Chapter 323

[I am the administrator of the labyrinth.]

The sound of bricks clashing echoed through the space.

[I also serve as a guide for those who seek the labyrinth. Adventurer, descending from the Upper Floors to the Deep Floors, I have something to explain to you. Whether you choose to listen or not is up to you. What will you do?]

“I’ll listen.”

Taesan responded.

[You must have experienced much while descending the labyrinth. You have likely grasped what kind of place this is and the general strategies needed to conquer it. However, the Deep Floors are different.]

These were the same words Lee Taeyeon had told him before.

Balbamaba continued.

[Until now, the labyrinth was divided into themes every ten floors. But in the Deep Floors, each floor is independent. Some may be as vast as an entire planet, while others may be so small that only one person can barely enter. You may even be transported to entirely different worlds, or the very concept of time could become distorted.]

Floors that had long since transcended the concept of confined spaces—floors that could no longer be called a labyrinth.

[That is what defines the Deep Floors. Your methods of conquest will be vastly different from before.]

Balbamaba studied Taesan for a moment before speaking again.

[But perhaps this explanation is meaningless to you.]

“You understand me well.”

Taesan was no ordinary adventurer.

He had already traveled to different worlds through the gods’ enhanced trials and had undertaken multiple quests on Earth.

If this was merely an extension of that, there was nothing difficult about it.

“Is that all?”

[That concludes my explanation. The rest you will have to discover on your own as you descend.]

Taesan began to walk past Balbamaba toward the passage.

But then, Balbamaba’s next words made him halt.

[But before that, my master wishes to meet you.]

[Huh?]

The ghost flinched.

Taesan turned back to face Balbamaba.

“Your master?”

[Really?]

[I do not speak falsehoods.]

Balbamaba answered bluntly.

[The magician who created the labyrinth—the one who brought me into existence—desires an audience with you, adventurer.]

A meeting with the magician who had created the labyrinth with the help of the gods.

However, the ghost sounded skeptical.

[A magician seeking to meet an adventurer who has only just entered the Deep Floors? That’s odd.]

[Do not ask me. I long ago grew weary of my master’s whims.]

Balbamaba sighed in irritation.

[Answer me, human. What will you do?]

“Can I refuse?”

[If that is your wish, then yes. I will simply deliver the message that you declined. A very simple task for me. Is that what you want?]

Taesan pondered for a moment.

Lee Taeyeon had never mentioned anything about a magician.

He wasn’t sure if she had deliberately withheld information or simply didn’t know.

Either way, Taesan knew very little about this magician.

After some thought, he made his decision.

“I’ll go.”

If his goal was to be achieved, he would eventually have to meet the magician anyway.

The timing had merely been moved up—there was no reason to refuse.

[How troublesome. But as his tool, I have no right to refuse. Wait here.]

Rumble!

A surge of immense power radiated from Balbamaba.

Even Taesan instinctively prepared himself as he felt the force ripple through the air.

The energy condensed, twisting the very fabric of space itself.

Having gained immense power himself, Taesan could see it clearly.

This wasn’t just distorting space—it was interfering with the very laws of the labyrinth.

It seemed to be a power granted exclusively to Balbamaba as the labyrinth’s administrator.

[Balbamaba has activated #000004.]

Crack!

The space shattered, revealing a warped dimension.

[The magician exists outside of the labyrinth. Creating a passage from inside to the outside is quite the hassle.]

Balbamaba’s voice carried traces of fatigue.

Taesan peered beyond the distorted space.

Balbamaba let out a weary sigh.

[Warrior, you are not permitted to pass. Only this human may enter.]

[I figured. Have a safe trip.]

As if expecting this outcome, the ghost detached himself from Taesan without hesitation.

Taesan stepped forward, immersing himself into the dimensional rift.

[You should be fine, but I will offer one piece of advice.]

Balbamaba spoke softly.

[The magician is the one who created the labyrinth. Keep that in mind.]

With those final words, Taesan entered the space.

What he saw was an endless expanse of twisted, warped dimensions.

Colors overlapped in chaotic disarray, creating an overwhelming, dizzying spectacle.

He surveyed his surroundings, but nothing seemed discernible.

Taesan began to walk slowly. If he kept moving, his host would eventually reveal themselves.

Yet no matter how far he walked, the space seemed to stretch endlessly.

It was like a rainbow, constantly shifting colors while distorting the very fabric of reality.

“This is different.”

Taesan had visited the domains and worlds of many gods.

His abilities, honed for observation and understanding, had allowed him to grasp the unique characteristics of each domain.

The Demon God’s domain was dark yet tranquil.

Pavsha’s domain exuded a striking, self-proclaiming intensity.

Beatrice, the Spirit God’s domain, thrived in perfect harmony.

Yet in this chaotic, prismatic realm, the characteristics of every domain Taesan had encountered seemed to be mixed together.

“Is it even possible for something to be this blended?”

This wasn’t just about strength.

