NOVPUBWith a firm grip, Taesan pushed his sword deeper into Vishnu’s chest.
[You activate the Branch of Despair.]
“Ugh...!” Vishnu shuddered as a wave of despair flooded her mind. Struggling against the feeling, she swung her arm wildly.
[Vishnu activates Exclusion of All.]
*Whirr.*
A pulse radiated from Vishnu’s bracelet, forcing Taesan’s body backward, warping the space around him to create distance.
[You activate Random Blink.]
But Taesan had marked her chest the moment his sword struck, allowing him to teleport back to her immediately. As his sword descended again, Vishnu hastily raised her weapon to block.
*Boom!*
The impact forced Vishnu’s arm back. As Taesan continued to press her down, her body vanished.
[Vishnu activates Boots of Spatial Shift.]
[You activate Acceleration.]
[You activate Skill Acceleration.]
*Step.*
Taesan reappeared directly in front of her just as she landed.
Vishnu barely managed to twist her body to dodge the blow, shock crossing her face.
“How...?”
“It’s obvious.”
By now, Taesan had mapped out her teleportation pattern, likely destination, and overall behavior. He could almost predict where she would go next.
“No more escaping, huh?”
He’d also deduced the limitations of her Boots of Spatial Shift. They allowed three consecutive teleports, but once used, the boots required a recharge period.
Vishnu had already used them three times in a row, leaving her with no means to escape.
*Crash!*
His sword struck down, forcing her into a corner.
Although she fought back, her strength was fading. They traded blows, each losing health, but Taesan’s Forced Life Drain skill tipped the balance in his favor.
*Clang!*
He deflected her sword, launching a swift counterattack. Vishnu attempted to parry, but Taesan’s blade bypassed her guard, plunging into her chest.
“Gah!”
He twisted the sword and stomped down, slamming her into the wall. As she tried to summon fire again, only a feeble ember emerged.
Her strength was utterly drained.
“Haha...” Vishnu slumped to the ground, blood seeping from her wounds. Taesan sheathed his sword.
“You fought well.”
There was no sarcasm in his tone. She had indeed fought valiantly, pushing her abilities to the limit even as her strength waned.
Without her flames, Vishnu stood no chance in close combat against Taesan. His physical prowess and skill with the sword far surpassed hers. Though her high-level gear had prolonged the battle, her endurance was proof of her abilities.
“It’s humiliating... I’ve never been pitied by anyone before,” she muttered.
Whether it was because she accepted her fate or had let go, Vishnu took his words calmly.
“So, this is where I die.” A faint smile crossed her lips.
For spirits like her, endowed with consciousness, death meant their minds would gradually fade and merge back into nature. Although she was a Spirit King with a higher rank and unfathomable lifespan, she, too, would one day die.
Her fear of that inevitability was overwhelming.
She hadn’t wanted to die, which was why she had entered the labyrinth, casting aside everything in search of eternal consciousness.
But here, against Taesan, she had met her end.
Her identity, once defined by her will, was slowly dissipating. She was returning to nature, one with the vastness of creation.
One of the oldest spirits in existence was finally fading.
The moment she had feared so deeply seemed strangely serene.
“It’s quiet,” she whispered, not in anger or fear, but with a glance toward the ghost.
“Hero... do you not hate me?”
The ghost had remained silent since her defeat.
The spirit finally spoke.
[I thought about mocking you... but we never had any real history together, so I kept quiet.]
“That’s true,” she replied, a faint smile touching her lips.
Even among the council, Vishnu had little interaction with the ghost. They had rarely exchanged words, and so, he bore her no ill will.
[There’s only one person I’m truly eager to face.]
“...Societ Gardenia. The Ashen Lady.” Vishnu’s smile deepened.
“It’s a pity I won’t see it.”
With a soft sigh, she leaned her head back against the wall and closed her eyes.
“My god... I’m coming back to you.”
With those final words, her body dissolved into flames.
The fire scattered into the air, leaving behind a small, radiant orb.
[You have defeated Vishnu.]
[Your level has increased.]
[Your level has increased.]
[Your level has increased.]
[Your Soul Resonance activates, permanently increasing health by 5011, strength by 629, agility by 532, and intelligence by 643.]
[Your Desire for Victory activates, permanently increasing health by 1066, strength by 358, agility by 333, and intelligence by 240.]
[The Seed of Life activates, permanently increasing health by 501, strength by 62, agility by 53, and intelligence by 64.]
[Your proficiency in the Green Witch’s Magic has increased by 2%.]
[Your proficiency in Partial World Alteration has increased by 3%.]
[Your Soul Resonance activates, unlocking a special skill: Incarnation of Nature.]
[Your Soul Resonance activates, increasing proficiency in Spirit Magic by 5%, Spirit Contract: Wind Spirit King Minerva by 6%, and Nature Synchronization by 4%.]
[You have obtained the Core of the Fire Spirit King.]
[You have obtained a Primeval Essence of Nature.]
It was over.
Taesan held the orb in his hand.
---
Vishnu had been no easy opponent. The moment she invoked her *King’s Domain*, she’d gained total control, unleashing attacks Taesan could hardly counter.
Without *Partial World Alteration*, he would have been forced to use the Boundary at great risk.
“It was wise to invest in it.”
Thanks to the skill, he’d been able to resist her domain and fight on even footing.
Of course, this battle had unique circumstances.
Vishnu’s trump card was her ability to alter the environment through her domain.
