Chapter 339
Taesan muttered as he read through the explanation.
“Skill Cooldown Reset?”
A skill he had obtained in his past life, allowing him to reset the cooldown of a chosen skill and use it immediately.
Upon reading the description, that skill came to mind.
But as he examined it carefully, his gaze darkened.
“It’s not on that level.”
The greatest advantage of Skill Cooldown Reset was not simply refreshing cooldowns.
That was just a secondary effect.
Its true power lay in resetting the very concept of having used a skill.
For example, skills like Addition or Strong Strike could not be used multiple times within a single attack.
That was a natural restriction.
If Addition could be stacked endlessly on a single strike, then the Attack stat would lose all meaning.
Skill Cooldown Reset partially erased those limitations.
If Addition had already been used on an attack, it could be reset and applied again.
In his past life, Taesan had used Skill Cooldown Reset on Multiplication.
That was how he had dealt billions in damage.
However, the effect of this ring was solely to reset cooldowns. Nothing more.
It could not remove attack restrictions.
Compared to Last Opportunity, which eliminated all skill activation conditions, this was significantly weaker.
If Taesan were to obtain Last Opportunity now, he could wield Boundary Line without any risk.
In comparison to those two skills, this was considerably inferior.
But even so, it was still a powerful piece of equipment.
Being able to reset long-cooldown skills like Transformation was a valuable effect on its own.
‘So they’re handing out gear of this level from here onward.’
It was equipment befitting the deeper floors.
Moreover, the fact that he could wear multiple rings made it even more valuable.
And maybe, just maybe, he could use this to acquire Skill Cooldown Reset or Last Opportunity.
The chances were slim, but not zero.
Satisfied, Taesan moved on to examine the other equipment.
[Belt of the Savage Space’s Master]
– [Strength +500]
– [Attack Power +200]
– [Defense +500]
– A belt crafted by the ruler of a savagely distorted space. At one time, rivers ran red with blood as warriors fought to claim it.
[Robe of the Ruler]
– [Strength +300]
– [Attack Power +180]
– [Defense +400]
– A robe once made for a great ruler now forgotten. Though their name has faded from memory, traces of their worship remain.
[??? has been used.]
[Obtained Brynhildr’s Final Earring.]
[Brynhildr’s Final Earring]
– [Health +1500]
– [Mana +20]
– [Strength +300]
– [Agility +300]
– [Intelligence +30]
– [Attack Power +30]
– [Defense +30]
– The earring granted to Saint Brynhildr in the final moments before his execution.
Overall, the equipment was simple yet powerful.
Even without special effects like the ring, their raw stats alone were more than satisfactory.
“Now then.”
Only one item remained.
Taesan reached for the gem-like, black object.
[Will That Calls for Destruction]
– The will of an existence born solely for the destruction of the world. The only desire it was ever allowed has been left behind as a fragment.
The Source of Gluttony, the Embodiment of Negation, and the Will That Calls for Destruction.
He had amassed quite a collection of high-value material items.
Including the Fragment of Will, there were now four in total.
It was time to find Haphran.
Taesan began walking.
“You’ve arrived.”
Haphran greeted him, his gaze shifting toward the specter beside Taesan.
“Something happened? Your presence feels different.”
[Something did. It’s personal, so don’t concern yourself with it.]
“I understand.”
Respecting Taesan’s wishes, Haphran did not pry further.
He then refocused on Taesan.
“So, what brings you here this time? More materials?”
“I wanted to see what you could do with these.”
Taesan handed him the Source of Gluttony and the Will That Calls for Destruction.
Haphran’s eyes gleamed as he examined the Source of Gluttony.
“This is… astonishing.”
His voice carried a note of admiration.
“A pure accumulation of greed. The Foundation Layer. Did you take down its ruler?”
Taesan nodded.
Haphran let out a short laugh.
“Even in the deep layers, your power remains dominant. I expected as much, but it’s still remarkable.”
Even highly skilled adventurers who descended to the 70th floor often found themselves trapped in the Foundation Layer for extended periods.
Many of the Guides of Sin were among them.
Despite their talent, they had been stuck on the 74th floor for an exceptionally long time.
Considering that, Taesan’s progress was undeniably exceptional.
After finishing his remark, Haphran turned to examine the Will That Calls for Destruction.
As he studied the black gem, his expression twisted.
“This…”
He looked from Taesan to the ghost beside him.
Then, nodding to himself, he spoke.
“So that’s how it is.”
[I told you, you don’t need to worry about it.]
“…Understood. It’s not exactly something to celebrate. My condolences.”
Haphran offered his respects before absentmindedly fidgeting with the gem.
“I told you before, didn’t I? Equipment related to Will is beyond my expertise.”
“This is one of them?”
“In terms of power and rank, it’s comparable to the Fragment of Will you showed me before.
You’d be better off taking it to Kosrun.”
Kosrun, the mad dwarf who resided at the entrance of the deeper layers.
Haphran had said that when it came to handling Will, Kosrun was among the best.
As he examined the gem, Haphran’s eyes landed on Taesan’s sword.
