NOVPUB>[Quest for Floor 58 initiated.]
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>[Defeat the boss of Floor 58 to proceed.]
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>[Reward: Sword of the Death Line.]
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>[Secret Reward: ???]
"Floor 58... what was this one again?"
Lee Taeyeon tilted her head in thought.
With Maria's help, she had regained memories from her previous life. However, as conflicting memories arose, much of what she had deemed unimportant was left blurred and unclear.
Floor 58 was no exception. She could only recall a vague image of it and couldn’t remember what kind of monster she would face.
"I guess I’ll find out once I go in."
She descended the stairs.
The shopkeeper awaited her at the bottom.
"You’re here."
"Hello!"
Taeyeon waved with a cheerful smile. The shopkeeper gave her a questioning look.
"Already on Floor 58?"
"Yes. Quick, aren’t I?"
"Yes, too quick... way too quick."
The shopkeeper eyed her with suspicion.
"What did you do out there?"
"Well, some things happened."
Taeyeon deflected the question smoothly. Due to Maria’s restrictions, she couldn’t reveal her memories to anyone, and the shopkeeper wasn’t exactly someone close to her.
After observing her for a moment, the shopkeeper looked away.
"Perhaps... you might be able to do it."
The shopkeeper muttered thoughtfully, then changed his expression.
"So, buying anything?"
"Nope, I’m a bit short on gold right now."
She shook her head. The shopkeeper resumed organizing his wares.
"If you’re interested, come by later. I’ll show you something useful."
"Ah, okay."
Taeyeon replied nonchalantly and moved past him, feeling strange about his change in attitude.
In her previous life—and even now—the shopkeeper had always looked down on her, mocking her and her efforts.
Even when she reached Floor 100, it hadn’t been any different. He had called her a rat, someone who had merely clung to the system by sheer luck, barely catching his interest.
But now, things had changed.
As she regained her past memories and advanced rapidly through the labyrinth, his attitude had softened somewhat.
This was the first time she had seen the shopkeeper act this way.
"Quite interesting."
Muttering to herself, she stepped forward.
A mixture of nervousness and anxiety began creeping up on her. The first step onto each new floor was always the most nerve-wracking.
*Creaaak.*
She opened the door, and the monster on Floor 58 responded in kind.
>[A Golden Stag has appeared.]
A stag with golden antlers.
The moment she saw it, the memory resurfaced.
"Ah, so this is that floor?"
The stag roared and charged at her. Taeyeon took a deep breath and drew her sword.
*Clang!*
Her sword clashed against the golden antlers.
Taeyeon didn’t step back. Twisting her sword’s trajectory, she sliced deep into the stag’s side.
The stag cried out in pain as Taeyeon swung her hand. A mid-level spirit she had contracted followed her command, attacking the stag.
>[You have activated Deflection.]
*Crack!*
She deflected the spirit’s attack, dodging the charging stag.
She quickly lowered her stance and threw herself forward.
>[You have activated Stealth.]
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>[You have activated Shadow of the Earth.]
Taeyeon’s body faded into shadow.
The stag, unable to locate her, hesitated, and Taeyeon used the chance to pierce its neck.
The stag trembled in pain, jerking its head to throw her off, and charged once more.
After several minutes of battle, the stag finally collapsed.
"Haah."
Taeyeon caught her breath. She hadn’t taken a single scratch. 𝘯𝑜𝑣𝑝𝑢𝘣.𝑐𝑜𝑚
She brushed back her tousled hair and continued her exploration of the labyrinth.
---
Her steps were confident and unwavering.
More stags appeared, but she dispatched them easily, one after another, without injury. After felling the seventh stag, she muttered to herself.
"Who would’ve thought I’d be breaking through the labyrinth like this?"
In her previous life, she had been a coward.
Instead of facing the challenges head-on, she had cleared the labyrinth through cunning tactics.
Floor 58 had been no different. Although her memory was faint, she likely would have only managed to hunt one or two stags before devising a way to avoid the rest. And she had succeeded.
She had thought that was all she was capable of. Only someone like Taesan could progress through the labyrinth head-on like this.
But as time reversed, so had many things in her life.
Continuing forward, she moved to the next chamber.
After defeating seven stags, she had adapted to their patterns. She even found herself able to think about other things during the battles.
'Taesan has probably surpassed Floor 80 by now, right?'
The deeper floors Taesan was navigating must have changed significantly from what she remembered. Taesan had already transcended mortality, and the mage who created the labyrinth likely intervened in some way.
"The Deep Floors..."
Just thinking about that hellish place sent chills through her. Her very instincts rejected the thought of it.
But she suppressed her fears with her willpower.
*Clang!*
With a swift slash, she deflected the stag’s antlers and struck deep into its chest. The stag shuddered and collapsed.
She collected her thoughts.
The Deep Floors would be incredibly difficult and treacherous; she needed to prepare thoroughly.
She was indeed much stronger than she had been in her past life.
But that also meant certain skills were now out of her reach.
