal with them shortly.”
“Good. Get rid of them quickly. They’re annoying.”
Taesan passed by the shop.
He drew his sword and opened the door. Over ten people were waiting for him.
The first thing he felt was pressure. Their gazes and presence pressed down on him.
‘Not bad.’
Any adventurer on the 30th floor would be unable to resist and would kneel.
But it posed no threat to Taesan.
As Taesan looked at them expressionlessly, the man at the front groaned.
“The rumors are true…”
“Hello?”
[You activated Scout.]
[Kazeart]
[Level: 84]
[Health: 6213]
[Equipped Weapons: Sword, Magic]
His level was four higher than Taesan’s.
But his health was only half of Taesan’s.
“Move aside.”
A man with a wolf-like appearance stepped forward from behind them.
“I’ll go first.”
“…Arban. He’s strong. I understand how you feel, but we need to proceed as planned.”
“Shut up.”
The man called Arban growled like a beast.
“We’ve reached the 40th floor! And now we need to team up to take down an adventurer who’s only reached the 35th floor? Don’t make me laugh!”
He roared, his rough voice shaking the room.
“I can’t tolerate this!”
[Arban activated Red Mane Wolf.]
Arban immediately lunged at Taesan.
Like a beast, he used both arms and legs to launch himself, baring his fangs.
“Quite fast.”
Taesan moved his hand to grab Arban’s head.
His casual, almost indifferent demeanor made everyone momentarily think they had seen wrong.
“You, you!”
Realizing his mistake too late, Arban roared and swung his claws. The wind split as his fierce attack came.
But Taesan blocked every strike without changing his expression.
“Are you done?”
Taesan swung his sword, cutting Arban’s chest.
[You dealt 1060 damage to Arban.]
“What!”
The onlookers were shocked.
The damage was beyond their expectations.
Taesan didn’t stop.
It was a rare opportunity. He decided to eliminate one first and quickly twisted Arban’s arm, slamming him to the ground.
“Gah!”
[Arban activated Beast’s Cry.]
An emotion-shaking roar enveloped Taesan.
Taesan shook it off and stabbed his sword into Arban’s chest.
“Y-You…”
Arban died just like that.
[Your level has increased.]
[Your soul force has increased.]
“One down.”
Taesan muttered as he stood up.
Kazeart stared at Taesan with wide eyes.
‘Arban died so easily?’
Arban was strong. Before entering the labyrinth, he was known as the most talented warrior among the Red Wolf tribe, boasting of his prowess.
He had become much stronger since entering the labyrinth, yet he died so easily.
“…We need to stick to the plan.”
“You don’t have the luxury of time to ponder.”
Taesan smiled.
If he intended to kill them right away, he could have done so.
He refrained because waiting for them to finish their preparations would yield more rewards.
‘They’re weak.’
They had been stuck on the 40th floor for decades, maybe centuries. They had lost their combat instincts and sense of urgency.
“Go ahead. What did you prepare?”
“We are strong.”
Kazeart spoke. It wasn’t a lie. They all possessed powers that even emperors couldn’t easily challenge in the outside world.
“But you are stronger than us. Even if we all attack, we can’t win.”
Boom!
The labyrinth trembled.
A massive magic circle appeared on the floor. Kazeart’s eyes glowed red.
The power of the guides of sin gathered in Kazeart.
Taesan understood. It was a concentration of power.
“Oh, ohhh…”
Kazeart moaned, unable to hide his emotions.
The power of the ten Guides of Sin flowed into him.
“Hoo.”
Kazeart exhaled, consolidating the power. The guides who transferred their power were all collapsed, exhausted.
“Good.”
Kazeart gripped his sword.
“Die!”
Kazeart charged.
He moved at a speed incomparable to Arban, so fast that even Taesan had difficulty following with his eyes. Taesan quickly drew his sword.
Clang!
The blades clashed. Kazeart, who had moved behind Taesan, kicked off the ground again, aiming for Taesan’s back.
Thud.
Taesan swiftly turned and blocked.
Clang!
Kazeart’s and Taesan’s swords collided. In the end, Taesan was pushed back.
Landing on the ground, Taesan recalled the force he felt through his sword.
‘Strong.’
[Your opponent is difficult to defeat.]
“You cannot defeat me. I have received the power of all of them!”
Kazeart spread his arms excitedly.
Ten Guides of Sin were collapsed in the room.
The method involved using a magic circle to transfer all power to one individual.
Simply put, Kazeart’s current power was greater than that of an apostle before the fall.
‘But.’
That was all.
In that case, there was no problem.