Chapter 192: Floor 41. The Madman Seeking a Great Mind (1)
“Quaned is dead.”
The announcement echoed in the meeting room of the Guide of Sin’s upper echelon. They groaned.
“So, he finally fell.”
“Though it was not unexpected, it is still disheartening.”
They were not overly surprised. While Quaned’s power was indeed formidable, the power Taesan had shown descending through the labyrinth was also significant. They had anticipated that the likelihood of Quaned’s defeat was higher than his victory.
There was another reason they were not particularly flustered.
The Spirit King spoke up.
“Still, that power is ours. It doesn’t matter.”
Patricia’s contract. As long as that was in place, Quaned’s soul and power would return to them. Their eyes turned to a gray-haired girl.
“You were supposed to receive it, Societ.”
“Yes.”
Societ replied curtly. The Spirit King smiled and asked.
“How does it feel to receive another’s power?”
This was their first time transferring a soul and power through a contract. They asked out of curiosity, but Societ remained expressionless.
“I don’t know. I didn’t receive anything.”
“What?”
For the first time, the Spirit King’s face showed unease.
“Wasn’t the contract supposed to transfer his power to you?”
“It was.”
Societ’s eyes narrowed.
“But I didn’t receive anything. Neither his soul nor his power, nothing came to me.”
“What could that mean?”
The atmosphere grew tense.
“Is it certain that Quaned is dead?”
“Yes. The life-linked gem shattered. It means his body met its end.”
The old man with the staff made from an ancient tree spoke in a raspy voice. Known as the Archmage, he had crafted the life-linked gems for all the Guides of Sin.
“There is no way to deceive that…”
“None. It is impossible.”
“So, what could it be?”
“It means he left the labyrinth.”
The old man struck his staff on the floor.
“Life gems only function within the labyrinth. Once you leave, the gem’s light automatically extinguishes. But with Patricia’s contract in place, he couldn’t have left the labyrinth.”
“Breaking that contract… is impossible.”
An immortal’s contract. Breaking it was beyond their understanding.
“So, then…”
“Quaned is dead.”
“And his power did not return to us.”
Silence fell with that conclusion.
“We need to verify this. Call Patricia. Archmage.”
“Damn it. I hate being the target of her wrath.”
The Archmage scowled and began drawing a line on the floor with his staff. Soon, a magic circle was complete, and the Archmage’s robe fluttered.
“Everyone, bow your heads. If you don’t want to explode.”
They bowed low.
The Archmage struck the magic circle with his staff and chanted.
Power descended.
Immense, terrifyingly powerful. The kind of power that made even the strongest of mortals feel like insects.
The Archmage cried out.
“Descend, Patricia! O being beyond mortality!”
Boom!
A momentary pressure crushed them, and silence followed.
[What is it?]
An irritated voice rang out. The Archmage bowed deeply.
“A humble being greets the great one!”
The Archmage swallowed hard. The immortal didn’t seem to be in a good mood. Offending her could provoke her wrath over trivial matters, so he had to tread carefully.
He asked with utmost respect.
“Great one, may I ask a question?”
[Speak.]
“We offered a sacrifice and made a deal with you, Patricia.”
The sacrifices they offered were not insignificant. Even those deeply embedded in the labyrinth would consider them valuable.
“But the power did not return to us. Could you tell us what happened to the contract?”
[…]
The immortal did not answer. The Archmage kept his head down and waited quietly.
After a long silence, the immortal spoke.
[From now on, I will not accept any contracts related to him.]
“What?”
The unexpected answer made the Archmage look up involuntarily. Patricia spoke with irritation.
[Do you question my decision?]
“No, not at all.”
[Understand this. If you try to use my contracts for anything related to him again, be prepared.]
“But what about our sacrifice…”
[Do you dare ask me to return what you offered?]
Patricia’s voice was filled with anger. The overwhelming pressure and power made the Archmage panic and shout.
“No! The sacrifice is yours, Patricia!”
[Be careful, insects. I can crush you anytime.]
With those words of annoyance, Patricia departed.
