NOVPUB“Within the bounds of law and order, all things are permitted.”
"...And if I wished to transcend mortality and attain eternal immortality?"
"True eternity is impossible; that lies beyond the laws themselves. But achieving something close is possible—essentially, until the end of this world."
"So, near-immortality, then."
"Not quite; an end will come eventually."
To live for what felt like an eternity, until the world itself ceased, was a possibility for mortals.
"If you wanted to destroy an entire galaxy, that’s achievable. If you desired to rule over thousands of planets brimming with life, you could have that as well. You could revive the dead, or even move through time to any era of your choosing. If you wished to become the ruler of this labyrinth, I could grant you that, too."
Taesan fell silent.
He’d anticipated that the rewards for conquering, not merely clearing, the labyrinth would be great. Still, the mage’s words surpassed his expectations.
Becoming the ruler of the labyrinth? Destroying galaxies and ruling countless worlds?
In essence, he could have anything he desired.
But Taesan’s eyes dimmed.
"Then interfering with Goshin is impossible, I suppose."
"That’s correct."
The mage nodded.
"They lie beyond the laws, beings that disrupt the order itself. They can’t be subject to any wish."
The creators of the labyrinth were transcendent beings, gods of the world.
But even they could not entirely block the interference of the exiled gods—Goshin—since they existed outside the constraints of law.
"That’s unfortunate. It seems there’s no easy way to save your broken world."
Taesan clicked his tongue. Another possible path to victory had been closed off. Though he hadn’t expected an easy solution, it was still frustrating.
The mage continued.
"Don’t you find them fascinating?"
"Fascinating?"
"Their power is limitless within their own confines. No matter how much they use it, it never depletes. Considering how challenging it is for other transcendent beings to recover their strength, they’re a truly unique existence."
The mage spoke with a fervent undertone.
"Though they were banished from this world, it wasn’t due to a lack of power. What are their true limits? What are they capable of? What phenomena could they create by twisting the laws and order?"
Taesan observed the mage.
All the other gods he’d spoken to about Goshin had shown irritation, anger, and hatred.
But this mage was different.
His expression revealed curiosity and intrigue as he spoke of Goshin.
Taesan felt compelled to ask.
"What did you create this place for?"
The other transcendent beings resided here to witness the valor and battles of great warriors.
So, what did the mage desire?
"A mage seeks to explore the unknown."
The mage replied calmly.
"I simply want to know the things I do not yet understand."
He raised a finger, pointing at Taesan.
"In that sense, you fulfill my wish. I told you before, didn’t I? That I find you fascinating."
The mage’s eyes glimmered as he looked at Taesan.
"I designed the labyrinth with countless conditions in place. Never once had anything occurred outside my calculations. But you... you’re different."
The mage’s voice vibrated with excitement.
"You possess a power that lies beyond my design, despite relying on the system I created. Spiritual Enhancement—what could that be? What allows a mortal to transcend mortality, to hold a force beyond the laws?"
Even Taesan didn’t fully understand Spiritual Enhancement. Neither did the Green Witch.
And it appeared that the mage, too, was in the dark.
The creator of the labyrinth didn’t understand the skill Taesan wielded.
"The foundation of your strength ultimately lies in Spiritual Enhancement."
Divine Will, Black Edge, Boundary, Verbal Command—each of these skills was rooted in Spiritual Enhancement.
"What could it be?"
The mage voiced his wonder, a question he hadn’t pondered in thousands of years.
"The reason I called you here was that leaving you to be trampled would have been wasteful. That’s all."
The mage hadn’t expected anything from the adventurers from Earth.
Rather than letting them be slain meaninglessly by Goshin, he had called them to the labyrinth, hoping to see even the slightest change.
"But you... and that woman... you both proved interesting. I would’ve regretted it if I hadn’t called you here."
There was only one woman he could be referring to: Itaeyon.
The mage smiled faintly.
"She’s quite fascinating, too. She descended the labyrinth in a way entirely different from yours. It’s not quite what I desired, but she was much better than the mediocre ones."
Taesan had questions about Itaeyon, but the mage stood, signaling that he would answer no more.
"This is where we end. Though I’m curious about much, I am restricted by law from revealing more."
Taesan’s body began to waver, as if the space itself were expelling him, signaling that no further meeting was allowed.
"You possess many qualifications, but even so, you’re not quite there yet. Come down a little further, and we’ll meet again."
The space around him began to close, and Taesan felt himself growing distant from the mage.
"Ah. One last question."
Though the mage was no longer visible, his voice sounded close, as if right beside him.
"Is the labyrinth a satisfactory place for you?"
A question about satisfaction.
There was no need to think. Taesan responded.
"Yes."
"Hmm."
A satisfied hum echoed.
"That’s enough for me. Keep descending, and fulfill your desire."
Thud!
Taesan found himself back in the labyrinth.
Balbabamba was waiting and asked,
[“Did you meet him successfully?”]
Taesan nodded and stood.
In his hand, something new had appeared.
“What’s this?”
[“A gift from my master. He rarely interferes with adventurers, yet he gave you a gift. You must’ve made quite an impression.”]
Taesan examined the item. It was a magic-infused orb.
---
[Magic Orb]
[An orb that would greatly please the God of Magic if offered as tribute.]
---
"A tribute, is it?"
Receiving such a reward from a single meeting wasn’t a bad outcome. Taesan held the orb firmly.
---
[“So, how was it?”]
"Surprisingly ordinary."
Taesan answered the ghost’s question.
Given the mage’s creation of a place like the labyrinth, he’d expected some eccentric personality, but the conversation had flowed surprisingly easily.
