Ascension Through Skills-Chapter 502: 93rd Floor, Demons (1)
The 93rd floor.
Taesan was now in the mid-nineties of the labyrinth. He headed toward the staircase.
At that moment, space tore open.
It wasn’t Balbabamba or the goddess. It was something else entirely.
Boom!
The air trembled as a presence beyond the dimensional rift stepped back into the labyrinth.
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It was the shopkeeper.
His face was flushed a fiery red, almost goblin-like, his thick beard trembling with rage as his fists clenched tightly.
The only emotion he exuded was unbridled fury.
“What's the matter?” Taesan asked, his expression calm. The shopkeeper’s bloodshot eyes flared as he charged at Taesan.
Grab.
The shopkeeper seized Taesan by the collar.
“What is the meaning of this?”
“That’s rather sudden,” Taesan replied flatly.
“Why! Why!” the shopkeeper roared, his face twisted in outrage.
“Why are my people worshipping you?!”
Taesan instantly understood the reason for the shopkeeper’s rage. Remaining composed despite the grip on his collar, he spoke calmly.
“As part of clearing the quest, I acquired certain rewards. Among them was their faith.”
“You insolent fool!”
The shopkeeper’s grip on Taesan’s collar tightened, his distorted face contorting further, as though he couldn’t bear his anger.
“How dare you deceive my people! This is unacceptable! They are my people!”
“Even so,” Taesan responded, “faith that has already been given cannot simply be taken back.”
He reached up and grabbed the shopkeeper’s wrist. The shopkeeper flinched, instinctively stepping back as though struck, and quickly put distance between them.
Taesan adjusted his disheveled clothes with a casual motion.
“I fulfilled the wish you requested of me. But now, you suddenly behave this way. It's rather disconcerting.”
The shopkeeper’s wish had been the death of a transcendent being.
Nothing beyond that had been stipulated as part of the quest.
Taesan had slain the transcendent. The quest had been completed perfectly, yet the shopkeeper was now complaining. Taesan found the shopkeeper’s behavior incomprehensible.
“Don’t mock me! They’re supposed to worship me! No one else! Me, the rightful king!”
“Then why not erase their faith in me and replace it with faith in yourself? That much I won't interfere with.”
“You insolent—!”
The shopkeeper's entire body trembled with fury.
At that moment, the floor cracked, and Balbabamba appeared.
[An outsider has entered.]
The voice was cold and mechanical, lacking its usual mirth.
It was the same tone Balbabamba had used when Taesan first encountered him—detached and indifferent.
[You worked in this labyrinth as a shopkeeper to fulfill your wish, and now that wish has been granted. Your connection to the labyrinth has ended.]
“But—!”
[The quest condition was the death of the transcendent. If you had wished for faith, you should have stated it as part of your desire. But when you entered the labyrinth, you omitted that detail.]
Taesan realized what Balbabamba’s tone indicated. It was the tone reserved for outsiders, for those with no remaining ties to the labyrinth.
[Now that your wish has been fulfilled, you have no relation to the labyrinth. Normally, intruders would be eliminated immediately... but I’ll grant you this one act of mercy. Leave.]
Crunch.
Balbabamba’s authority manifested.
The shopkeeper was forcibly expelled. He tried to protest, but his words were swallowed by Balbabamba’s power.
And just like that, the shopkeeper was banished from the labyrinth.
[It’s over. He will not return unless he formulates a new wish.]
“You’re ruthless.”
[This was clearly his mistake. If he desired faith, he should have included it as part of his wish. Yet, perhaps thinking it impossible, he abandoned the idea. Now that it seems plausible, he’s throwing a tantrum. I have no reason to indulge such behavior.]
The ghost spoke nonchalantly, chiming in.
[He never saw us as anything more than tools. Taesan, his goodwill toward you was solely because you could fulfill his wish. It had nothing to do with who you are as a person.]
“It doesn’t matter. It’s done now. Unless I seek him out, our paths won’t cross again.”
Taesan agreed with Balbabamba. The quest had concluded. There was nothing further to involve himself in.
[When a wish is fulfilled, the contract ends. Anything beyond that depends on the magician and the contractor. Remember this—this applies to you as well.]
Balbabamba turned his gaze toward the void.
[What you sought was merely the foundation to become a transcendent. If you aspire for more, I will intervene.]
“I understand. You don’t need to worry,” Taesan replied.
A melodic voice echoed, its owner stepping forward. It was the Green Witch.
[Consider this a precautionary warning. Though knowing you, there’s little need for concern.]
Taesan followed Balbabamba’s gaze, sensing the presence of the Green Witch.
“It’s been a while.”
[Yes. I’ve witnessed something quite intriguing.]
The Green Witch addressed Taesan with great respect, her tone and demeanor formal.
“You’re addressing me with honorifics?”
[You have reached a realm beyond my comprehension. It is only proper to treat you with the respect you deserve.]
“That’s unnecessary.”
[No, it is necessary.]
The Green Witch’s response was resolute.
[Those who reach such heights deserve the treatment befitting their status. I ask you to address me casually in return.]
“If you insist...”
Taesan didn’t particularly care about formalities. He treated most people the same way, just as he had with the shopkeeper. However, since the Green Witch insisted, he saw no reason to object.
