Chapter 409: Hafran And The Knowledge Of The Destroyed World (1) |
“The reward was satisfying, but I have one question.”
Taesan spoke while looking at Zelbando.
“This quest. Just how long were you planning to keep me in the Mage Tower?”
Wirad was strong.
His authority alone—dimensional determination—made victory difficult. On top of that, he wielded dimensional severance. If Taesan hadn’t obtained the magic of negation, it could have taken him years.
Zelbando must have known that as well. He leisurely opened his mouth.
[That place is the Mage Tower. Only the mages I acknowledge can enter, and they explore magic there. In other words, it is the optimal place to learn magic.]
“Are you saying you wanted me to study magic?”
[That was the original plan.]
That was Zelbando’s intention.
[I wanted you to grasp the fundamental nature of magic and obtain new spells. Ultimately, I even hoped you’d become so engrossed in magic that you would become my apostle… but things didn’t quite go as planned.]
Zelbando muttered regretfully. Taesan shook his head at his response.
Gods were truly self-indulgent.
Even though they favored Taesan, it didn’t necessarily mean their actions benefited him. Taesan was reminded of that fact once again.
[Still, don’t be too displeased. If not for this kind of trial, you wouldn’t have obtained advanced magic.]
Taesan did not refute those words.
The advanced magic he had tested on Wirad—Great Collapse. The power contained within it was certainly not something that could be obtained through an ordinary trial.
“So advanced magic… is power that involves the very concept of laws?”
[Correct.]
Zelbando smiled.
[It is not just ordinary magic. It delves into the fundamental nature of the world. That’s why it was able to counteract even Wirad’s White Domain.]
The very nature of magic was on a completely different level. Even Taesan hadn’t expected power of this caliber.
[But given that you’ve already obtained the magic of negation, it probably isn’t that surprising to you anymore. A shame.]
Zelbando clicked his tongue.
The magic of negation was a mixture of forces beyond laws and the laws themselves.
Taesan quietly waited for Zelbando to continue.
The magic he wielded was Zelbando’s power.
By merging it with the black essence, he had created new magic. And Zelbando was a god opposed to the High Gods.
It wasn’t hard to guess that Zelbando wouldn’t be fond of the magic of negation.
However, Zelbando showed no particular reaction.
[I know what you’re thinking, but I don’t mind. That, too, is a new path in magic. Unless those mongrels directly tamper with my magic… I don’t care how you use it.]
“Thank you.”
With the only possible source of concern gone, Taesan expressed his gratitude. Zelbando leaned back in his chair with a relaxed expression.
[If you want to acquire more advanced magic, just offer tributes as you have been doing.]
“That’s going to take a long time.”
Even for intermediate magic, a significant number of tributes were required. He couldn’t even begin to estimate how much advanced magic would cost.
[If you steadily offer tributes, you’ll eventually obtain it. You don’t have to go through Lilis. That child seems to be enjoying herself with the one on the 61st floor.]
Veldencia. The NPC residing in the labyrinth. His wish was to save the princess who had been captured by the Fallen God.
And the Fallen God resided on the 83rd floor.
A god who treated Veldencia’s princess—and Amelia—as mere playthings.
The encounter with him wasn’t far off.
[Do your best. I’ll be watching.]
“Understood.”
[Then, this is the end, right?]
Zelbando waved his hand, attempting to send Taesan back to the labyrinth. At that moment, Taesan suddenly remembered something and opened his inventory.
“Is it only magic-related things that are possible? What about these?”
In Taesan’s hand were materials like the Essence of the World and crystallized divine blood.
Zelbando shook his head.
[No. They are certainly valuable, but I am the God of Magic. They are of little use to me. The Demon God would likely react similarly.]
“I see.”
This meant Taesan had to use those materials himself. With that confirmed, it was truly the end.
[Well then, until next time, if the opportunity arises.]
With those quiet words, Taesan returned to the labyrinth.
Though the time spent was shorter than Zelbando’s original plan, it had still been considerable. He had spent over a month in the Mage Tower.
Taesan opened the community to check on the other players. Most were descending through the labyrinth without issues.
Especially Lee Taeyeon—her progress was remarkably fast.
She had already reached the 62nd floor. Kang Jun-hyeok was worried, and Kim Hwiyeon was anxious, while Amelia was flustered.
[Geum Jung-geun [Hard]: Hyungnim. Is she really okay?]
[Kang Taesan [Solo]: It’s fine.]
Taesan wasn’t concerned. He knew what kind of person Lee Taeyeon was.
Though her current self had changed due to her memories merging with her past life, her fundamental nature remained the same.
She was undoubtedly proceeding with caution. Sixty-two floors down wasn’t even that fast compared to Taesan’s expectations. There was no problem.
[Special Continuous Activation Skill: Path of Magic]
[Proficiency: 1%]
[One who advances toward a higher realm of magic. One who understands the fundamental aspects of magic and gains the qualifications to wield advanced magic.]
[Earring of Pure Blue Mana]
[Health +1,000]
[Mana +3,000]
[Strength +300]
[Agility +300]
[Intelligence +1,000]
[Magic +100]
[Defense +400]
[An earring formed from the condensation of pure blue mana. The mana within it is purer than anything else.]