The Archmage stood up, his back drenched in sweat.
“Damn immortals. They’re always difficult to deal with.”
“…The contract didn’t go through.”
There was no other reason for Patricia to be so annoyed. In the end, they had offered the sacrifice and gained nothing.
“This is troubling.”
The man who had decided to bring Quaned in spoke. The same man who had made the decision last time.
“The contract is broken. And his power might have gone entirely to that man.”
They had made the contract with Patricia not only to take Quaned’s power but also to ensure Taesan gained nothing.
But all their plans had crumbled.
“Who are the entities in the fifth rank?”
“Uh… no one significant. Just ordinary guys.”
Realizing that none of them could stop Taesan, their eyes darkened.
The man spoke.
“Find a way. We must kill him somehow.”
With Quaned dead, they had no time to lose.
They moved with serious faces.
Unaware of their plans, Taesan arrived at the 41st floor with a calm demeanor.
The outer walls of the 41st floor were withered and dried.
It looked as though no human hands had touched it for ages, with dust piled high. The floor was no different, kicking up dust with every step.
There was a shopkeeper there.
“Here already?”
“Yes.”
“Are you buying this time?”
Taesan nodded.
The shopkeeper smirked.
“How much do you have?”
“Nearly three hundred thousand.”
Having sold all the gathered materials and hoarded his gold, Taesan had around 270,000 gold. The shopkeeper whistled.
“That’s a lot. For someone who hasn’t even reached the deep levels yet, you have quite a bit. You could buy two items with that.”
“Let’s see what you’ve got.”
The shopkeeper eagerly opened a space, revealing numerous items.
Even at a glance, these were no ordinary equipment.
“Take your time to check them out. They’re quite useful.”
“I will.”
Taesan smiled and began examining the items.
[Executioner’s Axe]
[An axe that has beheaded thousands. Among the victims were great wizards, kings greater than anyone, and sages who comprehended all.]
[Attack Power +130]
[Against noble lineage enemies, Attack Power +30]
[300,000G]
“Whew.”
The first item he picked up was impressive.
Its basic attack power was 130. Far surpassing his current weapon, Carver’s Sword.
The only downside was its hefty price.
Even with his funds, he couldn’t afford it yet.
“Are these items meant to be sold?”
“Of course not.”
The shopkeeper replied as if it were obvious.
“Most of the items here aren’t meant for the average adventurer. They’re here to show what you can get if you descend further. Otherwise, you’d have to take on challenge quests like before, but I can’t give you those.”
“That’s a shame.”
If he could take on quests, he could afford most of these items. Taesan expressed his regret, and the shopkeeper waved it off.
“Who’d go broke over this? Take your time.”
The next item Taesan picked up was a magic staff with a blood-red gem at its tip.
[Staff with Star Blood Gem]
[A gem containing the blood of a wounded star.]
[Magic +70]
[Can activate the special skill “Cursed Blood.”]
[290,000G]
[Mantra’s Ring]
[A ring once used by the great Mantra. Although the truth is unknown, it contains a trace of power beyond mortal comprehension.]
[Mana +400]
[Intelligence +20]
[Defense +8]
[250,000G]
[Earrings Containing the Sound of All Things]
[Earrings containing the sound of all creation, invaluable in their own right.]
[Strength +200]
[Agility +200]
[Intelligence +200]
[Can activate the special skill “Echo of Sound.”]
[270,000G]
“How is it?”
The shopkeeper asked proudly as Taesan examined each item. Taesan nodded.
“They’re excellent.”
He could barely contain his admiration.
The prices were high, but the items were worth it. Each one could significantly enhance his abilities.
‘This is a tough choice.’
Choosing the most effective item was challenging.
Weapons were lower on his priority list since the ghost had mentioned he could obtain his weapon later.
The same went for armor. High defense wasn’t as crucial for him at this stage.
Accessories or enhancement items with unique effects were more appealing. One item in particular caught his eye.
“I’ll take this one first.”
Taesan picked up a flute.
[Flute that Calls Silence]
[A flute favored by a bard who loved silence.]
