Chapter 82
“I don’t want much from you. If I had to say, maybe some experience points and stats?”
Taesan draws his sword, causing the adventurers to scream in terror and retreat. However, the young man who showed himself first looked at Taesan with unwavering eyes.
Taesan chuckled.
“You seem like the easiest to talk to. Are you their leader?”
“For now, yes,” the young man calmly replied.
Taesan could tear them all apart if he wished. Running wouldn’t help; their refuge, unable to descend to the 20th floor, was obvious. Soon, they would face death.
But instead of striking with his sword, Taesan called them out verbally. The young man thought Taesan must want something from them.
And the young man’s guess was right. Taesan stroked his chin and asked, “What’s your name?”
“Garolat.”
Calling by name meant he wasn’t planning on killing him immediately, implying an intention to spare his life. The young man sighed in relief internally.
Taesan sheathed his sword.
“I was planning to kill all of you, but it seemed meaningless.”
His level had risen significantly, and now there was little difference between them and him. Even if he took them all down, his level or stats wouldn’t increase much.
“You don’t want to die, do you?”
All nodded. They were prepared for death but not for a meaningless one.
Taesan said, “I’ll spare you, but only if you do one thing. Don’t send my information to the Guide of Sin.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“Exactly what I said. Ensure those at the bottom don’t know about me.”
Those at the bottom likely don’t care about incidents involving second-tier adventurers.
But if more than twenty adventurers die, they can’t ignore it. Especially if a third-tier adventurer also dies. Taesan’s information must have been partially conveyed by now. Thus, realizing that a 30th-floor adventurer was killed on the 13th floor would be inevitable.
They would have to take action, whether out of interest or hostility. They might even come down themselves.
That would be problematic. Despite his strength, Taesan wasn’t ready to face those from the lower levels.
So, he plans to create confusion with their information.
Garolat organized his thoughts with a more serene look.
“You want us to deliver false information.”
“Exactly. They won’t care much if the information you give is true or false. Just mix in some lies.”
“That’s… possible.”
Garolat had never seen the leadership directly. Communication was through intermediaries, so lying was definitely feasible.
“So, tell them I was killed by you. Say I conspired with the adventurer from the 30th floor.”
Garolat swallowed. It wasn’t impossible. Quite feasible, actually.
But it meant aiding Taesan in descending further.
He is the Guide of Sin.
An act completely against the group’s purpose.
As if reading his mind, Taesan smirked, “You didn’t join willingly, did you?”
Garolat gave a bitter smile.
Taesan was right. They don’t have any obsession with protecting the labyrinth. Even if they did, it vanished the moment they were blocked on the 20th floor.
They had accepted the membership only because they were threatened with death otherwise. Garolat cleanly organized his thoughts.
“We accept.”
“Good.”
Taesan grinned, and the murderous aura dissipated, making them gasp for air.
“Just in case, if anyone sends information to the bottom, I’ll kill all of you. So, don’t play any tricks.”
“Don’t worry. Anyone who might have is already dead by your hand.”
“Good to know.”
After wrapping things up, Taesan spoke to the ghost.
“Is that okay?”
[Doesn’t matter. The ones who killed me aren’t these trivial beings but those from below.]
The ghost looked at Taesan expectantly. Taesan stepped back.
“Do as you please.”
[Alright. Hey, weakling.]
“…It’s been a while since I’ve been called that.”
Garolat smiled sourly. In his lifetime, the hero used to call him that. He didn’t expect him to remember.
[Yeah, you. It’s been a while, hasn’t it?]
“Do you resent me?”
[Why would I resent you for anything? I couldn’t care less.]
The ghost spoke indifferently and then gritted its teeth.
[But you know, right? Who ordered to kill me? The one who contributed most to my death.]
The one who played the biggest role in killing the hero.
[Don’t pretend you don’t know. As a manager of the hierarchy, you must have that information.]
After a moment of silence, Garolat spoke.
