Bekweseta, the Demon God’s Little Lamb (5) Barmondor resisted. He spat at Taesan and hurled curses. Calling him a lowly bastard who followed a tainted bloodline, he spewed all sorts of profanities, saying that a god would bring divine punishment down upon him.
Taesan's response was simple. He activated Proof of the Self. Barmondor shut his mouth, trembled, and slammed his head to the ground.
"This is convenient."
Taesan leisurely listened to Barmondor's explanation. He went over every detail about magic, how it was manifested, and what the Magic Tower was. And he could tell.
"It's useless."
In Bekweseta, a thing called the Magic Tower existed. It was a place revered by all mages, and within it were countless schools of magic. The magic handled by the schools was varied.
Schools that handled barriers. Schools that handled space. Schools that handled the power of nature.
Schools that materialized Mana itself to use. Each one was distinct and diverse. Many mages chose a school that suited them and trained.
But being distinct also meant that their limits were clear. For Taesan, though there might be difficulty in learning, the direction of his magic was not restricted. Whether it was ice magic, fire magic, or spatial magic, as long as he passed the restriction of learning it, he could learn it without a problem.
But here, if one handled cold energy, they could only use cold magic; if one handled space, they could only use spatial magic. It was extremely restrictive. First of all, that was a minus.
"On top of that, chanting is mandatory."
The magic Taesan had learned might have a slight delay in activation, but he didn't have to recite anything. However, the magic here required one to attempt each manifestation with words. And the biggest problem was that the power itself was pathetic.
"So, a basic magic to perceive one's surroundings can only be used by an intermediate-level mage?"
"Ye-yes..."
Basic Detection.
It was a Basic Magic that Taesan possessed, and its effect was to grasp the location of objects. It was a very low-level magic and a completely inferior version of Insight, so he had practically discarded it. But here in Bekweseta, it was a magic impossible for anyone but a high-level mage.
"And Frost One, Frost Arrow, is a high-level magic of a school that handles cold energy."
A magic that was impossible to even use unless one was at the level of a school's master. That was Frost Arrow. Other Beginner Magic spells were similar.
Scorching Orb was treated similarly to Frost Arrow, and Invisibility was even higher. In the case of Invisibility that concealed not just one's appearance but also their presence, it was even treated as ancient magic. Taesan looked down at the trembling Barmondor with a cold expression.
"I expected it, but... this is really nothing special."
The magic he was learning was magic bestowed directly by the God of Magic. In contrast, the magic of the schools existing in Bekweseta was, at best, at the level of what humans had created. No matter how outstanding it was, compared to the God of Magic, there was a difference like that between a human and a bug.
He had expected it to some extent, but it still left a bitter taste in his mouth.
"Is Aura the only thing worth learning?"
Barmondor, with his head on the ground, trembled as he listened to Taesan's words. He wields magic of the school master class, and not just from one school, but from several at the same time. On top of that, his physical abilities far surpass those of a first-class swordsman.
And the quality and total amount of power he held. His spirit was broken. Barmondor wanted to escape this place quickly.
As long as he could get out, he didn't care how. Even if it was death.
"Then I'll send you on your way."
Taesan's sword swayed. Barmondor died with a smile.
[Your Soul Rank Ascension has activated. The difference in Soul Rank between you and your opponent is too great. You have obtained nothing from the opponent.]
He closed the System Window. Anetsha, who had been waiting inside the cave, peeked her head out.
"Are you finished?"
"Yeah."
Taesan nodded.
Anetsha, looking over the corpses, couldn't hide her amazement.
"You're really strong. Judging by the color of their robes, they were mages of an intermediate or higher level in the Magic Tower. To defeat them so easily..."
"Their level is too low."
[It'd be weird if they were strong.]
The Ghost said as if it were obvious.
[If people could get strong easily on the outside, there would be no reason for Adventurers to enter the Labyrinth.]
Into the Labyrinth come the chosen from each world, those who would be called Heroes. And even they die countless times before reaching the 10th Floor. Taesan had surpassed the 20th Floor there.
In terms of skill, he had reached the level of the 30th Floor. Bekweseta's strength was average. It would be stranger if there was anyone who could stand up to Taesan.
"I know, but it's still disappointing."
At Taesan's words, Anetsha glanced away. Taesan waved his hand.
"It's nothing. What's for today?"
"Yes. It's steamed fish. I tried putting a few things in, and it turned out pretty good."
A pleasant smell wafted from a simple iron pot inside the cave. Taesan sat in front of the pot with a cheerful expression. When he cut a piece of fish and put it in his mouth, he felt a variety of flavors.
"It's delicious."
Anetsha, feeling sorry toward Taesan, said that she would at least do the cooking. Taesan had no reason to refuse, so he agreed. He had planned to eat using Food Production if it didn't taste good, but it was better than he had expected.
At some point, Taesan also began to look forward to mealtimes. He might not care about meals, but that was a matter of efficiency; he had a sense of taste too. It was only natural to feel happy when eating delicious food.
At Taesan's praise, Anetsha smiled brightly.
"Thank you. It's been a very long time since I've cooked, but I'm glad it's still okay."
"You're a princess, so when did you learn to cook?"
"It was my hobby. I was in charge of most of the cooking during parties. My father tried to stop me at first, saying it was dangerous, but at some point, he started to enjoy eating it."
She murmured with distant eyes. But the light of reminiscing quickly faded.
Eight years.
It was a very long time. It was also enough time for memories to turn gray. Taesan, who was eating, looked at Anetsha for a moment.
Perhaps because she had bathed and slept enough, she looked better than when he first saw her. The grime had lessened, and her matted hair had loosened a little. However, due to the hardships she had endured, she was thin overall from lack of nutrition, and her face was pale.
