Chapter 400: Domain, The Wizard Who Created The Labyrinth |
Reuniting with the wizard.
There was no reason to refuse. Taesan accepted. Without hesitation, Balbabamba used the administrator’s power.
[Balbabamba activated #000004.]
Crunch.
The space distorted, revealing the world beyond the labyrinth.
[You are the first to meet the wizard again in such a short time. Go in. Talk to the wizard and coordinate with each other.]
Taesan stepped into the space.
Everything was twisted, a realm of countless intermingling colors.
It was exactly the same as before.
It was merely a chaotic space filled with unidentifiable, tangled powers.
When Taesan first came here, he couldn’t comprehend anything. It was because he lacked the strength and level of discernment at that time.
But now, he could read it to some extent.
[You activated Insight into Essence.]
Taesan’s focused eyes trembled slightly.
‘…What is this?’
He couldn’t grasp the principles or extent of the space, but he uncovered one thing.
This space hadn’t always been a chaotic realm of tangled powers.
In the past, like the domains of other transcendents, it had reflected its owner’s traits and essence. The remnants of power spread throughout the space indicated that.
Someone had modified it, turning it into an unidentifiable mix of countless powers—a chaotic jumble.
And the only one capable of doing this was the domain’s owner.
The wizard had remodeled his domain to the point where it could no longer return to its original form.
Taesan couldn’t fathom the reason. His level was still stuck at immortality, and he lacked the necessary strength.
“You seem to have a lot of questions?”
Taesan turned toward the voice.
A man with an ordinary face—one you could see anywhere—was gazing at him.
“Good to see you again.”
Taesan nodded in acknowledgment.
The wizard snapped his fingers. A table and chairs materialized, with refreshments already laid out.
“Honestly, I’m surprised too.”
The wizard, seated with a cup of tea in hand, spoke. Taesan sat across from him.
“Really. How did you reach this point so quickly?”
“Weren’t you watching everything?”
“I was, but it’s still surprising.”
The wizard shrugged.
“I thought it’d take you at least until after the 80th floor. It’s not a place you can reach by simply meeting the qualifications. I assumed your level and strength weren’t enough yet, but I was mistaken. A pleasant miscalculation.”
The wizard sipped his tea.
“Though it seems Balbabamba is struggling because of you.”
“What do you plan to do with me?”
The labyrinth existed for mortals.
Taesan no longer fit that category.
The wizard chuckled quietly.
“What should I do?”
Taesan waited silently. The wizard also drank his tea without speaking.
“To be honest, it’s troubling.”
The wizard placed the empty teacup on the table.
“According to the rules of the labyrinth, I should expel you. Alternatively, I could make a contract so you can no longer take anything from the labyrinth. However… doing so would upset quite a few gods.”
Taesan could immediately think of the Demon God and Maria. In addition, gods of war, death, Lakiratas, and even victory would oppose it. The number wasn’t small.
“I have a cooperative relationship with them, so I need to respect them. It’s quite the headache.”
Despite his words, the wizard’s face seemed utterly relaxed.
“So I won’t expel you.”
The master of the labyrinth reached a decision.
“But leaving things as they are would cause problems—for both of us. So I’ll handle that properly.”
Something emanated from the wizard.
It wasn’t merely power or energy but something closer to laws and order.
[The wizard activated the Designer’s Authority.]
“I won’t restrict your strength. You need to grow stronger. Restrictions are out of the question. So I’ll transform the labyrinth’s floors to suit you.”
This place was outside the labyrinth.
Yet, even here, Taesan could feel the changes occurring in the labyrinth beyond.
“Special floors or ones occupied by transcendents will remain as they are. But the other floors will be adjusted to match you.”
The labyrinth was being restructured to suit the immortal Taesan. Subtle yet intense waves spread out.
Eventually, the ripples subsided.
The wizard clapped his hands.
“It’s done.”
“That was faster than I expected.”
“I just separated the existing labyrinth into one tailored for you. Of course, Balbabamba will have to work harder from now on.”
The wizard waved his hand again.
“And about the reward you earned—it’s useless to you, isn’t it? I’ll convert it into something more valuable for you.”
[The wizard activated Administrative Authority.]
[The title Indomitable Body and Mind has changed to The Sole Body.]
[The special passive skill Unyielding Will has changed to Immortal Will.]
Rewards from the 80th floor. They were meaningless to the immortal Taesan. The wizard altered them to be beneficial to him.
“And the Absolute Authority you acquired—it’s quite a troublesome skill. While it’s natural for the labyrinth’s system to grant such skills, the problem is that it’s a passive skill.”
Absolute Authority was a skill Taesan couldn’t deactivate at will.
According to its effects, mortals would lose all will to fight and submit the moment they saw Taesan. This wasn’t entirely favorable for Taesan either.
“So consider this a service. For future endeavors, I’ll create a skill that lets you control it.”
The wizard snapped his fingers.
