First Discovery Bonus] [Intelligence has permanently increased by 1. Mana has permanently increased by 2.]
Both were good stats. Increased intelligence decreased the basic consumption rate of mana, allowing for more use of skills. The increase in mana was self-explanatory.
[This is a shelter in the labyrinth. Your enemies cannot enter here of their own volition.] [The peace of this place makes you sluggish.]
Monsters appeared in most places inside the labyrinth. The only exceptions were the shop and the fountain. It was a type of safe zone.
Taesan scooped up the spring water with his hand. The cool liquid smoothly went down his throat.
[You have returned to your best state.]
The lingering fatigue completely disappeared. It felt as if he had had a good sleep.
Taesan sat next to the spring. He wanted to lie down as the floor was not a hard stone floor but a warm sandy one.
Although the spring could restore him to his best state, it couldn't alleviate the mental fatigue that built up over time. A little rest was also a necessary thing.
'Has a day passed already?'
That seemed about right when he checked his hunger state. It was about time for something to be posted in the Community.
"Community."
[Kang Junhyeok[Solo]: Guys, is it okay to enter the labyrinth?] [Na Jaeyeon[Solo]: Seeing that there's no answer from those who entered, it seems not. This is driving me crazy.] [Yoo Youngseok[Easy]: Anyone want to break through the First Level together?] [Kang Dongjun[Solo]: Looking for information. Does anyone know what kind of monster the first one is?] [Lee Sang[Solo]: Going crazy. Seriously.]
Of course, most of the posts were from Solo players.
Players in other modes could meet each other, so they solved things through direct conversations rather than through the Community. However, Solo players weren't able to meet directly. That meant that their only means of conversation was the Community.
As Taesan scrolled through the Community, he chuckled.
[Lee Taeyeon [Solo]: Guys, how the heck do I do this? TT]
The strongest player who survived and broke through the labyrinth, Lee Taeyeon. For someone who always seemed so confident, her present self was utterly confused.
'Maybe that's not it.'
Her final status showed that she was scared. Perhaps she simply hid her true self, she might have been a coward until the end.
Taesan took a moment to look at the Community.
The labyrinth had only been open for a day. Naturally, many Solo players were still alive. You couldn't die of hunger here. As far as Taesan knew, the real entry attempts started a month from now.
Solo Mode gave rewards proportional to the difficulty. Lee Taeyeon said she missed out on countless number of them. In particular, she claimed that she hadn't received what should have been hers because she cleared the boss using an exploit.
But she was still called the strongest player.
So proper development through Solo Mode could potentially be of great help.
"Hmm."
In the labyrinth, every victory was precious.
Even if he went outside, things would not change much.
"That's not too bad."
Taesan started writing on the Community.
He began with simple advice. He started by telling them not to be aggressive to the gatekeeper and then told them what kind of things the shopkeeper sold.
Taesan had defeated the Big Rat, but others could not. He advised them to immediately run away and return to the shop. He then also instructed them to run with all haste once they heard the fountain's location.
Survival was nearly impossible if they didn't follow this basic route. He also wrote about what to do after that.
[Kang Taesan [Solo]: Basic Strategy for the first floor of Solo Mode.]
He didn't know if the others would believe him.
Trusting an anonymous post and entering the labyrinth would be very difficult. Even if they did believe him, how much it would be accepted was unknown. After all, only Lee Taeyeon survived out of tens of thousands.
He simply threw the hint out with no great expectations and closed the Community.
"Time to give it a try."
Taesan stood up and stretched.
Unlimited use of the fountain was possible as long as he didn't leave the first floor. The reason Lee Taeyeon was able to survive was because she had wandered around here for a week before finally catching the Big Rat.
In Solo Mode, the normal flow was to return to the shop after encountering the Big Rat, hear about the location of the Fountain Life, and then rush here to enter the Safe Zone.
'What kind of arrangement is this?'
He had felt that something was strange about this ever since he heard about it from Lee Taeyeon. It would have been better to place the Fountain of Life at the start. Without it, survival would have been impossible anyway.
But the creator of the labyrinth chose to place it far away, causing most to die on their way there.
It was hard to understand whether this was mercy or cruelty.
Regardless, this part was the most important.
There was no limit to healing here.
He could prepare a lot before leaving the first floor.
He only survived with his low stats due to his skills. Taesan thus concluded that skills were more valuable than stats.
But he endured.
[You are in a state where breathing is not possible.]
It was painful.
Someone once said that drowning was the most torturous way to die. Whether that was true or not, it meant that it was exceedingly agonizing. His body, yearning to breathe, ordered him to quickly get out of the water.
But he didn't leave.
With an unwavering face, he endured underwater.
He forcibly closed his windpipe, which was opening, to drink the water and waited.
His consciousness was beginning to blur. He felt his strength wane. His consciousness was disappearing, and his vision was flickering.
Death was right in front of him.
That's when the system window appeared.
[You have refrained from breathing until the brink of death. You've acquired the special activation skill [Breathlessness].] [You have perceived death. You've acquired the special always-active skill [Death's Line].]
It was done.
Taesan lifted himself up. A large amount of water splashed out.
"Hah, hah."
While calming his wildly beating heart, he smoothed out his ragged breathing. It took a few minutes for him to barely settle down.
"This is really some unpleasant stuff."
He complained while flipping his wet hair. It was essentially self-water torture. Even for Taesan, who was accustomed to pain, it was a thoroughly miserable experience.
But he had no other choice. Breathlessness could only be obtained while underwater.
[Special activation skill: Breathlessness] [Mana Consumption: 1] [Proficiency: 1%] [You can hold your breath for a long time. Right now, it's only about twice as long as an average human.]
Breathlessness was an activation skill that increased the duration of holding in one's breath.
It wasn't a widely known skill.
It could only be obtained underwater and only just before dying.
Most who acquired it ended up as fish food, so it wasn't until Taesan obtained the skill that information about it became known.
And even after it was known, no one tried to acquire it.
You had to stay underwater until just before death. The number of people who could endure the pain of not breathing and the fear of possible death was exceedingly small. Most of those who survived in the labyrinth were close to being cowards, and weren't willing to learn the skill in such a manner.
For this reason, apart from Taesan, the only one who had acquired it was Junggeun.
In Easy or Normal mode, it wasn't a particularly useful skill. Still, in the Hard and Solo modes, the story was different.
Intermittently, floors where the air itself was poisoned, would appear. Breathlessness would be of great benefit there.
At the same time, Death's Line was not a bad skill either.
It was a skill that informed you when you were at risk of dying due to the location or an attack.
He had been able to escape quite a few crises because of it.
[Special Always-On Skill: Death's Line] [Proficiency: 54%] [You can sense when you're nearing death. Activates in most crises.]
Seeing the proficiency, Taesan was surprised.
"Why is it already at 54%?"
Raising the proficiency by just 1% was usually quite challenging. There wasn't a player who exceeded 50% for advanced skills until they were better in the labyrinth.
But it was already 54%. This was the same proficiency as he had in the future.
"Does something like this carry over?"
It seemed like power engraved in the mind, rather than the body, had a certain degree of continuity.
However, it was hard to fully accept this theory because the basic proficiency of Cold Judgment and Penetration were different.
"I don't know."
Taesan tidied up his thoughts neatly.
In the labyrinth, things that couldn't be understood happened frequently.
He wouldn't be able to endure if he tried to assign meaning to all of them.
It was a good thing for him, so he should be satisfied with that.
Taesan checked the number of skills he now had.
Swordsmanship. Shield Technique. Sight Enhancement. Penetration. Cold Judgment. Soul Ascension. Death's Line. Breathlessness. Disease Resistance.
Nine in total. From the 1st floor, he had obtained the number of skills that an Easy Mode player usually obtained by clearing the labyrinth.
In the past, Taesan didn't reach this number until he arrived at the 20th floor. Considering that most of them were useless skills, their value was even higher.
But Taesan had no intention of stopping here.
There were still more skills to be obtained.Kang Junhyeok[Solo]: Uh, brother. Are we really doing this right?] [Kang Taesan[Solo]: High risk, high return. You understand, don't you? If the gap becomes too big, we can't catch up. Now is the perfect timing, don't you think?] [Kang Junhyeok[Solo]: No, that's not the issue. Ah, seriously... I'm sorry, brother. I just can't do this.] [Kang Taesan[Solo]: Do as you please. I'm not the one at a loss.] [Lee Taejun[Solo]: Junhyeok, it's not your fault. Except for that guy, nobody could get it.]