But Taesan also possessed a similar power, albeit an immortal’s. His dominion over the altered space gave him an edge against her.
Yet there were drawbacks.
“The catalyst consumption is high.”
Taesan had depleted nearly all the catalysts he’d gained from the Green Witch just to maintain his ability against Vishnu. If he wanted to keep using it, he’d need to find more catalysts.
The mana cost was also steep, growing exponentially with each alteration he imposed on Vishnu’s domain.
Without the deranged spirit’s interference, he’d likely have exhausted his mana.
“I’ll need to study this further.”
He would need to research ways to reduce catalyst usage, optimize mana consumption, and refine the skill’s application. It was worth the investment.
Taesan opened his status window.
---
[Level: 141]
[Shield: 7799/7799]
[Health: 90,820/90,820]
[Mana: 7540/7540]
[Dark Energy: 1128/1128]
[Strength: 15,939]
[Intelligence: 14,441]
[Agility: 16,095]
[Attack +5792]
[Defense +3942]
[Status: Optimal]
---
With each descent into the labyrinth, his level had risen steadily, and now, after defeating Vishnu, his stats had surged. He was far beyond Itaeon's strength.
And he had acquired new skills.
---
[Spirit Skill: Incarnation of Nature]
[Mana Cost: 1500]
[Proficiency: 1%]
[Duration: 1 hour]
[Transforms the user into a manifestation of nature, converting ambient energy into personal power. During the duration, the user gains dominion over nature and experiences a boost in abilities and rank.]
---
*Incarnation of Nature.* When Vishnu used it, her rank had nearly matched his own.
[You activate Incarnation of Nature.]
A surge of power radiated outward.
The natural forces around him responded to his will, while his speed, strength, and rank all intensified.
“So this is how it feels.”
Previously, he had learned minor spirit skills like *Path of the Wind Deer* and *Kindling Ember.*
*Incarnation of Nature* appeared to be the pinnacle of these spirit skills, enhancing his combat abilities substantially, like *Apostle Form* or *King’s Vessel*.
---
[Core of the Fire Spirit King]
[A core infused with the power of the Fire Spirit King, containing absolute dominion over fire.]
[Primeval Essence of Nature]
[A manifestation of nature’s ancient energy, forged at the dawn of creation.]
---
These were the two material items he obtained upon defeating Vishnu.
[You summon the Wind Spirit King, Minerva.]
A breeze stirred, and Minerva appeared. She was visibly drained from the earlier battle, her presence faint.
“Ugh... Why did you summon me? I was resting...”
She grumbled weakly, glancing at the two orbs in Taesan’s hand.
“So you won. I figured you would, but still...”
Her expression held a trace of sorrow.
“Of course, I’m glad for the victory, but it’s bittersweet.”
Even though Vishnu had opposed Taesan, she was still a fellow Spirit King, and Minerva couldn’t celebrate her defeat completely.
This sentiment didn’t matter much to Taesan, who handed her one of the orbs.
“Can you use this?”
“These?” Minerva inspected the two orbs, scrutinizing them.
“This one, yes.”
She pointed to the Primeval Essence of Nature.
“This isn’t attached to any particular will or rank—just pure essence. Its energy can be absorbed.”
“Then go ahead.”
“Are you sure? This thing is incredibly valuable.”
“Doesn’t matter.”
Minerva’s strength was still lacking against the council members. She needed to grow stronger. Smiling, she crushed the orb in her hand, absorbing the primal energy.
As power surged through her, Minerva marveled at its potency.
“Wow...”
She clenched her fists, her aura expanding as wind spiraled around her.
“...This is incredible.”
“Does that mean you can now use Vishnu’s abilities?”
“Not quite, but I’m much stronger. I could probably withstand the *King’s Domain* now.”
Taesan nodded, satisfied.
“What about this one?”
His gaze shifted to the orb filled with flickering flames.
Minerva examined it with a perplexed expression.
“I can’t handle this one. Even among Spirit Kings, a core is unheard of.”
For a Spirit King to leave a core upon death was unprecedented. Minerva, despite her vast knowledge, was uncertain.
“I don’t know if I can absorb power from a different attribute or if the gods would allow it. I need time to figure it out.”
“Then hold on to it for now.”
“Alright, I’ll also take this.”
Minerva reached out her hand to reveal a faintly glowing wisp—a remnant of the deranged spirit.
“It’s the deranged spirit.”
A lowly spirit, bound to the labyrinth by its thirst for revenge, had found its release.
“Didn’t it die?”
“Almost. But... its fierce spirit endures. I just wanted to check if there’s anything I can do to help.”
“It’s fine.”
The spirit had done more than Taesan had anticipated. Minerva smiled faintly.
“Then, I’ll rest again. See you later.”
With the Spirit King’s core in hand, Minerva disappeared.
Finally, Taesan examined his sword.
The deranged spirit had fulfilled its wish and faded.
In its place, something new had appeared.
---
[The deranged spirit has fulfilled its wish. In gratitude, it leaves a reward for you.]
[You have obtained a Condensed Cluster of Negativity.]
---
[Condensed Cluster of Negativity]
[A concentrated essence of hatred and rage. It seems possible to craft equipment with this as a material.]
---
Whether it was a reward from the spirit itself or from the labyrinth, the item was valuable.
With his preparations complete, Taesan turned his gaze.
The sound of applause broke the silence.
Resting against the wall, the Broken Man watched Taesan with an approving expression, his hands clapping slowly.
