Chapter 346
Malakos collapsed. At the same time, a system window appeared.
[You have achieved victory in two perfectly identical battles against the same enemy.]
[You have acquired the special activation skill [Copy].]
Copy. He had finally obtained that skill. Taesan relaxed his tense muscles.
Tadadak.
Bone fragments began to rise. Malakos’s hollow pupils gleamed ominously.
He could not accept the fact that he had become nothing more than an experiment for his opponent. Filled with rage, he raised his staff.
“I have no more business with you.”
Taesan kicked off the ground. He lunged, striking at the opening in the Life Vessel. With a scream, the Life Vessel burst apart.
That was the end of the 73rd floor.
[Your Soul Rank Ascension has activated.]
[Your mana has permanently increased by 434, and your intelligence by 112.]
[Your Soul Rank Ascension has activated.]
[Your proficiency in magic has permanently increased by 1%.]
[Your proficiency in the Frozen World has increased by 1%.]
[You have acquired the beginner magic [Mana Crystal Surge].]
Taesan sheathed his sword.
“That was easier than I expected.”
Malakos had been the perfect opponent to obtain Copy.
Not only did he revive with the exact same power, but he also possessed exceptional skills—yet he was ultimately no match for Taesan.
Moreover, his pride as one who had reached the Deep Layer prevented him from committing what amounted to suicide by recklessly throwing himself into Taesan’s attacks.
Even though he knew that being forced into Taesan’s chosen path would lead to his downfall, he had no choice but to move accordingly.
In short, he was an opponent Taesan could control completely.
All Taesan had to do was analyze the eight types of magic Malakos used.
– What magic did he use when he deemed himself at a disadvantage?
– What magic did he use when he thought he had the upper hand?
– What did he do when Taesan approached?
– What did he cast when Taesan had already closed the distance?
– How did he respond to Taesan’s own magic?
Taesan memorized all those conditions.
[That doesn’t sound easy.]
The ghost muttered quietly. If one only looked at the outcome, it might seem as though Malakos always selected the correct answers, making it possible to simply analyze and lead him into a predictable response.
However, even though Malakos had died, he was still an Deep Layer-walking adventurer.
His body may have been just an empty shell, but his intelligence and talent remained formidable.
He could calculate thousands of possible outcomes in an instant and choose the correct one without hesitation.
Forcing such an existence to always select the correct response meant being able to process far more scenarios than even an Deep Layer-walking magician.
For the ghost, that was impossible. But for Taesan—who calculated countless skill interactions and identified the best possible outcomes—it was achievable.
Taesan opened his skill window.
[Beginner Magic: Mana Crystal Surge]
[MP Consumption: 10]
[Proficiency: 1%]
[Crystallized mana is patterned and surged forward.]
He had already memorized its application, power, and range from facing Malakos countless times.
It was useless against stronger enemies, but when it came to controlling space, it had its uses.
And then, there was the skill he had suffered for four days to obtain.
[Special Activation Skill: Copy]
[MP Consumption: 2]
[Proficiency: 1%]
[Copies the result of a specific action. Currently, only attacks can be copied. This skill has a cooldown of 1 hour.]
Three short sentences. But their implications were monumental.
The ghost let out a chuckle.
[So it’s basically a fourfold attack power boost.]
Right now, Taesan could already unleash over 100,000 attack power using [Addition], [Blade of Determination], and [Conversion].
This skill stacked that power even further.
In terms of raw destructive power per strike, even an adventurer who had reached the 100th floor could fall behind him.
[And a one-hour cooldown is ridiculously short for this level of power. Judging from the description, it seems like it’ll be able to copy things beyond attacks in the future. This is…]
[Copy] was yet another skill that defied understanding. The ghost shook its head.
[Out of curiosity, how many useless skills have you obtained compared to ones like Copy or Addition?]
“Several times more.”
Taesan’s calm response made the ghost nod in agreement.
[Yeah. That makes sense. Otherwise, this wouldn’t be realistic.]
The labyrinth’s system granted skills based on an adventurer’s actions.
However, whether those actions were truly worthwhile was another matter entirely.
There were times when one could spend months trying to obtain a skill, only for it to be completely useless in actual combat.
Taesan had experienced this many times.
He had once spent over a year refining a single skill, only to find it completely worthless in every possible situation.
But he had endured all those moments of disappointment, pushing through countless challenges to finally obtain game-changing skills like Nullification and Copy.
Just as he was about to descend deeper into the labyrinth, something within him stirred violently.
His contract was reacting.
Its target was calling for him.
Taesan stopped walking.
[You have summoned the Spirit King of Wind, Minerva.]
The wind gathered, forming the shape of a woman.
She lightly placed her foot on the ground.
“Hello, Master! Judging by your appearance, you won without any issues?”
“Thanks to you. What’s going on?”
Minerva scratched her cheek.
“It’s a bit complicated… Can you come to our world?”
Taesan considered for a moment and then asked,
“The Spirit Realm?”
[You’re inviting this guy to the Spirit Realm?]
A deep sigh.
Minerva nodded.
“Remember the mad spirit? We might need your help with that.”
