- Book 4, Chapter 580. 14th Floor, Guides of Sin (3) “A Dragon?” The young man listening from behind gasped.
Dragon.
The strongest of races. Beings that could tear through dimensions, they could not be touched by anyone less than a high-ranking Demon. Even the weakest young Dragon was a Monster that couldn't be opposed unless one went down to the 40th Floor.
Zagan swallowed his saliva. As a Demon, he could roughly gauge the fluctuations of power, and Taesan’s strength was far beyond what one would expect on the 13th Floor. There was no way he could have obtained such power within the Labyrinth.
It was more likely that a being who was already strong had entered the Labyrinth from the start. And it was hard to find such a being other than a Dragon. Taesan opened his mouth.
“So?”
Zagan’s face turned pale. Forcing his trembling body still, he stepped aside.
“I have no intention of interfering. Please, pass.”
At his perfect submissive posture, bowing to his waist, the Ghost couldn't hold back his laughter.
[You’re really showing your true colors. So utterly pathetic.]
“Are Dragons that strong?”
[You can gain more power inside the Labyrinth than outside, but Dragons are beings who transcend that. They’re the strongest race in most worlds. The oldest ones or those with special bloodlines can even rival the gods. I know there are a few down in the Depths.]
“So they’re that powerful.”
“…You?”
Zagan stared bewilderedly at Taesan and the Ghost. Before long, his face twisted.
“You!”
Realizing he had been deceived, Zagan showed his fury. Taesan brandished his sword.
“I’m an ordinary human. Satisfied?”
“...As expected of a lowly human, you spew lies so easily.”
“I don’t think a Demon is one to talk.”
Taesan smiled ambiguously and pointed his sword at Zagan. A contradictory light of anger and composure settled on Zagan's face. Though he had identified his opponent as a human, he did not let down his guard.
Even if he wasn't a Dragon, the fact remained that he was strong. Zagan's assessment of Taesan was that he was either slightly weaker than himself or on par.
“You didn’t come here just to talk, did you? Then let’s do this.”
[Duel request. This duel will be conducted with both parties’ Defense Power at 0.] Zagan frowned.
“A Duel?”
“How do I know when those guys behind you will attack me? How do I know if you, on the verge of death, will ask for help or die with dignity?”
“You think I would beg for help from those things?”
“You never know, right?”
His pride wounded, Zagan became enraged.
“How dare a mere human…”
Barely suppressing his anger, Zagan checked the System Window and smirked.
“Both parties’ Defense Power at 0?”
“I don’t want to chip away at you. Let’s end this quickly.”
At Taesan’s casual words, Zagan realized something.
‘That guy’s Attack Power isn’t high.’
Within the Labyrinth, all physical attacks were determined by the weapon’s Attack Power. No matter how skilled an opponent was, if their Attack Power was lower than one’s Defense Power, it was difficult to land a proper attack. Zagan was from the 30th Floor.
His opponent was from the 13th. The difference in their Equipment was absolute. He could tell just by the condition placed on Defense Power.
Zagan flatly refused.
“No.” [The duel has been rejected.]
[Duel request.]
“Let’s fight in proper condition.”
“Fine.”
[Duel accepted.]
[Kang Taesan and Zagan begin their duel.]
As if he had been waiting, Taesan charged. Zagan, who had expected him to be flustered or plead a little more, was momentarily stunned and failed to react properly. Instead of his Longsword, Taesan pulled out a single Dagger and plunged it into Zagan.
[12 Damage dealt to Zagan.]
“What?”
Zagan had been careless. Seeing Taesan request a conditional duel with 0 Defense Power, he had assumed Taesan couldn't deal any damage due to the difference in Attack Power. Thus, he hadn't put much effort into his defense.
Taesan did not miss that opening. His reason for requesting the 0 Defense Power duel was partly to make his opponent careless. He smoothly twisted the Dagger, slashing every part of the arm.
The second form of the Sword of the Storm Scar, The Dancer’s Step. In an instant, dozens of System Windows appeared.
