67. 11th Floor (1) The Ghost’s body trembled violently. Even though the Quest was complete, he did not disappear. I decided to let him compose himself first and looked at the rewards.
I started by checking the rewards I obtained from clearing the 10th Floor.
[Ring of the Ogre] [Strength + 15] [An Ogre's ring. To a human, it is like a bracelet.]
I remembered seeing a similar Item in games on Earth. Befitting something used by an Ogre, it possessed a high Strength Stat. And then there were the numerous Titles I gained from perfectly clearing the 10th Floor.
[Title: One Who Adapts] [You have proven that you have adapted by perfectly breaking through a certain number of floors in the Labyrinth.]
[Strength + 8] [Intelligence + 8] [Agility + 8] Until now, the Stat values attached to Titles were low or nonexistent, but unlike those, this one was high.
That wasn't just true for the Title [One Who Adapts].
[Title: Perfectionist] [You broke through the Labyrinth while seeing through everything.]
[Strength + 10] [Intelligence + 10] [Agility + 10] [The Reward is enhanced when you have completely seen through a specific floor.]
[Title: One Who Walks the Path] [You have walked a sufficient path to prove yourself.]
[Strength + 6] [Intelligence + 6] [Agility + 6] [Movement Speed + 2%] [Title: One Who Succeeded in Proof] [You have proven a significant value.]
[NPCs and Gods will look upon you favorably.]
[Strength + 6] [Intelligence + 6] [Agility + 6] [Title: Adaptive Challenger] [Your path is not yet over.]
[Strength + 4] [Intelligence + 4] [Agility + 4] [The Proficiency of all Skills will be accelerated.]
Five Titles.
All of them possessed high Stat values. Other Players were guaranteed to obtain three of these Titles upon clearing the 10th Floor. Even for Taesan, these were significant numbers, let alone for an average Player.
This was why clearing the end of a theme, like the 10th Floor, made one distinctly stronger than before. And by defeating the Ogre Sage, I also obtained the red Dagger he had shown me.
[Edge of Calamity] [A Dagger forged from stolen destruction. It is now so old as to be meaningless, but the destructive energy it contains has not yet vanished.]
[Fixed damage + 10] "Huh."
I didn't expect to see Equipment with Fixed damage already.
‘As far as I remember, you had to get to at least the 20th Floor to get one.’
It was a weapon that was unaffected by the effects of all sorts of Skills and Equipment, literally dealing only 10 Damage. In some ways, it might seem meaningless, but the value it held was immense. Fixed damage could completely ignore Defense Power, just as the Ghost had experienced.
Furthermore, it dealt unconditional Damage regardless of the situation or conditions. Even if an opponent was immune to physical attacks, it had the effect of ensuring they would still take 10 Damage. It also penetrated Skills.
It possessed a high enough Judgment to pierce through even Fortitude, a representative damage reduction Skill. It was similar to having the effect of the Essence Strike Taesan used against the last Apostle attached to a weapon. In Easy or Normal Mode, it was the kind of Equipment whose very existence was unheard of.
"It didn't mean much to me, though."
The Judgment of Fixed damage was certainly high, but it couldn't penetrate Attack Nullification and Fortitude. Since Taesan also had Essence Strike, he didn't find it particularly appealing. However, since I didn't have Essence Strike yet, it would be useful to have it at some point.
He placed the Dagger in his Inventory.
[You have used ???.]
[You have obtained the Spear of Restraint.]
The name alone made it seem like a good Item, and Taesan checked it with an expectant face, but his expression quickly turned cold.
[Spear of Restraint] [A named artifact created in a high Magic Tower.]
[Can restrain a target for 1 second. A resistance Judgment is attempted based on the target's Level.]
It wasn't bad… but it wasn't good either. If a typical Player had obtained it, they wouldn't be able to hide their joy. For those without a means to stop an enemy, it would be a treasured Item that could buy them time and create openings.
But for Taesan, it wasn't very meaningful. He already had numerous spells to inhibit actions. There was no reason to go through the inconvenient process of taking out and putting away a spear to use it.
Magic Tower probably referred to a tower of magic. If so, it might have great value as a Tribute. Taesan put it in his Inventory, intending to take it to Lilith, and opened his Status Window.
[Kang Taesan] [Level: 24] [Shield: 65/65] [Health: 990/990] [Mana: 240/240] [Strength: 406] [Intelligence: 227] [Agility: 332] [Attack Power + 3] [Defense Power + 4] [The target is in Optimal Condition.]
It had been a while since I checked my Status Window. The Stats were still overwhelming. But compared to them, my Attack Power and Defense Power were relatively weak.
It was time to start filling them in. Taesan opened his mouth.
"Have you sorted things out?"
[...Mostly.]
The Ghost replied in a voice that was calmer than before but still rippling with emotion.
[Ha, I don't know whether I should be grateful for this or vent my hatred.]
The Ghost let out a hollow laugh.
[You got the Quest, right?]
Taesan nodded his head. The reason the Ghost disappeared on the 10th Floor was because the Quest's objective ended there. But a new Quest had been updated.
A Quest to kill all the targets of his revenge.
"Looks like this will continue a bit longer."
[Well... it's not bad. I wanted to see how far you'd go anyway. And to see those bastards' necks get torn apart.]
