Leveling Up With Skills - Chapter 193: Floor 41. The Madman Seeking a Great Mind (2)
“Who are you?” the man shouted as soon as he saw Taesan. His face was filled with rage.
“Is there even a need to ask? You’re an adventurer, right?” He then laughed, his face transforming from joy to sorrow.
Emotions flitted across the man’s face. The ghost watching this spoke.
[You haven’t changed, Valencia.]
“…Hero.” The man called Valencia spoke in a somber tone.
“So you’re dead?”
[That’s why I’m here.]
“Such a pity. I had hoped you could reach the end of the labyrinth, even if you couldn’t fulfill my wish.”
[A lot happened. And you’re still the same, I see.]
“I haven’t achieved my goal yet,” Valencia said with madness in his eyes.
“So I remain here.”
[Do you really think it’s possible? Your wish?]
“Nothing is impossible. I’ve made some progress, albeit slight.”
Valencia’s face radiated confidence.
As Taesan observed Valencia’s myriad expressions, Valencia’s gaze suddenly focused on him.
“You’re an adventurer descending the labyrinth. What do you want from me?”
A sly grin spread across Valencia’s face.
“No, it’s obvious. You’ve come seeking the key to conquer this place, just like everyone else who’s come to me before.”
Valencia’s gaze on Taesan was weary.
“Will you be the one to fulfill my wish? I doubt it. You’re just another passerby, like the rest.”
Valencia spoke despondently.
“The beings here are spirits. To kill them, you need a special skill. Go to the room on the far right and perform the Ritual of Rage. Bring back the core, and I’ll give you the skill.”
[Sub-Quest Start.]
[The Madman Seeking a Great Mind. Valencia desires something from you. Even if it doesn’t fulfill his wish, he will reward you accordingly.]
[Condition: Core of Rage.]
[Reward: A skill to attack spiritual beings.]
As expected, it was a quest similar to the one given by the Mad Spirit. Taesan nodded.
[Sub-Quest Accepted.]
“Then go. I don’t have much hope, but I’ll give you a chance.”
Valencia waved dismissively, his face filled with annoyance.
Taesan left him behind.
“What does he want?”
The Mad Spirit had a clear goal: revenge on the Spirit King who had driven him mad. Lilith wanted to learn magic.
But Valencia’s desire wasn’t as clear.
The only thing visible in him was madness.
The ghost answered.
[He seeks a perfect mind. He desires the mind of a being beyond mortality. That’s why he made a pact with the wizard and entered the labyrinth.]
A mind beyond mortality.
As Taesan pondered this, he grimaced.
“He wants to achieve that artificially? Is that even possible?”
An immortal or transcendent being’s power could shatter stars and create life. The idea of becoming such a being artificially seemed impossible to Taesan.
The ghost clarified.
[Not their power, but their mind. He wants a perfect, near-immortal mind.]
“That doesn’t make it any less impossible.”
[True. It’s impossible. But he believes he can achieve it. That’s why he entered the labyrinth. In a way, he’s similar to Lilith.]
The ghost clicked his tongue.
[Valencia doesn’t have the talent to transcend mortality. But he wants to be greater than anyone. If he can’t have their power, he at least wants their mind. So he consumed thousands of emotions. That’s the result.]
“He can’t even control his own emotions.”
[Exactly. He’s falling apart in his pursuit of perfection. That’s why he’s still there. Those who are so broken are the ones who make pacts with the wizard, but he’s exceptional.]
Listening to the ghost, Taesan made his way through the labyrinth. The spirits tried to provoke emotions in him, but they had no effect.
Soon, he reached the room Valencia had mentioned.
[You have discovered a grudge filled with rage.]
A small pillar floated in the center of the room.
It emanated a terrible emotion that even Taesan could sense.
Taesan already knew what it was from Lee Taeyeon.
It was a pillar that touched the essence of a person’s emotions.
Lee Taeyeon had touched the pillar to pass the 40th floor. She had been consumed by rage.
Her numerous rage-filled posts in the community at that time were a part of her dark history.
[Give it a try.]
Taesan placed his hand on the pillar.
Immediately, emotions overwhelmed him.
The feelings he had when a monster descended on Earth and he was thrown into the labyrinth.
The emotions he felt watching people around him die.
The anger when he was powerless and couldn’t resist the tyranny of Hard Mode.
And the feelings he had when he survived alone.
All these emotions surfaced, as vivid as if they had just happened, engulfing Taesan.
“Hmph.”
Taesan tightened his grip on the pillar with a calm expression.
The emotions popped like a burst balloon.
“This is different.”
Taesan muttered without much interest. It was a fresh experience, a mental trial rather than a physical one.
