Chapter 499
[ I… ]
Akasha slowly opened her mouth.
[ Something is… coming back to me. But I can’t quite make sense of it yet. Just a little more… just a little longer… ]
“Hm.”
The Magician stroked his chin, then withdrew his gaze from her.
“I’m curious, but that’s not something for me to ask. Your master is standing right there. Take your time.”
“I intend to.”
Taesan replied. The Magician, seemingly done with his business, stepped toward the space beyond.
“Well then, I’m quite busy myself. Head back to the labyrinth through that portal.”
At his fingertip, a passage shimmered—carrying the energy of the labyrinth.
“Before I go—anything else you want to ask me?”
“What about the thing I asked you to make?”
“Ah.”
The Magician’s expression brightened as if remembering.
“It’s progressing faster than expected. It shouldn’t be long before it reaches the level you wanted.”
“Already?”
Taesan was surprised. He’d thought it might take decades, but it was advancing far more quickly.
“At first I couldn’t get the feel of it, but after using the cornerstone, I managed to tune it properly. It won’t match your vision perfectly, but… it won’t take much longer.”
“That’s good to hear.”
Taesan smiled. It seemed his goal would be achieved sooner than expected.
“Then, I’ll see you soon.”
With those final words, the Magician disappeared.
There was much to check. Taesan opened his skill window.
[Divinity]
[Proficiency: ???]
[Proof gained by one who receives the faith of the world. Having reached a stable, unshakable seat, such a being is truly worthy to be called a god.]
The description had changed. Before, it said he had earned one of the qualifications to be called a god. Now, it simply declared he was worthy of that title.
It even mentioned that his seat was stable and unshakable.
Taesan could feel that change himself.
His rank had grown more stable than ever.
Now, faith could only strengthen and solidify him—it could no longer shake or drag him down. As long as even one believer remained, he would remain a god in full.
“Not bad.”
He hadn’t gained new powers or reached some unseen realm, but to be able to maintain his rank anywhere, without instability, was an enormous reward in itself.
Though the proficiency was hidden behind question marks, judging by the growth rate so far, it had to be at least around 60%.
‘And still not 100%, huh.’
He couldn’t guess what lay beyond.
There were other gains as well. Remidaos had only wielded divinity and never revealed his own authority. At first, Taesan thought he’d been hiding it—but now he understood.
[Soul Skill: Divinity]
[Proficiency: 1%]
[Divinity obtained by burning one’s own essence. Brighter than anything, and bottomless. The authority achieved by one who sacrificed everything to reach the highest realm.]
Remidaos hadn’t used a separate authority—because his authority was divinity itself.
An authority represents the culmination of all one has built. For one who had received endless faith, it was only natural that his authority would be tied to it.
Taesan had stolen that power. With it—the faith, the divinity, the skills—the total amount of divine energy within him had nearly tripled. With this much, running out during any battle was unlikely.
And his divinity would continue to grow. The faith directed toward him would never fade.
‘The balance is broken.’
It already had been, but now the disparity had widened. Compared to divinity, the black energy was severely lacking.
Unlike divinity, that darkness could only be gained by fighting Old Gods—there was no steady source.
‘I’ll need to think of a way.’
He already had a few ideas in mind. Taesan continued reviewing.
[Special Passive Skill: Godslayer]
[Proficiency: 1%]
[Slayer of gods. When facing a god, their power and rank slightly decline, while yours increase unconditionally.]
A skill earned by slaying a god—Godslayer.
It wasn’t so different from other “combat advantage” skills, but one detail stood out:
His power and rank increased unconditionally.
Taesan was now a Faith God—a boundary. Beyond that lay only the realm of Concept Gods.
But if the increase was absolute, then it meant he wouldn’t remain confined to his current rank.
‘I wonder.’
What kind of level would that reach? He’d have to test it later.
After sorting through his gains, Taesan looked toward Bardray.
“How do you feel?”
[Not bad. No—actually, amazing. I’ve never felt anything like this.]
Excitement colored Bardray’s voice. When Remidaos fell, part of his power had flowed into Bardray, granting him a new strength.
[Prince of a Ruined World – Bardray]
[Prince of the fallen empire, Kabert. Bardray, reborn as a sword made flesh.]
[Attack Power +3626]
[All swordsmanship skill proficiency greatly increased.]
[Can wield holy energy to aid himself and his master.]
His attack power had skyrocketed, and he had gained divine energy of his own. His rank had risen significantly.
Akasha had experienced similar growth—her power had increased, and she had acquired divine energy as well.
But unlike Bardray, she couldn’t focus on that at all.
