[Marnius's Rune] [Grants a chance to bestow an attribute to a weapon.]
As before, the description was simple. It could be stacked with a Scroll of Engraving, making it a rune useful for other purposes. This made him curious.
"Is Marnius a god too?"
A being who put their name on an Item. Before, he hadn't cared much about gods, but seeing so many of them here had changed his mind.
[Not a god, but a transcendent being.]
"What's the difference?"
[There isn't much of a difference. Whether they have a domain they preside over. Or if they desired it themselves. That's about the extent of the difference.]
It seemed it had no intention of explaining in detail.
[Just know that such beings exist. Not all of them are involved with the Labyrinth. If you tried to learn about each one, I'd have to spend days just explaining.]
"Is that so."
It seemed there were more transcendent beings than he had thought. Taesan put Marnius's Rune into his Inventory. It was about time to get rid of Rakiratas's weapon.
He had been using something he got on the 2nd Floor all the way to the 9th Floor, so he had used it for a very long time. He planned to use it when he obtained a new weapon. And then, the random reward.
[You have obtained the Special Passive Skill [Hand of Exploitation].]
"The random reward gives Skills too?"
He didn't know. He had never received one in Easy Mode. Lee Tae-yeon had barely received any Secret Rewards, so she didn't know either.
First, he checked its effect.
[Special Passive Skill: Hand of Exploitation] [Proficiency: 1%] [Absorbs a certain percentage of Health each time you deal damage to an enemy.]
"Is it for sustained fights?"
It was a type of Skill Taesan had never seen before. He would have to find out what the percentage was, but as it was a Secret Reward, its value was surely not small. Taesan descended to the 9th Floor.
This time, he didn't meet Lilith. Since Marcanda used its beak as a weapon, it didn't drop any particular items. They were all materials.
[9th Floor Quest has started.]
[Defeat the Boss of the 9th Floor and pass through.]
[Reward: Boots of Swiftness] [Secret Reward: ???]
The Dwarf greeted him.
"You're here. The 9th Floor already? It'll be soon now."
"That's right."
Soon, in many ways. The Ghost quietly shut its mouth.
"Nothing to buy this time either. Hurry up and get going. I'm tired of seeing that dreary face."
"There's something I have to tell you before that."
He wasn't sure how the Dwarf would react, but he had to check. The Dwarf tilted his head.
"What is it? Don't tell me that thing is going to stick around until it dies?"
"No. I'll probably be gone for a little while."
"Gone?"
The Dwarf's pupils widened.
"From here?"
"Yes."
[What do you mean by that?]
The silent Ghost asked in surprise.
[You're going outside the Labyrinth?]
"It's not that I want to leave. I'm being made to leave."
"...Is there such a thing?"
The Dwarf stroked his chin with a puzzled look.
"From the sound of it, it seems like something is intervening... but nothing comes to mind."
"You don't know?"
"I'm tied to this place and know nothing of the outside world, so of course I wouldn't know. The gods here wouldn't do something so crazy..."
It seemed the Dwarf also didn't know what being had summoned Taesan here. 'So it's not a god.' The pondering Dwarf asked.
"How long will it take?"
"Well..."
It was a question Taesan couldn't answer for certain. Depending on how things unfolded, it could end quickly or take some time.
"I think it will take about a month or two."
"That's not too long. I don't know what it is, but it doesn't seem like you can refuse to go even if you don't want to. Have a safe trip."
The Dwarf said simply. Taesan nodded and headed for the 9th Floor. The Ghost, coming to its senses late, began to question him.
[Where are you going?]
"Outside."
[Outside? Outside the Labyrinth? The place that Broken Man guards? What's out there?]
"Not there. Really outside."
[Huh?]
The Ghost was flustered.
[What outside are you talking about?]
Taesan didn't answer. It would find out soon enough anyway. He looked at the Ghost.
A being that disappears when the 10th Floor is cleared. A being bound by a Quest. In other words, as long as the Quest continued, it would always be by his side.
[Why are you looking at me like that?]
"It's nothing."
He averted his gaze. It was still just a possibility. There was no need to say anything since he didn't know how the Labyrinth would respond.
Taesan moved to the next room. The Monster of the 9th Floor appeared.
"Kaak!"
[A Spear-Wielding Hobgoblin has appeared.]
[A Shield-Wielding Hobgoblin has appeared.]