Skills could be combined.
When certain skills and situations intersect, new skills can be formed.
Taesan, who had risen from his seat, took a deep breath.
[You have activated Breathless.]
Taesan, who had activated the skill, began to swing the rusted sword.
The ability to hold his breath for twice as long applied only when he was idle. When in action, it was a different story. The whole body demanded oxygen, and his face turned red in no time.
Yet, Taesan did not stop swinging his sword.
He delivered tens of sword strikes.
And when the sword strikes reached a hundred...
[You have attacked countless times in one breath. You obtained the Special Activation Skill [Breathless Rush Attack].] [You have acquired more than ten skills and have reached a stage where you can confidently say you have gained skills.] [You obtained the Title [Skill Player].]
"Huff!"
Taesan gasped heavily for breath.
There was a tempo to attacks, just like how he predicted the movements of Big Rat; humans, too, showed signs before they moved.
The Infinite Breath Attack was a skill that freely altered this tempo.
During a 10-second span of attacking, there was no need to breathe, thus creating room for unpredictable variables. It was a skill he frequently used until he exited the labyrinth.
"Title Window."
[Title: Skill Player] [You have acquired 10 skills. A bonus is applied to all skill proficiency levels.]]
It was one of the fundamentally better titles one could attain. Not bad at all.
"Status Window."
[Kang Taesan] [Level: 3] [HP: 120/120] [Mana: 12/12] [Strength: 10] [Intelligence: 12] [Agility: 21] [Attack + 1] [Defense + 2] [The target is tired.]
It was definitely fast. Lee Taeyeon said her agility was around 13 when she passed the first floor. This was a crushing pace.
Just considering agility, it was a stat that even a Hard Mode player could only achieve after reaching the 5th floor. Taesan, who was joyfully looking at his status window, stroked his chin.
"Maybe I should make one."
He had acquired many skills by this point. Even if a Hard Mode player reached the 3rd floor, they would still be weaker than him right now on the 1st floor. Considering that one's power increased exponentially with each floor descended, his pace was incredibly fast.
However, he didn't have a main skill yet.
A main skill had a value beyond ten ordinary skills. A skill that could overcome any gap in stats. These kinds of skills were called main skills.
To give a simple example: Addition, which added to the current attack power.
Multiplication, which squared the current attack power.
Full Recon gave full comprehension of all hidden elements and situations around him.
Attack Nullification, which negated the result of an attack.
Forced Duel, which ensured that no one, except the target, could interfere.
And Mini Time Stop halted time around him, a skill everyone envied.
All of these were main skills. Having even one of them could grant overwhelming power compared to other players at the same level. He once had dozens of main skills.
Taesan planned to create one of them.
Before stepping outside, he drank from the fountain, relieving all his fatigue.
The acquisition conditions for most main skills were quite demanding, perhaps due to their power.
For instance, Full Recon could only be created after Insight evolved a few times.
Considering most players couldn't even manage to evolve a skill once, these skills were practically unattainable.
However, there was one skill that could be created even on the 1st floor. Rather, it was a skill that was hard to obtain if not made at this moment.
Taesan stood still in the passage and waited.
Not long after, a squeaking sound echoed.
[A Big Rat has appeared.]
The Big Rat glared at Taesan. He took a stance and held up his shield. Instinctively, the Big Rat charged toward his exposed ankle.
[You have taken 4 damage.]
"Squeak, squeal!"
The Big Rat quickly ran away. Taesan didn't move a muscle.
After scrutinizing him for a moment, the Big Rat charged at him again. Taesan watched it with an unperturbed gaze.
He saw everything since agility was linked to reflexes.
Not only did agility improve reflexes and speed, but it also improved his overall cognitive abilities. With an agility of 21, he could have struck the Big Rat as it came in.
However, he did not move.
In a broad sense, swordsmanship and shield techniques operated through the same concept.
You gained swordsmanship because you wielded a sword, and shield techniques because you handled a shield.
You gained breathlessness by holding your breath, and a breathless attack by swinging your sword multiple times before exhaling.
So how did you gain 'Endurance,' which nullified an attack leading to death?
It was simple.
[You are on the brink of death.] [Proficiency in 'Brink of Death' has increased by 2%.] [Proficiency in 'Cold Judgment' has increased by 2%.]
You just needed to successively block attacks that would lead to death.
[You have blocked several attacks that could kill you. You have acquired the special always-active skill 'Endurance.']
He had acquired the skill. Taesan immediately rushed to the Big Rat. The Big Rat tried to flee in fear, but the shield pressed down on its small body.
"Squeak!"
[You have killed a Big Rat.] [Your Aura of Vitality is activated. Agility permanently increases by 1.] [You've earned a small amount of experience.] [...]
He sheathed his dripping shield and opened the skill window.
[Special Always-Active Skill: Endurance] [Proficiency: 1%] [It nullifies an attack leading to death. Afterward, it ignores all damage for 1 second.]
Taesan laughed.
Upon hearing how Taesan acquired 'Endurance,' Lee Taeyeon called him crazy. Junggeun had also looked at him with fear.
But Taesan was the opposite. Imagine being afraid of obtaining a skill that could save your life.
Taesan could not understand why they refused for such a reason.
Yes, a mistake could lead straight to death, but considering the rewards, it was a light gamble. The labyrinth was a place where you would get nothing if you didn't risk your life.
Taesan simply followed this rule.
After returning to the fountain and recovering his stamina, Taesan began the verification process.
[Special Always-Active Skill: Block] [Proficiency: 1%] [It blocks damage below a certain numerical value. Currently, it can only block damage less than 1.]
'Block' was also a good skill that could easily stop dot damage depending on the level of proficiency.
The problem was that it was very difficult to increase its proficiency. There were no people who focused on this skill because it required a lot of time and perseverance.
Taesan did not think of improving his proficiency right away, either. He decided to postpone it.
The proficiencies of 'Brink of Death' and 'Cold Judgment' were also quite satisfying.
[Special Always-Active Skill: Cold Judgment] [Proficiency: 31%] [A steady mind. Unless something beyond human perception appears, you will not panic. It gives an appropriate correction to judgment.] [Special Always-Active Skill: Brink of Death] [Proficiency: 68%] [It can sense when death is approaching. It is activated in most crises. It also activates when significant damage is received.]
Both texts had changed. 'Brink of Death' was especially appealing. It meant that he could detect most traps in advance.
"Are there more skills to obtain?"
There seemed to be a few, but he couldn't remember. It was hard to recall all of the two hundred skills he once possessed. Taesan wracked his brain.
"There were premonition skills!"
Just then, a loud voice rang out. Taesan instinctively took out his shield.
"Good reaction!"
An old man wearing gold was looking at him with a smile.
Monsters couldn't enter the Fountain of Life.
This was an NPC.
[You have encountered a Seeker of God.]
"Hello."
He didn't let his guard down as he greeted him. Lee Taeyeon said that most NPCs in Solo Mode were nuts. He tried to recall whether she had mentioned anything about an elderly knight in golden armor as he started a conversation.
The knight stroked his white beard and asked,
"Are you an adventurer?"
"Adventurer?"
"That's what they call those who strive to conquer the labyrinth. Is that correct?"
"Yes, that's correct."
As he was speaking, he was racking his brain.
[There was an old knight when I was resting on the first floor at the Fountain of Life. Was he a holy knight serving a god?]
And then, what did she say?
He remembered. Taesan hurriedly lifted his shield. The holy knight was approaching. Despite the considerable distance, he arrived right in front of him in one step.
The holy knight lifted his fist with a grin.
"Try to block this."
[Ainzhar has launched a non-lethal attack.] [Ainzhar's attack.]
His fist swooped down on TaesanA fist moved.
Slowly.
But assuredly.
[Your Death Line has been activated.]
The system window gave a warning alert. Even without it, it was impossible not to notice.
That fist held enough power to kill him.
His body reacted quicker than his mind. Taesan raised his shield. He crouched, bracing for impact.
Boom.
Shield and fist connected. Taesan was shocked by the power he felt from the other side.
'This is.'
It was not just a simple matter of being strong. It was heavy. It felt as if a mountain itself was bearing down on him.
Taesan gritted his teeth. He flexed his muscles to their limit. He forcefully twisted the direction that the power moved.
Creak.
The shield moved with an ear-piercing noise. It skewed the point of the fist's impact and diverted the direction of power.