“You, you!”
Barely coming to his senses, Zagan unleashed his demonic energy. Having already dealt sufficient damage, Taesan willingly created distance.
“Dammit!”
Zagan, his face contorted, swiped away the System Window. He had taken about 300 damage in an instant.
“A weapon with fixed damage. Right. There was that.”
[The weapon you all used to kill me.]
The Ghost chuckled. Fixed damage penetrates Defense Power. No matter how high one's Defense Power was, they were bound to take damage.
The Ghost had died for that very reason, so Zagan was no different. Zagan gritted his teeth and charged. In his hand was a sword formed from condensed demonic energy.
Taesan swung his sword to meet him.
Clang!
He parried the sword with a single Longsword and tore at the flesh with his Dagger. After a few exchanges, Taesan realized something.
‘He’s weak.’
Of course, he was strong. Even with various buffs from his skills, their stats were not vastly different. But his movements were incredibly clumsy.
Contrary to Taesan’s expectations, he couldn’t properly block the Sword of the Storm Scar and kept showing openings.
Clang!
Taesan twisted his wrist, deflecting Zagan’s sword. He plunged his Dagger into Zagan’s chest. Zagan grunted and created distance.
“Hmph.”
Zagan treated his wound without much agitation.
“The Sword of the Storm Scar. So the spineless Hero interfered with the living. As long as you have that, it will be difficult to win in close combat.”
Zagan spread his hand. The demonic energy that formed his sword dispersed and began to swirl around his body.
“But I am a Demon. A being who inherited the noble M. Moving my body is not my specialty.”
The demonic energy surged out. It combined with magic power and began to take form.
“Behold. The great magic created by the Demons over their long history.”
[Zagan has activated Dekarabia’s Distorted Flora.]
Thud!
Plant roots shot out from the darkness. Flora large enough to fill the room and more lunged at Taesan. Taesan frowned and moved his sword roughly.
He struck down the approaching giant tree roots. A dull impact traveled numbly up his arm.
“What is this.”
The room was filled with countless roots.
Screech!
With a scream-like noise, the roots writhed. Like cobras dancing to a flute, the roots grabbed Taesan’s arms and legs, their sharp ends aiming for his chest.
Crack.
He smashed a root with his elbow and swung his sword wildly. First form of the Sword of the Storm Scar, Wolf Fang. He cut down all the approaching roots.
Still, there were too many. Taesan clicked his tongue at the sight of the frenzied roots and cast a spell.
Fwoosh.
A Scorching Orb formed in the air. It collided with the roots. In an instant, a great inferno spread.
The roots let out sounds like screams as they died one by one.
Fwoosh.
The flames filled the room. Blocking the approaching flames with a Frost Arrow, Taesan turned his gaze.
“Using a Scorching Orb?”
Zagan, who had blocked the inferno with demonic energy, frowned and waved his hand.
[Zagan has activated Dekarabia’s Raven Familiar.]
Caw-caw-caw-caw!
Distorted crows burst out from the darkness. A number easily exceeding a hundred pecked at Taesan with their beaks. Taesan swung his sword roughly and moved his body to barely shake them off.
“There’s magic like that?”
The magic Taesan had seen so far was simple, like calling down lightning, creating flames, or making ice. It wasn't complex and difficult to understand like this.
[That’s Demonic magic. A Demon's magic.]
The Ghost said.
[The magic you use is the magic of the God of Magic. It’s the most common magic here, but it’s not the only kind. It’s distinctly different from the magic independently created by the Demons.]
“Stay out of this, Hero! This is a fight between him and me!”
Zagan said sharply. Even if it was a Ghost, he couldn't possibly know about Demonic magic, but for someone in a life-or-death battle, it was irritating.
[Don’t worry. I have no intention of helping.]
Zagan was momentarily taken aback by the Ghost's relaxed demeanor. Although he had said it, he had expected the Ghost to say this and that to help anyway.
‘Are they not on good terms?’