The Ghost explained in an annoyed voice.
[They're not that impressive. And yet they judge themselves as great and run wild without knowing their place.]
Guides of Sin. If what Lee Tae-yeon said was true, it was understandable that they had killed the Ghost. They were the kind of people who wanted to kill all Adventurers who didn't belong to them.
[I'll explain later. We need to take care of what needs to be taken care of first.]
Light gathered in the Ghost's white hand. An object began to take form above it. What should I give?
The Hero's Reward was simple. He decided based on his mood. That was all.
The Reward could be a pebble, or it could be a great heirloom. As I waited with the feeling of spinning a roulette, a pure white sword appeared. A simple but sleek sword.
It somehow smelled of blood. At a glance, it looked valuable.
[Take it. It's a sword I brought from my world.]
[Carbert’s Relic: Ancestral Blood-Infused Sword] [A relic from a world that has now fallen to ruin. It has claimed the lives of numerous Royals.]
[Attack Power + 20] [When facing enemies of noble lineage, Attack Power + 10] Taesan paused.
The Ghost was taken aback by Taesan's silent stare at the weapon.
[What. You don't like it?]
"It's the opposite."
It's too good. I thought the Attack Power wouldn't be low, but I never imagined it would reach a value of 20. The Ghost, realizing why Taesan had paused, boasted.
[It was a historic sword from my Empire. Even the founding ancestor lost his life to this sword. There are many excellent items in the Labyrinth, but this one is pretty decent too.]
It wasn't just 'pretty decent.' It was far too good. I never expected to get such a good weapon.
Honestly, the Quest was simple. Just take the Ghost, descend the floors as usual, and kill the Boss. That was all.
The result was more than enough.
[If you kill them in the future... I'll give you more valuable things. Though I suppose you'll end up fighting the moment you meet anyway.]
Listening to the gloomy voice, Taesan changed his weapon. He put Rakiratas's blade into his Inventory and held Carbert’s Relic. His current Attack Power was 45. It had suddenly increased by 50%.
Satisfied, Taesan went to find Lilith. She greeted Taesan, then faltered when she saw the Ghost.
"Oh?"
[That's what happened.]
"Ah. Yes..."
Taesan handed the Spear of Restraint to the bewildered Lilith.
"Can I learn Invisibility Magic with this?"
"Ooh."
Lilith instantly forgot about the Ghost and examined the Spear of Restraint with sparkling eyes.
"This is an artifact on a level I've never even seen in my world... I think it will be enough."
"Then I'm counting on you."
Lilith took the spear and muttered something. Soon, a huge presence appeared. Taesan stared blankly at the power wavering in the distance.
'It's different, as I thought.' The purple Rifts he saw on Earth. It was the same in that it was a conduit of presence and power like the one before his eyes now.
But the way the power felt and the sense of unease were all different. While Taesan was observing, Lilith, having offered the Tribute, wiped the beads of sweat from her brow.
"Phew! That was close, but I managed somehow."
[You have obtained Invisibility.]
[Beginner Magic: Invisibility] [Mana Cost: 20] [Proficiency: 1%] [Conceals the body. With higher Proficiency, you can hide from more things.]
The Mana cost was the highest of any Skill he had obtained so far, but it was a Skill worth the price.
"With this, I've learned all the magic I have for now, right?"
Lilith murmured with an expectant face. Now, she too could learn new magic depending on the Tributes Taesan offered. Since Taesan had no intention of being satisfied with just this much magic, she would surely obtain the spells she desired.
Taesan opened his mouth.
"Do you know a way to talk to the Gods?"
The difference between the beings of Earth and these ones. The only way to know for sure was to ask them directly.
"Huh. Talk?"
Perhaps because it was an unexpected question, Lilith's eyes widened.
"Um... at least as far as I know, there isn't? Why do you ask?"
[There is.]
The Ghost spoke calmly, as if he had guessed Taesan's inner thoughts.
[You have to go quite deep, near what's called the Depths, but there's a passage there. Normally, just trying to talk to them would drive you mad, so you'd have to be shielded, but you should be fine.]
"Heeh."
Lilith nodded her head as if she had learned something new. Taesan bid her farewell and headed for the 11th Floor. The theme of the Labyrinth changes every 10 floors.
If the floors up to now had been generally green, mossy rooms, the 11th Floor was a red room. A mixture of blood and molten iron was spattered on the walls, giving off an unpleasant smell.
[This is a place beyond the entrance of the Labyrinth.]
[Things that do not die even when stabbed with a sword live here. There are not many living beings here. The darkness of this place is gradually growing stronger.]
The content of the description had changed. Floors 11 to 20. The Monsters that appeared here were not living things, but dead ones.
[11th Floor Quest begins.]
[Defeat the Boss of the 11th Floor and pass through.]
[Reward: Ring of the Dead.]
[Secret Reward: ???]
The Quest was the same as before. Taesan calmly passed through the room. The Dwarf was waiting for him as always.
"You're here? I thought it would take you a few months, but you came faster than I expected."
"It wasn't something that would take that long."
11th Floor.
From here on, the items sold in the Shop change significantly. It was the time when he could obtain the items that Lee Tae-yeon had once boasted to him about. Taesan looked at the Dwarf with an expectant face.
Leveling up through battle