Chapter 319
Taesan surged forward, cutting through the wind toward Vishnu. She swung her arm, releasing a burst of flame that obscured his vision.
Channeling spiritual energy into his sword, Taesan slashed at the rushing inferno, splitting it and creating a path.
Vishnu responded with a sharp wave of her hand, sending explosive flames and a fiery spear hurtling toward him.
Taesan deflected the spear’s trajectory with a precise swing of his sword.
‘Whoosh.’
Vishnu unleashed another torrent of fire, engulfing the space with flames that threatened to incinerate everything.
Taesan stopped his advance, taking a measured approach to assess his opponent.
This was only a preliminary skirmish. Both he and Vishnu had cards up their sleeves. It was more efficient to wait for her to reveal her hand first and then respond accordingly.
‘She uses flames to dominate and pressure her opponents by controlling the space.’
Thanks to the difference in their levels, deflecting her fire wasn’t particularly challenging for him.
“Apostle Transformation and the King’s Vessel, huh…”
Vishnu frowned. Taesan’s rank was clearly above hers.
Even so, she sneered.
“I am the Spirit King. A mere human’s rank cannot reach me.”
[Vishnu has activated Nature’s Avatar.]
‘Fwoosh.’
Flames erupted from her body, engulfing her entirely as if she had become fire itself.
With a single motion, she triggered an explosion. Taesan swung his sword.
‘Clang!’
These flames were unlike the previous ones. His sword strikes no longer pushed them back with ease.
‘Rumble.’
The flames seemed to carry weight, forcing Taesan to retreat. He leaped backward to create distance, and Vishnu poured even more power into her flames.
‘Whoosh!’
The fire spread rapidly, consuming everything in its path.
The Broken One sighed in annoyance and moved farther away as the entire space was engulfed in flames.
“Can’t you do something like that?”
Taesan glanced at Minerva, who was trying to push back the fire with winds amplified by Varkaza’s support.
“That technique links nature to oneself, drawing out overwhelming power. Sorry, but I can’t do that yet—I haven’t lived long enough for it.”
Minerva let out a strained groan.
“Spirits grow stronger with age, and this spirit in front of us… she’s one of the oldest I know.”
“Kneel, human.”
Vishnu declared boldly. The flames condensed into a tangible force that sought to devour Taesan.
[You have activated Strong Strike.]
His sword struck the flames, scattering them briefly. Minerva unleashed a powerful gust of wind to create a pathway through the inferno.
Even so, the fire pushed back relentlessly, surrounding the space and obscuring his vision.
It felt as if he had been dropped into a world made entirely of fire.
In terms of sheer strength, Taesan was at a disadvantage.
But it wasn’t insurmountable.
“Minerva.”
[You have activated Frozen World.]
An icy storm surged outward. While the flames quickly melted it, the continuous activation of Frozen World gradually suppressed the heat.
Taking advantage of the moment, Minerva unleashed her full power. A fierce wind tore through the fire, carving a path toward Vishnu.
Taesan dashed forward.
[You have activated Acceleration.]
Vishnu triggered another explosion of flames, but this time, Taesan didn’t falter.
[You have activated Frozen World.]
[You have activated Magic Focus.]
‘Crack!’
Frost surged forward, cutting through the weakened flames. Taesan’s sword slashed down toward Vishnu.
She conjured a barrier of fire, but Taesan poured more force into his blade.
[You have activated Absolute Judgment.]
The moment his sword touched the barrier, it disappeared.
Vishnu’s eyes widened in shock. Taesan swung his sword mercilessly toward her head.
But just before the strike landed, Vishnu’s body vanished.
[Vishnu has activated Shoes of Spatial Transference.]
“Tch.”
She reappeared at a distance, her gaze steady.
“So that’s why the Shaman lost… you have a skill that bypasses defenses.”
She had suspected as much. Considering how the Shaman—renowned for his absolute defenses—had been defeated so quickly, it made sense.
Still, to see her barrier vanish without resistance…
“How does someone who hasn’t even reached the deep layers possess such skills?”
Clicking her tongue, Vishnu gathered her flames again. The crimson fire swirled and began to change color.
Taesan didn’t wait. He leaped forward, aiming his sword at her chest.
[Vishnu has activated Shoes of Spatial Transference.]
Once again, she disappeared, reappearing farther away.
Taesan frowned.
“No cooldown?”
“I’ve seen enough. Your power… it’s not that special.”
While formidable and effective, Taesan’s abilities were fundamentally tied to the labyrinth’s system. Unlike Vishnu or dragons, he lacked a personal, innate power.
