Chapter 432
[Aaaaah!]
The man’s soul screamed.
He struggled, trying to escape Taesan.
But Taesan easily crushed the resistance. He forcibly stole the power and rank embedded in the soul.
[Your Soul Rank Ascension has activated. Your HP permanently increased by 10,147, Strength by 2,278, Agility by 2,202, and Intelligence by 587.]
[Your Soul Rank Ascension has activated. Proficiency of [Twisted Spirit Coordination] increased by 5%. Proficiency of [Black] increased by 5%.]
[Your Soul Rank Ascension has activated. You have acquired the soul skill [Blade of the World].]
With the activation of [Soul Rank Ascension], the blessings that had descended on Taesan vanished.
A wave of exhaustion swept over him. Though strong now, he had carried more than ten blessings. Forcibly raising body and rank to such a degree came with a heavy burden.
“So that was Ainzhar’s realm.”
A sensation just shy of the transcendent realm.
Taesan clenched his fist. Soon, he too would reach it.
He opened his skill window and saw that [Twisted Spirit Coordination] had finally reached 80% proficiency, while [Black] had reached 20%.
“Took long enough.”
He wanted to check it all right away, but there were things to deal with first.
Taesan raised his hand.
“Rise.”
[You have activated Declaration of Floating.]
The temple ruins rose into the air. Taesan spotted the sacred relic buried within the debris.
The temple had stood at the heart of the battle. The ruins were so thoroughly pulverized that no original shape remained.
But the sacred relic was unscathed.
Just as when he first saw it, it radiated intense divinity.
Taesan grasped the relic. He looked up at the sky—battle above was nearing its end.
His business was done. Taesan returned to the labyrinth.
[84th Floor Clear.]
[Your level has increased.]
[Your level has increased.]
[Your level has increased.]
[You have acquired a weapon engraving.]
[You have acquired ???.]
[You’re back.]
Balbamaba was waiting for Taesan in the labyrinth.
[You don’t seem injured. That’s a relief. So, did you learn the truth?]
“To some extent.”
Taesan looked at Balbamaba.
Under that gaze, Balbamaba spoke.
[You acquired the sacred relic, didn’t you?]
Taesan took out Levinenov’s sacred relic and showed it. Balbamaba nodded.
[Good. Let’s move immediately.]
[Balbamaba has activated #000231.]
Kugugugung!
The labyrinth twisted. In an instant, Taesan arrived at the 78th Floor, the Library of All Things.
[You have many questions, I can tell. But let’s deal with them after Ainzhar’s quest is done. That’ll be easier for both of us.]
“If you say so.”
Taesan went to find Ainzhar.
Ainzhar was resting near the entrance to Levinenov’s hidden secret room.
Spotting Taesan, he jumped up.
“Y-You’ve returned already. Did you retrieve the sacred relic?”
Taesan showed him the relic.
Ainzhar’s eyes widened.
“O-Ohhh…”
“How is Lady Levinenov?”
“She had a seizure just a moment ago, but she’s stabilized now.”
“Then we can proceed right away.”
Taesan entered the secret room.
The goddess was there. Just like before, with a serene smile.
But her aura was noticeably weaker. The impure energy emanating from her heart had grown stronger.
To remove the corruption and restore the goddess—Taesan lifted the sacred relic.
—
[So what will you do?]
Balbamaba had not left. Jorge, the librarian, also came to observe Taesan.
“Purifying a god’s corruption isn’t even easy for my master. If it’s truly possible, I’d love to study it.”
[Sure, Jorge. But Balbamaba, why are you still here? Don’t you have places to manage?]
[I need to observe how this affects the labyrinth. As its administrator.]
[Ah, that issue.]
The ghost nodded. Ainzhar asked, his voice shaking.
“What do you intend to do?”
“Though much is corrupted, Lady Levinenov is still protecting herself. She has contained the corruption in her heart. And that corruption is similar to my [Boundary Line].”
So he would use [Boundary Line] to cleanse the impurity consuming her heart.
“I originally intended to purify her entire world, but that’s impossible.”
That world had become a perfect domain of the Old gods. Even Taesan couldn’t do anything there. So he would instead cleanse her physical body.
“She’ll lose her domain. Most of her power will be gone. There’s a good chance I’ll fail.”
“That’s fine. Even a sliver of hope is enough.”
Ainzhar spoke with an eager face.
Taesan approached Levinenov with the sacred relic.
The unholy aura from her heart flared violently as if to warn him.
Taesan repelled it with divinity and raised his hand.
Kiiiing!
[Boundary Line] formed above his hand.
He thrust it directly into her heart.
Levinenov’s eyes shot open.
[Kyaaaaaa!]
She screamed like a beast sensing mortal danger, unleashing power in all directions. Ainzhar hurriedly cast golden walls, and Balbamaba activated administrator powers for protection.
The corruption in her heart fiercely resisted. It crawled up Taesan’s body, trying to infect him.
But it didn’t work.
The [Boundary Line] around Taesan’s hand instead devoured the unholy energy.
Even the Old gods’ corruption that could shake Transcendents was powerless before Taesan. He strengthened the [Boundary Line] and thrust deeper.
As a result, he saw something pulsing within the unholy energy.
The core of the goddess’s corruption.
Taesan detonated the [Boundary Line]. The core reacted violently, exploding itself.
Kugugugung!
