- Volume 4, Chapter 14 89. 19th Floor, Demon God. Lucifer (1) Taesan first checked the helmet Valoran had given him.
[Valoran’s Helmet] [Defense Power + 22] [Action Speed + 3%] [The helmet of one who was a great Knight in life. Though his Soul has been sullied, the will imbued in the Equipment has not faded.]
Action Speed or Movement Speed were stats usually attached only to shoes. Having it on a helmet meant it was a rather exceptional piece of Equipment. It was an item well worth the effort of not using any Skills.
And, just like when he cleared the 10th Floor, he had obtained a myriad of Titles.
[Title: One Who Advances] [You have not only perfectly cleared a certain number of floors in the Labyrinth but have also proven that you will descend even further.]
[Strength + 15] [Intelligence + 15] [Agility + 15] [Title: One Who Has Touched the Speck of Perfection] [You have broken through by seeing through everything in the Labyrinth. It is still a faint achievement, but a clear one nonetheless.]
[Strength + 18] [Intelligence + 18] [Agility + 18] [The Reward is further enhanced when you completely see through certain floors.]
[Title: One Who Stands at the Start of the Path] [You have begun to walk the path of proving yourself.]
[Strength + 12] [Intelligence + 12] [Agility + 12] [Movement Speed + 4%] [Title: One Who Succeeded in Proof] [You have succeeded in a meaningful challenge and proven yourself further.]
[NPCs and Gods will look upon you favorably.]
[Strength + 12] [Intelligence + 12] [Agility + 12] Up to this point, the titles were similar to the ones he had gotten for clearing the 10th Floor, but they were about twice as powerful.
And there was a unique Title he had obtained from clearing the 20th Floor.
[Title: What Has Been Accumulated] [You have accumulated sufficient power. This is the proof.]
[Mana + 21] [Agility + 16] [The Proficiency of all Skills will accelerate even more.]
Title: What Has Been Accumulated. It was a Title with a special ability, given based on an evaluation of everything he had done on his way down to the 20th Floor. For Taesan, it was an acceleration to his Skill Proficiency.
Since his main techniques were Skills, it was only natural. Although the acceleration was minimal, almost unnoticeably different, accumulating such effects one by one would eventually create a huge difference. And he had also obtained a Skill.
[Special Passive Skill: Proof of the Self] [What you have accumulated becomes a phenomenon that lingers around you.]
According to Lee Tae-yeon, it was a Skill that exuded a kind of pressure. The Monsters he had killed, the Mental Strength he had fortified while descending the Labyrinth, and his physical power. All of it resided in his body, emitting an intimidating aura to his surroundings.
Indeed, whenever he met Lee Tae-yeon, a strange energy always swirled around her. An energy that would make the weak shrink back the moment they faced her. It wouldn't be wrong to say it was an expression of a kind of strength.
After checking all the Clear Rewards, Taesan now checked the Secret Reward. The Secret Reward was a pair of shoes.
[Boots of the Sharp Scar] [Attack Power + 4] [Defense Power + 14] [Agility + 10] [Movement Speed + 12%] [Action Speed + 6%] [Shoes with a chaotic, distorted pattern. It looks like it would hurt a lot to be kicked by them.]
The Defense Power and Agility were exactly double that of the shoes he was currently wearing. The Movement Speed and Action Speed were also high, and it even had Attack Power. There was no reason not to switch.
The Secret Reward was a Rune of Strength. His Strength increased by 20. “Status Window.”
[Kang Taesan] [Level: 43] [Shield: 192/192] [Health: 2250/2250] [Mana: 514/514] [Strength: 765] [Intelligence: 533] [Agility: 688] [Attack Power + 83] [Defense Power + 115] [Optimal Condition.]
He had become much stronger once again. Taesan smiled joyfully. At this rate, he might even catch up to Lee Tae-yeon's former stats before he even reached the Depths.
Taesan went back up the Labyrinth to meet Lilith. She was panting, moving her luggage.
“You went down again, again?”
“I made it to the 20th Floor.”
“Aaargh…”
She looked at her luggage with a face full of despair.
“Why don't you just stay put? It’d be easier for me to come up, wouldn't it?”
“…No. I can’t be a bother when I’m receiving so much.”
She had a tempted expression for a moment, but Lilith shook her head. It seemed to be her own way of showing gratitude. She roughly organized her things and her eyes sparkled.
“So, you came because you have something to offer as a Tribute?”