“If that’s the case, I’ll crush you with overwhelming force.”
“Behold.”
The flames she had gathered turned white.
“This is my domain, granted only to the Spirit King.”
The white fire erupted, consuming the space entirely.
[Vishnu has activated King’s Domain.]
The laws of the world twisted as the space transformed.
Taesan instinctively realized what had happened.
The 70th floor of the labyrinth had become Vishnu’s domain.
[You are facing an opponent against whom victory is impossible.]
Vishnu spoke calmly.
“Die.”
The flames surged toward him.
[Your First Absolute Attack Nullification has been activated.]
The nullification absorbed the attack. Seizing the brief opening, Taesan quickly gathered Magi.
[You have activated Marbas’s Pitch-black Wave.]
A tide of black energy surged forth, seeking to devour everything in its path.
Vishnu clicked her tongue and snapped her fingers.
“You have quite the arsenal.”
The white flames opened their jaws and swallowed the black tide.
The wave vanished instantly, as if extinguished in a vacuum. It was a futile attempt, akin to trying to ignite fire underwater.
Vishnu’s entire body transformed into flame and vanished in an instant.
Sensing danger, Taesan instinctively swung his sword to his left with all his might.
“Good instincts.”
Vishnu, who had appeared right next to him, caught his sword.
Her flame-forged fingers clutched the blade tightly, halting its advance.
“But that’s all.”
The flames surged outward, engulfing Taesan completely.
[Your Second Absolute Attack Nullification has been activated.]
“Second? You possess multiple skills of that level?”
Vishnu’s expression showed her surprise. Minerva hastily gathered her winds, but a casual wave of Vishnu’s hand dispersed them instantly.
“You are meaningless now, young Spirit King.”
Minerva’s entire body trembled. She struggled to maintain her form, but she was on the verge of disintegration.
“This is my domain of flame. No other natural being has any power here.”
“Ahhh!”
Minerva collapsed, her body cloaked in wind slowly succumbing to the flames.
“Surrender, mortal.”
Flames consumed the space entirely.
“This is the power of a king.”
Having activated her [King’s Domain], Vishnu had become overwhelmingly powerful. Taesan, who had been holding his own until now, was suddenly forced on the defensive.
Taesan quickly realized what had caused this shift.
‘Domain control.’
The 70th-floor space itself had become hers.
It was similar to his own [Partial World Alteration], where an area is transformed into a world under the user’s control, governed by their rules.
As the Spirit King, Vishnu—being a natural existence—had forcibly imposed her world on the labyrinth, twisting nature itself to make it her domain.
Taesan pushed back the encroaching flames with his gathered aura.
It was only natural that he would be at a disadvantage. This entire space was now her world, where everything obeyed her will and laws.
Without the protection of his [Absolute Blessing], he wouldn’t have been able to withstand the constant drain on his stamina.
Taesan moved swiftly, focusing on evasion and defense rather than counterattacks, all while formulating a plan.
[You have activated Mental Acceleration.]
Victory was impossible unless he broke through this domain.
The question was how to do it.
A domain created by overwriting the labyrinth itself, Vishnu’s [King’s Domain] must have come at a significant cost.
There was undoubtedly a time limit, but how long that limit was, he couldn’t tell. Enduring her onslaught until the domain expired didn’t seem like a viable strategy.
Hiding was also not an option. Since the space itself was her domain, there was nowhere to hide.
[Word of Command] wouldn’t work either—it was ineffective against attacks imbued with strong intent and will.
The [Boundary Line] was his trump card, but it wasn’t time to use it yet.
He needed the most efficient solution—something that would allow him to counter her abilities while minimizing his losses.
Taesan braced himself against the raging flames with the Aegis Shield. As soon as its duration expired, he teleported away using [Random Blink], but the flames quickly closed in again.
He swung his sword with concentrated power and spoke.
“Minerva.”
“Ugh… Yes?”
Minerva and Varkaza were holding on against the relentless flames, barely managing to resist. Taesan called out to her.
“Can you buy me some time?”
“…How much time?”
“A few minutes.”
“A few minutes…”
Minerva gave a bitter smile. She didn’t want to admit it, but Vishnu was far stronger than her. As an inexperienced Spirit King, Minerva couldn’t match Vishnu’s mastery over her domain and her [Nature’s Avatar].
Still, Minerva replied confidently.
“That’s enough. Leave it to me. Varkaza!”
[By the will of the King.]
A rainbow burst forth, and Minerva unleashed a storm of wind.
Vishnu glanced at the approaching Minerva with disinterest.
“Foolish resistance.”
“I’m still a King. I won’t leave without doing anything!”
