Taesan had grown stronger than when he fought the Spirit King. He dodged and blocked the relentless barrage of spells, staying in motion to evade the attacks.

[Shayen activates Magic Release.]

Concentrated magic exploded, flooding the area. Taesan countered with *Naberius’s Golden Sword,* carving a path through the oncoming power and positioning himself within the gap.

"Tch."

Shayen clicked his tongue, visibly annoyed.

‘I didn’t gain as much advantage as I thought.’

He had prepared counters for every one of Taesan’s abilities, intending to nullify his moves and prevent any close approach. His original plan had been to exhaust all three of Taesan’s *Attack Nullifications.*

Yet Taesan had only expended one *Attack Nullification* and his *Destructive Greed.* Just two assets.

Taesan’s unexpected speed and responsiveness had allowed him to deflect more attacks than Shayen anticipated.

‘He has skills with limited durations, though...’

The Apostle Transformation, King’s Vessel, and Avatar of Nature were all temporary power boosts. There was no way he could maintain them for long; they would likely expire within an hour or two.

But Shayen’s magic circles were also limited by time. Their immense power meant they couldn’t last indefinitely. Prolonging the fight benefited neither side.

It was time to make a decisive move.

Shayen swung his staff, forcing Taesan to defend against the magic that enveloped him.

‘He’s not using Partial World Alteration.’

The skill that Taesan once used to rewrite the rules of reality itself, making everything work in his favor. Shayen was constantly on guard against it.

Despite Taesan holding back, the situation was hardly favorable. Though he deflected attacks, he could not close the distance. Shayen’s mana was replenished by his magic circles, while Taesan’s resources dwindled, placing him at a disadvantage.

Yet, even in such a position, Taesan refrained from using *Partial World Alteration.* Shayen concluded that the cooldown hadn’t yet reset, or Taesan lacked the energy to activate it.

It was time to play his trump card.

A light emanated from the equipment Shayen wore as his strongest artifacts activated.

The sudden pause in attacks allowed Taesan a moment to observe Shayen, who wielded equipment befitting a deep-layer adventurer.

"Behold the true power of magic."

[Shayen activates Targeted Immutable Magic Circle.]

A massive, dormant magic circle roared to life.

Power surged from the ring Shayen wore.

[Shayen activates Five Arrows of Doom.]

[The First Arrow is loaded.]

A translucent arrow of light appeared at the tip of Shayen’s staff, brimming with a force capable of distorting space and obliterating anything it touched.

Taesan immediately recognized it as Shayen’s ace in the hole.

[Shayen activates Target Lock.]

Energy flowed from Shayen’s bracelet, locking onto Taesan.

[Shayen activates Savage Spatial Compression.]

Power surged from Shayen’s robe, encasing the area.

[Shayen activates Mana Acceleration.]

His staff shone, fueled by the combined might of multiple deep-layer artifacts. Taesan tightened his grip on his sword, preparing for the oncoming assault.

Shayen slammed his staff down.

[Shayen fires the First Arrow.]

Before Taesan could react, time rewound, his body snapping back into position.

A brief moment of confusion revealed the truth.

[Your second Attack Nullification has activated.]

The arrow had already hit him, and he hadn’t even seen it coming.

[Shayen loads the Second Arrow.]

A silent hum filled the air as another translucent arrow appeared on Shayen’s staff.

It was invisible, impossible to block.

Taesan steeled himself, deciding instead to analyze it.

[You activate Mental Acceleration.]

[You activate Insight.]

[You activate Observation.]

Trying to block an invisible attack was futile; with only one *Attack Nullification* left, he resolved to uncover the mechanics of the assault instead.

“Futile effort.”

Shayen sneered, flicking his staff.

[Shayen fires the Second Arrow.]

Taesan focused, amplifying his senses until the world around him seemed to slow to a halt.

He caught a glimpse of the arrow for the first time, as it bypassed space to appear right in front of him.

