Chapter 321
Taesan gripped the sword embedded in his chest with force.
[You have activated ‘Branch of Despair.’]
“Kuugh!”
In an instant, a wave of despair surged into Vishnu’s mind. She barely endured it, swinging her arm.
[Vishnu has activated ‘Exclusion of All.’]
‘Kiiing.’
As Vishnu’s bracelet gleamed, Taesan’s body was forcefully pushed back. It wasn’t physical power—it was a spatial distortion that forcibly widened the distance between them.
[You have activated ‘Random Blink.’]
However, the moment Taesan embedded his sword into Vishnu’s chest, he had already marked her. Without delay, he reappeared right in front of her. As his sword came down, Vishnu hastily blocked it.
‘Kwaaaang!’
Her arm was pushed back. Just as Taesan applied more force, trying to slam her into the ground, Vishnu’s body vanished.
[Vishnu has activated ‘Shoes of Spatial Transfer.’]
[You have activated ‘Acceleration.’]
[You have activated ‘Skill Acceleration.’]
‘Tat.’
And Taesan was already right in front of Vishnu as she landed.
Vishnu twisted her body just in time to evade a direct hit, gasping in shock.
“How?!”
“It’s obvious.”
He had already analyzed Vishnu’s teleportation pattern, estimated locations, and movement principles. He knew exactly where she would go in any given situation.
“You can’t teleport anymore, can you?”
He had also figured out the ‘Shoes of Spatial Transfer’s’ limitation. It was a charge-based artifact, allowing three consecutive teleports before requiring a recharge period.
Vishnu had used all three. She had no way to escape for now.
‘Kwaaaang!’
The sword came crashing down, relentlessly pressuring Vishnu.
Though she was being overwhelmed, she wasn’t just taking the hits. She swung her sword fiercely to push Taesan away.
They exchanged attacks.
“Urgh!”
Both their health was dwindling, but Taesan had ‘Forced Health Drain.’ For him, this was a favorable trade.
‘Kagagagak!’
Their swords clashed, and Taesan deflected Vishnu’s blade. As he retaliated, she tried to lure him in, thrusting her sword.
[You have activated ‘Counter.’]
With ‘Ability Sword’ activated, Taesan’s sword ignored Vishnu’s attack and pierced her chest.
“Kuuk!”
He twisted the blade and exerted more force.
‘Kwaaang!’
Activating ‘Acceleration’, he slammed her into the wall.
Vishnu raised her arms, trying to summon flames.
But only a tiny ember flickered.
She had expended almost all of her power.
“Ah… haha…”
Vishnu coughed up blood and collapsed onto the floor.
Taesan sheathed his sword.
“You held out well.”
It wasn’t just empty praise.
At this point, where she couldn’t even conjure fire, Vishnu had no chance of winning.
She would have to fight purely with her body and sword. But as a spirit, there was no way she could surpass Taesan in swordsmanship. Even in raw stats, Taesan surpassed her.
Though it was thanks to his high-tier equipment, the fact that she had endured this long was proof of her remarkable abilities.
“This is humiliating. I’ve never been in a position to be pitied by someone.”
Whether it was because she understood her situation or because she had already accepted her end, Vishnu responded calmly.
“So… I die here.”
She let out a bitter laugh.
Spirits had no inherent sense of self. Those that developed one would eventually become corrupted as their identity deteriorated.
That was the death of a spirit.
As a Spirit King, Vishnu possessed an immense lifespan, yet even she would face an inevitable end.
She had always feared that moment.
She did not want to die.
That was why she had abandoned everything and entered the labyrinth—to achieve a perfect sense of self.
But she had lost to Taesan.
Her consciousness was fading.
Her very existence was being erased, returning to nature.
One of the oldest spirits in the world was dying.
It was the moment she had feared most, yet surprisingly, she felt no overwhelming emotions.
“It’s quiet.”
Rather than expressing anger or fear, Vishnu turned her gaze toward the ghost.
“Hero. Do you not resent me?”
The ghost, silent since meeting Vishnu, finally spoke.
[Thought about mocking you… but there’s no real grudge between us. So, I’ve just been keeping quiet.]
“That makes sense.”
Vishnu had little interaction with the ghost, even among the top executives.