[The wizard activated Skill Creation.]
[You have acquired the special active skill Seal Authority.]
“When you use this skill, mortals won’t feel anything toward you. They’ll simply perceive you as an ordinary human. Use it as the situation demands.”
“…Thank you.”
Taesan gazed at the wizard.
The skill effects were modified, and new skills were casually created.
This was a miracle only the master of the labyrinth could perform.
This was truly the wizard who created the labyrinth.
[This is unbelievable. Truly.]
The ghost muttered with a hollow laugh. Frankly, if the wizard desired, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say he could acquire all skills.
“It’s not a big deal. After all, this was created with reliance on the system and the labyrinth as a place. It’s not that remarkable.”
The wizard spoke. His expression neither boasted nor showed regret—it was merely factual.
Taesan asked the wizard.
“What is it that you desire?”
The gods sought battles and struggles within the labyrinth, where mortals gambled their lives.
They also desired to find mortals who suited their tastes.
The wizard had said he was an explorer of the unknown, creating this place to discover what he did not yet know.
But it didn’t seem like that was truly his goal.
The wizard opened his mouth, though it wasn’t to answer Taesan’s question.
“Why do you think you turned out that way?”
Rather than answer, he posed a question about Taesan himself, making Taesan frown. The wizard continued.
“Before time reversed, why were you so weak?”
“Because I was in Easy Mode.”
In Easy Mode, his growth was restricted. Thus, he could only grow stronger by acquiring numerous skills.
“Don’t you think that’s strange?”
The wizard poked at the doubt.
“You were strong—immensely so. Though unorthodox, you were evaluated as equal to Lee Taeyeon, who cleared this place. If the two of you fought, you would’ve won.”
“That’s because I used the system to acquire skills…”
“No.”
The wizard denied Taesan’s words.
He smiled.
“That’s impossible.”
“But I did it.”
Taesan defeated Lee Taeyeon and S-class monsters with his meager stats. To Taesan, who had accomplished it firsthand, the wizard’s words held no weight.
“That’s exactly the problem, Taesan.”
The wizard leaned back in his chair.
His face was filled with amusement.
“I said it was impossible, but it’s not entirely impossible. If someone made efforts like you did in your previous life—acquiring numerous skills, achieving actual results, and gaining other powers—it could happen. But tell me, Taesan. How much effort did you put in?”
“…Countless hours, more than I can fathom.”
He discarded all distractions and thoughts, focusing solely on acquiring skills. He pursued every possibility.
“Incredible determination and effort. You defeated single-digit ranked monsters with such low stats. Not only that, but you also dealt damage to an Apostle of the High God. That’s truly an extraordinary feat—something even transcendents admire. So let me ask you one thing.”
The wizard asked, as if genuinely curious.
“Why couldn’t you surpass mortality in your previous life?”
After his conversation with the wizard, Taesan returned to the labyrinth.
But his mind was still unsettled.
‘Even in that place, you should’ve surpassed mortality. To be exact, you were meant to.’
Taesan had indeed gained the qualifications. He had reached a higher dimension through the unity of body and mind.
But nothing changed.
He remained a mortal being.
‘Yet the Soul Ascension I acquired then remained after time rewound. And using it, I plundered the powers of the High God and immortals—eventually, even transcendents.’
The wizard, reclining in his chair, had said so.
His eyes held pure curiosity.
‘What made you this way? What twisted you so? I’m trying to find the answer… but it’s not coming easily.’
That was the wizard’s final remark.
By all rights, he should’ve surpassed mortality in his previous life.
In his current life, he had only recently reached that level—or perhaps an even higher state.
But he hadn’t done so before. The difference remained unclear, and the answer eluded him.
After a brief moment of contemplation, Taesan shook his head.
Even the wizard didn’t know. How could he possibly figure it out now?
Instead of dwelling on an unsolvable question, Taesan decided to satisfy his curiosity. He opened the Community.
In the community, countless people were engaged in conversation. Taesan searched for Lee Taeyeon among them, but she didn’t respond.
[Kang Jun-hyeok (Solo): Ah, hyung.]
When Taesan contacted Kang Jun-hyeok, he immediately answered.
[Kang Taesan (Solo): How’s Lee Taeyeon doing?]
She had regained her memories. Taesan needed to know how she was progressing through the labyrinth.
[Kang Jun-hyeok (Solo): It’s good timing. I wanted to ask you something. What did you say to noona?]
[Kang Taesan (Solo): Why?]
[Kang Jun-hyeok (Solo): She’s already reached the 55th floor.]
Taesan paused.
The last he knew, she was in the upper 40s when they returned to Earth. Starting from the 50th floor, the difficulty rose significantly, making rapid progress impossible.
Kang Jun-hyeok asked Taesan, puzzled.
[Kang Jun-hyeok (Solo): She’s not being reckless like before. She’s quietly progressing downward. What did you do to her?]
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