Chapter 426

“……What is that!”

Magi began to pour out.

It wasn’t anyone else’s Black Magic, but Taesan’s own Black Magic.

“What on earth is that!”

The Apostle shouted with a distorted expression.

It was as if he hadn’t expected Taesan to use his own Black Magic.

‘As expected.’

He was currently inside the God of Fall’s domain.

The God of Fall must have examined Taesan’s interior and checked his power.

But a god can’t know everything.

The Magic of Negation was a power created by fusing the color black and magic. Even Zervand, the God of Magic, hadn’t predicted it.

It was acquired in the God of Magic’s domain.

The power Taesan obtained from the Demon’s Domain was the same. It was a force gained between the Demon God and Baal.

And both the God of Magic and the Demon God were transcendents like Essence.

No matter how much of a transcendent, they couldn’t fully grasp events that happened between other transcendents. Essence wasn’t able to completely comprehend Taesan’s power.

He released his Magi.

Black Magic used Magi in the Demon’s Domain to create and summon phenomena.

Taesan poured all of his Magi into the domain.

The phenomena he created were harmony and amplification.

And now, he unleashed the Demon’s Domain here.

Screeeeech!

The Demon’s Domain manifested within Essence’s domain, the Model Garden. Like oil poured on fire, it swelled rapidly.

The Magic of Negation was a power that mixed the color black with Zervand’s magic. The Demon’s Domain belonged to a being close to the Old gods. The Boundary was a mixture of the color black and divinity.

As if delighted to meet each other, as if they shared a kinship, they began to merge without resistance.

Magi spread like cobwebs, riding along the Boundary and the Magic of Negation.

Crackle!

The God of Fall’s authority that surrounded Taesan began to collapse.

The Apostle’s eyes widened.

“Impossible! This is Essence’s authority! These are the laws of the world!”

“If you can’t understand it, just die.”

[You activated Replication.]

Magi was replicated. The doubled Magi mixed into the Boundary and the Magic of Negation.

Merged and merged, something that was neither the Boundary, nor the Magic of Negation, nor Black Magic, took shape.

Within it resided a power capable of denying the very laws of the world.

Taesan swung his sword roughly.

Craaaash!

The sound of something shattering rang out. It wasn’t the sound of matter or space breaking.

It was the sound of a concept itself shattering.

Essence’s authority collided with something that denied the law and both were neutralized.

[You overcame the authority of a transcendent. You have acquired the special triggered skill [Denial of Law].]

[The proficiency of the color black has increased by 4%.]

[The proficiency of the Boundary has increased by #$!!.]

[The proficiency of Black Magic Creation has increased by 5%.]

“Ah, ah……”

The Apostle stood with his mouth agape.

Taesan caught his breath. His condition was not good. His mana and Magi were depleted, and his stamina was dropping rapidly.

He intended to end it this time. Taesan stomped his foot. The Apostle belatedly regained his senses.

“O, oh God! Grant me your power! Cast all that dare oppose you into the abyss……!”

The prayer was never finished. Taesan was suddenly standing right in front of the Apostle.

The Apostle hurriedly stopped his prayer and gathered all his strength.

He put everything into his fist and struck.

But that power struck the Boundary—and collapsed.

The Boundary engulfed the Apostle. His entire body began to disintegrate, starting from the very structure.

“O, ooooo!”

The Apostle let out a desperate scream. The body that was disintegrating rapidly returned to its original state.

But it collapsed again immediately.

He was like a broken vessel. You could somehow piece the fragments together to mimic the original form, but that was the limit. Even the slightest shock would cause it to shatter again.

The vessel of the Apostle’s body had already completely shattered and scattered.

“This can’t be!”

The Apostle cried out in denial. He was the Apostle of the God of Fall. The gatekeeper of the Model Garden, who had brought despair to countless adventurers and enjoyed it.

He never doubted that he could live happily like this forever.