Emotions surged from Taesan and formed a core within the pillar.
A pure white core emerged, immaculate and pristine.
[You have obtained Pure Rage.]
[You passed it easily.]
Even the ghost had struggled here. He had spent two days trying to control his emotions in this place.
In contrast, Taesan was unaffected by the emotions.
The ghost, somewhat expecting this, spoke nonchalantly.
[Let’s go back.]
Taesan collected the core and returned to Valencia.
Seeing Taesan return so quickly, Valencia was taken aback.
“Already back?”
He had expected it to take at least a week. Controlling emotions took that much time. Valencia’s face, filled with surprise, turned cold.
“…You gave up and came back. Do you want me to tell you the solution?”
Some adventurers had returned without daring to touch the pillar, asking for a solution. Valencia thought Taesan was one of them.
“Get lost. There’s nothing I can do for you…”
“Is this what you wanted?”
Taesan held out the white core.
Valencia, who had been speaking irritably, froze.
Staring at the white core in disbelief, Valencia stammered.
“W-Wait. Let me see that.”
Taesan handed over the core. Valencia, in a hurry, examined it.
“Pure emotion? No way.”
He muttered to himself. After a moment of shock, he tightened his grip on the core.
Crack.
The core shattered.
And the power within it engulfed Valencia.
“Ohhh…”
His eyes glowed brightly. The immense emotion was visible even on the outside.
After a while, he caught his breath, visibly excited.
He barely calmed down and turned his gaze to Taesan.
“How did you bring this?”
“What is it?”
“…Pure emotion. A core containing only untainted rage. No adventurer has ever brought this before…”
“I don’t know. I just brought it.”
Valencia’s eyes trembled at Taesan’s indifferent response.
Then he laughed.
It was a mad laugh.
“You might be able to do it.”
“Do what?”
“Make me great.”
His eyes gleamed with greed.
“Take this.”
Valencia tossed him a key.
[Key of Emotion]
[A key Valencia received when he made his pact. It is given to another when he truly desires.]
“Go to the room at the far left on the 42nd floor. There’s a closed door there. Use the key there, and you’ll find another pillar. Touch it and bring back the core.”
[Sub-Quest Start]
[Valencia is deeply impressed by the pure emotion you brought and gives you his key. Accept the emotions of each floor as per his wish.]
[Condition: Cores from each floor.]
[Reward: Great Mind.]
The ghost, who had been silently watching, spoke.
[So it’s linked like this? When I did it, he just threw me a skill with a disappointed look.]
“You brought me something worthless.”
Valencia sneered.
“You were better than the others, but not to my liking. But this one is different. He’s reached the level I want.”
[Of course.]
The ghost chuckled.
Valencia stared at Taesan with intense eyes.
“Will you refuse?”
He looked ready to kill if refused. Taesan nodded.
“I’ll take it.”
Whatever it was, it was a quest. Completing quests meant rewards. There was no reason to refuse.
Valencia visibly brightened.
“Good. Very good. Take this first.”
[You have acquired the special permanent skill: Synchronization of Mind and Body.]
“Return to me after clearing each floor and obtaining the core. I’ll tell you the next destination.”
Taesan agreed and left.
As he walked down the corridor, the ghost muttered.
[Be careful. Most beings bound to the labyrinth are friendly to adventurers… but there are those who aren’t. Some will do anything for their own desires.]
Taesan continued through the labyrinth.
When he swung his sword at the spirits, they were torn apart with a terrible scream.
[1987 damage to the spirit filled with rage.]
He could now effectively attack what was previously impossible. Thanks to the skill Valencia had given him.
[Special permanent skill: Synchronization of Mind and Body]
[Your mind and body are synchronized, allowing you to attack beings that exist only in spirit.]
Taesan advanced further.
The spirits kept trying to provoke his emotions, but they had no effect on him.
[This place isn’t supposed to be this easy to pass through.]
For the ghost, who had struggled on this floor, it felt strange. Taesan asked
as he cleared the spirits.
“Are all floors from 41 to 50 like this?”
[Each rank has a theme. So yes, you can assume that.]
“Then it’ll be quick.”
They were practically sandbags. He felt he could clear up to the 50th floor without any resistance unless there was a trial from the gods.
But the ghost disagreed.
[That might be hard. It could take longer than the third floor.]
“Is there something?”
[Yes and no. You can ignore it if you want, but… it might be difficult.]
It was a vague answer. Taesan tried to press for details, but the ghost evaded.
[I can’t say more. There’s a limit to how much I can interfere as a non-adventurer. You’ll see for yourself.]
At least for now, there didn’t seem to be anything significant.
So, he continued through the labyrinth.
Taesan cleared the 41st floor faster than any previous floor.