The arrow struck.

[Your third Attack Nullification has activated.]

All three of Taesan’s *Attack Nullifications* were expended, but he had learned what he needed to know.

‘An arrow that bypasses space.’

The arrow, compressed within space itself, appeared directly in front of him. It didn’t travel through the air, which was why he couldn’t see it.

Could he dodge it by moving swiftly?

He shook his head.

One of Shayen’s activated skills was a targeting lock. While he didn’t know the exact mechanism, it likely ensured the arrow would hit him no matter where he moved.

An inescapable arrow.

There was only one way to counter it: by overpowering it.

Taesan pulled Minerva and Varcaza back.

[Shayen loads the Third Arrow.]

[Shayen fires the Third Arrow.]

Taesan didn’t move.

The arrow bypassed space and appeared directly before him as he stood still.

[Your Last Chance has activated.]

"What the—!"

Shayen’s eyes widened in shock.

Crack!

Taesan’s sword intercepted the arrow, deflecting it and warping the space around them. The arrow’s force reverberated up his blade.

With a twist, he altered the arrow’s trajectory, sending it crashing into the wall.

Boom!

A deafening roar filled the labyrinth, and Taesan glanced at the wall.

It was cracked.

‘Such power.’

*Last Chance* had saved him from a fatal attack. The arrow had possessed the strength to drain over a hundred thousand health points.

“…How?”

Shayen stared at Taesan, disbelief etched on his face.

He had unlocked the *Five Arrows of Doom,* a high-level magic contained within a ring. It was his most treasured possession.

Years ago, he had acquired this ring after selling all his accumulated gold, fascinated by the raw power sealed within it. But even after purchasing it, Shayen had struggled to use it; the magic was sealed, beyond the reach of any magic Shayen knew.

Despite numerous attempts, with help from other guides, he couldn’t break the seal, the ring’s magic seemingly unreachable.

Yet Shayen didn’t give up. He poured every ounce of energy into unlocking its power. Countless spells and several labyrinth-clear conditions later, Shayen had finally released the seal.

He obtained the advanced magic of the *Five Arrows of Doom.*

The power surpassed anything he had ever wielded, allowing him to cross the boundary between mortals and legends. But the strength was overwhelming, and it almost killed him the first time he used it. If not for the Fire Spirit King’s *World of the King* protecting him, he would have died then.

With great effort, Shayen managed to harness the ring’s power by combining his equipment and crafting magic circles to shield him from the magic’s recoil.

After decades of refinement, he could finally use it in battle.

The magic contained within the arrows was indisputable. But now, Taesan had blocked it.

‘…No, wait.’

Shayen quickly regained his composure.

*Last Chance* had activated. It was a skill to block fatal blows. Taesan couldn’t have multiple copies of such a skill, so Shayen assumed he wouldn’t survive the next arrow.

Calmly, he loaded another arrow.

[Shayen fires the Fourth Arrow.]

Dark energy coated Taesan’s sword as it transformed from gold to gray.

For the last three arrows, the target had always been his chest. Shayen didn’t seem able to adjust the trajectory.

Knowing where the arrow would strike made the solution simple. Taesan swung his sword precisely at the target.

Boom!

The arrow collided with his sword’s boundary line, its force fracturing under his swing.

With a final, forceful blow, Taesan redirected the arrow’s path.

Boom!

A gray slash cut through the air. Shayen barely dodged, wide-eyed.

“…You’re breaking it through sheer power?”

Shayen murmured in disbelief, watching Taesan shake off the dust from his blade.

“Is that all you’ve got?”

Taesan tested the limits of his boundary manipulation. He could now deflect even attacks that surpassed the threshold of mortals with a well-timed boundary cut.

With practice, he could handle attacks of extreme power, even those as formidable as those launched by Harfran’s shattered world.

Reusing this move would take time to recharge, but the newfound consistency was invaluable.