[You have received the Power of the Mountain. Your strength permanently increases by 1.] [You have parried the Power of the Mountain. You have gained the special activation skill [Parry].]
"Hmm?"
Admiration was reflected on Ainzhar's face.
"Then how about this?"
The fist went straight, crushing the direction of the shield that tried to deflect the power, and headed straight to Taesan.
Taesan quickly came to a decision.
He couldn't block that. Skills or not, the difference in strength was too large.
Therefore, he wouldn't block it.
He crouched. As Taesan's posture lowered, the fist's trajectory naturally headed downwards. The titled shield aligned with the fist.
Taesan let go of the shield and kicked the ground with all his might, launching himself backward.
Crash!
[You received 35,211 damage.] [Non-lethal attack activated. Damage is nullified.]
"Cough!"
His body collided with the shield against the wall. The solid dungeon stone wall crumbled, revealing what was beyond it.
Taesan chuckled wryly, confirming that fact through the sensation on his back.
'Is such a thing even possible?'
Breaking a dungeon wall in one hit. It was unheard of and unseen. None of the players or monsters he had encountered could do it.
And this old man did it effortlessly.
On top of that, the damage.
Despite doing his best to dodge and reduce the damage, it was still thirty-thousand. This alone told him enough.
This old man was much stronger than Lee Taeyeon.
'What the hell?'
Both the gatekeeper and this old man were pure monsters. He couldn't confidently say he could win even if he had his previous level.
"Ho!"
But the old man was looking at Taesan with an admiring face.
"I thought it would be a hundred thousand, but it's only thirty thousand! Amazing!"
"Well, I can't just stand there and get hit."
"That's true."
The old man laughed and asked Taesan.
"Who might you be?"
"Do I have any reason to tell you that?"
Taesan responded in a sharp tone. The old man chuckled.
"So, that's why you didn't use a lethal attack. I don't plan to kill a stranger, either. Above all, even if I attacked sincerely, you had Endurance. I judged there would be no problem."
"...Did you see that?"
"Uh-huh!"
The old man clenched his fist and nodded his head.
"The sight of raising one's foot at death to survive! It was incredibly admirable! And you actually have outstanding skills! To parry my attack with such feeble stats!"
The old man spat out his words with boundless momentum. Taesan frowned as he listened to the old man's words.
'Does he know about the skill?'
Self-aware NPCs existed only in Solo Mode. But Lee Taeyeon had never mentioned that they knew about skills.
"May I ask which god it is?"
"By all means! The more people know our god, the better!"
Ainzhar spoke jovially.
"The god I serve is the beloved goddess. Her name is Levynenoff!"
Upon hearing the name, Taesan paused.
"Levynenoff. Is that correct?"
"Absolutely! There's no way I could get her name wrong! All of us served Lady Levynenoff!"
Ainzhar, with a vacant look in his eyes, looked up at the sky.
"At the beginning and end of each day, we would shout her name. She was an absolutely captivating goddess who would form bonds with the ones she loved. In my world, no other goddess was as loved as she was."
Ainzhar shrugged his shoulders.
"Sadly, as my world has perished, I am the only one left who remembers her."
"...So, you entered this place to find her?"
"That's exactly right. However, I haven't even caught a hint of her yet..."
Ainzhar dropped his head. Seeing him look so downcast, Taesan pondered his options.
'Levynenoff.'
Taesan knew her. Lee Taeyeon had told him about the goddess. He also knew which floor she was on.
But there was one problem.
'Lee Taeyeon said that she was already dead.'
The beautiful goddess had been brutally torn apart. Lee Taeyeon had found the scene so repulsive that she had flooded the Community with posts about it. Taesan also remembered it as a result.
If Lee Taeyeon, who had overcome countless adversities, said it was disgusting, it must have indeed been a gruesome sight.
As Taesan was contemplating the truth, Ainzhar's eyes lit up.
"Taesan, may I ask you a question?"
"What is it?"
"Do you have any urgent need to rush down into the labyrinth?"
"No, I don't."
His goal wasn't to clear the labyrinth, but to understand and strategize for it. He had no intention of leaving until he received all the rewards.
Ainzhar clapped his hands.
"That's excellent. Taesan, would you consider learning Levynenoff's technique from me?"
"Sure."
Taesan answered immediately. His answer was so free of hesitation that Ainzhar was taken aback.
"No hesitation, huh. I thought you might be a bit conflicted."
"I have no reason to refuse."
Ainzhar was powerful. He was so strong that it was hard to understand why an NPC inside the labyrinth possessed such strength. If he had been someone from Earth, Taesan would have survived as well.
There was no reason to refuse such a person offering him a skill.
"What is the cost?"
"Of course, there isn't one. This is an apology that I must rightfully make."
"Apology?"
"For suddenly attacking you."
Ainzhar shook his head with a look of shame.
"Even if the purpose was a test, it was wrong to resort to violence against you, a stranger. As a Paladin, I deeply regret it."
Seeing the sincerely apologetic look on his face, Taesan let out a hollow laugh.
"Then you shouldn't have attacked in the first place."
"That's a different story."
Ainzhar replied brazenly.
"I apologize to you because you're someone worth doing that for. If you weren't, I would have simply spat at you and left."
Ainzhar had actually done that to Lee Taeyeon. He left her only with a look of contempt.
'He's really crazy.'
But for him, it was a sign of insanity in a good direction.
"A mere verbal apology is worthless. Thinking that you, too, as an adventurer, would want a valuable skill, I decided this, is it acceptable?"
"Of course it is."
A non-lethal attack in exchange for a skill. This was extremely easy compared to risking one's life to gain a skill. Taesan was more than willing to do it hundreds of times. Ainzhar seemed relieved and brushed his chest.
"I'm very relieved. I was about to do something that might be a burden to the goddess."
He had a genuinely relieved expression. Judging by his actions, Taesan could have complained and squeezed out more, but he was satisfied with this.
Unlike Lee Taeyeon, he had a high likelihood of continuing to encounter Ainzhar. It was his judgment that maintaining a reasonable line was more beneficial than ruining the relationship by getting greedy.Kang Junhyeok [Solo]: Bro. Isn't this different from the story you told?] [Kang Taesan [Solo]: What are you talking about suddenly?] [Kang Junhyeok [Solo]: The paladin. He didn't just spit and leave, right?]
"Alright! There's no reason to delay. Let's start right away."
Ainzhar began to explain the skill.nôvel binz was the first platform to present this chapter.
"There are countless skills in the labyrinth."
There really was a lot. There must have been thousands of skills that Taesan hadn't acquired because he didn't need them. If you include the skills he didn't know, it would be tens of thousands.
"But I think the technology of Levynenoff is the best skill I can confidently mention. It may not look flashy, but it's honestly useful. It's a skill even the goddess has personally praised."
Ainzhar spoke with a proud expression.
"Do you know what the basic skills are?"
"They're the easiest skills to acquire in the labyrinth. You can obtain them with just one action."
"You are well-informed."
Ainzhar looked at Taesan with an admiring face.
"It's the most basic information, but it's not something adventurers on the first floor would notice. Like learning to endure, it seems that your world is well-informed about this place."
"Yes."
A world that knew about the labyrinth. Taesan appropriately responded and stored the information in his mind.
"But since I'm the one teaching, I'll give a brief explanation. If you don't know any information, feel free to ask."
Ainzhar cleared his throat.
"Taesan. What basic skill are you learning?"
"Swordsmanship and shield techniques."
Ainzhar nodded approvingly.
"Traditional indeed."
"When you handle a sword, you learn Swordsmanship. When you handle a shield, you learn Shieldmanship. When you handle a spear, you learn Spearmanship. That's basic."
Basic Skills.
Skills that would be automatically obtained when a player handled a weapon. The more proficiency increased, the more knowledge and applicability of that particular weapon would also increase. They were skills that all players would fundamentally learn.
And to Taesan, these skills were meaningless. He was a player who battled with skills, not with gimmicks. The applicability of the spear and sword was irrelevant, so he never bothered with their proficiency.
But it was different now.
Since he could gain stats again, adequately improving his basic skills would be good.
"Levynenoff's technique, we call it the Airak Weapon Technique. Its effect is the integration of basic skills."
"...I see."
Taesan's face cooled. Ainzhar gave a thin smile.
"You must think it's meaningless now."
"Even if the skills combine, there won't be any change."