Ash gray consumed his vision. Ainzhar dove out of the way, instincts warning him that touching it could distort his rank. Balbamaba drew upon his full administrator power.
[Balbamaba has activated #0000.]
Kugugung!
The labyrinth disconnected.
Balbamaba severed the link between the secret room and the labyrinth. That was his granted authority—as labyrinth administrator.
But even that authority trembled under the surrounding gray ash.
[Hmm.]
Balbamaba drew out more power. As if sealing it, he isolated the secret room.
Crack.
Taesan seized the core.
At that moment, he felt a gaze.
Something vast and not of this world was watching him.
It smiled at him.
Taesan detonated the [Boundary Line] with force. He trampled the resistance bursting out alongside the gaze—and yanked.
The core of Levinenov’s corruption was pulled out.
[You have obtained a Fragment of the Old God.]
[Proficiency of [Boundary Line] increased by [system protected]%$]
[You have purified the Old God’s corruption. You have acquired the special skill [Purification of the Unclean].]
[Kyaaaa…]
The screams vanished instantly.
The goddess’s face immediately lost color.
Though corrupted, forcibly removing a part of her body caused her soul and flesh to fade.
Taesan quickly embedded the sacred relic into her heart.
Kugugugugung!
The relic fused instantly with the goddess. Since it had originally belonged to her, there was no rejection. It filled and began restoring the removed section.
“Done.”
Taesan caught his breath.
As the ash gray settled, Ainzhar rushed forward.
“My Goddess!”
He caught the collapsing goddess. She was breathing faintly.
The alien sensation Taesan had felt upon their first meeting was completely gone.
“A-Aaah… Aaah!”
Ainzhar let out a joyous sob. He embraced the goddess.
[Sub Quest Completed]
[Ainzhar and Levinenov will reward you.]
—
Taesan looked at the unclean object in his hand.
[Fragment of the Old God]
[A part of the Old God that lies beyond law.]
It continuously emitted unholy energy, trying to consume the holder.
But it couldn’t affect Taesan due to his [Boundary Line].
“It really worked.”
Jorge stared at him, fascinated.
“Even the Library of All Things has no record of someone like you. I’m more curious than ever.”
His gaze was full of intense curiosity.
Ainzhar, still weeping while holding the goddess, staggered to his feet.
“Truly, thank you.”
He gripped Taesan’s hand firmly.
“I will repay you, I swear it.”
“Not yet. We don’t know when she’ll awaken. For now, please continue to watch over her.”
“Yes. I must focus on Lady Levinenov. I’m sorry. But once she awakens, I will ensure you’re properly rewarded.”
It seemed the quest reward would come once Levinenov regained consciousness.
Taesan had expected as much and accepted it calmly.
“It’s all done.”
[…Good.]
Balbamaba silently stared at Taesan.
[I’ll open the passage.]
[Balbamaba has activated #000004.]
A space opened.
Beyond it lay the domain of the labyrinth’s magician.
[I lack the authority. You’ll have to ask the magician directly.]
Taesan stepped into the space beyond.
A realm filled with all powers, dyed in iridescent hues.
The magician awaited him there.
“Sorry, but you shouldn’t be here. Step out for now.”
[What?]
The ghost vanished from beside Taesan without being able to resist.
“You too, Green Witch. This is a secret you’re not allowed to know.”
[Wait—!]
Her voice, tinged with shock, was cut off. The magician created a chair and sat.
“From here on, it’s a pretty big secret. I can only share it with you. You’ve pieced most of it together, haven’t you?”
“Roughly.”
Taesan sat down.
“So the Old gods will eventually manifest again in this world.”
“It’ll take a very long time, but yes. They will return. To fight that godforsaken war again… it disgusts me.”
The magician muttered wearily, as someone who had fought the Old gods before their banishment.
“If we’re lucky, we might manage to banish them again… but who knows.”
“One of them said I’m the key.”
Taesan spoke.
“That with me, many things are possible. Do you know what they meant?”
“You already suspect, don’t you?”
The magician pointed at Taesan.
“You wield [Black]. And with no real issue.”
“Is using the power of the Old gods so rare? The god’s incarnate I fought in Levinenov’s world was an immortal. He handled [Black] well.”
“That’s different. He attained the immortal rank first, then offered himself to the Old gods. In return, he gained the ability to wield [Black].”
The magician said.
“But you—without any contract—wield not only [Black], but also the [Boundary Line], a completely foreign power infused with divinity.”
Eyes like the abyss focused on Taesan.
“That allows many possibilities. You severed the link between an Old god and its incarnate. You purified a corrupted goddess. Just what could you do with that power?”
“Have you figured out what I am?”
The magician had said before that he was still trying to identify the nature of Taesan’s [Boundary Line].
“I’ve found it.”
With a bitter smile, he began.
“We fought a war against the Old gods.”
A war even most Transcendents didn’t know about. A war remembered by only a rare few.
“Countless Transcendents died and were born. Space collapsed, time distorted. Concepts shattered. A war that seemed endless until the universe’s destruction—finally ended.”
The victors were the Transcendents.
“But we couldn’t kill the Old gods. We could only banish them. All the Transcendents gathered and created a seal—layered with countless laws. Not even the Old gods could break it. And thus, the universe was freed from their influence.”
But that seal was breaking.
The Old gods were reappearing in the universe, and their goal was Taesan.
“Why target you? It’s simple. Your [Boundary Line] could unlock that seal and release the Old gods.”