Chapter 160: Floor 35, Guide of Sin (2)
Kang Taesan put some distance between himself and Kazeart, then stabbed his sword into the magic circle on the floor.
Scrape!
The blade scraped against the ground.
But the magic circle remained undamaged.
‘This won’t work.’
“This magic circle is engraved in the labyrinth itself. Unless you have the power to damage the labyrinth, you can’t destroy it!”
Kazeart shouted, charging forward.
Taesan smirked.
A magic circle engraved in the labyrinth itself—there was no way a Guide of Sin adventurer could create such a thing.
‘So, this level of interference is allowed.’
Taesan quickly twisted his body.
Swish.
The wind brushed past Taesan.
“Hahaha!”
Kazeart laughed excitedly, his face filled with exhilaration.
A mighty power resided within him now.
He was confident that even if the previous five adventurers attacked him, he could win with ease.
‘I’m strong!’
With this power, he believed he could kill Taesan.
Kazeart attacked, adjusting quickly to his newfound strength and agility. Despite just receiving this power, his movements became smooth.
“Hmm.”
Taesan gripped his sword with both hands and swung it down.
[You have activated Strong Attack.]
Clang!
The clashing of Kazeart’s and Taesan’s swords pushed Taesan five steps back.
Kazeart, on the other hand, was pushed back only two steps.
Five steps versus two steps.
That was the difference in strength between Kazeart and Taesan.
‘Even with Strong Attack, I’m being pushed back.’
While Taesan calmly processed the outcome, Kazeart was wide-eyed in shock.
‘I’m being pushed back?’
He held the combined power of ten adventurers from the 40th floor. Despite some degradation in the transfer process, it was still power far beyond the 40th floor.
‘…I see.’
The opponent was someone who had successfully negotiated with the higher-ups, endorsed directly by the Demon God.
Kazeart calmed his excitement. With a composed gaze, he charged at Taesan.
[Kazeart activated Frost Arrow.]
Crackle.
A burst of extreme cold filled the air. Taesan wasn’t surprised by the incoming Frost Arrow. He had already confirmed through scouting that Kazeart used both sword and magic.
‘That’s probably why he was chosen.’
The ability to use both sword and magic made Kazeart a versatile opponent for Taesan.
[You have activated Frost Arrow.]
Taesan’s Frost Arrow formed in front of him, colliding with Kazeart’s Frost Arrow.
Crash!
Taesan’s Frost Arrow shattered Kazeart’s Frost Arrow.
Stunned by the unexpected outcome, Kazeart hurriedly swung his sword.
Clang!
The broken Frost Arrow struck his sword and fell.
“Even my magic is inferior?”
The proficiency of magic is generally proportional to the time spent mastering it. Kazeart’s magic proficiency was at 29%, which was quite high among Guide of Sin adventurers.
His plan to use magic to gain an advantage had shattered.
Taesan raised his sword.
“You’re definitely strong.”
Kazeart was skilled with his sword. Additionally, he used magic, and his strength and agility were superior to Taesan’s.
If Taesan hadn’t fought the Apostle of the Forgotten Goddess, this would have been a difficult battle.
But now, it wasn’t.
His opponent’s strength and agility were superior. He couldn’t fight normally.
Having defeated the Apostle, Taesan knew how to handle such an opponent.
Taesan made his decision and charged forward. Seeing Taesan’s approach, Kazeart quickly responded.
Clang!
The swords clashed.
Taesan was pushed back, as expected. The absolute difference in strength couldn’t be overcome.
But possessing strength alone didn’t guarantee victory.
Bang!
Four arrows shot out from Taesan’s body.
“What the!”
Kazeart quickly swung his sword. The arrows weaved around his sword, targeting his entire body.
“Tch!”
Kazeart’s agility was superior to Taesan’s. Dodging the arrows wasn’t difficult for him.
Moreover, even if hit, the damage was minimal. With his strength, he could withstand them.
But Kazeart didn’t know the arrows’ damage was minimal.
Not knowing this, Kazeart had to avoid the arrows.
This restricted his movements.
As a result, Taesan could draw Kazeart into the distance he desired.
Taesan focused all his attention on Kazeart.
Clang.
Their swords clashed. Kazeart tried to put more strength into his sword to push Taesan away.
Clang.
At that moment, Taesan twisted his arm, deflecting the sword’s trajectory.
When Kazeart tried to apply force, the sudden change in direction made him stagger. Taesan didn’t miss this opportunity.
Slash.
[You dealt 753 damage to Kazeart.]
“Damn it!”
Kazeart gritted his teeth. He tried to push Taesan away with his shoulder.
As Kazeart decided to move, Taesan pushed off the ground.
Taesan’s sword fell toward Kazeart’s head.
Kazeart, focusing his strength on his shoulder, hurriedly raised his sword.
Clang!
Blocking the descending sword, Kazeart twisted his lips into a sneer.
‘In this situation!’
He had the upper hand in strength.
Moreover, Taesan was airborne, making it difficult to control his body.
Kazeart intended to push Taesan away by applying force to his sword.
[You have activated Landing.]
Crash!
“Ugh!”
Kazeart groaned. The weight conveyed through the sword was immense, difficult even for him to handle.
The ability of Landing, transformed into an ability sword, was to strike hard from above.
Due to the effect of Landing, Kazeart was greatly flustered.
Ultimately, Kazeart had to withdraw his body. It was a disadvantageous move, and he had to pay the price.
Taesan thrust his sword into Kazeart’s chest.
