“Urgh!”

Shaman coughed up blood.

Taesan twisted the sword and stepped on him. Shaman crashed to the ground.

“Grrr!”

He didn’t give up. Desperately, he swung his sword and activated his skill.

But the battle was already heavily tilted.

Taesan crushed Shaman’s struggles with sheer force, subduing him.

Clang!

The fiercely swung sword knocked away the greatsword. It shattered the armor and crushed the helmet.

Crack.

As if it were the last move, the sword pierced through his chest once more.

[Shaman has received fatal damage. The created immortality is activated. He is immune to all damage for 10 seconds, but will die afterward.]

“…Ha.”

Shaman exhaled.

“Monstrous bastard…”

His eyes hold shock and disbelief as he looks at Taesan.

“It’s truly absurd. Someone who hasn’t even reached the depths has defeated me…”

He laughed.

“Ridiculous…”

He was the impenetrable guardian of the world.

In the outside world, no one could break through his defense, and he alone could face entire armies.

That didn’t change even after entering the labyrinth. Adventurers who first settled in the labyrinth were in awe of his defense. After being recognized by them and becoming their comrade, no one could easily penetrate him.

He thought he had a bright future ahead. He knew there were adventurers coming down from above, but he didn’t believe they could match him.

Just as he succeeded in breaking through the blocked floor, he thought that only reaching the end of the labyrinth remained.

But to meet his death here, like this.

It was empty and futile.

“But… I have been defeated.”

A defeated person must accept their loss gracefully. He suppressed his emotions and spoke.

“Congratulations. It is your victory, our enemy.”

With those words, Shaman’s body collapsed.

An adventurer of the depths. Shaman, who had lived in the labyrinth for countless ages and boasted near-absolute power, died here.

[You have defeated Shaman.] [Your level has increased.] [Your level has increased.] [Your level has increased.] [Your level has increased.] [Your Soul Ascension has been activated. Health increased by 8021, Strength by 721, Agility by 832, Intelligence by 843 permanently.] [Victory Desire has been activated. Health increased by 1023, Strength by 322, Agility by 310, Intelligence by 200 permanently.] [Your Soul Ascension has been activated. Special activation skill [Gale Run] acquired.] [Your Soul Ascension has been activated. Reconnaissance proficiency increased by 5%, Acceleration proficiency increased by 4%, Leap proficiency...] [Your Soul Ascension has been activated. Special permanent skill [Forced Health Drain] acquired.] [You have defeated an adventurer who stepped into the depths. Special permanent skill [Enemy of the Depths] acquired.]

“Phew.”

Taesan exhaled deeply.

He leaned against the wall.

His opponent had not been easy.

Even though he fought while completely ignoring the opponent’s strongest card, his defense, there were dangerous moments.

The skills of the greatsword were threatening in themselves, and the continuously regenerating health made it feel like he was facing a monster rather than a fellow adventurer.

But he had won.

He overcame it and was now here.

[You have come this far.]

The ghost was also impressed. He knew that with Taesan’s strength, he could sufficiently defeat Shaman. Even if the opponent had stepped into the depths, the match-up itself was overwhelmingly in Taesan’s favor, so the possibility was sufficient.

But even if you knew, seeing it directly was a different feeling.

The fact that Taesan defeated Shaman meant that his revenge was really within reach.

[Well, it won't be that easy.]

“This time, I had too much of an advantage.”

Shaman boasted absolute defense, but Taesan had Absolute Judgement.

But the other leaders would be different. They wouldn’t focus on defense like Shaman.

‘Not yet.’

There was still a slight difference with the leaders of the Guides.

But it wasn’t far off. And with this victory, he got even closer.

“Status window.”

[Kang Taesan] [Level: 134] [Shield: 5909/5909] [Health: 71320/71920] [Mana: 6560/6560] [Magic: 878/878] [Strength: 12239] [Intelligence: 11041] [Agility: 12995] [Attack Power +4158] [Defense +2882] [The subject is in optimal condition.]

Taesan smiled.

In just one fight, all his stats increased by nearly 2000.

And now, perfectly, he caught up with Lee Taeyeon’s Strength, Agility, and Intelligence stats.

Even though he hadn’t yet stepped into the depths. It was a monstrous growth.

Stats weren’t the end. He also acquired several skills and equipment.

[Broken One. Bahalam's Helmet] [Attack Power +150] [Defense +300] [Action Speed +10%] [The helmet used by Bahalam during his mortal days, broken and worn out, but the value contained within remains.]

And the perfect clear reward.

[The hardest armor in the world, forged in the deepest part of the world.] [Strength +600] [Defense +600] [Magic Resistance +10] [The deepest of the deep. Armor made by hundreds of blacksmiths who gave their lives in the Abyss. Its value does not fade even within the labyrinth where gods gather.]

Overall, the equipment had high stats. It was not bad.

And with Soul Ascension, Taesan gained Shaman’s skills by defeating him.

[Special Activation Skill: Gale Run] [Proficiency: 1%] [Mana Consumption: 100] [Swing the sword like a storm and charge forward. The movement can be somewhat controlled.]

