Leveling Up With Skills - Chapter 273: Floor 61, Trial Grounds (4)

Taesan silently stared at the quest window.

The ghost, reading the content alongside him, spoke.

[…Are you kidding me?]

“No, I’m serious.”

[Then you’ve lost your mind. This is what they’re calling a quest?]

The ghost’s sharp words carried evident caution and hostility toward Beldenkia.

[The condition is to encounter Essence and make a deal? Do you even realize what that means?]

Beldenkia remained silent.

The ghost spat harshly.

[Are you trying to get him killed? Asking him to bargain with a god?]

While Taesan had engaged in quests involving gods before, this was different.

In those cases, the gods had extended their favor first. They cherished Taesan and were eager to offer him much.

That was why those deals had been possible.

But the *God of Fall* was not like that. Whether he would like or dislike Taesan was unknown.

And attempting to bargain with a god who disliked him was essentially a suicidal act.

[Besides, if it’s the God of Fall… I can already guess the situation. Ha. Do you realize how insane it is to demand the return of something that belongs to a god?]

“No.”

Beldenkia shook his head.

“I wouldn’t ask without any plans in mind. Kang Taesan, you are under the favor of the Demon God. And not just ordinary favor—I suspect it’s strong enough that he would even make you his apostle.”

As a human, Taesan wielded Magi. Not only that, he freely controlled intermediate black magic, power that even demons rarely acquired.

The Demon God had a profound interest in Taesan.

“The Demon God holds considerable influence, even among the gods. No matter how powerful the God of Fall is, he wouldn’t dare touch someone the Demon God favors so easily.”

[Do you really believe that?]

The ghost sneered at Beldenkia’s words.

[We’re talking about gods. They don’t act according to mortal plans. What if the God of Fall decides that killing him outright is worth opposing the Demon God?]

Beldenkia fell silent again.

His head drooped, his expression filled with anguish.

He knew. He understood that this plan was riddled with problems, that there were countless obstacles to overcome.

“But still!”

Beldenkia clenched his fists tightly.

“What else can I do? I’ve tried everything to save the princess! I’ve done everything I could to sway the God of Fall’s heart! I’ve prepared offerings to exchange for her soul and risked my life descending the labyrinth! I’ve spent centuries trying! But nothing worked! That cursed god wouldn’t release her, no matter what I did! I even offered myself, but the God of Fall didn’t even respond!”

His voice cracked with despair.

“I… I can’t give up. I have to save her.”

It was for this sole purpose that he had contracted with the labyrinth’s mage.

For countless years, he had remained on the 61st floor, waiting quietly for someone capable of saving the princess to arrive.

The ghost clicked his tongue.

[Well… I understand. I was no different.]

If it hadn’t been for Taesan, the ghost himself might have ended up the same. Stuck in a tomb for centuries, maybe millennia, waiting… And even if he found a worthy adventurer, the leadership of his world might have already perished by then.

Most who were bound to this place shared a similar story. Unable to achieve their desires on their own, they contracted with the labyrinth’s mage. All they could do was pray for a strong adventurer to arrive.

For Beldenkia, Taesan was likely the first and last hope. He wouldn’t let go easily.

[Anyway, I’ve laid out the risks of this quest. The decision is yours.]

The ghost stepped back. Taesan, who had been observing quietly, spoke.

“Beldenkia.”

“Huh? Yes?”

Beldenkia flinched and raised his head. His eyes were filled with nervous anticipation.

“I have one question. How did the God of Fall approach you?”

“…We were descending the labyrinth. It was difficult at first, but we supported each other and made steady progress.”

Beldenkia was the greatest mage of his world, and the princess was the empire’s finest swordsman. Unlike Taesan, who had to build his strength from the ground up, the two had been strong from the start. While they struggled, the labyrinth didn’t present insurmountable challenges.

“When we reached the mid-teens of the floors… the God of Fall descended before the princess.”

The descent of the God of Fall.

It was the same as with Amelia Aerin.

Taesan’s eyes narrowed. Beldenkia continued.

“He praised the princess as an extraordinary and remarkable human and offered her all kinds of support. Thanks to that, the princess was able to descend the labyrinth more easily. Up until then, both she and I were deeply grateful to the God of Fall.”

Beldenkia bit his lip.

“And then, we reached the place where the God of Fall resided.”

The 83rd floor.

It was around then that Amelia’s messages had ceased.

“I can’t tell you more than that for now. But the princess’s journey ended there.”

Beldenkia muttered gloomily. Taesan closed his eyes and thought.

Opposing a god. Standing against a being that could twist and destroy worlds.

The princess’s soul would likely be in the hands of the God of Fall. Rescuing her would be no simple feat.

It wasn’t a decision to be made lightly.

Beldenkia waited anxiously, his face filled with dread. After a few minutes, Taesan opened his eyes.

“All right.”

[Sub-Quest Accepted.]

“You… really?”

Beldenkia’s eyes widened, clearly not expecting Taesan to agree.

[Are you sure about this?]

“It’s a god we’re likely to clash with anyway.”

Taesan responded to the ghost’s question.

Amelia Aerin’s situation was likely similar to the princess’s. The God of Fall would approach, showering praise, only to crush her when she reached him.

And Taesan fully intended to shatter Amelia Aerin’s pride.

The God of Fall wouldn’t take kindly to that. Conflict was inevitable.

