Chapter 348
Everything around her began to disintegrate.
The deepest layer of the labyrinth. The highest-level equipment that could be obtained at its end.
The surging power spared no one. Even Lee Taeyeon felt suffocated by the rising heat.
But it didn’t matter.
[You have activated Immortal Shadow.]
Lee Taeyeon’s body was engulfed in shadows.
Even in the searing light and heat that scorched the world, the shadow surrounding her did not fade.
It was a fragment of the shadow that had existed since the creation of the world, embodying darkness itself. No mere force could erase it.
The intense heat caused the monsters’ exoskeletons to crumble. Their entire bodies collapsed and deteriorated.
Kuuuuung!
Had things remained as they were, all the monsters would have burned to death.
However, three double-digit-ranked monsters threw themselves in front of the red giant star.
Warak!
Two of the monsters’ bodies swelled. Their expanding forms absorbed the red giant’s heat.
Jjeojeojeojeok!
Taking the full force of the red giant, their bodies instantly turned to sand and scattered.
Seizing that opening, a single-digit-ranked monster twisted its body.
It gathered its amorphous form into a single point, unleashing a violet beam that pierced through the world.
The violet energy clashed against the red giant star.
Kuuuuuuung…
The red giant, which had been burning fiercely enough to incinerate Earth, slowly began to descend.
Lee Taeyeon withdrew her shadow and frowned.
“Only three?”
The three double-digit-ranked monsters that had blocked the red giant had vanished without a trace.
However, the remaining four, though injured, had not fallen.
Three had sacrificed themselves to block the impact, while the single-digit monster had neutralized the red giant’s power with its beam.
“Damn it. That was my trump card.”
She stowed away the staff, now blackened like charcoal.
The Red Giant’s Staff could only be used once. Furthermore, she had activated Immortal Shadow, which wouldn’t be available again for a long time. She had aimed to eliminate at least four but had only managed to take down three.
Now, three double-digit-ranked monsters remained.
And one single-digit-ranked monster.
“You’re really pushing it.”
Clicking her tongue, she made a quick decision.
She couldn’t handle all four at once.
She had to reduce their numbers first.
[You have activated Breath of the Hidden Rat.]
[You have activated the Unknown Hidden Tale.]
[You have activated Invisible Shadow.]
Her presence, aura, and very existence disappeared entirely.
The wary monsters hesitated.
Lee Taeyeon silently maneuvered and arrived next to one of the double-digit monsters.
In her hand was a black gemstone.
“I’ll see you later.”
[You have activated Forced Seal of the Twisted Space.]
Kiiiiiiing!
The gemstone glowed and swallowed the double-digit-ranked monster.
Lee Taeyeon swiftly caught the falling gemstone.
Forced Seal of the Twisted Space.
It could temporarily seal entities below a certain level.
She would have preferred to use it on the single-digit-ranked monster, but such a powerful existence was beyond the artifact’s limits.
Now, only three remained.
Lee Taeyeon quickly retrieved another item from her inventory.
Clutching a handful of relics, she tossed them into the air.
[You have used the Relics of the Saint Who Cried for Peace.]
The scattering powder enveloped the single-digit-ranked monster, forming a colorless prison around it.
Though the monster struggled, the prison of dust did not waver.
Relics of the Saint Who Cried for Peace.
An item that forcibly removed a designated target from combat.
A single grain of that powder was worth over ten thousand gold.
Now that she had left the labyrinth, she would never be able to obtain it again, making it all the more painful to use.
But if it could remove the single-digit monster, it was a cheap trade.
“If only I had Forced Duel, this would have been so much easier.”
Now, only two double-digit-ranked monsters remained.
She steadied her breathing. The equipment enveloping her body began to glow.
[You have activated Attack Amplification.]
[You have activated Shoes That Run Through Time.]
[You have activated Forced Mental Tranquility.]
[You have activated Negative Emotion to Attack Conversion.]
[You have activated…]
She activated multiple pieces of equipment and skills.
Lee Taeyeon propelled herself forward, gripping a sword in one hand and a shield in the other.
Tat.
She kicked off the ground.
In an instant, she moved above one of the monsters and drove her sword downward.
[You have activated Vital Point Designation.]
[You have activated Addition.]
Kwooooong!
A tremendous impact shook the monster’s body.
[Dealt 32,421 damage to Monster 43.]
Kak! Kakak!
She continued swinging her sword.
The massive monster, which dwarfed her in size, was repeatedly pushed back by her relentless strikes.
The remaining monster didn’t stay idle, swinging its numerous arms down at her.
Tat.
Lee Taeyeon kicked off the ground and raised her shield.
Kaaaaang!
With a clash of power, the monster was repelled.
Lee Taeyeon immediately dashed forward and drove her sword into the monster’s chest as it was sent flying.
Two double-digit-ranked monsters—she could handle them alone.