One could misconceive it as good since proficiency can be raised altogether. It would indeed have been good for other skills. But not for basic skills.
That was because, due to system issues, the use of many weapons didn't hold much significance.
Ainzhar, seemingly knowing what Taesan was thinking, opened his mouth.
"What's your additional attack power now?"
"It's 1."
"...A cute number. That should be about 4."
"With basic attack power, it would be around there."
"Good."
Ainzhar stood in front of Taesan.
"That is probably the attack power of that shield. Try attacking me with it."
"It won't even inflict damage, though."
"Don't worry about that."
Ainzhar chuckled and activated a skill.
[Ainzhar has activated Target Lock. Ainzhar will receive all attacks as fixed damage.]
"Go on, try it."
If that's what he wanted.
Taesan struck Ainzhar's head with the edge of his shield.
Crack!
[Ainzhar took 4 damage.]
"...Did you really need to hit my head?"
This was information that he had not known in his previous life. Users just worked hard to learn the basic skills and did not create anything by applying them, so the existence of advanced skills was not even known.
"Let's try it out once."
Taesan opened the skill window.
[Top-Level Skill: Airak Weapon Technique] [Proficiency: 1%] [It's a technique that handles weapons and physical strength. It seems that there may be a loss in power transmission because it is still immature.]
"As your proficiency increases, your handling will become more adept, so it would be good to train every day without fail. And I'll give you this too."
Ainzhar handed him a rusted ring.
[Faded Ring] [Attack Power +1] [It's a ring that someone has used for a long time. It seems it used to have considerable value.]
"I can only give you this so that you don't lose the important value due to benefits. I'm sorry."
"That's more than enough."
In the past, he would have discarded it as useless. After all, you can't hit with a ring. But now that he had learned the Airak Technique, the value of this ring was equal to a rusty sword.
Taesan accepted the ring and put it on.
"Hmm. I've handed over everything I need to... but it's a bit regrettable. You can't go down to the depths just yet anyway..."
After pondering for a moment, Ainzhar made up his mind.
"How about a duel?"
Ainzhar drew his sword.
"You just learned the technique. Shouldn't we test it out before actual combat?"
"Sounds good."
There was no reason to refuse. Taesan held up his shield.
Every action taken in the labyrinth was evaluated.
Even if it was a useless room, if you carefully examined it and found something, your detection skill proficiency increased, and if you continued to block the opponent's attacks, your shield skill proficiency increased.
Therefore, fighting against a strong being was a meaningful act in itself.
Ainzhar began to spar with Taesan for two full days, and Taesan gained a lot.
First of all, one skill.
[Special Constant Activation Skill: Battle Endurance] [Proficiency: 3%] [[You can continue fighting for a long time. You don't get tired easily.]
It was a constant activation skill that enabled long-term battles, and there was a distinct difference in endurance depending on whether you had it or not. The reason he could fight an S-class monster for several days was thanks to this skill.
However, he had half given up on acquiring this skill here. It could only be acquired by fighting other players, and Solo Mode was solo play.
According to Lee Taeyeon, there were more adventurers around, but it was not the time to leisurely spar.
Thanks to Ainzhar, he was able to acquire it.
In addition, the proficiency of most skills also increased.
"Is that enough?"
"It's more than enough."
The results of the two days were incredibly substantial. Taesan sincerely thanked Ainzhar. Ainzhar waved his hand dismissively.
"It was something I wanted to do. And it was also a pleasant experience for me."
Ainzhar looked at Taesan with an amazed face.
"Unbelievable sense and skill for a first-floor adventurer... indeed, I have a discerning eye."
He opened his mouth with a satisfied smile.
"Taesan. Promise me two things."
"Please tell me."
"Now that you have learned the AirakTtechnique, you can teach it to someone. But if that person is worthless or a piece of trash, never teach them. If you break this, I will come to kill you myself."
He seemed serious as he was emitting an intense aura. Taesan nodded his head.
"I understand."
"And the other thing, if you discover any information about Levynenoff, be sure to let me know."
"The chance of meeting you again in the labyrinth is low."
That was what Lee Taeyeon said. After the first floor, she hadn't seen Ainzhar. Ainzhar gave a bitter smile.
"I'm not hoping for much anyway. I'm just clinging to a miracle."
He looked extremely worn out. He likely spent a considerable amount of time here, unable to find anything.
And in the end, he probably only found a dead goddess.
If Ainzhar had succeeded in finding the goddess, he would have protected her or died with her. But neither happened.
In other words, unless a major change occurred, this meant that Levynenoff would be assassinated by someone before Ainzhar could find her.
To inform him or not to inform him.
It was a branching point.If Taesan did not disclose the goddess's location, Ainzhar would continue to live in despair. He would inevitably disappear without finding what he hoped for until the end.
If he told him, Ainzhar would learn the location of Levynenoff. Ainzhar would be immensely grateful to Taesan and would likely do anything for him.
But he didn't know what would happen afterward.
Ainzhar, upon finding Levynenoff, could become hostile. The goddess could also potentially detest him.
As a fanatical follower, there was no question as to whether he'd prioritize the goddess or Taesan. He might suspect that Taesan was the killer of the goddess and attack him. All possibilities were on the table.
He was stronger than even Lee Taeyeon. An NPC whom even his past self couldn't guarantee victory against.
If he became hostile to him, it would be a significant problem in breaking through the labyrinth.
After a moment of contemplation, Taesan spoke.
Ainzhar had given him a lot. The Airak Weapon Technique. A ring that increased attack power. These were excessively generous gifts for a stranger.
He must reciprocate that generosity.
"Levynenoff. Do you want to know the location of your beloved goddess?"
"Yes. Finding her is my wish."
"I know her location."
"What?"
Ainzhar's face shook.
"I know where Levynenoff is."
"...Your joke is excessive."
Ainzhar grimaced as if he was uncomfortable. Naturally, he didn't seem to believe Taesan's words.
"I've roamed the entire labyrinth myself and couldn't find her. How could you, who's only just started on the first floor, know her location?"
The trust he had a moment ago disappeared, and discomfort appeared on his face. It was a natural reaction. To Ainzhar, Taesan was a novice who had just entered the labyrinth, and it seemed unbelievable that he would know something that Ainzhar himself, who had been in the labyrinth for so long, did not.
Ainzhar wouldn't believe it if he were told that Taesan had found something he couldn't locate throughout all these years.
Taesan had anticipated his reaction.
"In my world, there's an item for the labyrinth."
"Nonsense. The labyrinth has no map."
"You would know. There is a map for a specific entity, not for the entire labyrinth."
At Taesan's unwavering gaze, Ainzhar closed his mouth. His pupils expanded shortly after.
"... The flute that calls for a god? That is in your world?"
"Yes."
Although the reality was different, Taesan nodded.
"An item that tells the location of each god. It's an item that can be obtained in the labyrinth."
"How did you..."
"My family possessed information about it. We had pre-determined and written about the locations of the gods."
Of course, it was a lie.
In his world, there was no such information about the labyrinth.
What he was talking about was the information that Lee Taeyeon had told him.
The Flute that Calls for a God. Its effect was to ascertain the location of a god. It was an item that Lee Taeyeon had obtained on the 89th floor.
However, she could not make use of that item. Most gods mocked and laughed at her, unwilling to help.
As a result, The Flute became an item that was stuck in her inventory.
Because she complained that all the gods were disrespectful, Taesan also learned about the existence of the flute. He had thought it was meaningless information and had stowed it away in a corner of his mind, not realizing it would come in handy like this.
"The 78th floor. The Library of All Things. The 24th secret room."
Ainzhar's eyes shook.
"Levynenoff is there."
"...I see. The Library of All Things is there. I haven't checked there yet..."
When Taesan mentioned the floor and what was there, Ainzhar seemed to gain confidence in his words. His eyes swirled with delight.
"So it was there!"
"I think I have given you a fair return."
"Ha ha! More than enough! It's overflowing!"
Ainzhar burst into laughter and grabbed Taesan's shoulder.
"I really thank you! I've never felt so grateful to anyone before! You're my benefactor!"
His eyes held madness. Taesan, disturbed by this zealous emotion, said.
"My shoulder hurts."
"Ah, sorry. I couldn't control my emotions for a moment."
Ainzhar stepped back, grinning broadly.
"Are you thinking of going right away?"
"Uhm... that's a bit difficult. The 78th floor is deep. It's a dangerous place for me too. I should prepare sufficiently."
Such places were the ones that held the secret rooms.