“Not bad.”

He needed an opponent to confirm this boundary’s limits, and Shayen had fulfilled that role perfectly.

“No...”

Shayen muttered, eyes wide with disbelief.

"No! This magic cannot be blocked!"

Shayen raised his staff in fury.

The ring, his pride and joy, represented everything he had achieved as a mage. And Taesan had shattered that pride.

Shayen couldn’t accept it.

He readied another translucent arrow.

Taesan raised his sword, but he wasn’t worried about enduring another onslaught. He could press forward even if he had to take it head-on.

But he had one last thing to confirm.

He had deflected the arrows with the boundary skill, but what if he attempted to withstand them with his own strength alone?

The power of the arrows had been fully evaluated, giving him confidence.

"Assist me," he murmured.

“As you wish, Master,” Minerva responded.

[Understood.]

Taesan touched his wrist guard. It

 wasn’t enough to use a complete *Partial World Alteration,* but he could amplify his power for a few seconds.

[You activate Partial World Alteration.]

A surge of power flooded Taesan and his summoned spirits.

Shayen’s eyes burned with hatred as he growled, “Die.”

[Shayen fires the Fifth Arrow.]

As the system message appeared, Taesan swung his sword.

Crack!

The force collided, and the impact began to tear the air apart.

A tremendous force crushed down on Taesan.

Shayen clenched his teeth.

“There’s no way… You can’t block this! It’s impossible!”

Minerva grimaced, struggling to channel more power.

She was the Spirit King, and her strength was enhanced by absorbing the essence of nature.

Varcaza joined her, intensifying the natural energy.

Their combined force contended with the arrow’s destructive power, refusing to yield.

[You activate Naberius’s Golden Sword.]

[You activate Star Arrow.]

[You activate Amon’s Black Spike.]

A flurry of magic and dark magic surged forward. The sequential cast multiplied their combined power.

“Gather.”

[You activate Declaration of Focus.]

Channeling all his energy, Taesan infused his blade with a concentrated essence of his being.

The arrow’s path began to waver.

The power beyond mortal bounds was pushed back by mortal will.

“This… This is impossible…”

Shayen muttered in despair, his grip on reality slipping as Taesan pressed his sword forward, driving one last strike.

[You activate the Blade of Spirit.]

Boom!

A blast echoed across the battlefield, and the shockwave shattered the ground as it overwhelmed Taesan.

[You have taken 53,432 damage.]

Taesan’s arm trembled. Minerva and Varcaza had been forcibly dismissed, unable to withstand the recoil.

But he had emerged victorious.

Taesan grabbed a potion and drank it, exposing himself briefly. Shayen, though, did nothing.

A deep hum filled the chamber as the immutable magic circle crumbled.

“What...”

Shayen mumbled in disbelief.

An advanced magic.

A force beyond mortal reach.

An absolute force.

But that absolute power had just been shattered.

“This... This is impossible! It’s an advanced magic! The unattainable power!”

As Shayen raved in denial, Taesan smirked.

“You’re the one who set your own limits. You don’t deserve the title of Archmage.”

Shayen had shackled himself, convinced he’d never reach beyond the intermediate tier. He had defined his own ceiling.

Fully restored, Taesan summoned his strength again, magic swirling around him.

“You know Akisha, don’t you?”

Shayen flinched.

“Of course, that means you’re the same,” Taesan continued.

Long ago, on the 45th floor, Taesan had accepted a quest for revenge from an NPC named Akisha. Her target was a man called Mantejac.

Taesan’s opponent now was none other than Mantejac, who had taken on the name Shayen in an attempt to rewrite his history.

“No matter what name you give yourself, you can’t escape your true nature.”

Shayen was a vile traitor, a man corrupted by jealousy and incapable of making honorable choices. That was the essence of who he was.

“Here’s a gift from Akisha, Mantejac.”

[You activate the One-sided Mana Barrier.]