[You dealt 840 damage to Kazeart.]
Then he slashed Kazeart’s thigh with his other sword. Kazeart, enduring the pain, tried to kick Taesan.
Crash.
But Taesan stepped on Kazeart’s foot.
Despite the superior stats, the difference wasn’t overwhelming. Blocking the force before it could fully deliver was enough.
‘Damn it!’
Kazeart was going crazy.
Every move he made was suppressed and countered. It felt like Taesan could read his mind.
And indeed, Taesan could see Kazeart’s intentions.
Kazeart tried to slash down to push Taesan away.
But Taesan read it before Kazeart could act.
Taesan immediately responded, closing the gap and preventing Kazeart from raising his sword. Kazeart, flustered, tried to punch Taesan, but Taesan dodged and thrust his sword.
“Ugh!”
In the end, Kazeart, contrary to his thoughts, could only retreat, taking damage.
Taesan smiled.
‘He became stronger, but it backfired.’
The concept skill ???, which read intentions, was not yet perfect. When he first encountered the Guide of Sin, he couldn’t read their intentions, likely due to their lower level.
But Kazeart had received the combined power of ten Sin adventurers.
His stats exceeded those of the 50th floor, and his intentions were strong enough for Taesan to read.
It made things simpler. Knowing his actions, all Taesan had to do was counter them.
Taesan continued to attack Kazeart.
Of course, Kazeart didn’t just take it passively.
Despite being a Guide of Sin adventurer, he changed his strategy upon realizing Taesan could read his actions.
Clang, clang, clang!
He swung his sword wildly, casting magic in all directions without targeting anything specific.
It was an unavoidable attack. And it worked to some extent. Taesan couldn’t block all the attacks.
[Your first Nullification has activated.]
But it wasn’t a meaningful hit.
Taking advantage of the nullification, Taesan pierced Kazeart’s neck. Kazeart retreated, clutching his neck.
“What is this! How!”
He screamed in frustration.
But nothing changed. The guides who transferred their power lay on the ground, cursing.
“What are you doing!”
“You took our power and yet you’re failing!”
“Shut up!”
Kazeart swung his sword wildly.
Taesan dodged and thrust his sword.
From then on, it was simple. Kazeart’s attacks became more straightforward as he lost his composure. Taesan dodged and countered without needing to read his intentions.
After thirty minutes of battle, Kazeart fell.
“I win.”
[You have defeated Kazeart.]
[Your level has increased.]
[Your soul force has increased.]
His stats increased significantly. He also gained new skills.
Taesan closed the system window and moved.
He stabbed his sword into the chests of the still-yelling guides.
“You came prepared, so accept your fate.”
After finishing the ten guides, his level increased by three.
[Kang Taesan]
[Level: 83]
[Shield: 1259/1259]
[Health: 14520/14520]
[Mana: 2105/2105]
[Magi: 193/193]
[Strength: 3743]
[Intellect: 3373]
[Agility: 3505]
[Attack Power: +482]
[Defense: +343]
[The target is in optimal condition.]
His health increased by 2000. His stats rose by almost 400.
Though the guides were weaker than a single apostle, their numbers made the increase substantial.
“I hope more come.”
[It wasn’t that easy, though. If you couldn’t read intentions, it would’ve been much harder.]
“True.”
Reading intentions and suppressing actions beforehand was a significant advantage.
Without it, victory wouldn’t have come so easily.
[Besides, they had stats beyond their capability, so they couldn’t fully control their intentions… Congratulations on your victory, but don’t get complacent. The deeper you go, the more opponents you’ll face who are immune to this.]
“Of course.”
Remaining calm was crucial in the labyrinth. Taesan steadied his excitement.
[You intentionally didn’t use Apostle Transformation, right?]
“There was no need.”
Using Apostle Transformation wasn’t worth it. Not using it allowed him to learn and gain more.
The ghost watched him, satisfied.
It was an impressive feat. A 34th-floor adventurer had defeated a Sin adventurer, enhanced with all sorts of buffs, without much trouble.
Even though ??? existed, skills weren’t everything. How the user handled them was more important.
It was a praiseworthy accomplishment, but Taesan remained composed, assessing himself.
‘Yes, keep moving forward.’
The ghost wished for Taesan to reach places he hadn’t. To achieve the dreams he couldn’t.
Revenge became secondary to these hopes.
Unconsciously, the ghost projected himself onto Taesan.
Taesan checked his newly acquired skills.
[Primary Transcendence Skill: Red Mane Wolf]
[Mana Consumption: 30]
[Proficiency: 1%]
[Transforms into a red wolf of noble blood. Transformation is currently impossible due to a lack of special blood.]
“A skill to transform into a werewolf.”
Like the previously obtained skill, it was currently unusable. He wasn’t sure if he could find the special blood in the labyrinth.
After a quick glance, he checked another skill.
[Special Passive Skill: Grip Strength]
[Proficiency: 1%]
[Increases the strength in your fingertips.]
“Such a skill exists?”
[This is my first time seeing it too.]
Taesan tested the skill by gripping with his fingertips, feeling a noticeable increase in strength.
“How did I get this?”
Even with his understanding of skill acquisition conditions, he didn’t know how he got this one.
“There are all kinds of skills.”
The labyrinth was vast. What he knew about skills was just a fraction.
What other skills could he acquire?
He also had to regain the skills he had lost.
There was much to do.
Taesan continued checking his new skills.
Before long, the news of Taesan’s victory over a Guide of Sin opponent reached the higher-ups.