“Have you found a method?”
The Green Witch’s wish was to discover the foundation for becoming a true transcendent.
She had undoubtedly gained much from her contract with Taesan, but she shook her head.
[Not yet... I’ve considered gathering fear and terror since faith is out of reach. It seems plausible, but I’m uncertain.]
“It’s ambiguous.”
No one could say whether her method would succeed.
[Remidaos, was it? He was vastly stronger than I am. Although he fell to you, there are few in the universe who could rival him.]
Even such a being had failed to reach the level the Green Witch sought.
She realized anew the enormity of her desire.
“Take your time. Our contract still holds.”
[Thank you.]
The Green Witch expressed her gratitude briefly and departed.
Everything had finally come to a close. Taesan descended the stairs. The shopkeeper who had always been there to greet him was nowhere to be seen.
Only an empty shop remained.
“Guess it’s self-service from now on.”
If he desired equipment and had the funds, he could still make purchases. But it held little significance now.
[Quest for the 93rd floor begins.]
[Clear the conditions of the 93rd floor.]
[Reward: Fragment of the Darkened Light.]
[Secret Reward: ???]
The description provided no clear indication of the conditions required for clearing the floor.
It seemed he would have to find out from whoever was waiting for him.
Taesan opened the door. The figure awaiting him greeted him warmly.
[You’ve arrived.]
[You have encountered the Demon Lord, Lucifer.]
***
Long, black hair cascading down to her feet.
Sharp, feline-like eyes.
A sleek black dress.
The Demon Lord appeared exactly as she had the first time Taesan met her. However, her attitude toward him had distinctly shifted. The probing gaze she had once directed at him had softened, now tinged with admiration and goodwill.
She gazed at Taesan with evident appreciation.
[You’ve stabilized your presence. And to think you’ve acquired such divinity. Even I wouldn’t subdue you easily now.]
“You flatter me.”
[No, it’s the truth. Against a standard power, maybe not. But someone as distinct as you? You could hold your ground well. You’ve grown stronger... and it seems you’ve realized something significant in the process.]
“...”
Taesan acknowledged what was within him—something even the Demon Lord seemed to recognize.
Taesan addressed her directly.
“Is this floor’s quest yours, Demon Lord?”
[No.]
The Demon Lord shook her head, stepping back slightly.
[I’d like it to be, but it’s not my place this time. It belongs to someone else.]
[That would be me.]
A sharp crack resounded as the space around them fractured and warped. From the distortion emerged a muscular man.
[It’s been a while, hybrid.]
A massive pair of horns adorned his head. His eyes, reptilian and crimson, glimmered with menace. Black energy flowed around his entire body.
Baal grinned maliciously.
[You have encountered the Archdemon, Baal.]
[This quest is under my authority. The Demon Lord is merely an intermediary.]
[I still don’t like it.]
[This has already been discussed, Demon Lord. This is necessary for him, for us, and for your kind. Delaying further would be problematic.]
[I understand, which is why I accepted.]
[Good. Then leave your cherished one in my care for a while.]
Baal chuckled darkly and raised a finger. Black energy swirled around Taesan, enveloping him entirely.
[Hybrid, follow me.]
Taesan did not resist. His body left the labyrinth, transported to another location.
As his surroundings shifted, a faint voice reached him.
[One last warning.]
It was the Demon Lord, her voice calm but firm.
[Though we are bound by contract, that bond is now nothing more than corroded and brittle chains. If you intend to toy with him...]
[You worry too much.]
Baal’s reply was leisurely and unconcerned.
Their voices faded, and Taesan found himself in a void—an endless expanse of darkness.
[This must be your second time here.]
Though the realm was pure darkness, the void seemed to illuminate itself, the darkness paradoxically serving as its own light.
This was Baal’s domain.
Baal sat leisurely on a throne of shadow, his form exuding an overwhelming aura.
[I’ve heard the stories. You dealt with the ancient one, Essential. You resolved the Ouroboros problem and dealt with the fragment of worthlessness.]
“So you’re aware.”
[Information is my strength. And so, you’ve climbed to this point.]
Baal’s gaze fell upon Taesan, his crimson pupils seeming to pierce through him.
[...You’ve grown strong. And you’re approaching something. But I still can’t tell which way you’ll lean.]
“Why did you summon me?” Taesan’s eyes turned cold.
“What do you know about me?”
His secrets.
The thing within him.
Where he came from and why he was intertwined with so many paths.
Even Taesan was only beginning to grasp pieces of the truth, yet Baal seemed to have known from the start.
[My reasons for summoning you aren’t grand—at least, not immediately.]
Baal’s lips curled into a small smile.
[You’ve been running relentlessly. You haven’t had a single proper moment of rest.]
“That’s true.”
Taesan didn’t deny it. He had grown monstrously strong, but he had never truly rested. The leveling system alleviated his mental fatigue, making breaks unnecessary.
[So, why not take a moment to rest?]
“And by rest, you mean?”
[The demons hold regular gatherings under my lead. All those who possess domains come together. And you, too, have one foot in the realm of demons.]
Taesan had claimed Belial’s domain as his own. He wielded the power of a demon’s territory, tethering him partially to their kind.
[So, what do you say? Would you like to join us at our gathering?]