“We didn’t like you. You knew that, right?”
[How could I not? Weaklings showing such jealousy.]
The ghost snorted. He ascended to the deep levels in a relatively short time, becoming an object of envy, jealousy, and hatred for those who had been stuck on certain floors for a long time.
“However, there weren’t many who wanted to do something about you. You were strong and could be helpful to us. Then, one person suggested.”
Garolat looked at the ghost.
“Let’s kill you. There was some resistance, but soon your death was decided.”
[Who was that bastard?]
“The descendant of the cursed kingdom, the Ashen Lady, Societh Gardentia.”
The ghost trembled significantly.
[She did it?]
“As far as I heard.”
[Why?]
Only questions filled the ghost’s voice.
Garolat shook his head.
“I don’t know. That’s why I was surprised when I heard it. She was the only one among the leadership who got along well with you.”
[…]
The ghost fell silent, shocked.
“If you follow him, you’ll probably meet her. I hope you resolve your curiosity.”
Speaking softly, Garolat turned away.
The others also started to leave, relieved.
Taesan stopped them.
“Where are you going?”
“Huh?”
“There’s still something you owe me.”
“…?”
Garolat swallowed. Fear crept back into their expressions, but Taesan waved his hand.
“Information up to the 20th floor.”
“Ah…”
Realization dawned on Garolat’s face.
They had access up to the 20th floor and knew everything about it. It was natural for Taesan, who was ascending, to want this information.
They spilled everything they knew. From secret rooms to the altar of gods and even existing NPCs.
“When you reach the 16th floor, you’ll find an empty room. There’s a blacksmith there.”
Taesan’s eyes sparkled.
It was finally time to meet the reason he had been collecting materials.
“Alright. You can go now.”
“…Thank you.”
They left. Soon, the leadership would hear of Taesan’s death.
Only Taesan and the silent ghost remained.
[Taesan][Solo]: Congratulations.] [Taeyeon ][Solo]: Uh, yeah…] [Junhyuk Kang ][Solo]: We won! We actually won!]
A somewhat dazed Lee Taeyeon responds. Kang Junhyuk, brimming with excitement, leaves a message.
Their reaction is simple.
They have passed the trial of the god of victory, Baltazhar.
[Taesan ][Solo]: How does it feel?] [Taeyeon[Solo]: Uh… it’s surreal. Honestly, it still doesn’t feel real that we’ve won.] [Junhyuk Kang[Solo]: It’s amazing! We cleared that insane challenge! And we got rewards too! I’m so happy!]
Taesan chuckles at their vastly different reactions. After calming down, Lee Taeyeon shows relief.
[Taeyeon[Solo]: Somehow, we survived.] [Taesan[Solo]: What was it like?]
The unenhanced trial of Baltazaha. Taesan was curious. Lee Taeyeon replies.
[Taeyeon[Solo]: It was about facing your greatest fear. For me, it was a giant spider attacking me. Ugh, it was horrible.] [Junhyuk Kang[Solo]: Mine was an elephant.] [Taeyeon[Solo]: You’re afraid of elephants? They’re cute though.] [Junhyuk Kang[Solo]: You wouldn’t say that if you saw it. Do you know how terrifying it is to have that bulk charging at you to trample you?]
Watching their trivial conversation, Taesan muses.
‘Victory over one’s greatest fear. A trial fitting for the god of victory.’
The idea was to calm your heart and achieve victory against an opponent that made your body shrink, your breath quicken, and sweat break out. It made sense to him.
‘What would have appeared for me?’
Perhaps the apostle he last saw, or maybe the giant monster in the sky.
With this small question, Taesan posts a message.
[Taesan[Solo]: Are the rewards sufficient?] [Taeyeon[Solo]: More than enough.]
The basic reward from the god of victory, Baltazaha, is the Belt of Fighting Spirit. Its performance includes +3 to attack and defense, and recovery of health and mana upon victory.