A true wielder of a domain built it upon their own foundation, shaping it in their image.

Yet here, in the magician’s domain, there was no trace of individuality—only chaotic fusion.

“Hello.”

A voice suddenly rang out from behind him.

Taesan’s instincts flared. He instantly widened the distance between them.

Steadying himself, he looked up.

The owner of the voice had gray hair.

A man of unremarkable build, with an equally ordinary face.

If he were walking down the street, no one would spare him a second glance.

“Nice to meet you, adventurer.”

The man was grinning from ear to ear.

Yet from him, Taesan sensed absolutely nothing.

No scent of humanity. No will, which any living being should naturally possess. Not even the kind of presence that someone with power would normally exude.

Nothing at all.

If Taesan were to close his eyes, he wouldn’t even be able to tell if the man was truly there.

“Do you know who I am?”

“The magician.”

Taesan answered.

The creator of the labyrinth.

The man nodded.

“I am the magician of the labyrinth. The one who created and designed this space, the master of this vast domain.”

Taesan silently observed the magician.

But no matter how closely he examined him, he couldn’t discern anything.

Instinctively, he activated his skill.

[You attempt to perceive the essence—#!©#]

Like a glitched screen, the system window distorted.

The magician chuckled and flicked his finger.

“No.”

The activation of the system itself was blocked.

“I am the magician. I created and designed this place. There have been a few who, drunk on their own power, thought they could kill me and take this place for themselves—without even understanding where their strength comes from.”

His eyes narrowed.

At that moment, Taesan understood why Balbamaba had given him that final warning.

The magician was the creator of the labyrinth. The skills derived from the labyrinth’s system wouldn’t work against him.

“Since that wasn’t an attack, I’ll overlook it. Now, sit.”

Two chairs appeared in the prismatic space. The magician casually sat in one and gestured.

“Curious? Why I wanted to meet you?”

Taesan nodded.

Judging by the ghost’s reaction, the magician had never sought an audience with an adventurer who had only just entered the Deep Floors.

“Magician.”

“You can speak casually. Dealing with self-important people has grown tiresome.”

“…Why did you want to meet me?”

“Because you interest me.”

The magician answered.

He lazily rested his arm on the chair’s armrest.

“Attack nullification. Temporary time stop. Forced duel. Addition. Multiplication. Absolute judgment…”

One by one, he listed the skills Taesan had acquired.

“You didn’t just strengthen yourself based on your own natural abilities. Instead, you studied the labyrinth’s system and found ways to interfere with it, creating new skills.”

Even the ghost had marveled at these powers. Even the highest-ranking figures had failed to comprehend them.

“Many have descended into the labyrinth, and they have acquired countless skills. But very few have analyzed the system itself to craft skills like you have. You’ve met them, haven’t you? The ones who wield skills based on their own nature.”

Taesan grasped the implication of the magician’s words.

The shaman, renowned for his impenetrable defense, wielded skills related to protection. The Spirit King’s abilities influenced spirits and nature.

Even Lee Taeyeon was no exception.

She had descended the labyrinth by avoiding direct combat.

Thus, most of her skills revolved around evasion, concealment, and battlefield withdrawal.

Anyone strong enough to reach the depths of the labyrinth had their own distinct abilities.

But Taesan was different.

Attack nullification. Absolute judgment. Temporary time stop.

These weren’t personal abilities but rather skills gained by studying and manipulating the labyrinth’s system itself.

“While others use skills to enhance their abilities, you manipulate and exploit the labyrinth’s very framework. You perceive something far more fundamental.”

A glint of fascination shone in the magician’s eyes.

“Is this due to the inherent limitations of your world? Interesting.”

He then spoke again.

“I’m sure you have other questions. Ask. I’ll answer what I can.”

Taesan organized his thoughts before asking the question that could clarify everything—perhaps even bring him to the final chapter of his journey.

“They say conquering the labyrinth grants a wish. How far does that wish extend?”

“A wish, huh.”

The magician murmured.

“I cannot reveal it to those who have not cleared the 100th floor… but for you, I’ll make an exception. You already know the qualification, don’t you?”

“Conquering the labyrinth.”

It wasn’t merely about clearing the floors.

The labyrinth itself had to be conquered.

And Taesan was nearing that conquest.

“I created the labyrinth. But it wasn’t my power alone. Numerous gods, immortals, and beings of great strength collaborated to bring it into existence.”

The magician idly tapped his finger on the armrest.

“Those capable of creating and destroying worlds single-handedly all participated in constructing this place.”

A labyrinth so deep and vast.

A place where even those who had reached the pinnacle of mortality could not guarantee survival.

A domain where countless transcendent beings dwelled.

“And so, we made a promise—to grant the wish of whoever reaches the end.”

The magician continued.

“The wish can only be granted within the limitations of those who built the labyrinth.”

Taesan’s brow twitched slightly.

The magician chuckled.

“Anything allowed within the laws and order of the world—that is the reward of conquest.”