Chapter 191: 40th Floor, Child of the Demonic Tribe (5)
Taesan approached Quaned with his sword, his eyes filled with determination. The ghost, sensing his intent, spoke quietly.
“Are you going to kill him?”
“I don’t have any other choice.”
If someone with such talent like Quaned returned after understanding Taesan’s power and becoming stronger, it could be truly dangerous. As the ghost said, he couldn’t be let go.
“But I think there might be a way to mess with them.”
“What are you going to do? Are you planning to summon the demon god?”
Nothing was as certain as a god’s intervention to break an immortal’s contract. However, the ghost spoke in a doubtful tone.
“That would be difficult. No matter how much the demon god feels sorry for him, the contract is already in place. The demon god has stated that the matters of the labyrinth are left to its denizens. If she intended to intervene, she would have stopped the contract from being made in the first place.”
The demon god took a non-interventionist stance. Even if Taesan called upon her, she wouldn’t break the contract.
Taesan knew this well.
He was considering something else.
“Patricia’s contract deals with the soul and power, right?”
“That’s right.”
It took the soul and power after death. That was the condition of the contract.
“A contract is only valid if its conditions are met. If it’s interrupted or can’t take the power fully, the contract fails.”
“That might be true… but how do you intend to interfere with it?”
“There’s a skill that’s been very helpful so far.”
“Oh.”
The ghost realized what skill Taesan was referring to.
“Spirit Ascension…”
Taesan nodded.
Spirit Ascension took the power of the enemy upon their death, including their stats and skills. It was a form of power theft.
Patricia’s contract took the soul and power. Spirit Ascension also took power.
The two forces could clash, preventing the contract from being fulfilled. The possibility was there.
“But…”
The ghost trailed off.
Patricia was an immortal. She could take power through a contract, a power that far surpassed a mortal’s capabilities.
No matter how hard a mortal struggled, it seemed impossible to overcome the power gap. Even the most extraordinary skills would be crushed under such a force and rendered meaningless.
However, the ghost couldn’t say this with certainty.
Taesan calmly pointed his sword at Quaned. Quaned, having made peace with himself, closed his eyes quietly.
An immortal’s contract.
A high-level power that took the soul and strength. There was no room for a mortal’s skill to intervene.
But with Spirit Ascension.
It worked on transcendent beings like the monsters of the ancient gods, the angels of Hamon, the apostles of the forgotten goddess, and the will of Harflan’s ruined world.
Despite being related to beings higher than mortals, Spirit Ascension activated.
Would it work? Would it not?
In Taesan’s judgment, it would work.
Taesan’s sword pierced Quaned’s chest. Quaned, already near death, lost the last of his health.
“Ah, ah…”
But Quaned didn’t die. He groaned with a pale face.
A vague something emerged from his body and floated into the air.
Taesan knew it was Quaned’s soul, everything he had accumulated so far.
The power hovered in the air, as if it had nowhere to go.
At the same time, a colossal force descended.
“Ugh…”
The ghost involuntarily held his breath. An immense will was watching this place.
That will began to take the power floating in the air. Just as all of Quaned’s essence was about to be absorbed by the colossal entity.
A surge of power erupted from Taesan’s body.
It wasn’t vast, but it was unwavering and clearly aimed at the power being absorbed.
[Your level has increased.]
[Your level has increased.]
[Your level has increased.]
[Spirit Ascension activated. Permanently increases health by 854, strength by 201, agility by 134, intelligence by 102, and dark magic by 58.]
[Spirit Ascension activated. Dark magic proficiency increased by 3%.]
[Spirit Ascension activated. Acquired basic dark magic [Eligos’s Thorny Roses].]
Part of Quaned’s power was absorbed by Taesan.
“It actually worked…”
The ghost spoke with a mix of laughter and disbelief.
A skill that could overcome an immortal’s contract and steal power.
This meant that Spirit Ascension was superior to an immortal’s contract.
“Ugh…”
Quaned was still alive. Taesan looked at him coldly.
Spirit Ascension didn’t take all the enemy’s power. Most of Quaned’s essence still floated above him.
But the colossal entity was no longer absorbing Quaned’s power.
It simply stayed there, as if in shock, doing nothing.
The ghost swallowed hard.
“This doesn’t seem like something to celebrate. Isn’t it dangerous?”
“What will happen next?”
As soon as Taesan finished speaking, the will moved.
First, it showed anger.
The space itself began to warp under the torrent of emotions. Through the distorted space, the immense entity’s eyes glared.
“How dare you.”
The pressure was suffocating.
The ghost’s presence flickered as if it would disappear at any moment.
This was the first time an entity beyond mortality had directly descended and shown anger towards him.
“How dare you touch my possession.”
Emotion-laden words filled the air.
[Instant death judgment in progress…]
[Instant death judgment in progress…]
[Instant death judgment in progress…]
The system continuously tried to determine Taesan’s instant death.
[All judgments successful!]
And they succeeded. Under the tremendous pressure, Taesan laughed.
His laughter fueled Patricia’s rage.
“An insignificant mortal. Do you think you can provoke me just because you possess something beyond your stature?”
The emotion caused a physical effect.
The labyrinth’s walls cracked and began to crumble.
The eyes gleamed with murderous intent.
“Die.”
The gaze that intended to bring death to a mortal descended.