[When used, it prohibits all magic within a range for 10 minutes. This item can only be used once a day.]
[70,000G]
He had seen this flute in the shop before. As he descended, he encountered more enemies who used magic, and in trials from the gods, there were always magic users.
It was an item he would inevitably need. He hadn’t been able to buy it before due to lack of funds, but now he was ready.
The shopkeeper seemed to approve of his choice.
“That’s a good pick. It’s better to get something useful than something flashy. What’s next?”
“I need to think a bit more.”
With 200,000 gold remaining, the available items were fewer.
As he examined the items one by one, Taesan shook his head.
“None of these seem worth it.”
There wasn’t much of a difference, or if there was, it wasn’t urgent. The shopkeeper gave him a curious look.
“Nothing catches your eye? What are you wearing that makes you so picky?”
[Your gear is exceptional. You’ve completed divine trials and descended with thorough preparation. Of course, it’s good.]
“Hmm.”
Taesan continued browsing but found nothing appealing until he noticed a leather strap.
It was a simple leather strap without any decorations. Despite its plain appearance, it exuded a subtle aura.
[Leather Strap with a Faint Blessing]
[A leather strap wrapped around a sword hilt. Its origin and maker are unknown, but it was made to grip a deadly sword.]
[Attack Power +20]
[The longer you wield the sword wrapped with this strap, and the higher your sword proficiency, the more your attack power increases.]
[Removes all debuffs from wielding the sword.]
[This effect can be transferred to another weapon at any time.]
[200,000G]
The effect was not extraordinary. At first glance, an attack power of 20 seemed low for its price.
But it promised continuous growth.
And the ability to transfer the effect to another weapon was appealing. After a brief consideration, Taesan picked it up.
“I’ll take this.”
“Not a bad choice. It’s a good pick.”
The shopkeeper seemed pleased with his selection.
With that, Taesan was done at the shop.
He thanked the shopkeeper and headed to the corridor. The shopkeeper spoke with a curious expression.
“Now it’s the 41st floor, right? You’ll soon encounter them.”
“Them?”
“Yeah. They’re a bit annoying, but… you should be fine.”
It was a cryptic remark.
Taesan noted it and moved forward.
[A spirit filled with only rage has appeared.]
An opaque orb appeared.
It trembled, and Taesan felt an attack on his mind.
[Emotional Disturbance Check in Progress…]
[Check Failed!]
Taesan shook his head to clear it.
‘As expected.’
Lee Taeyeon had mentioned floors with only spiritual entities. She said it was incredibly difficult to break through because they interfered with the mind.
But it didn’t matter to Taesan.
Despite the orb’s efforts, Taesan barely felt anything. The ghost spoke calmly.
[If you can withstand the presence and rage of gods, there’s no way a mere labyrinth entity could affect you.]
Taesan swung his sword. The orb split, but no damage window appeared.
The orb reformed and continued to attack his mind.
Floor 41.
This floor was like the spirit floor he had passed earlier. Normal methods couldn’t harm spiritual entities.
‘It’s not impossible.’
If he used Apostolization to raise his spiritual power, he could strike spiritual entities. But that was an option only Taesan could consider.
Thus, there was a quest-giving entity on this floor as well.
Taesan ignored the spiritual entities and advanced through the labyrinth. Each one sent waves of rage at him, but he ignored them all.
[I had a hard time getting through here.]
The ghost muttered in admiration.
This was the 41st floor. The attacks from these monsters were no joke. The ghost had taken an hour to clear just one room. These monsters could affect the mind to such an extent.
But Taesan seemed unbothered.
[Your Meditation skill proficiency has increased by 1%.]
Taesan wandered around the entire floor. His movements were as if he knew the strategy, but the ghost didn’t think much of it. Taesan had shown too many surprises to be startled by this.
Eventually, he found a room.
Unlike the other doors, this black door was completely free of dust.
Taesan opened it.
Inside, a man with disheveled hair was laughing madly.
“Hehehe!”
[You have encountered the madman seeking a great mind.]