[A Bow-Wielding Hobgoblin has appeared.]
The formation was the same as the 2nd Floor. The only difference was that the Goblins had evolved into Hobgoblins.
"Are these guys stronger than Lizardmen?"
Hobgoblins were a higher species of Goblin, but they weren't very strong Monsters. In terms of species strength, they were below Lizardmen. Taesan soon found out why.
"Kieeeek!"
The Hobgoblins swung their weapons. Their movements were controlled and clean, not something trained for only a day or two.
"Oh?"
Taesan parried their swords and retreated. The goblins rushed him in unison.
"This is interesting."
No matter how much they trained, the difference in their base Stats was huge, and Taesan was also learning Swordsmanship now. They were no match for him. What surprised him was that the Hobgoblins were stronger than he had thought.
"Is this kind of enhancement possible?"
The strength of Monsters didn't differ between modes. The Goblins he met here were on the same level as the Goblins he met in Easy Mode, and it was the same for the Lizardmen and Orcs. The Orc Fighters were different, but they were an exception as they had been enhanced by a divine trial.
Taesan had met Hobgoblins in Easy Mode before, but these ones were clearly stronger than them. The Ghost answered.
[Their limits are set, but they can train to a certain extent. They need someone to teach them, but you already know that, don't you?]
In other words, the 9th Floor has a named Monster.
A Named.
Taesan lowered his hand. The Hobgoblins attacked him. As his Shield was depleted and his Health began to drain, Taesan moved his sword.
Crunch.
"Kak!"
The Hobgoblin that tried to block Taesan's sword was crushed, shield and all. Hand of Exploitation. It recovered a certain percentage of the damage dealt.
Since the Shield didn't count as Health, he had no choice but to take the hit on purpose. When Taesan checked, 3 Health had been recovered.
"The ratio is about 5%."
He had just acquired it and it was at base Proficiency, yet it was already 5%. If he steadily raised its Proficiency, it would become quite useful. It was a Skill that could give him an advantage in prolonged fights.
The fact that it was a Passive Skill was also good. It meant it would activate on its own without him having to think about it. Little things like this added up to create big variables.
Taesan quickly cleaned up and began to break through the Labyrinth. Four Hobgoblins were waiting in the next room, and Taesan finished them all off in less than a minute. Taesan had been victorious against the adventurer of the 20th Floor.
The Monsters of the 9th Floor were no longer a match for him. He cleared the rooms without stopping. He looked for a Secret Room.
The effect of Insight activated, and he found one quickly. As always, he disarmed the Trap and obtained the Reward.
[Thick Shield] [Defense Power + 15] [Solely for defense. It seems it would be useless alone.]
Its Defense Power was the highest he had seen. The downside was that it was a two-handed shield. As the description said, it wasn't very useful on its own.
Taesan had Soul Rank Ascension, so he could use it to some extent, but Defense Power wasn't important right now. The problem was that his Attack Power was too low compared to his Stats. At the end of his advance, it wasn't long before he met the Boss.
"Kaak!"
[Hobgoblin Chieftain has appeared.]
This chieftain used both Magic and a sword. It swung its sword and staff, attacking Taesan with magic and sword strikes. Taesan approached as if walking on a gentle breeze.
[You have activated the Robe of Shadowy Maneuvers.]
For a moment, his body vanished. The chieftain flinched. Taesan plunged his sword into its neck.
"Kak, kaak."
He pressed down on its resistance and drove the sword deeper. Before long, the chieftain collapsed.
[You were victorious against the Hobgoblin Chieftain.]
[Your Level has risen.]
[You are now in Optimal Condition.]
[As a Level Up Reward, your Health has increased by 60.] [As a Level Up Reward, your Strength permanently increases by 12. Your Agility permanently increases by 15. Your Mana permanently increases by 8.] [You have acquired the Faded Staff.]
He checked it immediately.
[Faded Staff] [Magic + 5] [A Magic Staff of which only a fragment remains. It seems to have been very valuable once.]
It was worse than the Staff of Composure he currently had. Still, it could be used as a Tribute, so it was better than mediocre equipment.
[Damn, you're fast.]
"I can't afford to struggle."
Now, it was the 10th Floor. But Taesan didn't go down and instead looked around the Boss Room. Before long, he found a strange decoration that formed a pattern.
Taesan pressed the decoration.