[“Of course.”]
The ghost muttered as if uneasy.
[“It’s odd... for someone in that position who created such a crazy place to seem so ordinary...”]
[“My task here is done. The rest is up to you.”]
Balbabamba’s body began to dissolve.
[“I wish you success, adventurer.”]
With those final words, he returned to the bricks of the labyrinth walls.
Taesan reviewed the items he’d acquired.
He realized he had yet to check the full rewards for clearing the 70th floor.
---
[Reward: Pendant of the Reached]
[HP + 1000]
[MP + 500]
[Strength + 500]
[Agility + 500]
[Intelligence + 500]
[Attack Power + 200]
[Defense + 200]
[A pendant bestowed upon those who have reached the depths of the labyrinth.]
---
Seeing its stats, Taesan paused.
"What is this?"
Unlike typical accessories like rings, the pendant had stats that rivaled high-level armor.
But the Pendant of the Reached was of a higher caliber than most gear.
[“Well, this is the Deep Floor.”]
The ghost explained.
[“From here on out, think of your rewards as something entirely different from what you’ve gotten before.”]
Taesan checked the other secret rewards and hidden items.
---
[Staff of the Dawning Sun]
[Magic + 400]
[MP + 2500]
[A staff infused with the light of countless sunrises that illuminate the world from the darkness.]
---
[Sword Approaching Immortality]
[Strength + 500]
[Attack Power + 500]
[A long sword crafted by one who transcended mortality. Its aura still lingers strongly within it.]
---
In terms of stats, these were far superior to the equipment he had received from previous floors. They rivaled items crafted with divine trials or by master blacksmiths using rare materials.
“So from now on, it’s all going to be at this level.”
[“Keep in mind, this is just the equipment at the entry level. Compared to the true gear you’ll find deeper, it’s a bit underwhelming.”]
Taesan chuckled.
Finally, he could begin to wield the kind of equipment Itaeyon once used, the same kind the guides he had faced were equipped with.
Before proceeding to the 71st floor, Taesan ascended the labyrinth briefly.
He met with Lilis, offering the Magic Orb as tribute. It held the equivalent value of a mid-tier spell, allowing Taesan to acquire one.
---
[Intermediate Magic: Limited Blink]
[MP Cost: 200]
[Proficiency: 1%]
[Allows the user to teleport a limited distance. This skill cannot be reused for 10 minutes after activation.]
---
A teleportation spell.
Unlike Random Blink, Limited Blink allowed him to teleport precisely to his desired location without marking it first.
The range was about one kilometer—more than sufficient. He was pleased with the spell.
He also handed Haffran the Aggregate of Negativity. After inspecting it, Haffran said it wouldn’t be enough alone to create something impressive and requested
more materials, to which Taesan agreed.
Returning to the 71st floor, he began the quest.
---
[71st Floor Quest Initiated.]
[Break through the Domain of Starving Shadows.]
[Reward: Legendary Anklet of Myth.]
[Hidden Reward: ???]
---
Past the room where he met Balbabamba, he crossed a passageway and was greeted by the shopkeeper.
“You’ve arrived.”
The shopkeeper greeted him quietly.
"From here on out, we’re in the Deep Floors. You understand the implications of that, right?"
"The items you’re selling must be Deep Floor gear, then."
"Correct."
The shopkeeper grinned, muttering in admiration.
"I’ve seen many adventurers, but you’re the first to come down here without spending much gold."
Except for some recovery potions and materials needed for his skills, Taesan had bought almost nothing. Apart from the all-stat ring and the Witch’s Wristguard, he hadn’t spent money on any equipment.
As a result, Taesan had accumulated a large amount of gold.
The shopkeeper asked with curiosity,
"How much do you have?"
"Roughly... about 650,000 gold."
"Heh."
[“You’ve saved up that much?”]
The shopkeeper chuckled in disbelief, and even the ghost seemed astonished.
650,000 gold.
Even in the Deep Floors, that was a sizable amount. Taesan responded,
"I haven’t spent much since the 40th floor."
The only real expense had been for potions to gain Absolute Blessing.
It had all been in preparation for this moment.
After dismissing the otherworldly sword, Taesan turned to the shopkeeper.
"Can you show me your goods?"
"Of course."
The shopkeeper opened the dimensional space with ease.
Swords, spears, bows, staves, spellbooks, whips, armor, and more.
An array of countless, invaluable artifacts poured forth. Taesan began examining them one by one.
---
[Blood-Soaked Red Whip]
[Attack Power + 700]
[+20% Attack Power against entities with divine blood, activates “Saint-Slayer.”]
[A whip used to torture saints with divine blood, saturated to its roots with their essence.]
[600,000G]
---
Taesan studied the whip.
An attack power of 700. Additionally, it dealt 20% more damage to those with divine blood and had a unique skill attached.
A weapon of a level beyond any he’d wielded before.
He examined the next item, a bow. Large enough to span a person’s torso, it looked challenging to pull back.
---
[Guardian Bow of the World Tree]
[Attack Power + 600]
[Crafted from the roots and branches of the World Tree, severed by elves to protect themselves, though none believed their claim.]
[The more forcefully it is drawn, the greater the attack power and range, with no upper limit on this scaling.]
[Once per month, can activate “Rooted.”]
[720,000G]
---
The longer one drew the bow, the more its attack power and range increased, with no limit.
Though he wasn’t sure what "Rooted" did, given its month-long cooldown, it was clearly a formidable last-resort ability.
Taesan looked around.
Over a hundred items lay spread out.
And all of them were on par with the two weapons he’d just inspected.
