Chapter 162: Floor 36, The Hunchback Who Sought Twisted Mysteries (2)

[Unlike gods, they have no clear purpose. They act solely for their desires.]

“They don’t seem any different from gods.”

[They are different. Gods act for the desires related to their domains, while immortals act for their own desires.]

Gods, whether they liked it or not, were bound to their domains. This made their actions somewhat predictable.

But immortals were different. They were free. Their actions were unpredictable and hard to foresee.

“How do they compare to Lakiratas?”

[Compared to immortals, Lakiratas is very merciful. Despite his capricious nature, he acts only within his domain of combat and death. This makes him predictable and manageable. But immortals are different.]

Existences more unpredictable than a god who could change the content of a trial. The ghost continued.

[They are free-spirited beings. Some will hate you, while others might like you.]

“This time, it’s the former, huh.”

Taesan felt a gaze upon him.

It was filled with irritation.

A vast will descended upon the relic.

[The power of the Hunchback who sought Twisted Mysteries has diminished.]

[The Hunchback who sought Twisted Mysteries offers you an enhanced trial.]

Taesan looked at the system window.

Unlike before, this was an entirely unpredictable quest.

Taesan nodded.

“I accept.”

[Sub Quest begins.]

[The Hunchback who sought Twisted Mysteries tests you.]

[Labyrinth Transformation begins.]

[A twisted will envelops the 36th floor.]

A cold sensation enveloped Taesan’s entire body.

Instinctively, Taesan understood.

The spreading energy was a type of grace. Similar to divine blessings, it strengthened mortals and granted new powers.

[The power of the Hunchback who sought Twisted Mysteries manifests. Distortion of the Twisted activates.]

The power subsided. The labyrinth returned to its normal state as when he first arrived.

But Taesan frowned.

“This isn’t good.”

[Um… what is this?]

The ghost also seemed confused.

Whatever it was, they had to check it out. Taesan gripped his sword and moved away from the relic.

He soon encountered a monster.

“This is…”

The 36th-floor monster was a knight in blue armor wielding a sword.

Their swift and controlled swordsmanship made them challenging for average adventurers.

But the one before Taesan was different.

The entire body of the blue knight was twisted.

The sword was fused with its arm, and parts of the armor were corroded, leaking fluids.

[A blue knight blessed by Twisted Mysteries appears.]

“This is supposed to be a blessing?”

Indeed, the knight’s power had increased.

But that was all. In exchange for strength, it had lost its normal form.

[Because it’s not a god.]

The ghost groaned.

[Unlike gods, immortals lack the dignity. They can force their power onto mortals but can’t give stable blessings like gods. Many sought to become apostles of immortals due to the power, but…]

“And that’s the result.”

An existence twisted and broken by the power it received.

That was the fate of those who received an immortal’s power.

[This isn’t good.]

The ghost muttered as the knight moved.

With the fused sword, it charged at Taesan.

Simultaneously, cold air emanated from the knight’s body, imbued with a magical aura.

Clang!

Swords clashed.

But the knight succeeded in blocking Taesan’s sword.

A normal 36th-floor monster would’ve been sent flying, but this knight, though pushed back, endured against Taesan.

[What’s this?]

Taesan deflected the knight’s sword and stabbed its chest.

Clang!

[You dealt 222 damage to the blue knight blessed by Twisted Mysteries.]

Seeing the damage, Taesan retreated. The ghost muttered, puzzled.

[What’s this? Why so little damage?]

“It’s strange, right?”

He had used Strong Attack. Given his attack power, it should’ve dealt over a thousand damage.

[It’s obvious. The knight’s body is enhanced, and it has physical damage reduction. Even for an immortal, that’s an excessive blessing.]

The ghost found the knight’s strength unusual.

[This is really strange.]

The ghost muttered. Taesan focused on the knight.

The previous attack dealt little damage. Despite using Strong Attack, the knight’s physical defense was extremely high.

The blessing was given by the God of Twisted Mysteries.

And from what Taesan knew, mysteries often referred to magic.

Taesan stepped forward.

[You activated Scorching Sphere.]

A sphere of flame materialized beside Taesan as he charged. He blocked the knight’s swing and detonated the sphere.

Boom!

[You dealt 201 damage to the blue knight blessed by Twisted Mysteries.]

‘As expected.’

It was confirmed. The knight had high physical defense but normal resistance to magical attacks.

Taesan retreated again. The ghost, understanding the situation, spoke in disbelief.

[This is too much.]

It was clear what the trial was. It seemed to require passing the floor using only magic, without relying on swordsmanship and skills.

It was not an easy trial.

Taesan had rarely used magic. For him, magic was supplementary and not highly refined.