Taesan examined the walls.
They were bricks covered in moss, no different from any other room.
The floor and ceiling were also not much different.
In such cases, the likelihood of the existence of a brick that could be manipulated to find the secret room was high.
"What a grind."
Without a change in expression, Taesan began to check the bricks nearby.
He pressed, turned, and pulled out bricks.
And if there was no change, he moved on to the next brick.
He spent at least 10 seconds on each brick.
There were hundreds of bricks in the room. He had to check each one like this.
It was a level of tedium that could make one's mind as if it had gone far away, but Taesan was enjoying it.
"This is pretty reasonable."
In the labyrinth, the value of the results was based on actions. Grinds were not much different. Among the secret rooms he had found, there were somewhere he had to persevere for a week without any sign of progress. Thinking back to that time, this attempt now felt like heaven.
The same actions were repeated countless times. Taesan checked the bricks one by one, his expression unchanged.
After about halfway through...
"I found it."
[Proficiency of Detection has increased by 5%.]
Rumble.
The brick sank deep inside. The nearby bricks followed suit, exposing what lay behind them.
What appeared was a small passage.
This was the secret room.
[You have discovered a secret room.] [You have earned the title of Adventurer.] [You have earned the title of Adventurer.][You are the first to discover this secret room. Intelligence has permanently increased by 3.]
Adding the Adventurer title that increased intelligence by 1 and the first discovery bonus, the total increase was 4. This alone justified the grind.
And the main dish was a separate feast. As Taesan entered the secret room, a passage of appropriate length was visible. At the end of it, there was a box.
That was the reward.
The passage seemed empty as if one just had to run to get to the treasure.
'But it can't be that easy.'
Nobody knew about this place because even Lee Taeyeon hadn't figured out the secret room on the first floor. He had to find it himself, and Taesan was quite adept at such tasks.
Taesan went outside. It wasn't long before he found a Big Rat wandering around the labyrinth.
"Squeak, squeak!"
He stepped on the rushing Big Rat to subdue it. His current agility was 25. Catching a Big Rat was no longer a challenge for him.
Taesan took the subdued Big Rat back to the secret room and threw it towards the seemingly empty passage.
Click.
Along with a clicking sound, an arrow whizzed through the air.
"Squeeee!"
The Big Rat screamed and collapsed. Its twitching body soon stopped moving.
"An arrow trap, huh."
Quite a textbook trap for the first floor. It was a trap activated by stepping on the floor, and considering that only one arrow had been shot, it seemed not to be a particularly difficult trap.
Taesan stepped on the spot where the Big Rat had died.
Click.
An arrow shot toward Taesan's chest. He quickly moved his hand.
Thwack.
He caught the arrow in his hand.
Catching one was manageable.
He walked again.
Swish!
He caught two arrows targeting his head and chest at the same time.
Two were not a big problem either. After putting the arrows in his inventory and taking another step, this time, three arrows flew at him.
He grabbed two and dodged one by tilting his head.
"It's getting tougher as I go."
The distance to the box was about ten steps.
At the end, ten arrows flew at once. As the distance was closer, it was harder to avoid.
But that was by the standards of a normal player.
Taesan's Agility was now at 25. He could catch ordinary arrows that were shot at him. Even if there were ten, it was not impossible if he used his skill and focused solely on dodging.
Therefore, he planned to grab what he could before he reached the end.Taesan returned to the entrance and took a step forward.
Swoosh!
A single arrow flew toward him. Taesan caught it without much difficulty and came to a conclusion.
The arrows were being replenished.
"Good."
Taesan confidently stepped forward. Two more arrows flew towards him. He caught them and put them in his inventory.
Then he took a step back. He caught the identical arrows flying at him and stored them in his inventory.
And then another step forward. Two arrows flew at him, and he caught them.
Once again, he stored them in his inventory.
The number of arrows he had now was seven. A strikingly small number. But buying arrows was too expensive. At 10 gold per piece, buying just fifty would cost 500 gold.
So, he decided to gather some here.
"About a hundred should be enough."
Taesan murmured as he caught the incoming arrows.
As he kept repeating this process, different types of arrows occasionally appeared.
[Poison Arrow] [Attack + 2] [A chance to inflict a poison condition on the target. Depending on the level and stats, it may fail.] [Paralysis Arrow] [Attack + 2] [A chance to inflict a paralysis condition on the target. Depending on the level and stats, it may fail.]
"All kinds of things are flying at me."
He quickly placed them in his inventory. Both were types of arrows he didn't have because he couldn't afford them. After about half an hour, he was able to gather about a hundred.
He had managed to collect quite a few.
Taesan sorted out his inventory. Eighty regular arrows. Ten poison arrows. Ten paralysis arrows.
The same items could be stacked up to twenty, and the inventory had a total of twenty slots. He had used up six slots. It was a satisfying result. With this amount, he could make do until the next floor.
"This is quite good."
It was a sort of trick.
The labyrinth was designed to prevent users from taking the arrows from the traps. The moment an arrow shot from a trap hit something, it was programmed to shatter. No user on the first floor could catch an arrow, and once they got past the first floor, there was no reason to waste time in such a place. So, it was a reasonably fair mechanism.
But Taesan's agility was at 25. Even in Solo Mode, it was a stat that couldn't be achieved normally on the first floor. He was already approaching a quarter of his previous life's stat total. Catching one or two arrows was no big deal. Thanks to this, he was able to collect quite a few.
'Now then.'
Taesan took a small breath. It was time to break through the arrow trap.
If he only thought about breaking through, it would be incredibly simple. Taesan had a tower shield. He could just hold it up and proceed.
However, his goal was not just to receive a reward. He had to draw more out of the process.
Tap.
Taesan stomped his foot. He didn't plan to take slow, measured steps. In an instant, he stepped to the middle of the trapped floor.
Peep, peep, peep, pik!
A whistling sound resonated as five arrows flew at him.
He dodged an arrow aimed at his head by tilting it. He kicked away one aimed at his leg. With both hands, he caught one arrow in each.
The remaining arrow was aimed at Taesan's abdomen. With the hand that caught the arrow, Taesan slapped it away. The arrow pinged as it hit the wall.
He leaped again. As he stepped on the floor, nine arrows shot out at once. Listening to the sharp whistling sound, Taesan took a deep breath.
[You have activated the Breathless Attack. You will be able to breathe freely for the next 10 seconds.]
Breathing does not interfere with movement. Hence his movement was maximized.
[The proficiency of your Field of Vision has increased by 2%.] [You confirm everything visible to the eye. Your field of vision, which should have narrowed in combat, appears to widen.]
Three in front. Two on the left. Three on the right. One aimed at his feet. It was difficult to avoid them all.
[Your Proficiency in Perception has increased by 2%.] [Your Proficiency in Calmness has increased by 1%.]
Yet, his heart did not waver.
[You have heightened your senses in a crisis situation. You have gained a special constant activation skill: Enhanced Senses.]
His senses were sharpened. He could sense where the arrows were coming from without seeing them.
The arrows did not all shoot at once. There was a slight delay. He first avoided the ones closest to him. He tilted his head and felt the arrow graze his hair.
Now there were eight left.
He moved his leg to fend off an arrow. He caught one with each hand.
And in Easy Mode, this item would barely make an appearance after passing the twentieth floor. Even in Hard Mode, it would not show up until after the tenth floor, at the least. It was hard to understand that it had shown up right from the first floor, regardless of being in Solo Mode.
"Could it be a blunt weapon disguised as a staff?"
Taesan checked the staff with some skepticism.
[Flame Staff] [A staff used by novice magicians. Basic magic [Fireball] can be used.]
"... It's real."
And it was the Flame Staff, which was much more valuable than other magics in the early game.
'Is this the average for Solo Mode?'
There was no comparison since Lee Taeyeon rarely broke through the secret rooms. If this was the average, things would be much easier in the future.
However, the reward was not without cost. The fifteen arrows that flew at him at the end were only blockable because he had gained so much; an ordinary human would have been instantly killed.
Perhaps there were those who found this place in their past lives, but they died without breaking through, so it never became known.
Taesan picked up the staff and turned around. It was time to return to the Fountain of Life.
"Squeak! Squeak!"
On his way back, a Big Rat appeared and attacked him. Although he couldn't use one arm, his stats were good enough that it was not a problem.
However, Taesan did not immediately kill the creature and prolonged the fight. Around the time the Big Rat was becoming exhausted, a system window appeared.
