Leveling Up With Skills - Chapter 194: The 42nd Floor (1)
The boss of the 41st floor was a spirit filled with rage. As always, it had no effect on Taesan.
Having cleared everything on the 41st floor, Taesan began to check his rewards one by one.
First up was the secret room reward.
**[Elven Longbow]**
**[Attack Power +69]**
**[Accuracy +60%]**
**[A bow crafted to protect the realm of the Elves]**
The bow had high attack power and accuracy. It was a decent piece of equipment.
Of course, for Taesan, who didn’t use bows, it was just an item to be sold in the shop.
**[Jewel of the Wretched Soul]**
**[A gem harboring a soul more wretched than any other. The emotions contained within are overwhelming.]**
“Is this a crafting material?”
**[Seems like it.]**
“I won’t be able to use it for a while.”
Currently, blacksmith Harfran was crafting top-grade equipment for him. Harfran had told him not to visit as ghosts would only get in the way, so the material would just sit in his inventory for the time being.
“I need to deal with this too.”
He glanced at the ore Umberak had given him. At a glance, it was far from ordinary.
If it were used to make equipment, something quite useful would come out.
**[Just wait a little longer. Taking it all the way to the end is more beneficial than making something mediocre.]**
“I know.”
So Taesan wasn’t visiting him either.
Then there was another reward.
**[Brilliant Shining Glory Anklet]**
**[Strength +100]**
**[Defense +70]**
**[An anklet known to shine brighter and be more valuable than anything. It not only shines but also has unparalleled performance.]**
“Oh.”
It was quite good.
Its defense was 35 points higher than his current anklet. Considering he had changed his anklet relatively recently, it was a noticeable difference.
“It must be because the floor changed.”
In the labyrinth, the major appearance of floors changes every 10 floors. Correspondingly, the performance of the equipment also increases.
Now that he had reached the 41st floor, the equipment he would acquire would be a step above what he had obtained so far.
“And how about this.”
He examined a leather strap wrapped around the handle. Its effect was a continuous increase in attack power.
Indeed, his attack power had increased by 1, to 21.
An increase of 1 per floor. Simply calculating, he would only gain around 60 if he went down to the 100th floor, but it wouldn’t be that straightforward. The increase would get higher as he descended further.
It wasn’t a bad effect.
This was what he found in the 41st-floor shop.
Taesan descended to the next floor, looking forward to what he might obtain.
**[42nd Floor Quest Start]**
**[Defeat the boss of the 42nd floor and pass through.]**
**[Reward: Ring of the Distorted Soul]**
**[Secret Reward: ???]**
The monsters on the 42nd floor were spirits filled with sorrow. Just like the rage-filled spirits before, they tried to affect Taesan mentally, but as before, Taesan was unaffected.
He sped through the labyrinth quickly.
“This is the first time it’s been this easy.”
**[You’ve always passed easily.]**
The ghost chuckled. To Taesan now, it didn’t matter whether the monsters in the labyrinth were spirits or physical beings. Except for the bosses, they fell with a single touch.
“I can’t even use the dark magic I acquired.”
The rose thorns he obtained by defeating Qwaned and the formless armor bestowed by the demon god.
He wanted to test their effects at least once, but there was no opportunity to use them.
As he defeated the spirits, he asked the ghost.
“Qwaned was taken by the demon god, right?”
Despite the spirit strike activating upon defeat, he didn’t die, possibly because of their contract. His soul and body were taken by the demon god.
“He said he would return, but is that possible?”
**[If the demon god personally treats his soul and body, it’s not impossible. There isn’t just one path. The labyrinth undoubtedly strengthens those who advance, but… there are other places. You’ve experienced a few, haven’t you?]**
“The trials of the gods, right.”
Baltazahar, Rakiratars, Maria, the demon god.
Their trials had visibly strengthened Taesan. The ghost agreed.
**[Qwaned will also receive a trial from the demon god. He could become stronger and return. But that’s not necessarily a bad thing.]**
The ghost spoke calmly.
**[As long as he doesn’t become your enemy, he could be of great help. There are quite a few floors in the depths that are impossible to clear alone.]**
Lee Taeyeon had said the same thing. That some floors couldn’t be cleared alone and that help from others was necessary.
Despite that, she had found all sorts of ways and managed to clear them, proving she was an incredible woman.
Snap.
Within the brief conversation, he had already cleared nearly half the floor. As he continued, Taesan remarked,
“The difference in power between gods and immortals is bigger than I thought.”
Immortals were those who had transcended mortality. While a difference in power existed, he didn’t think it would be that vast.
But the demon god had easily subdued the raging Patricia. Although it seemed to deplete some of his power, it didn’t appear to be significant.
**[Is it just strength they possess, or do they have authority as well? The difference is substantial. For us mortals, it’s not a big deal, but for those who have transcended mortality, the gap is insurmountable. So, you should be careful.]**
The ghost spoke calmly.
**[As you know from experience, most immortals won’t favor you. Unlike gods, they directly interfere. Be prepared.]**
“I don’t care.”
The more they tried to kill him, the more Taesan could gain. All he had to do was overcome them.
While conversing, Taesan skillfully navigated the labyrinth and collected the secret room rewards.
This time, it was a shield. Although he had acquired two due to his adventurer title, they were useless with Aegis Shield. They would also be sold in the shop.
With the preliminary sorting done, Taesan searched for the hidden room.