It was a good thing for Zagan. He continued to manifest Demonic magic. Marbas’s False Flames.
Blue flames erupted. They burned away the remaining flames of the Scorching Orb, incinerating everything. Taesan activated Frost Arrow to create cold, but it didn't extinguish easily.
Eventually, the flames touched his arm.
[Absolute Nullification of the First Attack has been activated for Kang Taesan.]
But the flame was erased. At the result of the attack itself disappearing, Zagan unknowingly raised his voice.
“What!”
Attack Nullification.
What kind of Skill was that. Though greatly shaken, Zagan quickly composed himself.
‘As expected.’
Zagan bared his teeth. Marbas’s False Flames were, true to their name, not flames. They were an extremely hot substance in the shape of a flame.
Therefore, they were not greatly affected by temperature and had to be blocked with physical force. But Taesan hadn't done that. Because he had no information.
All of the Demon’s magic was unique and varied, making it virtually impossible to counter without prior knowledge. Zagan had no intention of letting that advantage go. Demonic magic continued to overwhelm Taesan.
The second nullification also disappeared, and under the swirling power, Taesan began to accumulate large and small wounds. The thought of victory greatly emboldened Zagan, causing him to overlook one fact. That Taesan's response was, little by little, getting better.
Zagan clenched his fist.
[Zagan has activated Nebiros’s Despair.]
Darkness enveloped Taesan.
Zagan grinned.
“It’s over.”
The magic he had just used was one that attacked a person’s mind, burying them in endless darkness, and was impossible to counter without preparation. All Taesan could do was be trapped in the darkness and slowly die. As he declared his victory, Taesan was in the darkness.
Grrr.
The howl of a beast struck his ears. Horrible things burrowed into his mind, trying to devour his spirit.
[It’s hard to counter. This is a magic you’re seeing for the first time. Demonic magic is so abstruse that even those who have faced it often can't counter it properly. I don’t know much about it either.]
The Ghost had faced many Demons, but Demonic magic was not so shallow that he could figure it out from such experiences. Moreover, Demonic magic was a top secret, and no one would speak of it. He only had a general idea and didn't know the detailed counters.
[But it’s different for you.]
The Ghost’s words were filled with deep trust and faith. Taesan stroked his chin in the darkness. The noises striking his ears had no effect on his mind.
“Not bad.”
‘I wonder if I can learn it too?’
Taesan tore through the darkness. Zagan, who had been leisurely waiting for Taesan to self-destruct, was startled.
‘He overcame this?’
Impossible.
Nebiros’s Despair attacked a fundamental part of a person’s mind. Even an Indomitable Spirit couldn't shake it off easily, yet he had come out so quickly! Zagan quickly composed himself.
‘Still, nothing changes.’
Taesan still knew nothing about Demonic magic. In that case, the result was obvious. He manifested his magic.
[Zagan has activated Dekarabia’s Raven Familiar.]
Caw!
Countless crows took flight. Each one was weak, but it was a magic that overwhelmed the opponent with sheer numbers.
‘The way to deal with it is to not deal with it at all.’
Either ignore it, or blow it away with just the force of one's power. It was one of the two, but Taesan had been swatting them down one by one with his sword. It was natural since he didn't know how to counter it.
Zagan believed it wouldn't be much different this time. But Taesan activated a Skill.
[Kang Taesan has activated Repulsion.]
Skill Repulsion.
A Skill that fired an invisible force from oneself to push things away. It wasn't very effective against a main force, but it was an excellent Skill against opponents who swarmed with numbers like this. The crows were crushed by the force and disappeared before they could even reach Taesan.
Zagan’s pupils widened.
‘He figured out the counter?’
Zagan denied his own thought. It was only the second time. Believing it was just a coincidence, he manifested his magic.
[Zagan has activated Marbas’s False Flames.]
Blue flames poured out like breath. Taesan raised his sword and struck the flames. With a loud noise, the substance in the shape of a flame flew far away.
“So this was right after all.”
Taesan nodded his head. Leveling up through battle