She withdrew a staff and aimed it at the collapsed monster.
[You have activated Endless Shower of Star Fragments.]
A torrent of radiant light poured down upon the monster.
Its entire body trembled violently from the impact.
Though not on the level of the Red Giant, the staff was still a high-tier weapon, and its power was undeniable.
Lee Taeyeon swiftly finished off one of the monsters.
Then, she turned to face the final one charging toward her like a tank, raising her shield.
Kaaaaang!
“Ugh!”
She let out a small groan as she felt the immense force pressing against her shield.
But it wasn’t enough to make her falter.
She planted her feet firmly and pushed back.
Kuuuuung!
The monster was sent flying.
This was a shield she had purchased on the 100th floor.
It had a unique effect—if she could withstand an attack with sheer physical strength, the damage would be completely nullified, and the attacker would be repelled.
She kicked off the ground again.
Charging toward the airborne monster, she pressed on, unrelenting.
Kwakjik.
A deep wound carved across the monster’s chest. Just as she was about to deliver the finishing blow—
[Your Line of Death has activated.]
A chill.
Her instincts screamed a warning.
If she moved forward—she would die.
Lee Taeyeon clenched her teeth. The ring on her left hand shone.
[You have activated Restricted Space Teleportation.]
In an instant, she teleported behind the monster. At the same time—light exploded forth.
The prison made of the Relics of the Saint Who Cried for Peace shattered, and a violet beam surged forward.
Kwa-deudeuk!
The beam tore through the monster in its path, obliterating it instantly.
Realizing the sheer force of the attack, she hastily raised her shield.
Kaaaaaang!
The violet beam collided with the shield. Her pupils widened.
The shield was melting—rapidly.
“Damn it!”
She quickly opened her inventory, twisted the shield, and hurled a Fragment of Distorted Space toward the beam.
[You have activated Fragment of Distorted Space.]
Space twisted, and light distorted.
Fragment of Distorted Space.
An artifact that warped space itself, nullifying any attack completely. It had never been penetrated before—an item she trusted above all others.
But an unsettling chill ran down her spine. Without hesitation, she activated her skills.
[You have activated Fortification.]
[You have activated First Attack Weakening.]
Kiiiiiiing!
The beam split into dozens of streaks, shattering everything around her.
Her eyes widened.
The Distorted Space—was collapsing under the violet beam.
[You have taken 32,421 damage.]
“Kh…!”
She let out a pained groan, barely managing to stay on her feet.
“…Ha.”
A hollow laugh escaped her lips.
The Fragment of Distorted Space—had been pierced.
Even with Fortification and First Attack Weakening activated, she still took 32,000 damage.
Had she taken that attack head-on, it would have been enough to kill her multiple times over.
“Haa…”
She exhaled deeply, turning her gaze toward the single-digit-ranked monster.
A foe she could not guarantee victory against.
The only solace was that all the other monsters had been eliminated—this was now a one-on-one battle.
[You have activated Ten Thousand Possibilities.]
The simulation began.
Countless scenarios unfolded in her mind.
Possibilities were calculated in an instant, each one forming and fading.
This was her unique skill—one even Kang Taesan did not possess.
A skill that calculated and predicted the future, filtering through ten thousand possibilities to uncover the path to victory.
First scenario:
Relying on her staff’s magic in battle.
Result—her death.
Second scenario:
Using up all her remaining Fragments of Distorted Space.
Result—her death.
Third scenario:
Utilizing every available potion in combat.
Result—her death.
7,820th scenario:
Staying hidden, attacking the monster’s openings over an extended battle.
Result—her victory.
The answer was clear.
“No.”
But she erased it.
Her stealth skills were so refined that even the monster couldn’t detect her. She knew this from past experience.
If she hid and slowly whittled away at its health, she could win.
But then—
The monster would shift its focus away from her and target others.
There was no way anyone but Kang Taesan could handle a single-digit-ranked monster.
So, she would fight head-on.
She set that condition and activated Ten Thousand Possibilities once more.
Ten thousand simulations. Every outcome—her death.
[You have activated Ten Thousand Exclusions.]
[You have activated Ten Thousand Possibilities.]
Another round of simulations.
Excluding all failed scenarios, she recalculated.
The result remained the same—her death.
She didn’t stop.
She activated Ten Thousand Possibilities tens of times in mere seconds.
[You have activated Ten Thousand Possibilities.]
Again, ten thousand simulations.
9,999 deaths.
And one victory.
“Let’s go.”
She stepped forward.
There was no time to hesitate.
To grasp that one in ten thousand chance, she had to move.
Without doubt—forward.
Tat.
She dashed toward the monster, scattering powder from her inventory.
[You have activated The Finely Woven Countless Pieces.]
The powder dispersed into the air, spreading across the battlefield—and the monster.
At the same time, her senses synchronized with the powder.
Everything it touched became an extension of her perception.
The amorphous monster rippled.