Minerva concentrated all her power into her wind.
Her storm, carrying everything she had, pushed back the flames—if only slightly.
Meanwhile, Taesan expanded his senses.
He carefully analyzed the characteristics of Vishnu’s domain and the twisted rules of her world, piecing together every detail.
Using the information he gathered, he began preparing his counter. He activated the catalyst embedded in his wrist guard.
Noticing his actions, Vishnu waved her flames furiously.
But Minerva didn’t falter.
‘Annoying.’
Even though she was young, Minerva was still a Spirit King—a being that commanded the wind itself. By pouring all her strength into the effort, she could assert her presence even within the flames.
And Taesan was equally troublesome.
‘Why isn’t he taking any damage?’
This space was her domain. Any unpermitted being should have been suffering severe harm just by standing here.
But Taesan was unharmed.
Protected by his [Absolute Blessing] and his distorted spiritual coordination, he was shielding himself entirely—a fact Vishnu couldn’t comprehend, making him all the more vexing.
‘I can’t give him any more time.’
She didn’t know what he was planning, but she was certain it wouldn’t benefit her.
Determined to finish things quickly, Vishnu gathered her flames.
The fire, which had spread across the space, converged all at once. Like a storm, it surged violently, engulfing everything in its path.
“Ugh!”
Minerva wrapped herself in wind to shield Taesan, releasing a powerful gust that scattered the flames momentarily.
Taesan activated another skill.
[You have activated Greed of Destruction.]
The bracelet on Taesan’s arm erupted with energy, devouring the flames.
Though the fire resisted fiercely, it was gradually swallowed, crushed, and extinguished.
Vishnu’s expression darkened.
Even after using so much power, neither Taesan nor Minerva had fallen.
“Ha… Haha…”
Minerva slowly collapsed. Her form began to disintegrate as she succumbed to the overwhelming power, forced into a reverse summoning.
Varkaza had already been reverse-summoned.
“Was that enough…?”
“It’s enough,” Taesan nodded.
Minerva grinned.
“Then that’s fine. Good luck.”
With those words, she vanished.
Vishnu floated arrogantly in the air, looking down at Taesan.
“Is your final act of resistance over?”
While it was impressive that he had endured this long, her power remained intact. Meanwhile, Taesan had lost Minerva, the Spirit King.
The situation still heavily favored Vishnu, who retained overwhelming dominance.
“If that’s the case, die where you stand.”
Flames surged forward, painting everything in his field of vision in a brilliant crimson hue.
“This is my first time using this, so it was a bit of a struggle.”
Taesan muttered to himself as he watched the approaching flames.
The knowledge had been in his head, but knowing something and putting it into practice were entirely different matters. Analyzing the domain of the Spirit King and adjusting his skill accordingly had taken quite a bit of time.
But thanks to Minerva’s efforts, he had completed everything.
Roots encircling Taesan’s arm began to writhe. He swung his arm fiercely.
[You have activated Partial World Alteration.]
The roots erupted into motion.
The laws of the world that had been under Vishnu’s control began to twist. Vishnu’s expression froze.
“…What is this?”
The world she had overlaid, the rules she had bent to her will, began to be overwritten by another world. The flames gradually died down as her domain started to fade.
“What is the meaning of this!”
Vishnu was stunned. The space she had transformed into her domain was vanishing.
“I am the Spirit King! This is my realm!”
“So what?”
Vishnu unleashed a torrent of fire, her frustration evident. Taesan responded immediately.
[You have activated Frozen World.]
‘Crack!’
The icy storm surged forward.
This time, the power it carried was unlike before.
The flames rushing toward him froze mid-air as the cold spread across the space, consuming it. The walls of the labyrinth were covered in frost in an instant.
Vishnu, realizing the danger, cloaked herself in fire and detonated it, preventing the ice from touching her.
However, the air around her froze instantly.
The 70th floor was now split evenly between frost and flame.
At first, Taesan had to activate Frozen World repeatedly just to push back Vishnu’s flames.
Now, it was Vishnu who was forced to expend her energy to fend off the cold.
“What is this?”
Taesan raised his sword. Vishnu was undoubtedly powerful.
In terms of raw strength, she was superior to him.
But the domain he had established, though imperfect, was the realm of an immortal—a power beyond mortality. In terms of rank, it was clearly above the Spirit King.
Seeing her confusion, Taesan spoke.
“And there’s someone with a grudge against you.”
He unleashed the presence that had been boiling within his sword ever since encountering Vishnu.
[You have activated the Wrath of the Acknowledged.]
From within the sword, the long-slumbering, maddened spirit began to awaken.