Although attack strength doesn’t matter much except for Taesan, recovery is highly valuable. Especially for Lee Taeyeon and Kang Junhyuk, who lack any healing skills, it’s even more significant.
[Taeyeon[Solo]: I see why you told us to get it. The rewards for defeating strong enemies are significantly different.] [Taesan[Solo]: But don’t overdo it. There are capricious gods everywhere, so it’s better to take it easy.]
After giving moderate advice and sharing information like the secret room, he closes the community.
Taesan speaks up.
“Ready to talk now?”
[Do I have to?]
“Yes, you do.”
With a sharp tone, Taesan says casually.
“I don’t like the idea of a quest failing due to the whims of its subject.”
The ghost’s quest description starts with it being determined by the ghost’s mood.
Taesan doesn’t intend to leave any variables unchecked.
The ghost quietly oscillates. From its flickering remnants, a voice emerges.
[It’s not a great story. I came here from a destroyed world. All that was left were monsters, and the only ones I could talk to were madmen or idiots, so I didn’t even want to bother.]
He didn’t explicitly say much, but it must have been quite painful. Humans are social animals, and without interaction, mental issues are inevitable.
[There was a woman I could somewhat talk to. We shared a somewhat similar background, so there was a degree of camaraderie.]
“Did you like her?”
[There were feelings, yes. But it wasn’t that far.]
The ghost spoke plainly. The emotions in its voice had diminished from before.
[But if she was the main contributor to my death, I have my duties. I’m just curious. Why she did it.]
“That’s enough.”
They’ll meet her if they continue downwards.
Taesan encounters a dwarf as he descends. The dwarf is startled upon seeing Taesan.
“Ah, you’re here?”
“You said you’d give me another quest. I’ve come to receive it.”
A quest instead of the penalty play. The dwarf mentioned it but hesitates before speaking.
“Sorry, but I can’t give it.”
“What?”
“It’s not that I don’t want to, but…”
The dwarf tries to explain.
“I told you, I’m bound here with restrictions. Until now, it was fine, but around the time you descended, something suddenly blocked it. It’s quite baffling to me too.”
“Suddenly?”
“Yeah.”
Taesan taps his cheek thoughtfully. The reason seems clear.
“Because of my level?”
Currently, Taesan’s level is 41, which is not typical for the 14th floor. His level was too high due to defeating adventurers while descending.
Though the stats might be manageable, the imbalance in level might have triggered the restriction. Understanding this, Taesan nods.
“Then, there’s nothing to be done.”
“Well, I did promise something, so here’s a small compensation, though it’s not much. Take this.”
The dwarf throws a ring. Taesan catches it reflexively.
[Purple Ring: Essence of Brilliance] [All stats +3%] [A ring blessed by the sun’s energy until the rock erodes completely.]
“Really?”
“As I couldn’t keep my promise, I should at least compensate. Take it.”
The dwarf speaks calmly.
Taesan is dumbfounded as he accepts the ring. He thought he could buy it after descending to the 20th floor or so for 50,000 gold, but he didn’t expect to acquire it this way.
“Thank you.”
Accepting the unexpected gain, Taesan neatly stores the ring away. A gain of 20,000 gold. Any quest probably wouldn’t have been better than this.
“Are you going to descend now?”
“That’s the only thing left to do.”
Observing Taesan, the dwarf chuckles.
“I can see why there were restrictions. You’ll probably clear it in less than an hour.”
“See you next time.”
On the 15th floor, as Taesan erases the entry quest, he thinks,
“There’s nothing to gain.”
Skills are acquired when the opponent is somewhat comparable. Until now, his level wasn’t too high, making skill acquisition possible. But now his level is too high for that. Skill acquisition is impossible.
So, he descends quickly, until he can acquire skills again, until the spirit ascension activates normally.
With the information from the second-tier adventurers, there’s nothing to hinder his descent. He knows the location of every secret room up to the 20th floor.
Taesan moves through the rooms quickly, descending at a leisurely pace.