Taesan nodded and took out the Equipment he had gotten from killing the Liches. With each item that appeared, Lilith let out a gasp of admiration.
“Wow!”
“With this much, I should be able to learn it, right?”
“More than enough!”
She grinned broadly as she organized the Equipment. Just as before, she prayed and offered the Tribute to her God.
“I’ll teach you right away!”
[You have learned Air Leap.]
[Beginner Magic: Air Leap] [Mana Cost: 10] [Proficiency: 1%] [Leap in the air. For now, you can only use it once at a time.]
“Should I explain it?”
“No.” Now that he'd learned it, trying it himself would be the easiest way.
Taesan immediately kicked off the ground.
Thwack.
His body flew through the air. He rose almost to the ceiling, then began to fall under the influence of gravity. When he was about halfway down, Taesan activated the Skill.
[You have activated Air Leap.]
A foothold appeared beneath his feet. Taesan put strength into his feet and stepped on the formless foothold. His body soared into the air once more.
Landing on the floor, Taesan realized.
“It’s a double jump.”
It was a Skill that often appeared in games. You leap into the air and then jump one more time. Having seen it many times, he understood it immediately.
“It’s a good magic.”
In Taesan’s experience, Skills that could defy the laws of physics were mostly a jackpot. Being able to change direction in mid-air was a great advantage in both combat and movement.
‘I wonder if it can be linked with Great Leap?’
The Skill that made one's body fly a great distance.
Great Leap.
He wondered if it was possible to activate the Skills in conjunction. His thoughts naturally drifted there.
“Well, see you next time.”
“Take care!”
Parting with Lilith, Taesan returned to the 20th Floor. There was one room there that Taesan had intentionally left untouched.
[A Death Knight has appeared.]
Inside, there was a single Death Knight. Taesan looked at the Death Knight and removed all his Equipment. The Ghost realized.
[Are you trying to learn that Nullification thing again?]
“You know well.”
[…Is there more to learn?]
“That’s what I need to find out.”
From the 20th Floor onwards, the levels were starting to become similar. It was a level where he could acquire Skills. That’s why he had deliberately left one room.
Taesan used the fairy powder he had received as a reward. And he waited calmly for an attack. The Death Knight thrust its sword.
[Your Absolute Nullification of the First Attack has been activated.]
Since Attack Nullification didn't count as a Judgment for acquiring Nullification, he used up all his Attack Nullifications.
[Your Absolute Nullification of the Second Attack has been activated.]
Two attacks were erased, and Taesan tensed every muscle in his body. The Death Knight thrust its sword. He twisted his body to its limit to minimize the damage taken.
[You have taken 62 Damage.]
Taesan's Shield was 192. By simple calculation, he could withstand up to four hits. Once again, he contorted his body to its limit.
[You have taken 61 Damage.]
And one more time. The Death Knight thrust its sword. He twisted his body in time with the sword aiming for his side.
With an unpleasant sensation, his flesh was torn.
[You have taken 65 Damage.]
[Your Health did not decrease from the third attack. You have acquired the Special Passive Skill [Absolute Nullification of the Third Attack].]
He had just barely managed to obtain the third one. Taesan drew his sword and sent the Death Knight flying.
“So there is a third one after all.”
[Well, I’ll be.]
The Ghost let out a dry laugh. It was a sight he had seen before, but it was still an unbelievable scene no matter how many times he saw it.
[Doesn’t this Skill seem like it was designed to be obtained in conjunction with the Shield in the first place?]
“Seems so.”
The Shield.
A Skill that could only be obtained by clearing Rakiratas’s Enhanced Trial. Since the Shield wasn’t considered a part of his Health, it was easy to obtain Attack Nullification. It seemed to be a Skill that could be acquired through some sort of combination.
It was like an additional reward for clearing the Enhanced Trial.
[It seems like a Skill designed that way from the beginning.]
But since no one had ever received Rakiratas's Enhanced Trial, let alone cleared it, it seemed to be unknown.
[Hmm. Then it makes sense. I guess it’s not a Skill you can obtain through normal means.]
“Is that so?”
He wasn't so sure. Taesan had obtained it with nothing but effort. But objectively speaking, it was understandable.
No one but him had been able to obtain the Nullifications. In any case, he had obtained the Skill he wanted. He still had a lot of time left.
Hafran had said it would take two days, and not even a day had passed yet.
“In that case.”
Taesan sat down. The Ghost took it as him trying to rest.