As on the 41st floor, there was a single pillar floating in the room.
**[You have discovered a grudge filled with sorrow.]**
Taesan grasped the pillar.
Emotions surged into his mind.
The sorrow of surviving alone in Easy Mode.
The sorrow of discovering a familiar person dead one day.
The sorrow of surviving alone under the oppression of Choi Junhyuk.
Taesan smiled. These were emotions from when he was still inexperienced.
“Get lost.”
He squeezed the pillar. The emotions condensed, forming a pure white core.
Taesan pocketed the core.
Only the boss remained.
On his way to the boss, Taesan suddenly remembered something and spoke.
“Patricia said that the wizard is currently away.”
She had taunted Valbambaba, asking if he could stop her without the wizard.
In other words, if there was a wizard, they could stop an immortal.
“Is the wizard a transcendent being?”
**[I don’t know? I don’t know much about them. They’re shrouded in mystery.]**
“You said you’ve seen them directly, right?”
**[I have, but I didn’t feel any aura from them. If I didn’t know who they were, I would have thought they were just an ordinary adventurer.]**
“Then what kind of person is the wizard?”
**[…It’s hard to describe.]**
The ghost spoke in a vague tone.
**[They seem like a madman but also the coldest person. They appear to be dreamers but are also very realistic. It’s best to meet them in person and judge for yourself. Because if you keep going down this path… you’ll meet them someday.]**
The wizard of the labyrinth.
It seemed Lee Taeyeon had never encountered the wizard, as she had never mentioned them.
While sorting his thoughts, Taesan reached the boss.
**[The spirit filled with sorrow has appeared.]**
He ignored the spirit’s attack and swung his sword. The spirit resisted but was crushed without meaning.
**[You have defeated the spirit filled with sorrow.]**
**[Your Mirror-Smooth skill proficiency has increased by 1%.]**
“This is really easy.”
It felt like a walk in the park.
At least on the 40th floors, there didn’t seem to be any monsters that would trouble him. The ghost grumbled.
**[It’s not supposed to be like this. You’re supposed to break through while shedding tears and snot.]**
**[Ring of the Distorted Soul]**
**[Attack Power +3]**
**[Defense +2]**
**[Strength +50]**
**[Intellect +30]**
**[Harboring a once-strong but now utterly broken soul.]**
It had high attack and defense. It also had decent strength and intellect stats. As expected, the equipment from the 41st floor onward was a step above.
**[You have used ???.]**
**[You have obtained the Flute of the Man.]**
**[Flute of the Man]**
**[A flute that enchanted the children of a village.]**
**[When played, it attempts to enchant all targets within range.]**
It was an item with a special effect. It was unclear how strict the enchantment judgment would be, but it wasn’t bad to have it.
Having cleared the 42nd floor, Taesan returned to the 41st floor.
He handed the pure core to Valencia, who was waiting there.
“Oh!”
He eagerly took the core and broke it. The emotions that leaked out penetrated Valencia’s body.
“Oh…”
His eyes shook violently.
After a long while, he managed to calm down and burst into laughter.
“Good! Very good! The 43rd floor! Third room on the left. Go there and bring the emotions from that place!”
Valencia laughed maniacally. His dangerous gaze turned to Taesan.
“Go down like that! Bring all the cores from the 50th floor. And then…”
He didn’t finish his sentence.
Only a twisted smile was visible.
“Hehe! If this continues… if this continues, I’ll really…”
Valencia, who had already shown significant emotional changes before, was now worse.
He was literally going mad.
Taesan, who had received a new quest, descended to the 43rd floor.
**[43rd Floor Quest Start]**
**[Defeat the boss of the 43rd floor and pass through.]**
**[Reward: Helmet of the Broken One]**
**[Secret Reward: ???]**
The monsters on the 40th floors couldn’t stop him. Unless he received a quest from a divine altar or a special NPC, he planned to keep descending without stopping.
Taesan began to clear the 43rd floor.
The monsters on the 43rd floor were spirits filled with joy. Positive emotions surged into Taesan’s mind.
Of course, as monsters, it wasn’t just simple joy. For someone with weak mental strength, it was a level of joy that would make them tremble uncontrollably, unable to control their emotions.
Of course, it had no effect on Taesan.
Within just a few minutes, he had cleared more than half the floor.
He collected the secret room reward. It was a staff imbued with magical power. It wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t something he would use. He planned to offer it to the god of magic.
Then he found the hidden room and activated the pillar. He suppressed the joy that erupted from there and took the core.
“…Already?”
Valencia was more astonished than pleased by his speed. Stammering, he gave information about the secret room on the next floor.
With the information in hand, Taesan returned to the 43rd floor and defeated the boss.
He collected the clear reward.
**[Helmet of the Broken One]**
**[Strength +5]**
**[Defense +100]**
**[Movement Speed +5%]**
**[A helmet that once belonged to a great warrior but met a pitiful end.]**
It had high defense. Its defense was twice that of his current helmet.
The downside was that changing his helmet would nullify the special effects linked to his armor, but the conditions for that were too stringent. The special effects only activated when he was immersed in hatred and madness, which Taesan had no reason to be.
Therefore, it was worth changing.
The ??? reward was a cloth armor with magic stats. However, it had a penalty of reducing defense, making it tricky to use.
“I’ll offer this as a tribute too.”
Having finished his inspection, Taesan immediately descended to the 44th floor.
**[Why so fast?]**
The ghost chuckled lightly.