[Despite being in a disabled state for a long time, you had no issues with your actions. You have obtained a special activation skill [Unyielding Will].]
"Good."
It was a skill that could be obtained when one fought for a long time while disabled. He had obtained the skill he wanted, and so Taesan then stepped on the Big Rat.
"Squeak!"
[You have defeated the Big Rat.]
He cleared the windows that appeared. There was no reason to check them all since he was not leveling up, and there were no stat increases.
[You are now in peak condition.]
Upon returning to the Fountain of Life, Taesan restored his health and checked the skills he had gained.
[Special Passive Skill: Pain Reduction] [Proficiency: 1%] [You become somewhat numb to pain. However, your senses do not become numb.] [Special Passive Skill: Sensory Enhancement] [Proficiency: 1%] [Your senses are enhanced. For now, you may only notice a slight difference.]
Both were decent skills. They may not be of great use right now. Still, as their proficiency increased, they exponentially became more beneficial and powerful. Increasing the proficiency was not difficult as it naturally increased by simply fighting and progressing through the maze.
[Special Activation Skill: Unyielding Will] [Mana Consumption: 1] [Proficiency: 1%] [All manner of injuries and wounds cannot halt your fighting spirit. During battle, you can ignore injuries and fight for 10 seconds.]
It was a skill that was a lower-tier version of Unstoppable Power. It allowed him to ignore all status abnormalities.
Being able to ignore injuries even temporarily was a fairly useful skill.
And the skill attached to the Flame Staff, Fireball.
[Basic Magic: Fireball] [Mana Consumption: 3] [Proficiency: 1%] [Shoots a fireball. It deals more damage to enemies without immunity. Attempts to afflict the target with the abnormal status [Burn].]
It was the same skill that he had seen before.
"This is awesome."
There were endless ways to use it. With a joyful face, Taesan placed the staff into his inventory.
"Is it about time to end?"
It seemed that he had gained everything he could from the first floor.
It was time to descend.
Taesan stood up and walked through the labyrinth. The path leading to the second floor could be found in no time.
The door, which was a crimson color, made it clear that this was a different place. It was hard to mistake it.
This was the path leading to the second floor.
And, as always, there was a boss guarding each floor's threshold.
Taesan raised his shield and opened the door. A staircase leading down appeared. And a monster guarding the place was also visible.
"Squeeeak."
Its basic appearance was similar to the Big Rat. Black, sharp fur. Ugly, protruding teeth.
But it was bigger. A rodent the size of a human was in the room. Its red eyes were sneakily targeting him.
"So this is the boss of the first floor."
A formidable boss whose sharp claws had killed quite a few players. It had been the boss of the 10th floor in Easy Mode.
"Squeeeaaak!"
[A Giant Rat has appearThe Giant Rat.
As its name suggested, it was an enhanced version of the Big Rat. A monster the size of a robust young man, its speed was also slightly faster than the Big Rat. It had a strength the Big Rat did not have, and its claws could easily break through a wooden shield.
'Lee Taeyeon used a trick to defeat it.'
Her method was simple. She kept hunting Big Rats on the first floor, then used the money she accumulated to buy oil and fire bottles.
Then she set the whole room on fire and ran out.
A boss monster could not leave the boss room. When she came back in about an hour, the boss monster was nicely roasted.
If she had enough time, it was a fairly reasonable method. The Giant Rat wasn't a monster that a player could defeat on the first floor, so Lee Taeyeon's method was the closest to the correct answer.
But Taesan had no intention of doing the same.
To fill the room with oil, he would need to stay here for at least two more days. There would also be a significant loss of money, and since it was a trick to defeat the boss, he wouldn't be able to receive the rewards he should receive.
So, he would defeat it with strength,
First, he observed the space.
The room was about the size of two gymnasiums.
There was plenty of room to run away.
The distance between him and the Giant Rat was about 150 meters.
First, he would keep his distance.
Taesan set his feet.
The Giant Rat roared and lumbered after him.
"Screeeech!"
While running, Taesan looked at the Giant Rat.
Despite its lumbering movement, its speed was not slow.
As an enhanced version of the Big Rat, its speed was considerably fast.
However, there was no significant difference between it and Taesan. It would take quite a while for it to close the gap.
'Good.'
Taesan spun his body around. He placed his shield into his inventory and pulled out the flame staff. The tip of the staff glowed red.
[You have activated Fireball.]
Whoosh.
The flame gathered at the staff's tip, then a fireball about the size of a baseball was shot toward the Giant Rat.
Boom!
[14 damage to the Giant Rat.]
"Squeeeek!"
The Giant Rat let out a pained squeal. Rage glimmered in its red eyes, but Taesan didn't care. There was something he needed to verify.
[Burn status check in progress...] [Check successful! The Giant Rat is now in a burn state.]
"That worked."
Abnormal state, burn. The effect was simple. It dealt 1 damage to the enemy every 10 seconds.
The effect duration was around 10 minutes.
1 damage every 10 seconds in these early floors was not insignificant at all. His intention was to inflict the burn abnormal state even if he had to fire two or three times, but fortunately, it worked in one shot. Thanks to that, he could conserve his mana.
"Now then."
It wasn't over yet. Taesan put away his staff and pulled out his bow. He had acquired archery skills before coming in by using the Big Rat as a target. It was immediately integrated into the Airak Martial Technique. Still, the skill itself didn't disappear, so there would be no problem with shooting arrows.
Taesan took out a poison arrow and notched it on the bowstring.
The bowstring was tautly pulled back.
As he looked at the Giant Rat lumbering towards him, Taesan released the arrow.
Ping.
"Squeeeek!"
[7 damage to the Giant Rat.] [Poison status check in progress...] [Check failed! The Giant Rat is unaffected.]
It didn't work.
Once again, the claws aimed for him, and Taesan raised his shield. The moment those claws made contact with the shield, he changed direction. The claws scraped the shield with a sharp sound and impacted the ground.
[You take 4 damage.]
The Giant Rat's body was left defenseless, with its claws lodged into the ground. Taesan collided into it with his shield.
Jeoeong!
"Kiik!"
[Giant Rat takes 6 damage.]
Staggering, the Giant Rat swung its claws, and again Taesan blocked with his shield.
[You take 5 damage.]
Now their turn was switched. This time Taesan struck with his shield.
Jeoeeong!
[Giant Rat takes 7 damage.] [Your proficiency in Battle Continuity has increased by 1%.]
His breathing quickened.
His muscles began to tire.
He was pressing hard, but the situation wasn't good.
The fight has already lasted nearly thirty minutes.
Although it was one-sided harassment, the continuous movement had exhausted him.
Without Battle Continuity, he would have been fatigued much earlier.
He needed to quickly end it. Taesan dashed into the Giant Rat's range.
[You have activated Breathless Attack. You have free breathing for the next 10 seconds.]
The restriction of his heavy breathing disappeared. The body that had been demanding oxygen also gained freedom. The Breathless Attack was similar to a full recovery for these precious seconds.
Koong!
[Giant Rat takes 8 damage.]
"Kiik!"
The Giant Rat didn't simply stand there to endure it. It held its staggering body and lunged using its claws and teeth. While Taesan blocked with his shield, there were limits when simultaneously attacking and defending.
[You take 24 damage.]
24 damage. He could withstand a total of five more attacks. He could last for another eight attacks if he included Endurance and Evasion. He then calculated the Giant Rat's remaining health.
It was enough. Taesan gave up on defense, and multiple damage points appeared as he charged the Giant Rat.
"Kiik!"
The Giant Rat also counterattacked.
[You take 25 damage.] [You take 23 damage.] [You take 22 damage.]
Both parties traded attacks as the Giant Rat struck Taesan with its claws.
[You activated Evasion. The next attack is evaded.]
The claw abruptly veered off course. The skill, Evasion, ensured that it would only barely graze him. As the Giant Rat became flustered by this sudden change in movement, Taesan struck it with his shield.
"Kik, kiik!"
The Giant Rat swung its claws, but it didn't hit. This time, Taesan dove under to avoid and whacked the Giant Rat's neck with the edge of his shield.
[You succeeded in a Counter Attack. Great damage is dealt to the opponent. You have obtained the special activation skill [Counter.] [Giant Rat takes 20 damage.]
"Ki, kiik."
The Giant Rat staggered. It fell into a critical state, and the berserker effect wore off. Taesan then struck the finishing blow.
[Giant Rat takes 8 damage.]