They had barely exchanged words.
And so, the ghost harbored no particular emotions toward her.
[There’s only one person I truly want to meet.]
“…Sociét Gardentia. The Ashen Lady, huh.”
Vishnu chuckled softly.
“A shame I won’t get to see that.”
She leaned her head against the wall and closed her eyes.
“My god… I return to you.”
With those quiet words, Vishnu’s body transformed into flames.
The fire dispersed into the air, leaving behind a single small orb.
[You have defeated Vishnu.]
[Your level has increased.]
[Your level has increased.]
[Your level has increased.]
[‘Spirit Rank Enhancement’ has activated. Health permanently increased by 5,011, Strength by 629, Agility by 532, Intelligence by 643.]
[‘Craving for Victory’ has activated. Health permanently increased by 1,066, Strength by 358, Agility by 333, Intelligence by 240.]
[‘Seed of Life’ has activated. Health permanently increased by 501, Strength by 62, Agility by 53, Intelligence by 64.]
[‘Green Witch’s Magic’ proficiency increased by 2%.]
[‘Partial World Alteration’ proficiency increased by 3%.]
[‘Spirit Rank Enhancement’ has activated. Acquired special skill ‘Avatar of Nature.’]
[‘Spirit Rank Enhancement’ has activated. ‘Spirit Arts’ proficiency increased by 5%, ‘Spirit Contract: Wind Spirit King, Minerva’ proficiency increased by 6%, ‘Natural Synchronization’ proficiency increased by 4%.]
[Acquired ‘Core of the Fire Spirit King.’]
[Acquired ‘Ancient Essence of Nature.’]
It was over.
Taesan grasped the orb.
Vishnu had not been an easy opponent. The moment ‘King’s Domain’ triggered ‘World Alteration’, he had been rendered completely helpless and could only endure her attacks.
If he hadn’t possessed ‘Partial World Alteration’, he would have had to risk using ‘Boundary Line’ to counter her.
“I’m glad I prepared for this.”
Thanks to that, he had been able to push back Vishnu’s domain and fight her on equal footing.
Of course, this situation had been special.
Vishnu’s trump card was her ability to alter the domain itself.
But Taesan also had domain-altering abilities. And his power came from an ‘Immortal’.
When both parties had similar abilities, the one wielding the Immortal’s power would naturally hold the advantage.
That didn’t mean there were no drawbacks.
‘The catalyst consumption is immense.’
During his fight with Vishnu, he had nearly exhausted all the catalysts he had obtained from the ‘Green Witch’. If he intended to keep using this power, he would have to gather more.
Mana consumption was also an issue. The more laws he had to impose to counter his opponent’s domain, the more mana he burned through exponentially.
Had it not been for the ‘Mad Spirit’, he would have been drained of mana before the fight had even concluded.
‘I need to research this.’
Finding ways to reduce catalyst consumption, defining the precise conditions under which mana was expended in domain battles—these were topics worth investigating.
It was a skill valuable enough to warrant further study.
Taesan opened his status window.
—
[Status]
Level: 141
Shield: 7799/7799
Health: 90820/90820
Mana: 7540/7540
Magi: 1128/1128
Strength: 15939
Intelligence: 14441
Agility: 16095
Attack Power: +5792
Defense Power: +3942
Status: Optimal Condition
—
His level had steadily increased as he descended the labyrinth, and after defeating Vishnu, his stats had skyrocketed.
At this point, even compared to Lee Taeyeon, the gap was noticeable.
And he had acquired a new skill.
—
[Spirit Skill: Avatar of Nature]
Mana Consumption: 1500
Proficiency: 1%
Duration: 1 hour
‘Transforms into nature itself, assimilating surrounding energy as one’s own. During the duration, grants dominion over nature and enhances the user’s abilities and presence.’
—
‘Avatar of Nature.’
When Vishnu had used this skill, her power had risen to a level almost equal to Taesan’s.
[You have activated ‘Avatar of Nature.’]
A surge of energy radiated outward.
The surrounding environment responded to Taesan’s will. His speed, strength, and presence all increased.
“So this is how it works.”
In the past, he had obtained spirit skills like ‘Deer Walking the Wind’ and ‘Small Ember’.
