Leveling Up With Skills - Chapter 217: Floor 30, Rings of White and Black (1)
The note had requested that Kang Taesan come to the last place they had met.
The last time Taesan had met Hafran was on the 30th floor, which was 22 floors below the 52nd floor.
As a result, Taesan had no choice but to climb up the floors one by one.
“I wonder what’s been made.”
He had used an abundance of rare materials. Each one was of value that easily surpassed the 50th floor. Naturally, his expectations were high.
*[Considering the materials used, the ring should be something you can use until you clear the Labyrinth. However, even Hafran probably hasn’t dealt with materials of that caliber before… Who knows how it’ll turn out?]*
The ghost also seemed uncertain.
*[With his skills, it’s possible… but there’s no telling.]*
“What could it be?”
To face the powerful enemies and beings with high ranks in the future, new equipment was essential.
Carrying both hope and anxiety, Taesan arrived at the 30th floor.
“You’ve come.”
Hafran was waiting for him there.
Contrary to Taesan’s memory, Hafran looked extremely haggard. His entire body had shrunk like a deflated balloon, with his muscles wasted away and his skin cracked like parched earth.
But his eyes were brighter than ever.
*[Are you alright?]*
“I’m hanging in there. My body is in a sorry state, but mentally, I’m sharper than ever.”
Hafran gestured with his chin.
“What you want is over there.”
Taesan followed his gaze. There was an anvil.
On the anvil lay a pair of rings.
One was a pure white, cleaner than anything he had ever seen, and the other was a pitch black that seemed to devour everything around it.
A subtle aura emanated from the rings. Just from that, it was clear these were not ordinary pieces of equipment.
As Taesan moved closer to the rings, Hafran spoke.
“You’d better be careful.”
Taesan picked up the rings.
At that moment, a powerful force surged out of the rings.
It was as if the rings were repelling everything that approached them. Taesan instinctively withdrew his hand.
He stared at the rings.
The aura from the pair of rings flared like a porcupine’s quills.
“What is this?”
“Those damned rings choose their master. If they don’t like the person, they refuse to be claimed. Because of that, I couldn’t get near the anvil, and it was a real pain.”
Hafran grumbled, and the ghost let out a breath of admiration.
*[Ego Rings? You made something like that?]*
“It’s not quite that. But they seem to have a faint consciousness. I expected this, given the materials, but I didn’t think they’d be this difficult to handle.”
Hafran said, stuffing some dried jerky into his mouth.
“It’s hard to overpower the rings with sheer strength. Just wait a moment; I’ll make a supporting tool for you.”
“No need.”
Taesan approached the rings again. Hafran tried to stop him.
“Wait a moment…”
*[No need to stop him.]*
The ghost spoke leisurely.
As soon as Taesan grabbed the rings, a surge of force rushed at him.
A force that pushed away anything that came near it.
It was more of an aura than simple strength.
‘In that case.’
Overpowering it was straightforward. Taesan drew forth his own spiritual pressure.
**Boom!**
The force emanating from the rings began to be suppressed by Taesan’s aura.
Taesan restrained the aura with his hand.
“Stay quiet.”
Even without using his Apostle Transformation, the force of the rings was easily subdued by his own aura.
“I am your master. If you’re a tool, you should behave as one and be used according to my will.”
**Crack.**
Taesan firmly grasped the rings.
The force that had been surging suddenly dissipated.
Taesan raised his hand. The pair of rings now rested quietly in his palm.
Hafran’s face was filled with surprise.
“You subdued them so easily…”
“I’ve descended much deeper into the Labyrinth. I’ve gotten that much stronger.”
If he were still in the 30s floors, he might not have been able to overpower them so easily.
“You’ve grown considerably stronger…”
Hafran smiled contentedly.
“Then, go ahead and check them out. These are the rings I poured everything I had into making.”
Now, he could easily suppress the resistance of the rings. However, if he were still at the level of the 30s floors, he would have struggled and might have needed other aids.
The fact that these rings, mere pieces of equipment, could repel adventurers of the 30s and 40s floors meant they possessed significant power.
Taesan inspected the pair of rings.
One was a black ring.
The aura it exuded was rough. It seemed to recognize Taesan, but not fully accept him yet, giving off a faint sense of defiance.
*[Something dyed in black, mixed with grandeur]*
*[The user’s aura is too low to fully unlock its effects.]*
*[Attack Power +500]*
*[A ring created from the mixing of a dragon’s claw and the ember of a spirit king. It is purely powerful. The great energies within it collide, forming a partial consciousness. This consciousness is incomplete, wild, and does not accept anything other than its twin. Those who fully tame it will gain another power.]*
“Oh.”
*[What?]*
Both Taesan and the ghost spoke simultaneously.
Their reactions pleased Hafran.
“Are you satisfied?”
“No… It’s just…”
Taesan couldn’t finish his sentence. It was a ring that was enough to surprise even him, someone who rarely got flustered.
The ghost voiced his thoughts.
*[What the heck is this? Is this really a ring?]*
“It is, as you can see from the description.”
*[I know, but…]*
The ghost had read the description as well. But even he was baffled by its incredible attributes.
*[…Attack Power 500? And this is on a ring? I haven’t seen anything like this even in the deeper levels!]*
“That’s because, Hero, you never descended properly into the deeper levels. In the deepest parts, you might find equipment like this, although rarely.”
*[That may be, but…]*
The ghost kept repeating himself dumbfoundedly.
It was true that he had been killed by the Guides before he could fully explore the deeper levels.
Still, this was equipment with unbelievable stats.
Taesan let out a dry laugh.
“One ring alone almost equals half my attack power.”
“Of course. The materials you gave me were that valuable, so it’s only fitting that the equipment is this good.”