"If I master the Invisible Shadow, I should be able to acquire it... The Untold Story will probably appear around the mid-70s floors. As for the Breath of the Hidden Rat, that might be difficult."
The Breath of the Hidden Rat was a skill acquired gradually from the early parts of the labyrinth. Following a completely different path now, she knew it would be hard to obtain.
The Breath of the Hidden Rat had been one of her most effective skills.
Missing out on it was certainly a disadvantage.
Yet she remained unfazed.
While it was a powerful skill, it also symbolized her former weakness.
Now, she had become stronger. There was no need to regret the past. She had already gained skills that more than compensated for it.
After clearing the floor swiftly, she arrived at the boss of Floor 58.
A larger stag, with even more radiant antlers.
As the stag charged forward to pierce her, Taeyeon swung her sword.
>[You have activated Strong Strike.]
*Clang!*
With Strong Strike, a normally single-use skill, she could trigger it repeatedly with the Ability Sword, as long as her timing was right.
Using the Ability Sword, dark magic, and the power of spirits, she relentlessly pressed the boss. After several dozen minutes, despite sustaining some damage, she finally defeated the boss.
>[Floor 58 Cleared.]
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>[Your level has increased.]
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>[You have returned to peak condition.]
"Hahh."
Taeyeon sighed with relief, sinking to the floor. She checked the time and smiled.
It hadn’t even taken her a day to clear Floor 58.
She had definitely grown stronger.
"So, what was on Floor 59 again...?"
While she was resting and organizing her thoughts, someone ascended from a lower floor.
Taeyeon glanced calmly toward the stairs.
The person who emerged was a Guide of Sin, a fifth-ranked adventurer. She waved at him.
"Hello?"
"..."
The guide clicked his tongue upon seeing her.
"A lowly coward."
His gaze held nothing but contempt as he looked at her.
"I don’t know how someone like you received permission from the leadership, but don’t get cocky. You’re nothing but a worm."
Visible in his eyes was jealousy and disdain.
These feelings were nothing new.
In her past life, guides had looked at her the same way. Although the higher-ups had recognized her talent and granted her entry into the Deep Floors, other guides couldn’t accept it.
To them, Taeyeon was merely a coward who cleared the labyrinth through tricks rather than through earning achievements as an adventurer should.
That’s why they despised and envied her.
And even now, nothing had changed. Though she now descended more honorably, there was still a fear she couldn’t fully suppress.
"Mm-hm. Mm-hm."
She responded absently, leaning back against the wall. Her indifferent attitude twisted the guide’s face into a scowl.
"...It seems I need to teach you some respect."
The guide drew an axe.
Pointing it toward her, he demanded sharply.
"Bow your head."
Taeyeon stared at him blankly. The guide continued, full of confidence.
"I am an adventurer of a higher rank than you. I have reached Floor 60. As a guide, you must show absolute obedience to one of a higher rank. Even if you have permission to enter the Deep Floors, I am still further ahead."
His words were almost an insult.
Taeyeon felt the arrogance in his gaze.
‘Ah.’
She remembered.
This was the same guide who had harassed and mocked her in her past life.
What would her past self have done?
There was no question. She would have bowed her head immediately.
Pride was useless in the labyrinth. Only survival mattered. For survival, she would have gladly set aside her pride.
But now...
She stood up with a smirk.
"No."
"...What?"
Surprised by her defiance, the guide’s eyebrow twitched. Taeyeon replied lazily.
"Why should I bow to someone like you? Isn’t it the other way
around? I’m an adventurer recognized by the higher-ups. We’re not on the same level."
"You...!"
The guide lifted his axe in anger. In that instant, Taeyeon moved.
She gripped her sword, charging at him swiftly.
"Wha–!"
The guide hurriedly swung his axe. Taeyeon calmly shifted her sword, effortlessly deflecting his axe away.
"Oh."
Her sword struck toward his head.
The guide felt death looming.
*Shing!*
The blade grazed his cheek.
Taeyeon lightly patted his shoulder.
"A bug was buzzing around your head. I can’t stand bugs. My bad."
"You... you...!"
The guide stepped back, his cheek bleeding from the cut.
He had reached Floor 60, deeper than Taeyeon, yet he couldn’t respond to her movements at all.
"...Get lost."
In the end, he swallowed his pride.
There were no bugs in the labyrinth, but he left without a word, storming down to the lower floors.
Taeyeon watched him leave, and once his presence faded, she sank to the floor.
"Hah!"
She exhaled, her confident demeanor gone.
"That was terrifying. I really don’t want to pick unnecessary fights."
But she didn’t want to back down either.
So she had pretended, just like she had on Earth, and it had worked well. She chuckled to herself.
"Maybe I could’ve been an actress? If the world ever returns to normal, I might give it some thought."
Her expression grew serious again.
She had been ready to fight the guide who had insulted her.
In her past life, when she valued nothing but survival, she would never have done such a thing.
But now, she had changed.
And she liked this new version of herself.
"Well then... time to keep going."
After a brief rest, she picked up her sword and continued her descent into the labyrinth. Determination shone in her eyes.