But ‘Avatar of Nature’ seemed to be the pinnacle of such spirit skills.
It was incredibly useful—a skill comparable to ‘Apostle Transformation’ or ‘King’s Vessel’ in terms of its impact on combat.
—
[Core of the Fire Spirit King]
‘An orb containing the absolute dominion over flames.’
[Ancient Essence of Nature]
‘A condensed form of nature’s energy, existing since the dawn of creation.’
—
These were the two material items obtained from defeating Vishnu.
[You have summoned ‘Wind Spirit King, Minerva.’]
A gust of wind blew as Minerva appeared.
Still weakened from the battle’s aftermath, her presence felt faint.
“Ugh… why are you calling me? I was resting…”
She groggily muttered, then noticed the two orbs in Taesan’s hand.
“You won… I figured you would, but still…”
Minerva’s expression was conflicted.
“Of course, I’m happy that you won, but… it’s a bit bittersweet.”
Even though Vishnu had been Taesan’s enemy, she was still a Spirit King.
As another Spirit King, Minerva couldn’t simply celebrate her death.
But for Taesan, it wasn’t something particularly meaningful. He handed her the orbs.
“Can you use this?”
“These orbs? Let me see them.”
Minerva took both and inspected them carefully.
“I can use this one right away.”
She pointed at the ‘Ancient Essence of Nature’.
“It’s just pure natural energy without any specific will or presence attached to it. It’s a culmination of extreme power formed over countless years, so I can absorb it.”
“Then use it.”
“You sure? This is incredibly valuable.”
“I don’t mind.”
Minerva needed to grow stronger. She wasn’t yet strong enough to take on the top brass.
Minerva didn’t hesitate any longer and crushed the orb in her palm.
A surge of nature’s energy seeped into her. She let out a gasp of astonishment.
“Ooooh…”
She clenched her fist as the wind swirled wildly around her.
“This is… incredible.”
“So, can you use the abilities Vishnu had?”
“Not quite to that extent… but I’ve definitely gotten stronger. Now, even if ‘King’s Domain’ is activated, I should be able to hold my ground.”
That was a satisfying enough improvement.
Taesan pointed at the other orb in her hand.
“And that one?”
The orb flickered with flames.
Minerva hesitated, rolling it between her fingers.
“I can’t touch this carelessly. Honestly, I didn’t even know a dead Spirit King could leave behind a ‘core’ like this.”
A Spirit King leaving behind their core upon death—it was unprecedented.
Even with all the knowledge she had gained in becoming a Spirit King, Minerva had no answer.
“I don’t know if I can absorb a different elemental power… or if ‘Father’ would even allow it. We’ll have to check.”
“Then hold onto it for now.”
“Alright. I’ll take this too.”
Minerva extended her hand, revealing a tiny cluster of energy.
Compared to the ‘Essence of Nature’ or the ‘Fire Spirit King’s Core’, it was minuscule.
But Taesan immediately recognized what it was.
“The Mad Spirit.”
The small spirit that had been trapped in the labyrinth, seeking vengeance.
“I thought it died.”
“It’s similar… but its will still lingers. Since I received its help, I figured I should see if there’s anything I can do.”
“I don’t mind.”
The ‘Mad Spirit’ had been far more helpful than he had expected.
Minerva gave a small smile.
“Alright then. I’ll be resting again. See you later.”
She vanished, taking the ‘Fire Spirit King’s Core’ with her.
Finally, Taesan inspected his sword.
The ‘Mad Spirit’ had fulfilled its desire and vanished.
As a result, the ability embedded within his sword—one that worked specifically against spirits—was gone.
Instead, something new had formed.
—
[The ‘Mad Spirit’ has fulfilled its wish upon entering the labyrinth. As gratitude, a reward has been given to you.]
[You have obtained ‘Embodiment of Negation.’]
[‘Embodiment of Negation’]
‘A condensed form of all hatred and rage. It can be used as material to forge new equipment.’
—
Whether it was a personal reward from the spirit or a gift from the labyrinth itself, he wasn’t sure.
But it was certainly valuable.
Everything was now settled.
Taesan turned his gaze. A slow clapping sound echoed.
Leaning against the wall, ‘Broken Man’ looked at him with a satisfied expression, applauding.