At that moment, the bricks forming the floor of the labyrinth rose. They quickly assembled and blocked the gaze directed at Taesan.
“That’s enough.”
The entity formed by the assembled bricks spoke calmly.
“It’s against the rules, Patricia. You cannot directly interfere.”
“…Balbamaba. The wizard’s tool.”
Patricia’s eyes flickered violently.
“Do you dare to stop me?”
The bricks forming Balbamaba’s body began to scream. His body crumbled, but his tone remained unchanged.
“You made a contract when you entered the labyrinth. No direct influence on mortals. I turned a blind eye to your games with contracts, but I cannot ignore this if you go on a rampage.”
“What will you do if you don’t ignore it? Do you think you can stop me without the wizard?”
Patricia sneered at Balbamaba. From their conversation, Taesan realized that the wizard was currently absent.
Balbamaba acknowledged Patricia’s words.
“I cannot stop you. So, I’ll call someone who can.”
Darkness instantly engulfed the room.
The force crushing Balbamaba was completely erased. The space, distorted by the immense power, stabilized as it was engulfed by the darkness.
Patricia was agitated.
“The demon god!”
“That’s enough.”
With a laugh, a girl with black hair appeared.
“I’ve been holding back too, but you can’t intervene. Don’t you know the rules? Mortals handle mortal affairs.”
Patricia’s power was instantly repelled. Patricia gritted her teeth.
“…I had a contract! According to the contract, I was to take his power! That wretched mortal blocked it! Don’t interfere!”
“Of course, if it were legitimate, I wouldn’t interfere. But this is different.”
The demon god chuckled and pointed at Patricia through the space.
“Your contract requires Quaned’s entire power and soul to be transferred intact. But Taesan’s intervention caused some power to be siphoned off. The condition of the contract itself is broken.”
The demon god’s eyes curved into a smile.
“The contract is void because the condition wasn’t met. Quaned’s soul and power will be free. So why are you trying to force it?”
“…Nonsense!”
Patricia screamed. Simultaneously, a massive force began to whip through the darkness.
The demon god laughed as if it was amusing.
Boom!
A quiet yet immense clash of forces occurred. Taesan protected himself as much as possible.
“This is no joke.”
It was a clash of beings beyond mortality. If the demon god hadn’t protected him, he would have been killed hundreds of times over by the waves of force.
“Leave, Patricia.”
The demon god waved her hand. Darkness rose voraciously and began to fill the space. Patricia also mustered her power, but the difference in power was insurmountable.
“If you continue, you’d better be prepared to be sealed away forever.”
“You…!”
With that final cry, Patricia’s presence vanished.
The demon god clapped her hands lightly.
“All done, Balbamaba?”
“Yes.”
Balbamaba expressed his gratitude.
“Immortals are rarely sane. Thank you.”
“It’s fine. I could descend without expending my power thanks to you. Farewell.”
“Until we meet again.”
The assembled bricks collapsed.
After Balbamaba left, the demon god approached Quaned.
“Poor child.”
“Demon god…”
Despite his level rising and Spirit Ascension activating, Quaned hadn’t died, possibly due to the contract being broken midway. But now his face was growing pale, and his vitality was draining away. The demon god reached out and spoke gently.
“Come with me. Return to my side, my child.”
“…Yes.”
Quaned smiled and took her hand.
His body was engulfed in darkness and disappeared.
In the
space where the terrifyingly powerful beings had descended, only Taesan and the demon god remained.
The demon god spoke first.
“Thank you. Once a contract is made, even I can’t do anything about it. I had given up, feeling sorry for him, but thanks to you, he could return to me.”
“I gained something from it too. So Patricia’s contract is completely broken?”
“Yes. Thanks to you, the full transfer of power was disrupted. The guides gained nothing.”
“That’s great to hear.”
It was indeed great news. Just imagining their shocked faces brought him joy.
“What will happen to him?”
“He’s alive. His soul and power are injured, though.”
That was quite unexpected.
Taesan had anticipated Quaned’s soul would be freed, but not that he wouldn’t die. The demon god spoke with a laugh.
“It seems the conflict between your skill and the contract caused the power to be disrupted. It will take some time to heal, but he will return someday.”
“Hopefully, he won’t be an enemy then.”
“He won’t be. I’ll make sure of it.”
The demon god clenched her fist as she spoke.
“This is my reward.”
[Demon god’s intervention field has decreased.]
[You have acquired basic dark magic [Amon’s Amorphous Armor].]
The demon god laughed.
“You received intermediate magic from Zerban, didn’t you?”
Taesan nodded. Intermediate magic, Frozen World. The power was worth the effort.
“Soon, I might give you something similar. Keep descending.”
“Understood.”
With those words, the demon god left.
Taesan finally relaxed his tense body.
It was over at last. And he had gained sufficient rewards.
Taesan descended the floor.
[You are approaching the core of the labyrinth.]
[The darkness here is dense and heavy. Most of the beings here lack physical bodies and exist as spirits.]
[Floor 41 quest begins.]
[Defeat the boss of Floor 41 and proceed.]
[Reward: Jewel of the Wretched Soul]
[Secret reward: ???]
Floor 41.
The description suggested that most of the beings here were related to spirits rather than physical forms.
Taesan descended the floor. Meanwhile, the Guides of Sin realized something had gone wrong.