There were no visible signs—
But she knew what it was about to do.
Tat.
She twisted her body.
Violet beams burst forth, piercing the ground in all directions.
Kugugugugung!
Each beam carried lethal power—one hit could mean instant death.
Suppressing the chilling dread, she pressed forward.
The monster’s attack had no warning. Its violet beams were nearly instant.
But her expanded perception allowed her to read them beforehand.
She dodged through the barrage and closed the distance.
The monster’s attack pattern was linear—violet beams.
Once she was close, it would be easier to evade.
She gritted her teeth.
Kiiiiiiing!
Another barrage of beams shot toward her.
But she read their trajectory—just barely dodging each one.
‘Now!’
Once she reached the right distance—
She raised her staff.
[You have activated Unerring Lightning Strike.]
Kurrurung!
A bolt of lightning struck down, piercing through the monster.
For a brief moment—it froze.
Unerring Lightning Strike.
An attack that never missed and caused temporary paralysis on impact.
A powerful skill, though its short range required her to get dangerously close.
So far—everything was perfect.
She immediately closed in on the paralyzed monster.
She drew her sword—and plunged it in.
Kwakjik.
The blade drove through the monster’s form.
The amorphous being surged, condensing its power.
But she had already read the warning signs—and reacted instantly.
She stomped down, forcing her next move.
[You have activated Step of Time.]
For a brief moment, time itself seemed to slow.
Lee Taeyeon swiftly maneuvered behind the monster.
As time resumed its normal flow—
A concentrated beam shot forth, reducing the space where she had stood to mere dust.
She drove her sword deep into the monster’s body and tossed a potion onto the wound.
Chiiiiik!
A corrosive hiss echoed as the amorphous being’s flesh began to burn.
Her lips curled into a smirk.
The potion she used was Holy Blood of the Saint, a divine elixir that incinerated both the body and soul of any being denied by the gods.
And it worked.
The monster writhed in agony, its movements visibly slowing.
She relentlessly plunged her sword deeper.
The monster continued firing its beams, but Lee Taeyeon had already memorized their patterns—she evaded them all.
‘I can win!’
Gripping her sword tightly, she continued her relentless assault.
There were several close calls. She failed to dodge a few attacks, and searing beams struck her body.
But each time, she withstood the damage, her gear mitigating the impact.
Deep gashes covered the monster’s ever-shifting form. She weaved between its attacks, gradually accumulating damage.
And then—
She knew it.
Her instincts screamed—this final strike would end it.
Kiiiiiiiing!
As the next burst of light rained down, she dodged and raised her sword.
Victory flooded her thoughts—
Then.
A grip.
“Huh?”
Her arm—seized.
Her eyes darted to the source.
One of the monsters had caught her arm.
“Ah.”
The Forced Seal of Twisted Space—
The monster she had sealed away. Its one-hour confinement had expired.
Ten Thousand Possibilities only calculated simulations within its assumed parameters.
It did not account for external interference.
Kiiiiiiiing.
The amorphous being charged its devastating beam.
She desperately tried to move—
But she was too late.
The light surged forward—
Her gear was spent. No more defensive measures left.
She was going to die.
That single realization filled her mind.
—Until.
[Kang Taesan has activated Temporary Time Freeze.]
[Time within a 100-meter radius has stopped for 2 minutes.]
The monster, poised to unleash its attack, froze mid-motion.
“…Huh?”
Lee Taeyeon twisted her hand. The double-digit-ranked monster gripping her arm was crushed and sent flying.
“That was close.”
She turned toward the voice.
There—stood Kang Taesan.
“Taesan…”
“Temporary Time Freeze doesn’t distinguish between friend and foe. Had to gauge the distance… Sorry I was late.”
His face was weary as he approached.
“Finish it.”
“…Ah. Right.”
Lee Taeyeon didn’t hesitate.
She drove her sword into the frozen monster.
BOOM!
Its amorphous form exploded, its energy scattering into the surroundings.
One last monster lunged toward them—
But Kang Taesan and Lee Taeyeon moved together.
It was over in an instant.
“Did we win?”
“If we hadn’t, I wouldn’t be here. The others pulled through, too.”
“…I see.”
They had won.
They had survived.
Relief finally settled in her chest. The tension drained from her body, and she collapsed to the ground.
Kang Taesan’s expression was grim.
“Unfortunately… We don’t have time to celebrate.”
Lee Taeyeon finally noticed.
The distant presence of allies—
Their numbers had dropped significantly.
They had won the battle.
But not everyone had survived.
“Still, a victory is a victory. We should at least take solace in that. Let’s go back.”
Kang Taesan turned.
Lee Taeyeon stared at his back for a moment before stumbling to her feet.
The outcome of the battle:
– All monsters eliminated.
– Half of their people—dead.
– The city they had painstakingly built—completely destroyed.
A victory—marked only by scars.