She was in turmoil.
“Something’s coming back to you?”
[Yes. But these memories… they are…]
Whether she was struggling to recall them or trying to comprehend what they meant, Akasha looked deeply confused.
[Could you please give me a moment? I’ll try to piece it together soon.]
“Take your time.”
With that settled, Taesan stepped through the passage, returning to the labyrinth.
Laughter greeted him.
“Hah! Hahahahaha! You’re back! You’re back!”
It was the dwarf—the Shopkeeper—eyes bloodshot with excitement as he rushed toward Taesan. Taesan instinctively took a step back.
“How did it go?! Did you kill that bastard?!”
Taesan silently nodded. The dwarf’s face contorted with emotion.
“Ooooh! Finally! It’s over!”
He stomped his feet, the force shaking the labyrinth.
“That damned thing is dead! Gone for good! Hah! Hah! Wonderful!”
Still overjoyed, he grabbed Taesan’s shoulders.
“Thank you! Thanks to you, my wretched wish has finally come true!”
Before Taesan could respond, the dwarf pulled a gem from his pocket and hurled it into the air. It shattered, forming a portal.
Through it, Taesan could see the world of dwarves—the same world where he’d first arrived.
“Wait for me, my people! Your true king has returned!”
The Shopkeeper shouted and leaped through the portal.
In an instant, the labyrinth was silent again, leaving Taesan alone.
[…What was that?]
Bardray muttered in disbelief.
Kugugung!
The floor split open as Balbamaba emerged.
[Unbelievable. Even if he fulfilled his wish, the least he could’ve done was handle his duties as a contractor.]
Balbamaba sighed.
[There’s still quite a bit of work left to deal with—and he dumped it all on me. What a headache.]
“So that’s it, then?”
[For him, yes. He achieved his desire. There’s nothing left to keep him here.]
“What about the reward?”
[Don’t worry. I’ll handle that.]
As soon as he finished speaking, a system window appeared.
[92nd Floor Quest Cleared.]
[Reward will be determined jointly by Balbamaba and your choice.]
Quest complete.
But the system following it was different than usual. Balbamaba spoke again.
[This quest has no fixed reward. It changes dynamically depending on your achievement and decision.]
The 92nd floor’s reward was tied to the Shopkeeper’s equipment—but that didn’t mean Taesan would receive everything. There were limits.
[The issue is that the one responsible for this role suddenly left.]
Balbamaba hesitated for a moment, then decided.
[Wait here. I’ll confirm things quickly and return.]
“Got it.”
Balbamaba vanished. Taesan was left alone once more.
He turned to Akasha.
The confusion within her was beginning to settle.
“Did you figure it out?”
[Yes.]
Her voice was calm now.
During Remidaos’s fall, Akasha had absorbed a portion of his power—and something had resurfaced.
But her memories had been fragmented, leaving her in disarray.
That confusion had now passed.
“What did you remember?”
[…A part of myself.]
Akasha spoke slowly.
[Fragments of memory. Pieces… the things I did, and what happened in that place. They’re coming back to me.]
“So you’ve regained your memories?”
[Not exactly. They’re fragmented—disconnected. I don’t yet know who I truly was, or what emotions drove me. But even with fragments, I’ve found some information. Among them… something about the one I served.]
She paused, taking a deep breath, then continued.
[I remembered her name.]
The one Akasha had served—
the forgotten goddess who had given Taesan his quest.
“What’s her name?”
Taesan sensed that something would happen the moment Akasha spoke.
But Akasha hesitated, unable to utter it—as if she knew that saying the name itself would distort reality.
Taesan waited in silence.
After a long while, Akasha finally spoke, her voice trembling.
[Her name… is Arilnan.]
A name is one’s essence.
For a being of her rank, that value was immeasurable.
The name of the forgotten goddess resonated through the world.
The existence erased from reality was spoken once more. The name etched itself into the universe—and the goddess began to reappear.
At that moment, Taesan felt something stir within him.
Something inside him trembled.
He couldn’t understand it, but the sensation spread unseen across the cosmos, like a wave reclaiming lost authority.
Light shimmered beautifully.
Energy gathered in the air.
[Uh-oh.]
Bardray tensed, and Taesan stepped back.
Chajajajak!
The condensed energy took form—
A woman of dazzling light.
Her long hair covered her entire body, her posture curled like a newborn child.
“Ah…”
Her voice echoed—like the first breath of one who had seen the world after an eternity in darkness.
The woman slowly unfurled her body.
“At last… you found me.”
She smiled radiantly at Taesan.
[The Forgotten Goddess – Arilnan has appeared.]