"Kiik...
The Giant Rat fell, its massive body slamming into the ground with a thud. Then its breath also stopped.
"Hoo."
It wasn't that difficult. His stats were not low. Even if he had gone for a direct confrontation, he had a chance of winning. He also dealt with it much more easily than expected since he was able to paralyze it with the paralyzing arrow. He had won.
A long system window appeared.
[You have won against the Giant Rat.] [You received a large amount of experience points.] [Your health has recovered by 10.] [You obtained 153 gold.] [You obtained the skin of the Giant Rat.] [You obtained the meat of the Giant Rat.] [You obtained the claws of the Giant Rat.] [You have achieved victory against a challenging opponent single-handedly. Your Agility permanently increases by 2. Your Mana permanently increases by 3.] [Your Strength Surge has been activated. Your Strength permanently increases by 2. Your Agility permanently increases by 3.] [Your level has increased.] [You are now in top condition.] [As a reward for leveling up, your Health increased by 15.] [As a reward for leveling up, your Agility permanently increases by 3. Your Strength permanently increases by 1.] [You defeated the boss of the 1st floor. You received the basic reward [Random Stat Increase Potion.] [You identified the hidden element of the 1st floor. You received the reward [??].]He couldn't help but smile at the sight of the lengthy system window.
The proof of his growing strength always boosted his mood.
Taesan meticulously checked everything.
The reward for defeating the boss was a 2-point increase in Agility and 3 point increase in Mana. The need to use skills would gradually increase, so a boost in Mana was always good news.
The reward for leveling up was even better.
Agility increased by 3 while Strength increased by 1 for a total of 4 stat points. The fact that his Strength stat, which had not increased so far, had finally gone up was great news.
"I was expecting this, but it's satisfying."
According to the level he was on, rewards took into account what he did and what stats were used while gaining experience. If a player mainly used Strength, then Strength would increase. If Agility was used mainly, then Agility would increase.
He had a fair amount of strength-based clashes against the Giant Rat, so this increase was expected. Although it was still in the single digits, dozens of stat points would come as his reward as he leveled up more.
He could accept it calmly as this was an expected part of the process. However, the case of Soul Ascension was slightly different.
"What kind of skill is this?"
Through Soul Ascension, his Agility had increased by 3 and his Strength by 2. This was more than the increase he got from leveling up. No matter how he racked his brains, this skill made no sense.
Simply put, it was far superior to skills like Endurance or Attack Power Enhancement. It could even be barely compared to Multiply.
"Yes, I deserve this kind of reward."
He had defeated two S-class monsters as an Easy Mode Player. He deserved something in return. Taesan then checked his status window as he whistled.
[Kang Taesan] [Level: 4] [HP: 155/155] [Mana: 15/15] [Strength: 14] [Intelligence: 16] [Agility: 30] [Attack Power + 2] [Defense Power + 7] [The subject is in peak condition]
"Sigh."
He had to admire these stats. Breaking through the first floor and having a stat reach the 30s was impressive. All of those futile attempts to raise his stats in Easy Mode came flooding back to him.
Lost in thought, Kang Taesan began checking the rewards.
[Random Stat Boost Potion] [Randomly increases one stat]
It was a potion with a straightforward effect. The value of stats was always constant. Even at a high level, it was a coveted item. There was no reason to hesitate, so Kang Taesan drank the potion.
[Strength permanently increases by 1]
"Yes."
Kang Taesan clenched his fist lightly. The stat he needed most had been the one increased. Now, only one thing was left.
[You used ???] [You received two Designated Stat Boost Potions]
"Oh."
Kang Taesan, having checked the reward description, exclaimed in surprise.
[Designated Stat Boost Potion] [Increases the designated stat by 1]
It was an item with a straightforward effect and was hard to get even at places above the 50th floor. The basic method of increasing stats was through leveling up. Other methods were either too difficult or involved too many variables, leaving it to luck.nôvel binz was the first platform to present this chapter.
And the stat increase from leveling up depended on what you did while accumulating experience.
In other words, the higher the stat, the easier it was to raise, and the lower the stat, the harder it was to raise.
You had to pass a minimum threshold to be able to balance the stats, and the Designated Stat Boost Potion was the best potion to achieve that.
These rewards were more than generous as Kang Taesan drank the potion.
[You have consumed the Designated Stat Boost Potion. You must designate one stat to increase.]
"Strength."
Kang Taesan replied immediately. There was no reason to raise any other stat. He also consumed the remaining potion and raised his Strength again.
In a flash, his Strength had increased by 3. Kang Taesan checked his status window with a satisfied face. With these stats, he should be able to defeat the Giant Rat again without using arrows.
"I also learned a skill."
Kang Taesan remembered.
[Special Activation Skill: Counter] [Mana Consumption: 5] [Proficiency: 1%] [Retaliates against an enemy's attack, inflicting greater damage.]
"Counter? I got it faster than I thought."
If the opponent's attack was avoidable, it would trigger evasion without conditions and then a counter-attack. Counter-attacks were quite strong, dealing two to three times the usual damage.
When he encountered the dwarf, a system window appeared.
[You've encountered the Lost King.]
The Lost Dwarf King. A being drawn into the labyrinth from his ruined kingdom.
That must be the dwarf's identity.
"So, what are you going to buy? Shall I show you what I have?"
"I would appreciate that."
He had plenty of money. Adding the amount he got from selling, he had twelve hundred gold. It wasn't an amount you could accumulate on the first floor. Even if the items were from a higher level, he should be able to afford them without any pressure.
The dwarf, seemingly catching on to Taesan's thoughts, raised a finger.
"Let me tell you one thing. I only sell certain things. Even if you've gathered more money than needed, I won't sell things that you could buy on the 4th or 5th floor. If you're expecting otherwise, it's best to drop that thought."
"Understood."
The dwarf was similar to Ainzhar. Although he extended certain benefits, he wouldn't allow you to grow complacent while enjoying those benefits. He seemed to uphold a certain line.
"Alright, here you go. If you need anything else, let me know."
The dwarf laid out the items, and Taesan checked each one.
He passed on the potions again. Although he couldn't use the Fountain of Life after leaving the first floor, there was still no reason to use potions. It was more profitable to save the money for potions and buy other items to conserve his health.
Taesan checked the arrows. He had more than enough basic arrows. What he needed were different types of arrows.
[Paralysis Arrow] [Attack Power + 2] [Makes the target paralyzed. The success may vary depending on level and stats.] [30G]
The dwarf, who was watching, asked.
"Are you buying that?"
"I'll buy thirty."
"Buying a lot, aren't you?"
"Because I need them."
If the information Taesan received from Lee Taeyeon about the second floor was true, he would need at least this much. The dwarf passed him the arrows with another satisfied expression.
"Here you go. Now, you've got three hundred gold left. What else will you buy? Personally, I recommend equipment. Going to the second floor with your current equipment will be a bit tough."
He had no armor, and his additional attack power was barely at plus two. He couldn't rely on the Tower Shield's defense forever. Whether it was weapons or armor, he needed to buy something.
Conveniently, the dwarf had several spears, shields, and pieces of armor among the items he showed. All could be purchased for under 300 gold.
'What a waste.'
But Taesan was in a dilemma. Monsters dropped what they had. Big Rats dropped leather and meat, and enemies with equipment dropped their equipment.
The enemies on the second floor used weapons and armor, which meant he could get both. It felt like a bit of a loss to buy them in advance.
While pondering and looking around the goods, a pair of gloves caught Taesan's eye.
[Brawler's Gloves] [Attack Power + 1] [Protects the hands. Seems like it can cause a bit of pain to the enemy.] [300G]
Brawler's Gloves. He wouldn't have given them a second glance before. Gloves only dealt damage when you punched with them.
But now it was different. Taesan picked up the gloves.
"I'll take these."
"Brawler's Gloves? Are you going to use your fists? Why buy those?"
"Because I can use them."
The dwarf looked at Taesan in confusion for a moment before realizing suddenly.
"Ah, that old geezer taught you Airak martial arts, didn't he? Yeah, I figured you'd be to that madman's liking. But I didn't expect he'd even give you the martial arts."
"Do you know him?"
"We're rotting together in this place, so of course, I know him. Not that I particularly like it."
"You don't like him?"
"Who would like a fanatic running around crazy trying to find a god?"
The dwarf made a disgusted face. From his repulsed expression, Taesan realized one thing.