Moreover, all the floor’s monsters were likely blessed, making it difficult to pass.

‘But it’s not impossible.’

[You activated Frost Arrow.]

Crackle.

An icy arrow formed, freezing the air. Taesan shot it at the knight.

As the knight swung to deflect the arrow, Taesan activated another spell.

[You activated Magic Explosion.]

Boom!

The Frost Arrow exploded, scattering shards. The knight couldn’t block it and was pierced all over.

As the knight staggered, Taesan cast another spell.

[You activated Lightning Strike.]

Crash!

Lightning struck the knight, making it convulse as it charged at Taesan.

Taesan waved his hand.

[You activated Wind Burst.]

Wind exploded in front of the knight, making it stagger and stop its charge.

Seeing that Wind Burst could interrupt the charge, Taesan repeatedly cast it, pushing the knight back.

“It seems there’s a misunderstanding.”

Taesan didn’t rely on magic because he was already strong without it, not because his magic proficiency was low.

Thanks to the points from his Earth return rewards, his magic proficiency exceeded 40%. Compared to the guides who used magic, this was exceptionally high for the 30th floor.

“This is a good opportunity.”

He could handle the knight with his sword. It would take more time than usual, but he could defeat it without issue.

But with the upcoming intermediate magic, he decided to use this chance to improve his magic proficiency.

Moreover, the Hunchback who sought Twisted Mysteries seemed eager to make Taesan rely on magic.

“Then I should comply.”

He decided to pass the trial using only magic.

Taesan equipped items that boosted his magic and continuously cast spells to defeat the knight.

The immense presence watching him wavered momentarily.

Though faint, Taesan sensed a hint of agitation.

‘What’s this?’

Taesan wondered as he proceeded.

In the next room, another twisted knight awaited him. Taesan used various spells to defeat it.

Despite the relatively low damage of his magic, he defeated the knight without much trouble.

Again, the immense presence wavered.

The emotions were so strong that even Taesan could sense them.

Anger and irritation.

“This is strange.”

Taesan muttered. The gods he had encountered so far displayed rich emotions but always retained a transcendent’s composure and calm.

But the Hunchback who sought Twisted Mysteries was different. Like an ordinary human, he was irritated by Taesan’s actions.

It didn’t seem like the behavior of someone who had transcended mortality. The ghost explained the reason.

[It’s simple. Immortals are twisted beings.]

“Twisted?”

[I mentioned it before. They possess the power to reach transcendence but lack the dignity. It’s like giving a child a master sword. They may be monstrously strong, but they’re mentally weak.]

“Is that possible?”

An immortal should be far stronger than a mortal. The guides’ higher-ups had incredible power yet hadn’t descended deeply, showing their strength.

But being mentally weak and unstable seemed incomprehensible to Taesan.

[There are generally two types of immortals. Those who legitimately built up power but lacked the dignity to transcend, and those who gained power through shortcuts. The latter reaching transcendence is nearly impossible.]

The ghost’s voice was devoid of reverence or respect.

[Shortcuts have limits. This is the fate of those who relied on them. The Hunchback who sought Twisted Mysteries is likely one of them.]

Only contempt filled his words.

[Want to know something? Those who took shortcuts like the guides of sin. They hate people like you who walk the path they couldn’t.]

“Seems like you have bad memories.”

[I’ve been through some things. I didn’t stop you from taking the trials because of the rewards, but honestly, I don’t like them.]

The ghost spoke with irritation.

[Those who gained power through shortcuts. They lack the dignity and mental strength to match their power. They’re just strong. They wield their power recklessly and bully the talented. Just like this.]

A knight appeared before Taesan. He used spells to push the knight back.

[Spreading a blessing that enhances physical defense and reduces damage across the entire floor? Even for an immortal, that’s excessive. They likely aimed to kill you, not test you. They’re just panicking because it didn’t go as planned.]

“Why bother?”

[Because they’re the Hunchback who sought Twisted Mysteries. They probably hate you for receiving permission to learn intermediate magic.]

Taesan paused.

He had indeed received permission from the God of Magic to learn intermediate magic.

“All because of that?”

[These shortcutters. They go mad with jealousy and try to kill mortals just because gods show a slight interest in them.]

The ghost clicked his tongue.

[Those who gained power through shortcuts. They lack dignity. They’re consumed by jealousy and use mortals as outlets for their emotions. Be careful. Many immortals will dislike you.]

As soon as the ghost finished speaking, another wave enveloped the space.

[The power of the Hunchback who sought Twisted Mysteries has greatly diminished.]

[The power of the Hunchback who sought Twisted Mysteries intensifies the Distortion of the Twisted.]