“And, I always knew this day would come. It just came sooner than expected.”

Taesan had never expected all transcendents to be friendly. Some would inevitably oppose him and seek to destroy him.

The God of Fall was likely one of them.

If confrontation was inevitable, it was better to take on the challenge now while there was something to gain.

[Well, you’ve got a point.]

“Really?”

Even after confirming the system notification indicating acceptance, Beldenkia couldn’t believe it and asked again.

“You’re really, truly accepting this?”

“I wouldn’t have come this far just to refuse. But the reward will have to be sufficient.”

“Haha, hahaha! Hahahaha!”

Beldenkia burst into wild laughter. His distorted face was filled with joy.

“Don’t worry, Beldenkia. Someone who has reached the upper levels but failed to save the princess makes you a promise.”

He slammed his staff into the ground. Mana formed into a contract and pierced Beldenkia’s heart.

“This wretched life of mine, meaningless as it is… when you complete this quest, I’ll leave everything to you.”

The quest had been accepted. Taesan had chosen to oppose the God of Fall.

For now, though, nothing had changed.

“So, you’ll have to venture into the Depths.”

“That seems to be where the God of Fall resides. Unless he chooses to manifest himself directly, resolving this immediately is impossible.”

And that wasn’t likely. Beldenkia added.

“The God of Fall is a deity who reveals himself to those he takes an interest in from the beginning of the labyrinth. Since he hasn’t appeared to you yet, you’ll have to enter the Depths and find his altar yourself.”

“Maybe.”

Taesan responded thoughtfully.

Meeting him beforehand wasn’t entirely out of the question. He was set to encounter Amelia soon.

Ultimately, the task at hand remained the same as always: to grow stronger. The next day, Taesan challenged another trial.

“This time, the trial of magic.”

*Whirr.*

A magic circle materialized, and a lich-like being emerged. At its gesture, dark magic spread outward, filling the surroundings.

[You have activated Frozen World.]
[You have activated Star Arrow.]

The dark magic was shattered by ice and light.

“Intermediate-level magic too?”

Beldenkia marveled again. Though easier to acquire compared to black magic, intermediate magic was still rare and usually accessible only to those who had reached the Depths.

Yet here was a 61st-floor adventurer wielding it with exceptional proficiency, suggesting that Taesan had obtained it long ago.

This meant that even the God of Magic favored Taesan.

Beldenkia’s hope and expectations grew even stronger.

*Boom!*

[Star Arrow proficiency has increased by 1%.]
[Frozen World proficiency has increased by 1%.]
[You have cleared the third trial.]
[You have obtained the Superior Mana Potion.]

*Superior Mana Potion*
[Permanently increases Mana by 1,000.]

The rewards were scaling up with each trial. This potion increased Mana by a whopping 1,000 points.

At this level, it would take dozens of consecutive intermediate spells to even feel any depletion in Mana.

Although Taesan wanted to immediately move on to the next trial, the one-day cooldown imposed by the labyrinth prevented him. With nothing else to do, he continued talking with Beldenkia.

“So, the princess pitied the deranged spirit on the 21st floor. She wanted to help it, but… unfortunately, she couldn’t.”

“She couldn’t deal with the golem?”

“No. We tried using magic, and the princess targeted its weaknesses, but it was invulnerable. So, while the princess kept it busy, I quickly fetched water from the spring.”

Lee Taeyeon had exploited the golem’s inactive periods, while Taesan had simply defeated it outright.

With two people, such a method was possible.

The conversation wasn’t bad. It gave Taesan insights into how other adventurers navigated the labyrinth. Beldenkia’s stories provided ideas Taesan hadn’t considered before.

“It was hard, but it was so much fun.”

Beldenkia muttered softly, his eyes filled with nostalgia.

The 21st floor. For Beldenkia, it was something from centuries ago, yet he remembered it vividly.

This underscored how precious his memories with the princess were to him.

As Taesan listened quietly, he eventually asked.

“I have a question.”

“Ask anything. I’ll answer.”

“You’ve said you want to save the princess.”

“That’s right. It’s the wish that binds me here.”

“Then why did you stop challenging the labyrinth and instead make a contract with the mage?”

The ghost, also puzzled by this, spoke up.

[Now that I think about it, you’re not dead like me. And it’s not like you lack the ability to challenge the Depths.]

Taesan still remembered the system message that appeared when he entered the labyrinth.

[This is a labyrinth created long ago by a great mage. It is said that those who conquer it will have one wish granted.]

The promise of a wish.

It wasn’t something to be taken lightly.

“…That’s a valid question.”

Beldenkia nodded.

“If you conquer the labyrinth, the mage will grant you a wish directly. It’s stated in the system, so not even the gods residing in the labyrinth could deny that wish.”

[Then why not just use that to save the princess’s soul? It would be risky, but isn’t that always the case?]

“You’re right. That was my initial plan: to conquer the labyrinth and save the princess.”

But Beldenkia shook his head with a bitter smile.

“However… it was impossible.”

[Impossible to conquer?]

“No, it’s a different problem. Even if I reached the end of the labyrinth… I wouldn’t have been able to make the wish.”

[…What do you mean? Are you saying it’s a lie?]

“It’s not a lie. We were simply mistaken.”

Beldenkia spoke softly.

“The system says ‘conquer the labyrinth.’ But merely reaching the end and conquering it are very different things.”

He let out a bitter laugh.