But now the end had come.

The Apostle resisted, but the Boundary devoured him completely. Just as Taesan was about to deliver the finishing blow, a colossal presence intervened.

Something filled with bewilderment and rage tried to directly affect Taesan through the Apostle.

[No, Essence. Interfering like this is no fun, you know?]

Another being spread its power with a laugh.

It was a very familiar, young girl’s voice.

The force that tried to overwhelm Taesan was instantly driven away.

Taesan infused the Boundary into his sword and swung.

The Apostle was swallowed by the Boundary. The Apostle’s very existence was erased.

—

[Your Soul Rank Ascension has been triggered.]

[Your health has permanently increased by 4,545, strength by 875, and agility by 587.]

[Your Soul Rank Ascension has been triggered.]

[You have acquired the special always-active skill [Undying One].]

Taesan put away his sword.

The grayness disappeared, leaving nothing behind.

The Apostle of the God of Fall, who had served as the gatekeeper of the Model Garden for so long, was completely annihilated.

“Ah…”

“Oh……”

A groan came from the audience seats.

From the middle of the battle onward, they could no longer keep up with the flow of the fight.

Powers that far exceeded the perception of mortals had emerged one after another.

The only thing they could understand was the outcome.

The outcome was the Apostle’s defeat.

And with victory in the Colosseum, they could all go outside.

“O, ooooo!”

A cheer erupted. All the joy in the world seemed to be contained in that roar.

Within it was intense worship and faith directed at Taesan.

For a moment, even Taesan felt uncomfortable at the amount of divinity that gathered.

[Proficiency in Divinity has increased by 1%.]

“Enough to raise my proficiency?”

There weren’t that many of them. Compared to the number of worshippers on Earth, this was a mere drop in the bucket.

But the proficiency of Divinity, which had been stuck at 90%, had increased.

Each one of them, being on the verge of mortality, must have had very heavy faith.

“Ta, Taesan!”

The princess approached with an incredibly happy yet dumbfounded expression.

“You really won. I believed it was possible, but this, this—”

Taesan raised his hand to the stammering princess.

“It’s not over yet.”

“Y-yes?”

Taesan turned his gaze to the empty air.

“Please come out.”

[…….]

Gulp.

Space warped.

A gaze full of rage was directed at Taesan.

Everyone who had been rejoicing held their breath and fell silent. Their faces turned pale.

It was a level of rage that left no room for any other emotion—even they could tell for sure.

That emotion alone began to distort the Model Garden.

But Taesan calmly brushed off the anger.

[You.]

A voice came out. Clear murderous intent aimed at Taesan.

Essence desperately wanted to kill Taesan.

But he couldn’t.

Even now, the Demon God was watching them from afar.

In the end, Essence had no choice but to swallow his anger.

[Damn Demon God. Is this your idea of a joke?]

Essence muttered as if chewing something bitter. It didn’t seem like he was angry just because the Demon God had stopped him.

After sorting out his emotions, he declared:

[You have won in the Colosseum. You are free. You are no longer my toys.]

He really didn’t want to say it, but even Essence had no choice. If you win in the Colosseum, you are allowed to go outside. It was a declaration made in his own name. He couldn’t take it back now.

[And damn it. I’ll give you a reward.]

Essence’s power descended upon Taesan. It was a portion of Essence’s authority.

[You have acquired the special triggered skill [Fall of All Things].]

[You have acquired the Shoes of the Free One.]

[Get lost. Next time we meet, I’ll stake everything to kill you.]

With those murderous words, Essence’s presence disappeared. Only then did the people, who had been holding their breath, finally exhale.

“……Ha, haha.”

Someone chuckled. The laughter spread to all of them.

Essence had given his guarantee.

They could now leave.

Everyone erupted in cheers, expressing their joy. For hundreds, perhaps even thousands of years or more, they had been trapped here.

They had survived, barely clinging to hope in the midst of horrific despair.