[You should probably rest. You’ve been running too much.]
Since making a Contract with the Ghost, Taesan hadn't rested for a single day. He slept the minimum amount and only focused on descending the Labyrinth. A normal human would have burned out long ago.
Even if not, their mental fortitude would have crumbled, leading to a quick breakdown. No matter how outstanding Taesan was, he was probably reaching his limit. He needed to rest without thinking about anything.
Taesan had a "what are you talking about" expression.
“Teach me Swordsmanship.”
[What?]
“I have two days free, so I’ll learn Swordsmanship during that time. I want to learn some theory now.”
So far, he had only used it in conjunction with practical combat. He wanted to properly understand the parts he had been grasping roughly.
[…]
The Ghost was at a loss for words. Seeing the Ghost silently looking at him, Taesan asked.
“Are you not going to teach me?”
[No, it’s not that.]
The Ghost let out a hollow laugh.
[This is a really strange fellow.]
The Ghost obediently taught him Swordsmanship. While moving his body, he once again grasped the principles and theories he had been roughly realizing, this time with explanations. For two days, he continued to refine his body in such a way, and as a result, he was able to significantly increase his Proficiency.
[Advanced Skill: Sword of the Storm Scar] [Proficiency: 29%] [A Swordsmanship passed down in a ruined world. Now, only one person has mastered it. You can be confident that you have entered the introductory level.]
In two days, he had managed to raise it by a whole 5%. He also felt a corresponding improvement.
[It was a process of organizing what you’ve built up, so it was easy to raise. From here on, it’s going to get a lot harder.]
“That’s good enough.”
It was an Advanced Skill, after all. He never thought it would be easy to level up from the start. This was a satisfying result.
And now it was time to receive his reward. Taesan went to find Hafran. Hafran, who was hammering away, saw him and spoke.
“You came at a good time. I just finished.”
Hafran showed him a colorless, circular orb. Inside, an energy was swaying back and forth.
“I processed it into its simplest form. This should be easier to use than something too unique. The change upon combination is an enhancement of its advantages. Hand over your weapon.”
Taesan obediently handed over his sword. Hafran struck the sword with the orb. The orb shattered, and the energy inside began to flow into the sword.
“Take it.”
“Is that it?”
“What, you want me to clang a hammer around dramatically?”
Hafran handed it over with an annoyed look. Taesan took it and checked.
[Carbert’s Relic: Ancestral Blood-Infused Sword] [A relic from a now-ruined world. It has claimed the lives of countless Royals.]
[Attack Power + 3] [Attack Power + 15 when facing any enemy] Taesan froze.
The Ghost, who had been watching with great interest, let out a gasp of admiration.
[Was this level of enhancement possible?]
“It’s about enhancing its strengths. Since there’s nothing special, it was easy to make. Are you satisfied?”
Taesan nodded.
It was an enhancement beyond a satisfactory level. The simple Attack Power had increased by 10. Not only that, but the Attack Power bonus of 10 that used to apply only against those of noble lineage had increased to 15 and now applied to all enemies.
Considering that enemies of noble lineage were practically nonexistent, it was an increase of 25 Attack Power. It was a change beyond what Taesan had expected. A weapon of this level could be used until he descended truly deep.
Taesan expressed his gratitude.
“Thank you.”
“It was a transaction. No need to thank me.”
Hafran waved his hand dismissively.
“Make your next visit after you’ve become strong enough. The world will be watching you, so it’ll be much harder next time you come.”
He knew that part. The killing intent directed at him before his return had been chilling to the bone.
“Even if not for that, bring any materials you find. I’ll craft some minor things for you.”
“Do I have to keep coming down to the 15th Floor?”
If Hafran stayed here, he might have to come all the way back up to the 15th Floor even after reaching the Depths.
“Normally, yes, but you’re different from the others, so I guess I’ll have to go through some trouble.”
Hafran brandished his hammer.
“I’ll come up every five floors. Any more than that is a pain with all the luggage.”
“That’s good enough.”
That would reduce some of the hassle. It was finally over. After bidding farewell to Hafran, Taesan went back up to the 19th Floor.
Taesan placed his hand on the Altar of the Demon God. Demonic energy poured out. A thick, black fog filled the room.
Within it, a gaze could be felt.
Curiosity. Annoyance.
And a gaze that held various other emotions. Taesan waited quietly. Soon, a System Window appeared.
[Lucifer invites you to his domain.]
Leveling up through battle