Taesan put his hand into his Inventory. Anetsha, who was nibbling on the fish, was startled.
"Spatial magic?"
"Something like it."
Taesan took out a potion and tossed it to her.
"Drink this."
"A red potion? What is it?"
"Something good for your body."
Taesan said curtly. Anetsha, who was curiously examining the bottle, opened the cap and swallowed it. And her pupils widened.
"Huh?"
Her thin cheeks filled out. A rosy color returned to her pale face. Her body, emaciated from years of hardship, recovered.
"Tae-Taesan-nim? What is this?"
"A Health Recovery Potion. So it does work."
Recovery potions could heal a severed arm or a torn stomach. There was no reason it couldn't restore a body weakened by malnutrition. Anetsha's face turned pale as she looked at the empty bottle.
"Th-this... such a precious thing, I..."
"It's not that precious. No. By the standards here, I guess it would be expensive?"
The price of a recovery potion was 200G. Anetsha's bounty was 1000G. He didn't know if they were of the same value, but it was one-fifth of an Anetsha.
"It's not important to me, so don't worry about it."
He had more than ten Health Potions in his Inventory.
"Th-thank you..."
Anetsha bowed so low her head almost touched the ground. There was only deep gratitude in her eyes. Not only did he defeat strong swordsmen and skilled mages for her, but he also gave her such a precious item that restored her health.
Inside her, a feeling of gratitude toward Taesan grew and grew.
"Where did you get such a precious thing..."
"I told you it's not precious. I brought it from the Labyrinth."
Anetsha asked in a small voice.
"Could it be... made by the Mage..."
"What, you know about it?"
"Yes, there's an oral tradition passed down. When I was young, my father would sometimes tell me about it at bedtime."
Anetsha continued, as if reciting a fairy tale.
"Once upon a time, there was a Great Mage."
"Being so great, he lost interest in the ordinary world."
"He wanted a world that could revive his feelings. He sought out the Transcendents and made them a proposal. To create a single, massive world, a place where great warriors, mages, and heroes would come and fight for their lives."
"The Transcendents gladly accepted."
"And so, the legendary Labyrinth was created."
Taesan was surprised to hear Anetsha's words. 'She knows about the Labyrinth?' As if guessing Taesan's thoughts, the Ghost spoke softly.
[For those of noble lineage, it's passed down in the form of an old tale. That's how I found out about it and entered the Labyrinth.]
Well, when he thought about it, it was only natural. No matter how deep it was, or even if Transcendents resided there, if it wasn't known, no one would come. So, the exceptional ones must know about it to some extent.
Anetsha, for her part, was also surprised.
"So you're really... from that place."
Anetsha loved the story of the Mage and the Labyrinth. The great ones risk their lives and challenge themselves endlessly under the gazes of the gods. It was a story sufficient to fill a child's dreams.
But she had always thought it was nothing more than a common legend. But now, the Taesan before her was saying he came from that place. A resident of the story she had loved since childhood had appeared in reality and was protecting her.
At that fact, Anetsha was both surprised and incredibly happy. She barely managed to compose herself and asked.
"So that's why you want to learn Aura."
"Aura didn't exist in my world. Since it's something new, I wanted to learn it."
"No Aura?"
"To be precise, there was no swordsmanship either. No magic either."
"Heeh..."
Anetsha's eyes sparkled. Seeing her eyes, like those of a child, Taesan realized something. Anetsha had said she was pursued for eight years.
She probably started fleeing when she was still a single-digit age. She couldn't meet anyone and was busy just desperately trying to survive alone. It was a time when one could become jaded by reality, but it would have been difficult to grow mentally.
Anetsha asked cautiously.
"Um, if you don't mind, may I ask about your world, Taesan-nim?"
"Hm? You're curious about my world?"
"Yes... Ah, if it's a bother, you don't have to."
She waved her hands in alarm.
Taesan chuckled.
"I don't mind."
Anetsha's face lit up brightly. After that, a new routine was added. Instead of just dealing with the pursuers, eating, and going straight to sleep, he talked with Anetsha.
It wasn't for a very long time, and since the method to obtain Aura was still unknown, there wasn't much else to do, so Taesan agreed. She seemed to have many questions and asked Taesan about various things. Whether there were demons in that world, what they used if there was no magic, what kind of work people did.
Taesan answered each question one by one. He said there were no demons, only humans. There was no magic, but they handled something called electricity with technology.
People did more sedentary labor than physical labor. She was amazed and, with sparkling eyes, brought up another question. It wasn't a bad feeling for Taesan either.
It felt like taking care of a small child. He thought it would be a boring time, but it was enough to pass the time reasonably well. And Taesan also asked Anetsha about various things.
What kind of place Bekweseta was, what the demons were like. And also what kind of gods the Demon God and Harmon were.
"Harmon is a god not even a hundred years old?"
"Yes. Originally, there were no particular gods in our world. People lived believing in different gods. Then, a god of our world was born. That was Harmon."
Anetsha smiled bitterly.
"Technically... he's our main god."
The demons believe in the Demon God. But the Demon God is not an entity limited to Bekweseta. The only being that could be called the god of Bekweseta was Harmon.
The main god had destroyed her, the demons. She barely swallowed the emotions welling up inside her. Taesan comforted her.
Anetsha, who quickly regained her composure, soon fell asleep.
"She's been relying on me more lately."
[She has no one else to trust. It makes sense. Hmm. A god not even a hundred years old...]
"Do you have any guesses?"
The Ghost, after pondering for a moment, opened its mouth.
[I told you before, right? Those who were gods from birth have all disappeared. The gods that exist now are all those who went from being mortals to Transcendents.]
"You did. You also said you suspect they were the ones who invaded our world."
Who were the ones who trampled on Earth? If he cleared the Demon God's Quest, he would find out their identity. Leveling up through battle