Taesan took a step forward.
What greeted him was an overwhelming surge of nature’s energy.
The density of it was enough to feel suffocating.
Even a highly skilled spirit mage would struggle to handle this energy and might collapse from overexposure.
Taesan turned his gaze.
It was incredibly vibrant.
Colors of the rainbow stretched in all directions, and he could feel the energy of spirits moving about.
“This is the Spirit Realm. What do you think?”
Minerva smiled and raised her arms. The power emanating from her now was far stronger and more elevated than when he had summoned her.
Before long, Varkaza also appeared.
[You’ve arrived, Master.]
[For spirits to invite an outsider into the Spirit Realm… Isn’t this a place even a King’s Contractor cannot enter?]
The ghost’s voice carried a sense of surprise, as if this was an exceptionally rare event. Minerva spoke.
“This time, it concerns you as well, Master. Even across the entire history of spirits, something like this is nearly unheard of. It seems the other kings made this decision after much deliberation.”
She turned toward the massive, green-glowing tree in the distance.
“Come this way first.”
Taesan followed her deeper into the Spirit Realm.
Countless eyes were locked onto him. Most were filled with hostility and wariness.
“This isn’t a warm welcome.”
“Well… I hate to say it, but Master, you’ve taken down quite a few spirits, haven’t you? Even if they understand the circumstances, hostility is inevitable.”
Minerva waved her hand.
A gust of wind blew, causing the spirits to flinch and flee in terror.
The hostile spirits were, at best, intermediate or high-tier. Given Taesan’s current power, he could take them down with a single strike, so he wasn’t particularly concerned.
What truly interested him was something else.
Taesan touched a translucent, glowing flower.
It contained energy that could be used as material for Partial World Alteration.
“Can I take this with me?”
“These? That’d be tough. Nothing from the Spirit Realm can leave. If it were possible, I would’ve brought some for you already.”
He had completely exhausted his materials for Partial World Alteration and needed to replenish them, making this all the more frustrating.
While scanning his surroundings, Taesan entered the massive tree at the heart of the Spirit Realm.
[You have arrived.]
[So, you’ve come.]
[Are you the human?]
Inside, five Spirit Kings had gathered.
Earth, Water, Darkness—each carried different elemental affinities. Their gazes held both curiosity and wariness toward Taesan.
At the same time, they subtly released an aura of pressure, as if testing him.
Taesan didn’t even look at them. He effortlessly brushed aside the oppressive energy directed at him.
They were strong, but not even close to Vishnu, who had walked the Deep Layer.
They were not his opponents.
The Spirit Kings, who had been staring at Taesan, finally spoke.
[…A human wields this level of power?]
[Vishnu… That bastard’s defeat makes sense now. What is this?]
Their voices carried a mix of shock and admiration.
Taesan, however, focused on something else—a radiant, glowing bird lingering behind them.
The power emanating from that Spirit King was on an entirely different level than the others.
At minimum, it was at the level of an Immortal—an opponent Taesan could not defeat at his current strength.
[Welcome, Contractor of the Spirit Kings. I am Eriel, Spirit King of Light, who has existed since the birth of the Spirit Realm.]
Eriel signaled to the other Spirit Kings.
[I will speak with him first. Please remain silent for now.]
[If Eriel says so… Minerva, come over here as well.]
“Yes, yes.”
Even among the Spirit Kings, Eriel seemed to hold the highest authority, as the others obeyed without question.
Taesan finally spoke.
“Why have you summoned me?”
Minerva had already explained—the Spirit Kings had called him regarding the mad spirit.
Whether he accepted or not was up to him.
Since he had no reason to refuse, Taesan agreed.
Eriel slowly flapped its wings.
[I have a proposal for you.]
The space around them opened, revealing a pure, white energy.
Taesan recognized it immediately.
The Mad Spirit—the broken entity who had defeated the Spirit King of Fire and achieved its own desire.
It was filled with will and remnants of its soul.
[A pitiful being.]
Eriel’s voice carried deep sorrow.
[Our father’s betrayer—the Spirit King of Fire, Vishnu—she sought to transcend the limits of her lifespan. The Mad Spirit was nothing more than a tool created to preserve her sense of self.]
Eriel continued in a solemn tone.
[I failed to stop Vishnu from leaving. Because of that failure, the Mad Spirit has endured a harsh and cruel existence. I wish to help it find a complete life. But unfortunately, I am incapable.]
Among the Spirit Kings, Eriel was the strongest.
However, he was still a spirit.
[A spirit like myself cannot interfere with another spirit without our father’s permission. That is why I need your help.]
The space split open, revealing a flame orb.
It was the core of the Spirit King of Fire, obtained after Taesan defeated Vishnu.
[While I cannot create a new spirit, I can grant the existing power of a masterless spirit to the Mad Spirit. But this core belongs to you.]
Ownership was Taesan’s.
That was why they had summoned him to the Spirit Realm.
[What will you do? The choice is yours. You are its rightful owner. However, if you accept my proposal, I can ensure you will not walk away empty-handed.]
Eriel made its offer.
Taesan listened in silence, then finally spoke.