Shaman had pressured Taesan with this skill. Due to the difference in stats, it wasn’t very threatening, but if the stats were similar, it could have been quite powerful.

[You have activated Gale Run.]

Thud.

Taesan dashed forward, his sword swings cutting through the air like a storm.

“Not bad.”

The speed and power increased compared to not using the skill. Although it was not a significant increase, it could be advantageous in long battles.

［Special Permanent Skill: Forced Health Drain］ ［Proficiency: 1%］ ［When inflicting damage on an opponent, recover health by a certain percentage of the inflicted damage.］

“He had a skill like this.”

The exact percentage was unknown. However, Shaman had been an adventurer in the labyrinth for a very long time.

His proficiency in this skill must have been 100% or close to it. Based on Taesan’s experience, when a skill’s proficiency reached 100%, its performance changed drastically.

Even if it restored 20% of the inflicted damage, it wouldn’t be surprising. Moreover, Shaman possessed more than ten health recovery skills.

The proficiency of those skills must also have been very high. Now it made sense why he boasted such incredible health recovery.

［Special Permanent Skill: Enemy of the Depths］ ［Proficiency: 1%］ ［When facing an adventurer from the depths, all stats increase. The deeper the opponent has ventured, the greater the increase in stats.］

It was a skill that would make it easier to fight the Guides’ leaders.

Additionally, the proficiency of many other skills increased. Altogether, the increase in proficiency amounted to several dozen percent.

‘Indeed.’

The higher-ups. Adventurers of the depths.

Since they were powerful figures who had settled in the depths for hundreds, maybe even thousands of years, defeating them would bring substantial rewards.

“Phew.”

Taesan caught his breath. He had won. Now it was time to descend further into the labyrinth.

[Quest for the 65th floor starts.] [Uncover and break through the secrets of the Witch's Domain on the 65th floor.] [Reward: Green Witch's Staff] [Secret Reward: ???]

The 65th floor was filled with green plants covering the walls and floor.

The appearing monsters were plant-based. They swung their stems, trying to grasp Taesan.

Taesan subdued the monsters. With much higher stats than before, he could defeat them without much effort.

As he broke through the floor, Taesan thought.

‘The leaders of the Guides.’

How to deal with them. And where their strength came from.

After facing one of them, he now had a better sense of it.

It wasn’t the stats. At this point, Taesan’s stats were higher than Lee Taeyeon’s, who cleared the depths.

Of course, Lee Taeyeon was a peculiar case who missed out on many things and cleared the labyrinth using only shortcuts, but even so, if she cleared the labyrinth, her stats should be higher than those of the Guides in the 70th-floor range.

In fact, Taesan overwhelmed Shaman in stats.

And he had overwhelming skills that Shaman did not possess.

But he didn’t overwhelm Shaman.

Of course, he didn’t use Last Chance or Endurance, nor did he use the Power of Gray, so he had some leeway, but it wasn’t an easy victory.

‘Equipment.’

The only piece of equipment Shaman used meaningfully in their battle was the greatsword. The skill of the greatsword was a blow that could split mountains.

Even Taesan, with his superior stats, had difficulty blocking it. The superiority in stats could be offset by equipment.

And there was one more thing.

‘Skill proficiency.’

It was an obvious realization in hindsight.

The Guides of Sin had been residing in the depths for a long time. Long before the ghost entered the labyrinth.

Had they remained idle during that time? Certainly not. They would have honed their skills by crossing swords and fighting each other. In the process, they would have acquired numerous skills, and their proficiency in those skills would naturally increase.

‘It’s obvious.’

Taesan had overlooked it. Because the only Solo Mode clear he had personally fought was Lee Taeyeon, who didn’t match that pattern.

Her combat skills weren’t particularly remarkable.

Most of her combat skills were basic, so even with high proficiency, they weren’t extraordinary.

And Lee Taeyeon, who always sought non-combat solutions, had many special skills related to avoiding combat and few that aided in combat.

Even Taesan, who had high proficiency for his level, could see that the Guides of Sin had perfected nearly all their skills.

Just by looking at Shaman, it was evident.

He possessed more than ten health recovery skills.

Each of them was a skill obtained after spending an immeasurable amount of time in the labyrinth. Their effects were of a different magnitude compared to basic skills like Holy Light or Strong Blow.

Thanks to these skills, Shaman didn’t fall even after taking tens of thousands of damage. Instead, he pressured Taesan.

Could Taesan achieve such near-infinite recovery even if he possessed those skills?

The answer was no. The change in skill performance with proficiency increase is significant, and the proficiency gap becomes more pronounced as it rises.

At 1% proficiency, Forced Duel lasted 10 seconds, but at 100%, it lasted 1 minute.

There was such a significant difference.

The leaders of the Guides he would meet in the future would be no different from Shaman.

No, they would be even stronger.

Shaman fought without his core defense skills.

He needed to prepare for that.

Taesan gripped his sword and broke through the floor.

Shaman’s defeat. And Taesan’s victory.

The news reached the higher-ups as well.

They gathered once more.