*[That’s certainly true.]*
The ghost groaned.
*[…Is this okay?]*
“What’s the problem? He simply received a reward for his efforts.”
Hafran replied, as if there was no issue at all.
“Moreover, with the strength he possesses now, even obtaining equipment like this wouldn’t be a problem.”
There was no denying that, so the ghost fell silent.
Taesan was currently facing the Apostles of the gods, monsters originating from ancient gods, and fragments of creatures that had once destroyed worlds. These were not enemies a 50th-floor adventurer could handle.
So, it wasn’t surprising for Taesan to possess equipment that far surpassed the 50th-floor standard.
It was just that this ring had performance unlike anything else they had seen, which caused their minds to momentarily pause.
“If this is how it is, what about the other one?”
The white ring, which contrasted with the black one. Its aura, too, was completely opposite.
While the black ring was rough and rebellious, the white ring had an aura of nobility, like that of a noble. It didn’t resist Taesan’s touch and seemed to acknowledge him.
*[Something dyed in pure white, mixed with elegance and mystery]*
*[The user’s aura is too low to fully unlock its effects.]*
*[It assists the user by synchronizing with their aura. Additionally, it stores various powers for use when needed.]*
*[A ring created from the merging of the Light of Origin and the Core of an Apostle. The great auras within it collide and form a single entity. This entity is complete and noble. It accepts others besides its twin. Those who fully tame it will gain another power.]*
Unlike the black ring, the effects weren’t immediately apparent. However, just what was written was enough to make Taesan exclaim in wonder.
“A piece of equipment with its own aura…”
The equipment itself possessed an undeniable aura, one that assisted Taesan.
Taesan tested it by drawing out his aura. He twisted the extracted aura using the Twisted Spiritual Force Coordination and spread it in all directions with the Three Proofs.
**Crack.**
The materialized force crushed everything around it.
Normally, balancing his aura in this way would have been quite exhausting. But Taesan didn’t feel much strain. There was a slight fatigue, but it wasn’t enough to be burdensome.
This meant that even when using Apostle Transformation, the strain on manipulating his aura would be significantly reduced.
He had gained a definite advantage in utilizing his aura. Though it wasn’t as apparent as the black ring, it was just as effective.
As for the effect of storing power, it wasn’t clear what exactly it meant, but it was unlikely to be a simple function.
“This is amazing.”
Taesan was impressed.
Moreover, these effects weren’t even the complete effects yet. The description mentioned that Taesan’s strength was still insufficient to fully wield the rings.
As he descended further, and as he grew stronger, the performance of the rings would also improve.
They were rings beyond his expectations. Hafran, too, seemed pleased with the result, smiling repeatedly.
“I’ve always wanted to create equipment that could be called ‘great.’ This was my chance to realize that dream, so I poured everything into making them.”
Taesan wore both rings.
Though he had to remove two fairly decent rings, the performance of these new ones was far superior, so it wasn’t a loss.
As soon as he wore them, the energy contained in the rings began to circulate around Taesan.
*[You have equipped a pair of rings imbued with color. Set effect activated. Strength, Agility, and Intelligence increased by 5%.]*
On top of that, a set effect increased all his stats by 5%. He couldn’t help but smile.
“Status window.”
*[Kang Taesan]*
*[Level: 113]*
*[Shield: 3469/3469]*
*[Health: 36520/36520]*
*[Mana: 3458/3458]*
*[Agility: 582/582]*
*[Strength: 7401]*
*[Intelligence: 6281]*
*[Agility: 6788]*
*[Attack Power: +1958]*
*[Defense: +1322]*
*[The target is in peak condition.]*
His attack power was now on the brink of reaching 2000.
In an instant, he had become far stronger than before.
“It seems you’re satisfied. So am I. It was a delightful time.”
He leisurely picked up his hammer.
“Bring me more next time. I’ll gladly make something again.”
“Then I’ll entrust this right away.”
“What?”
Taesan handed him the ore he had obtained from the Giant’s World and the Will of Destruction he had acquired by defeating the wolf.
Hafran took the equipment, which emitted an aura that was extraordinary even at a glance, looking somewhat overwhelmed.
“When did you get these?”
As he examined them one by one, he let out a gasp upon seeing the Will of Destruction.
“This is… something interesting you’ve brought.”
“Do you know what it is?”
“The Will that calls for the destruction of worlds. I know it well. My world was destroyed by this, after all.”
Come to think of it, Hafran’s world had been destroyed by the very world itself.
He examined the materials with a joyful expression.
“This will be good practice for the future. No time for rest, huh? Come back later, and I’ll craft something else for you.”
Leaving Hafran behind, Taesan descended once more into the Labyrinth.
He returned to the 52nd floor. He spotted a transparent snake and immediately thrust his sword into it.
*[You dealt 3423 damage to the Transparent Snake.]*
The damage had increased significantly.
The snake, unable to withstand the strike, disappeared in an instant.
He had been fast already, but now he traversed the Labyrinth at an even quicker pace.
Clearing the secret rooms and defeating the boss in no time.
The rewards for the 52nd floor were all related to magic. He collected them and offered them as tributes to Lilith.
“You’re fast… Just a little more, and the next intermediate magic will be yours. Keep going!”
She encouraged Taesan with shining eyes.
And then, Taesan reached the 53rd floor.
The monsters on the 53rd floor were Human-faced Spiders. They spat tough webs and lunged with their jaws, but they were no match for Taesan.
The 50th floors.
New challenges emerged, but nothing fundamentally changed. The strength Taesan had accumulated remained steadfast, even as he entered new tiers.
Just like before, only exceptional things could challenge him: the Altars of the Gods, the Immortals, the Guides, and the Ancient Gods.
And one of those appeared.
*[You have discovered the Altar of Beatrice.]*