And now, they held that hope in their hands.

Of course they were overjoyed. Reynald also grabbed Taesan’s hand and shook it with an excited face.

“Thank you! Really, thank you! I can’t even express it in words! I want to give you something, but the damn restrictions haven’t been lifted yet, so I can’t even do that!”

“Restrictions?”

“The God of Fall’s restrictions. We can’t give each other anything. We’ve been set free, but those restrictions apparently haven’t been lifted yet.”

Reynald laughed heartily.

“When I return to my labyrinth, I’ll give you everything I have. Don’t refuse me.”

“I have no intention of refusing.”

If there was a reward, he was happy to accept it.

Taesan asked him:

“What do you plan to do now?”

“……I don’t know.”

Reynald stroked his chin.

“We failed to conquer the labyrinth. I’m not sure if we could descend the labyrinth again at this point. More than anything, most of us—including me—probably have no lingering attachment to the labyrinth anymore.”

Reynald gave a bitter smile.

“We’ve been here too long. We’ve realized that freedom is worth far more than power.”

“I don’t…… know either.”

The princess muttered with an uncertain expression.

What would they do after returning?

The freedom had come so suddenly that none of them could decide.

“For now, I want to meet Beldenkia. I’ll think about the rest after that.”

Diana said with a bright face.

“By the way, why isn’t anything happening?”

Although Essence had declared their freedom, hours passed, yet they still remained in the Model Garden.

A slight unease appeared on Reynald’s face.

“Could he have been lying?”

“No, I don’t think so. Maybe he’s talking with the administrator of the labyrinth? There are too many people to let into the labyrinth as it is.”

More than a thousand adventurers had reached the 83rd floor.

It wouldn’t be strange if the labyrinth became overcrowded. They waited with such thoughts, and finally, something changed.

Rumble!

As if the world had finished its role, the Model Garden began to fold up.

“Finally.”

Reynald muttered excitedly. Diana quietly closed her eyes.

Rumble!

The world folded up one last time.

And Taesan found himself back in a familiar place.

[Quest complete.]

[Your level has increased.]

[Your level has increased.]

[Your level has increased.]

[You have obtained the Ring That Falls into the Endless Abyss.]

[You have obtained ???.]

83rd floor. Taesan arrived at the altar of the God of Fall.

And he wasn’t alone.

“……Huh? Where did everyone else go?”

Diana looked around in confusion.

Everyone who had been caught by the God of Fall had disappeared. Only Diana remained by Taesan’s side.

[You’re back.]

And Balbamaba was there, as if waiting in the labyrinth.

—

“Oh my.”

Diana covered her mouth with her hand.

“It’s been a while, Balbamaba.”

[Indeed. Princess.]

They seemed to know each other. It wasn’t strange, considering they’d made it to the 83rd floor.

[You’ve done another grand thing this time. Thanks to you, I’ll have to redo the 83rd floor.]

“Sorry about that.”

[No, it’s fine this time. You actually did well.]

Unlike before, Balbamaba didn’t show any annoyance.

Despite more work, he seemed to be in a good mood.

[This isn’t a bad thing for me, either.]

Balbamaba explained.

[We’re in a cooperative relationship with the gods. Basically, we can’t restrict their actions. But honestly, I don’t really like the God of Fall.]

“I don’t even have to ask why.”

The purpose of the labyrinth was to witness the struggles of mortals.

But the God of Fall treated talented mortals as toys and locked them away in the Model Garden.

It was contrary to the purpose of the labyrinth.

Of course the administrator, Balbamaba, wouldn’t favor it.

[There’s nothing we can do for souls that are already bound, but from now on, no more souls will be exploited by the God of Fall.]

“What happened to the God of Fall?”

[We talked. As a result, we’re now on bad terms.]

Balbamaba spoke calmly.

[At the very least, you won’t be seeing him again in the labyrinth.]