Drrrk.
The wall slid inward, revealing a path.
"As I thought."
Taesan went inside. It was a pattern reminiscent of the Goblin Lord. Just like then, the interior was lavishly decorated.
"An adventurer."
And at the end, there was a goblin sitting on a throne.
[You have encountered the Goblin Lord, Root-Ra.]
Unlike Hage-Ha, the title didn't say 'former'. It meant this was the real Goblin Lord. The Lord looking at him opened his mouth.
"Have you met Hage-Ha?"
Taesan nodded. Root-Ra laughed.
"To have faced a warrior like you, he must have passed on with satisfaction."
Root-Ra stood up. He raised his spear and pointed it at Taesan. Taesan nonchalantly raised his sword.
The current Taesan was at the level of the 20th Floor's adventurer. No matter how much it bore the name of a Lord, the outcome was clear. Root-Ra seemed to sense that as well, giving a bitter smile.
He gripped his spear in a life-or-death stance.
"I knew this day would come, but it's a strange feeling."
"You must be the one who defeated Hage-Ha."
"Yes. I won in a fair fight and took the title of Lord. It was a battle for my life."
"Why did you do it?"
From his words, he seemed to be fully aware of his own situation. That he was a Monster, destined to be defeated by an Adventurer. Root-Ra answered indifferently.
"If I am to perish anyway, shouldn't I leave something behind? A death as a Lord is more splendid than as one of countless Goblins."
'Ambition?'
For a more splendid death, he challenged Hage-Ha to a fight. In Easy Mode, Monsters were beings that moved by instinct, with barely any signs of intelligence. But here, even those called Monsters lived with their own values and ideas.
The NPCs came here for their own desires. Then for what reason do the Monsters exist here?
"Let us fight, warrior."
The Lord raised his spear and ran. Fast, and strong. Even the shadow of the 20th Floor couldn't move like that.
In terms of pure movement without Skills, he was superior to anyone Taesan had seen. Taesan moved both his hands. The sound of wind being torn apart rang out.
Kaaang!
The goblin's arm was pressed down. Taesan kicked him. He attacked fiercely.
The Lord crawled on the ground with a stiff face. He desperately lowered his stance and thrust his spear upward at Taesan.
[Root-Ra has activated Power Strike.]
[Your Absolute Nullification of the First Attack has activated.]
The attack was erased.
Taesan counterattacked.
The Lord activated a Skill with a dumbfounded expression.
[Root-Ra has activated Deflection.]
[You have activated Power Strike.]
The sword, which had been deflecting, corrected its trajectory. Root-Ra gritted his teeth and blocked it. The spear shook violently.
"Well, there's nothing I can do."
Root-Ra let out a hollow laugh.
"My Skills are no match, and my movements are being pushed back. I can't even gain the upper hand in swordsmanship. I never thought I'd be pushed back this much by an adventurer of this floor."
Root-Ra was strong. A normal Player would barely have the strength to face him even after reaching the 14th Floor. He was a monster-like existence.
Taesan raised his sword.
"Are you going to give up?"
"I can't do that."
Root-Ra gripped his spear with both hands, his eyes shining. A storm raged. The spear left afterimages as it stabbed ten places at once.
The freely moving spear drew a circle, smoothly bewitching the air. The use of a weapon pushed to its limits. Taesan raised his sword.
Kuuung!
He crushed technique with power. Like a storm, his sword strikes split the air in all directions. Root-Ra did his best.
Five minutes later, the Lord with a sword in his chest slowly staggered back.
"Is this the end?"
"You lasted longer than I thought."
Normally, it would have been over in about three minutes. But Root-Ra truly held out until the very end. By crawling on the ground and even abandoning his weapon to cling to him, he managed to buy a little more time.
It was a meaningless difference. In the end, there was no chance of victory. But Root-Ra seemed satisfied.
"Well, it's fine. I don't know if I'll remember this outcome, but the me of this moment is satisfied, so that's enough."
Root-Ra threw his spear. Taesan caught it.
[You have acquired the Improvised Spear.]
"Use it as you wish, warrior."
Root-Ra closed his eyes.
[You were victorious against Root-Ra.]
[You have defeated the Lord of the Goblins. You have obtained the Title [One Cursed by the Goblins].]
[You have defeated the master of a species. You have obtained the Title [King Slayer].]
Leveling up through battle