"A land where immortals fought and died?"

[That's right.]

Taesan frowned. 

"Doesn't sound like somewhere meant to be cleared."

An immortal—a being beyond mortality. Although Taesan was recognized as someone standing at the border between mortal and immortal, he had not yet crossed that threshold.

[Relax. That was all long ago. Now, it's nothing more than a forsaken land where they all perished,] Balbabamba explained slowly.

[Long ago, a few immortals gathered and started a war. They chose a world called Valhallu as their battleground and began to slaughter each other there.]

"Immortals at war… Even they fight amongst themselves?"

[Achieving such heights only makes them more dangerous. Their personal desires and emotions are not so different from mortals,] Balbabamba continued.

[What began as a trivial conflict escalated with time, and their emotions intensified. They dragged other immortals into it, each intent on killing the others. In the end, dozens of immortals clashed and fought to the death. You can probably guess how it ended.]

"They all died."

[Exactly. Dozens of immortals fell there, turning the place into a land of death that no one dares approach.]

"And what exactly am I supposed to do in such a place?"

[Your task is simple. Though the immortals are dead, their remains linger. Finding those remains is the objective of the 74th-floor quest.]

Taesan shook his head at Balbabamba’s words.

"I don’t think that’s something I can manage."

Even if they had died long ago, an immortal’s remains would still possess immense power. Taesan, who was still mortal, doubted he could handle such a thing.

[You don't need to bring them back. Just locate where the remains lie.]

Balbabamba handed Taesan several black flags.

[When you find the remains, plant a flag in the ground. That’s all you need to do.]

Entering the world of Valhallu and planting flags at the locations of the remains—that was the quest. It sounded simple at first glance.

But Taesan understood that this quest was precisely why so many guides had been stalled at this level.

[Even the fools before you, who tried it together, took an excruciatingly long time. It was quite frustrating,] Balbabamba grumbled, validating Taesan’s suspicions. Glancing at the ghost, Balbabamba continued.

[Compared to those blockheads, you’ve been somewhat worth watching. At least you’re far better than those idiots.]

[I'd be insulted if you compared me to those failures,] the ghost replied, and Balbabamba resumed.

[By the way, there’s no fixed reward for this quest. The more remains you locate, the greater your reward. No one’s ever found more than two remains, but you might be able to.]

Accepting the flags, Taesan stayed silent. Balbabamba turned to him, speaking again.

[I suppose it’s fine to explain this to you. This quest was commissioned directly by the gods.]

"I thought as much."

Finding the remains and marking their location—almost as if the quest was designed to protect the remains of the immortals.

[Originally, the gods had no intention of intervening in Valhallu. They were planning to leave it alone. But certain entities from beyond have started to take an interest in the forsaken power there.]

Taesan understood. Only the old gods who had been exiled from the world could fit such a description.

[Valhallu's space is distorted by the clashes of the immortals, making it extremely unstable. If a transcendent being interferes recklessly, it could collapse and provide an opportunity for the old gods to interfere.]

So, they sent a mortal, one capable of withstanding the forces in Valhallu, to locate the remains’ positions. That seemed to be the reason behind the design of the 74th floor.

[Quests of this nature will increase over time. Consider this the starting point. Any other questions?]

"How many immortal remains are left?"

[Assuming every immortal's remains survived the battle… about five, I’d say.]

Five. Taesan nodded in understanding.

“Give me a moment.”

During his spar with Ariel, Taesan had used skills like Apostle Mode, which had a cooldown. He needed to wait until it reset.

The next day, Taesan informed Balbabamba, who then unleashed his power, causing space to distort as it began to shift.

[Just so you know, you’re free to return at any time during the quest. Many before you completed it only after countless attempts and retreats. Do as you see fit.]

Taesan nodded as his body was transported to Valhallu.

Taesan surveyed his surroundings.

All he could see was a field of ash-colored energy.

No signs of life, only an overwhelming force drifting through the air.

A blue barrier, likely summoned by Balbabamba, surrounded Taesan.

[Step beyond the barrier. I’ll be waiting for your success.]

With those parting words, Balbabamba’s presence vanished.

Taesan took a step beyond the barrier.

Instantly, the force in Valhallu began to press down on him.

"Ugh."

He let out a soft groan.

The warped space seemed intent on crushing his entire being. The fragments of immortal power embedded in the atmosphere battered his mortal mind and body.

Simply standing there, the sensation of impending collapse washed over him.

Realizing he couldn’t withstand it in his current state, Taesan quickly gathered his energies.

**[You have activated Apostle Mode [Darkness and Chaos].]**

With his aura and power surrounding him, the oppressive force bearing down on him eased slightly.

‘This is entirely different from Haphran’s world.’

In Haphran’s world, the very will of the realm had opposed him, seeking his demise.

In Valhallu, the scattered remnants of power didn’t seek to exclude him; they merely existed in that space.

Even so, their mere presence inflicted overwhelming pressure on his mortal mind and body.

Gathering his aura and will, Taesan managed to endure the oppressive atmosphere.