The NPCs in the labyrinth were aware of each other, but they weren't friendly. They seemed rather hostile.Given that the NPCs didn't show any particular hostility towards him after he learned the Airak Martial Art, it seemed their dislike was not that serious. However, it was best to be cautious.
Unlike Ainzhar and the dwarf, there would certainly be NPCs who were hostile enough to kill each other.
"Do you need anything else?"
"I don't have any money. This will do for now."
"Then hurry and go down. You don't want to lose your nerve from hanging around unnecessarily, do you?"
"I wouldn't, even if you didn't say so."
Taesan passed by the store and headed toward the second level. The dwarf waved his hand in farewell.
"See you on the next floor."
Thud.
The door closed. At the same time, a system window appeared.
[This is a place a little bit further away from the entrance of the Labyrinth] [This is where those who die when stabbed with a knife live. The power of this place is not very strong] [Starting quest on the second floor] [Defeat the boss of the second floor and pass] [Reward: Basic Mana Increase Potion] [Secret Reward: ???]
"A Mana Increase Potion?"
It was a very valuable potion that increased mana and was not sold in stores. While roaming the labyrinth, there was no choice but to try to discover it. Even Taesan hadn't seen more than a few of those potions.The roots of this story extend from novell bìn origin.
If it was a basic potion, it would give about a 10-point increase. Since his mana was only about 15, it would be of great value. With that much of an increase, a lot of the constraints on using his skills would disappear.
As Taesan proceeded down the passageway, anticipation began to build up within him.
Ding.
An alert rang as someone was calling him. Taesan opened his Community feed.
[Kang Taesan [Solo]: What's up?] [Kang Junhyuk [Solo]: Ah. You're here.]
Taesan had posted his messages for a brief moment before responses began pouring in.
[Lee Sang [Solo]: It's Mr. Taesan! You're still alive!] [Kim Taejin [Solo]: Thanks to you, we were able to reach the Fountain of Life! Thank you so much!] [Kim Junan [Solo]: Mr. Taesan! I have something to ask you!] [Kim Suhyun [Solo]: Mr. Taesan! Mr. Taesan! Oh! It's Mr. Taesan!]
Messages directed towards him quickly filled his vision. Taesan clicked his tongue and answered in a hurry.
[Kang Junhyuk has requested a whisper to Kang Taesan.]
Taesan clicked accept.
[Kang Junhyuk [Solo]: Wow. This is no joke. I don't even know what to say?] [Kang Taesan [Solo]: What's going on?] [Kang Junhyuk [Solo]: Nothing much. Just checking if you're alive?] [Kang Taesan [Solo]: How about worrying about yourselves rather than me?] [Kang Junhyuk [Solo]: Well, I'm stuck here. Really, thinking about it again gives me the creeps. Thank you, bro. Everyone is grateful to you.] [Kang Taesan [Solo]: You guys followed because you trusted, so let it go.]
Taesan had left information about the first floor in the Solo Community. If they followed the most optimized route to the Fountain of Life, they had a reasonable chance of survival.
However, he did not hold out much hope after that.
Was it possible for a person, trapped in an unknown space and driven to the edge, to risk their life and take on a challenge based solely on the posts from a simple and faceless Community? Taesan thought it was impossible. Most would think that it was unbelievable and would not follow it.
However, contrary to Taesan's assumptions, most of the Solo Mode players followed his guide.
[Kang Taesan [Solo]: I'm not the one to say anything, but did you guys run here just believing in a single post?] [Kang Junhyuk [Solo]: We had no choice. We were all desperate. You grasp at straws when you're drowning, right?]
Listening to Kang Junhyuk, their reasoning was quite simple.
If they didn't enter the labyrinth, they couldn't get food. Not eating didn't mean losing health or death, as only stats and mental strength were consumed. If one was determined, they could hold on as long as they wanted.
But hunger was a different issue.
People trapped in this disaster were starving to the point of considering cutting and eating their limbs. The pain of hunger was greater than the fear and pain of amputation.
Since they couldn't die here, they had no choice but to live with endless hunger.
Those people would become haggard husks.
If they could meet other players like in the other modes, they would have at least been able to have conversations, but even that wasn't possible.
The village outside the labyrinth only had NPCs who gave predetermined responses. The Broken Man refused to converse altogether.
Although some interaction was possible through the Community, it was a world apart from meeting and talking directly.
There was no one to talk to.
There was nothing to eat.
It was an environment perfect for driving people insane.
In fact, many Solo players in his previous life died in droves because they gave up on survival and entered the labyrinth as if they were committing suicide.
[Kang Taesan [Solo]: What competition? We are all humans from the dying Earth.]
They were not competitors. They were comrades.
There were a few opportunities to go out to the outside world before clearing the game. He'd realize then how foolish he had been. There were some fools who didn't get the bigger picture and acted recklessly, but they all died either by monsters or by Lee Taeyeon.
And there was another misunderstanding.
[Kang Taesan [Solo]: There's one reason why I'm telling you all this. It's so that you don't die in some strange place.]
Knowing the strategy and being able to implement it were two different things.
It was pure luck upon luck that Lee Taeyeon had cleared Solo Mode. She herself said she had no confidence in surviving if she entered Solo Mode again.
It was a place where even those who had cleared it once couldn't guarantee another clear.
That was Solo Mode.
Even if Taesan told Junhyuk about the secret room, he wouldn't be able to clear it. The chances of being skewered by the last fifteen arrows were high.
[Kang Taesan [Solo]: And you think you can catch up to me just by knowing that?]
Even when he cleared Easy Mode, he was already compared to Lee Taeyeon. Junhyuk's words felt similar to a chick saying to the owner who fed it that if they kept feeding like this, it would become stronger than the owner.
[Kang Taesan [Solo]: Don't waste your time and just focus on descending.] [Kang Junhyuk [Solo]: True, I haven't even cleared the 1st floor yet, I am being too ambitious.] [Kang Taesan [Solo]: Good, you understand. Work hard. I'm going to descend further.] [Kang Junhyuk [Solo]: Where are you right now?] [Kang Taesan [Solo]: 2nd floor.] [Kang Junhyuk [Solo]: ...Wow. I've just managed to kill a Big Rat. It's only been a week. Isn't this too fast?] [Kang Taesan [Solo]: Fast? It's just normal.]
In the middle of the conversation, he had a thought.
'Speaking of which, isn't it about time?'
A week had passed. It was the adaptation period for Easy and Normal Mode players. Taesan asked,
[Kang Taesan [Solo]: How is the Community these days?] [Kang Junhyuk [Solo]: Normal, I suppose? Ah, recently, people from other modes have started to interact a bit. But... There are some people who start fights. I've ignored them for now, but I don't understand why they're doing it.]
There were those who would start disputes.
Taesan knew who they were.
'Those ignorant ones have started to make trouble.'
Players from different modes could not see players from other modes.
They misunderstood each other's strengths and believed their mode was the hardest.
In his previous world, Taesan had interfered, but since he was not there, they started to run amok as they wished.
He wasn't very interested in humoring them. If they acted up, he would just have to deal with it.
[Kang Taesan [Solo]: Good luck.] [Kang Junhyuk [Solo]: Yes, you too.]
Taesan turned off the whisper chat.
The structure of the 2nd floor was similar to the 1st floor. It changed every 10 floors, so there was little difference until then.
He saw mossy bricks and the brick floor. The interior of the labyrinth seemed likely to be similar.
However, Taesan knew from his previous experience that the 1st floor of Solo Mode was half a tutorial. The real start was from the 2nd floor.
A labyrinth where even the Fountain of Life couldn't be found,
Where recovery methods were limited.
Taesan knew what would appear here.
Taesan walked down the passage, and a door came into view. Once he passed through this place, he could see the room. Taesan opened the door just slightly, enough to check the inside.
"Kieek."
"Karuk. Karuk."
Green monsters came into view. These creatures, with a human-like form, were small and didn't reach past Taesan's chest. Each held a sword and shield or a bow, and they were chattering with their protruding tusks.
"Karuk."
"Keck, Kieek!"
When one said something, the other monsters roared with laughter. They seemed to have heard a funny joke.
[A Goblin with a bow has appeared.] [A Goblin with a short sword has appeared.] [A Goblin with a short sword has appeared.] [A Goblin with a shield has appeared.]
'Goblins.'
Green monsters. The most common monsters that appeared everywhere in the middle and upper floors.
The monsters of the 2nd level were these goblins.