“That weapon… it holds a similar level of Will.”
“I don’t know how I’ll use it yet.”
The Will of Prophecy—which had once attempted to consume Taesan to defeat the Demon King.
It still resided within his sword.
However, unlike before, it was now eerily quiet.
As if its role had ended after Taesan defeated the Demon King.
The strength and essence contained within the blade were formidable.
After all, it had allowed him to overcome a Demon King who had surpassed the realm of mortals.
If he could find a way to harness it, it would be a great power—but for now, Taesan didn’t know how.
As he examined the sword, Haphran spoke.
“If you bring that to him, he’ll be able to handle it.”
“Even something of this level?”
“I told you, he’s the best when it comes to this. I don’t speak lightly.”
Haphran returned the materials to Taesan.
“I don’t know exactly where he is, but you’ll come across him soon. Go find him and talk to him.”
“Got it.”
Taesan took back the materials.
But he didn’t descend to the 73rd floor right away. Instead, he stayed on the 72nd floor, checking the community.
Lee Taeyeon and Kang Junhyuk were steadily progressing through the labyrinth. Seeing that their proficiency in Ability Sword was increasing, even if only slightly, meant they were using it frequently.
Some time had passed, and nations were starting to return from their quests and re-enter the labyrinth.
Most of these were small nations or neighboring ones, but from what he heard, Earth didn’t seem to be in any major trouble.
Taesan spent the day on the 72nd floor.
After restoring the skills and stats he had expended while defeating the Demon King, he stepped into the 73rd floor.
The structure of the 73rd floor wasn’t much different from the previous ones. There was likely something deeper inside, but at least for now, it had the appearance of a typical labyrinth.
However, the power that filled it was anything but normal.
The Demon God had told him—on the 73rd floor, right at the entrance, a Guide of Sin would be waiting.
“Busy as ever.”
Taesan ran his hand along the wall. A tingling energy of mana was embedded within.
Mana patterns spread across the walls, floor, and ceiling in intricate formations.
Taesan passed through the corridor and opened a door.
The moment he stepped inside, he felt it.
The 73rd floor.
The interior was covered with countless magic circles. Spells of various types overlapped in dozens of combinations, covering the walls and ceiling.
The power within intensified as mana overflowed like a waterfall.
This was an extreme level of mastery—something only possible for someone with unparalleled talent, who had dedicated their entire life solely to magic.
At the center of it all stood an old man.
Wearing a robe and holding an ancient staff, he spoke in a sharp voice.
“You have arrived.”
[You have encountered the Archmage, Shayan.]
“A mage this time, huh.”
Taesan muttered as he gripped his weapon.
“So you’ve made it here at last.”
Shayan scowled.
When he first heard of Taesan, he thought he was just another adventurer among the many.
He assumed Taesan would either submit to them or die before long—there was no third outcome.
Yet Taesan, with the blessing of the gods and his own strength, had reached this place.
He had defeated two high-ranking members of their order and was now standing before them.
“Congratulations, warrior. You’ve chosen a fine tool to achieve your goal. We thought it would be impossible to reach the end of the labyrinth before us.”
Shayan sneered, but the ghost beside Taesan remained silent.
Even in front of his sworn enemy, his emotions were eerily calm.
Shayan frowned at the strangeness.
“…Something happened? I expected you to be filled with hatred the moment you saw me. After all, I played a major role in crafting the weapon that killed you.”
[So you were one of them.]
The ghost finally spoke.
[It makes sense. That weapon was beyond what they could forge without someone like you.]
Yet his emotions did not waver.
Shayan, unaware of the situation, was momentarily taken aback. But he brushed it off.
“You don’t even resent me? Then why did you make a pact with the magician?”
Shayan clicked his tongue and turned to Taesan.
“I acknowledge it. You are strong. Perhaps you may even reach deeper than us.”
The Guides of Sin had finally broken through the long-blocked 74th floor.
They were descending through the labyrinth at an accelerated pace—but Taesan was moving even faster.
In terms of growth speed, they couldn’t compare.
“But this is where it ends.”
Shayan struck his staff against the ground.
Countless magic circles flared to life.
Clank.
The circles began activating.
Abstract geometric formations spun and interlocked. Amplifying, connecting, resonating.
A massive surge of power swelled in an instant.
[Shayan has activated the Magic Circle of Fixed Laws and Regulations.]
[Shayan has activated the Magic Circle of Natural Exclusion.]
[Shayan has activated the Magic Circle of Free-Flowing Mana.]
[Shayan has activated Forced Spatial Distortion.]
[Shayan has activated the Vortex of the Enraged Master.]
[Shayan has activated the Magic Amplification Circle.]
[Shayan has activated the Collective Convergence of All Magical Power.]
These were not spells that could be cast instantly.
They required days of preparation—constructing and inscribing the magic circles beforehand.
“I am the eternal ruler of the Mage Tower, a seeker of knowledge who betrayed the world in pursuit of higher aspirations and reached the labyrinth.”
Shayan raised his staff and pointed it at Taesan.
“As a master of supreme magic, I shall kill you.”