Slowly, he began to move forward.

---

Taesan pressed onward.

This was a place where countless immortals had clashed in their efforts to kill each other.

As a result, Valhallu had become a realm resembling an immortal’s domain.

Taesan gathered demonic energy, opening a channel to a demon and activating dark magic.

**[You have activated Leraje’s Domain Detection.]**

*Buzzing sound.*

The demonic energy surged out from Taesan’s body, attempting to scout the surroundings and relay information.

But it didn’t get far.

The moment it tried to leave his body, the aura saturating the space obliterated it.

“Even dark magic doesn’t work here.”

The space was already brimming with a force far superior to dark magic. Spreading out demonic energy was impossible.

Magic likely wouldn’t fare any better. Clicking his tongue, Taesan gathered his aura and will.

The space was filled with an immortal’s domain.

But there was no master of that power.

In that case—

“Stand aside.”

**[You have activated Declaration of Exclusion.]**

With a spoken command, the force within the space receded ever so slightly. Seizing this moment, Taesan gathered demonic energy once again.

**[You have activated Leraje’s Domain Detection.]**

**[You have activated Forced Amplification.]**

Only with this amplified force was he barely able to extend his demonic energy in line with his will.

But it didn’t make much difference. The demonic energy dissipated quickly, only reaching as far as the area cleared by the Declaration of Exclusion.

‘This won’t work.’

On the 71st floor, he hadn’t been able to use Domain Detection effectively within the Shadow Realm either.

But even then, he’d managed to learn that the shadows devoured whatever they touched, allowing him to create an opening large enough to proceed.

This time was different. Unless he could somehow clear the space entirely, detecting anything was impossible.

Even the Declaration of Exclusion, which exerted absolute force on power without a master, was ineffective due to the sheer difference in strength.

Navigating this space was a deadly challenge. With Domain Detection failing, and no gaps to exploit like on the 71st floor, his usual strategies were useless.

‘No wonder so many got stuck here.’

Even the sin-bound guides had lingered on this floor for decades, possibly centuries.

In such a place, it wasn’t surprising that they made such little progress. They had likely gained tiny fragments of information each time, clearing it only after repeated attempts and retreats.

Taesan turned to the ghost.

"How long did it take you?"

[Me? About… three years, I think. Finished it pretty quickly.]

Considering the ghost had done it alone without assistance, that was indeed impressive.

“I need a new approach.”

Taesan pondered.

Ownerless, lingering power.

An immortal’s domain.

And the remains themselves held a formidable force.

Could Taesan sense that power?

It was worth a try.

**[You have activated Avatar of Nature.]**

**[You have activated Vessel of the King.]**

His aura and strength intensified.

He also drew out the power stored in his ring, enveloping himself.

And then he began his observation.

He didn’t try to spread his power outward.

Instead, he focused on perceiving the force that was pressing on him, locating where it was emanating from.

While a regular mortal would find such a task impossible, Taesan stood on the boundary between mortal and immortal. He was confident he could manage.

He closed his eyes, quietly observing the force pressing in from all directions.

The result: from his left, he detected a source of

 power greater than the surrounding scattered energy, a direct force exerting pressure.

He’d found it.

Opening his eyes, Taesan began moving toward that direction.

With each step, the pressure grew heavier. Space twisted in places, trying to absorb anything that approached.

Pushing through with sheer will and strength, Taesan finally reached the remains of an immortal.

It was a decayed human-like corpse.

Even from a distance, the poisonous aura radiated from it, trying to invade his body, while the distorted essence of immortality roared chaotically.

Deciding not to get any closer, Taesan pulled out a flag.

The moment he planted the flag in the ground, a massive barrier formed around it.

**[Quest Complete.]**

The ghost let out a dry chuckle.

[Didn’t even take an hour.]

What had taken him three years, and the sin-bound guides countless attempts, Taesan had completed in under an hour.

But the reason was clear.

The sin-bound guides had invested enormous time and effort to clear the 74th floor.

During that time, they grew stronger. Vishnu had gained the ability to wield the World of Kings, and Shayan had managed to restrictively use five arrows.

Their efforts ultimately led to the successful clearance of the 74th floor.

And now, Taesan was stronger than even those sin-bound guides who had grown over the years.

It was natural that he, who had reached the boundary, could clear the 74th floor with relative ease.

“Hmm.”

The quest was complete.

Yet Taesan didn’t return to the labyrinth.

Balbabamba had said there were five remains here.

He’d found only one.

And he was certain that he could locate all five.

But there was an issue.

‘The duration is too short.’

The Apostle Mode lasted two hours. Avatar of Nature lasted one hour, and Vessel of the King didn’t last long either.

Without these three skills, he wouldn’t be able to withstand the pressure of this place.

If he wanted to find the remaining remains, he’d need another method.

After a moment of contemplation, Taesan recalled one skill.

A transcendent skill. The Black Force.

A power that devours all, beyond principles and laws—a power of the old gods.

"Let’s give it a shot."

Taesan began gathering the Black Force.