It had no attack power, but its magic stats were extraordinarily high.
Since magic power was directly related to spell potency, it was far more valuable than most offensive stats.
After verifying even the things he had previously overlooked, Taesan moved.
But instead of going downward, he headed upward.
He went to find Hafran. As Hafran greeted him, he suddenly froze.
“…Why do I feel no presence from you?”
“Ah. It was still active.”
Taesan released his Seal Authority. At that moment, the sealed presence and pressure surged forth.
“O—”
Hafran’s face turned pale.
Taesan slowly reined in his presence.
After a moment, as Hafran barely managed to calm himself, he let out a hollow laugh.
“Truly… this is absurd. I had expected you to reach this point one day, but to do so this quickly…”
Taesan was a monster.
Just observing how he conquered his destroyed world was proof enough.
Hafran had predicted that Taesan would one day transcend mortality.
But that was something he had expected to happen beyond the 90th floor, not in the early 80s. He had never imagined Taesan had already reached that point.
Hafran chuckled heartily, hammering against his anvil.
“You are truly a monster. So, what brings you to me this time?”
“For confirmation.”
Taesan removed a pair of rings and showed them to Hafran.
One was white, the other black—rings that Hafran had crafted for him.
Hafran examined them and nodded.
“They have completely submitted to you.”
“You once said these rings were twins, that they were equal. Then, would it be possible to fuse them into one?”
Hafran fell silent.
After a moment of contemplation, he spoke.
“It is impossible. They have already become twins. To merge them again… that is something that cannot—”
“What if I had a skill that allows fusion?”
“What?”
The skill Two Become One, which he had obtained by defeating the Twins, might allow him to fuse the rings into a single entity.
Hafran listened to his explanation and fell silent once more.
“…In that case, it is not impossible.”
After some time, he came to a conclusion.
“However, the materials used to craft these rings were so intense in their opposing natures that they had to be made as twins to prevent conflict. If you want to merge them and enhance their effects, you would need materials strong enough to suppress those intense natures—”
Before Hafran could even finish his sentence, Taesan displayed the materials.
Essence of the World, Crystallized Divine Blood, Token of Struggle, Threads of Collapse.
Materials so rare that even in the Deep Layers, acquiring them was nearly impossible.
Hafran was at a loss for words.
“These should be enough, right?”
“…More than enough.”
Hafran shook his head.
“But there is still a problem. Unfortunately, I am not capable of handling these materials.”
He had said this before.
Hafran was undoubtedly an exceptional blacksmith.
But he was still a mortal being. Handling materials beyond his own existence was simply impossible.
Taesan understood this as well.
However, it was also impossible for him to refine the materials and forge equipment himself. Offering them as tribute was not an option either.
He had no intention of letting these materials go to waste.
So he had thought of one possible method.
“If I became your hands and feet, would you be able to handle these materials?”
Hafran’s eyes widened.
Hafran could forge equipment, but he lacked the qualifications to handle the materials.
Taesan had the qualifications to handle the materials, but he could not forge equipment.
So, Taesan would become Hafran’s hammer and anvil.
“Would that method work?”
Taesan asked Hafran.
“…It is possible.”
After a long silence, Hafran finally spoke.
“An immortal being becoming the hands and feet to aid in forging… Rare, but not unheard of. If done this way, I could handle materials beyond my own limits. And with your current power… there shouldn’t be any real issues.”
He continued muttering to himself as if desperately searching for a solution.
At last, he stopped and smirked.
“That will work. That will definitely work! If we do this, I… I will be able to create the greatest artifact in existence!”
His voice was filled with madness and a lifelong desire.
“I… I will finally fulfill my dream!”
Hafran shouted fiercely. The overwhelming waves of his deep, fervent emotions shook the space around them.
Hafran readily accepted Taesan’s proposal.
“But there is a condition. While it is possible to forge equipment with you as my hands and feet, I also need to accept a part of your power. Otherwise, you wouldn’t truly be an extension of myself, just an external assistant. For that, I need a specific material.”
“What material?”
“You already know it well.”
Hafran raised a finger, then pointed at himself.
“My destroyed world. The Will of the World that resides there. It has already transcended mortality, but I was still a resident of that world. Even though it destroyed us, that fact remains unchanged. If we use it, we can create a connection between you and me.”
Hafran spoke quickly, his tone filled with excitement.
He grinned.
“The problem is… it is the Will of the World itself. A being that has surpassed mortality.”
When Taesan had first encountered the Will of the World, he had braced himself for death.
Even a mere display of hostility from it had caused him harm.
Had it not been for the boundary, he might have truly died there.
But now, Taesan was immortal.
He had reached a level equal to the Will of the World—the very force that once drove him to death.
“This is my final quest. Go to my destroyed world, defeat the Will of the World, and retrieve its core.”
[Sub Quest Started.]
[Hafran has given you his final quest. Enter his destroyed world, defeat the Will of the World, and retrieve its core. If successful, you will receive a reward.]
[Reward: Hafran’s absolute trust and faith. With it, you will be able to acquire a variety of equipment.]