This place was an immortal’s domain. The fragments of immortality drifting through the atmosphere were certainly beyond mortal power. Taesan, still bound by mortality, had no natural means to counter them.

Using divinity to repel them was an option, but it would require an extreme amount of divine power, making it less than ideal.

So, he turned to the Black Force.

The Black Force was a power from the ancient gods, existing beyond the concepts of mortality and immortality. It had enough potential to resist the spatial pressure of this realm.

However, he couldn’t experiment with it here. It was a method he hadn’t tried before, and it would require practice.

With the duration of *Avatar of Nature* nearly exhausted, Taesan returned to the labyrinth.

Balbabamba, who had been waiting, looked astonished to see Taesan return within a few hours.

[Back already? Did you give up?]

"No."

After observing Taesan for a moment, Balbabamba seemed to realize something.

[Ah… you already completed the quest, didn’t you? Much faster than I expected.]

Although he knew Taesan was strong enough to complete it, he hadn’t anticipated such a rapid completion, considering it took other adventurers years.

[The conditions of the quest have been met. If you want, I can approve the completion of Floor 74.]

Balbabamba assumed that Taesan would end his quest there.

But Taesan shook his head.

"Not yet."

[You… want to keep going on Floor 74?]

"There are still four remains of the immortals left, aren’t there?"

He wouldn’t return until he had located all of them.

Balbabamba gave a hesitant reply to Taesan's resolute words.

[I admit, you are strong. In the history of the labyrinth, no one else has achieved such power so early into the deep layers.]

Taesan was indeed formidable. Even Balbabamba could see that he was on the verge of transcending mortality.

However, the land he sought was an immortal’s domain.

It was a place where the remnants of beings who had surpassed mortality still lingered. No matter how strong Taesan was, proceeding further with this quest was risky.

[I am the overseer. I’m not permitted to interfere with adventurers, but I can offer advice. Overconfidence can lead to death. Sometimes, even if you cannot claim everything, you must know when to be satisfied and leave.]

“It’s not overconfidence.”

Taesan had gained a multitude of skills on his descent through the labyrinth, and he was confident in his assessment.

Balbabamba offered no further objection.

[I understand. So, what will you use to break through the immortal’s domain? You must be aware of your limits.]

Taesan answered with action.

**[You have activated the Black Force.]**

A dark surge of power flowed out of Taesan, a deep, pitch-black darkness spreading across the ground.

[That… again, huh?]

Balbabamba grimaced.

While he had seen Taesan use the Black Force before, it still unsettled him. For a mortal to wield the power of the ancient gods was something he could barely comprehend.

Balbabamba quietly gathered his own power, ready to intervene in case the Black Force went out of control.

Taesan carefully regulated the Black Force emanating from him.

Since obtaining it, he had grown stronger, and his control had improved significantly. Gradually, the Black Force began to respond to his will, cloaking him like a shadow.

‘I can control it.’

However, a significant problem remained.

The Black Force, while shrouding him, still sought to consume his body.

The strain on both his mind and body was immense. Even with his mental resistance skills, it was difficult to withstand.

At his limit, Taesan withdrew the Black Force.

He could wield it, but he needed to address the risk of bodily and mental corruption.

Taesan carefully considered his options.

With skills like *Apostle Mode* and *Avatar of Nature*, he could withstand some corruption. However, even elevating his power with *Apostle Mode* wasn’t enough to fully resist the Black Force.

Perhaps *Partial World Transformation* could help, but its duration was too short to be effective.

“In the end, it comes down to divinity.”

The divine power, directly opposite to the Black Force, could counteract its corruption.

However, that, too, came with challenges.

Combining the Black Force and divinity triggered the *Boundary*, a phenomenon he could manage only briefly.

To maintain the balance between divinity and the Black Force without activating the Boundary…

It was an untested method, one he had never even considered possible. But Taesan believed he could do it now.

He cloaked himself in the Black Force.

This time, instead of spreading it outward, he held it close, forming a thin, fabric-like layer around his body.

His goal was to balance the Black Force and divinity so they would hold each other in check.

He had managed to do this once before, when he defeated the dragon enslaved by the ancient gods by maintaining a balance between the two opposing forces.

Back then, he had relied on continuous external sources of divinity, fueled by people’s direct faith. Now, however, he had no such luxury.

But he didn’t need such overwhelming force. A thin layer around his body would suffice.

He had also grown much more adept at controlling both the Black Force and divinity.

Taesan spread the divine power around him.

As divinity came into contact with the Black Force…

*Grating noise.*

A faint grey began to appear between them. Balbabamba gathered his own energy in preparation.

[Will that be enough?]

Balbabamba was aware of the power within.

A force that distorted laws. Although he had near-absolute authority as the labyrinth’s overseer, he couldn’t guarantee he could contain it if things went wrong. He braced himself for the impact.

The immense, boundary-straddling force began to manifest.

Taesan concentrated.

What he sought was not a clash between the Black Force and divinity.

He wanted them to balance each other.

If so…

Instinctively, Taesan found the answer.

*Buzz.*

A pure white ring shone, supporting him as he guided the divinity.

The Black Force and divinity began to rotate in opposite directions.

Instead of clashing, the two forces spun, finding equilibrium.

*Creaking noise.*

As time passed, the divinity and the Black Force stabilized, spinning separately and maintaining balance.

Balbabamba halted, stunned.

[Is that…?]

“It’s working.”

Taesan took a deep breath.

Divinity now formed a thin layer around him, with the Black Force swirling above it.

Blocked by the divinity, the Black Force couldn’t attach itself to Taesan, preventing any mental or physical corruption.

He’d succeeded.

Simultaneously, a system message appeared.

**[You have obtained *Counterbalance*.]**

**[Your mastery of the Boundary has increased by #!3@.]**

After dispersing the Black Force and divinity, Taesan opened his skill window.

---

**[Counterbalance]**

**[Mastery: ?]**

**A force between laws and beyond them. It draws upon the opposition of divinity and the Black Force.**

---

Similar in description to the *Boundary*, yet distinct. While the Boundary involved wielding both forces together, Counterbalance was about using the two in opposition to achieve balance.

Taesan activated both the Black Force and divinity once more.

Perhaps due to his new skill, he found controlling the forces slightly easier.

*Creak.*

The two forces spun in opposite directions, avoiding any collision.

He’d succeeded.

Taesan smiled and deactivated *Counterbalance*. The ghost murmured, no longer surprised.

[What’s next? Are you going to learn how to control the Black Force on its own?]

“That’s still out of reach.”

But he felt that, given time and increased strength, it could become possible.

Balbabamba, who had been silent, finally spoke.

[Unbelievable.]

His voice was filled with bewilderment.

[Truly unbelievable.]

Divinity was the power of the gods.

The Black Force was the power of the ancient gods.

For Taesan to wield these two opposing forces and stabilize them went beyond conventional understanding. Even Balbabamba, who had encountered countless gods and adventurers as a labyrinth overseer, found it hard to accept.

[You’re going back there?]

"Yes."

[Then I’ll go with you this time.]

Balbabamba intended to observe the power Taesan had acquired.

Gathering his energy, Balbabamba warped the space, sending Taesan back to Valhallu.

This time, Balbabamba accompanied him.

Taesan activated *Counterbalance*.

As he stepped out of the blue barrier, the fragments of immortal power in the air began pressing down on him.

But this time was different.

The oppressive force of the realm vanished as it came into contact with the Black Force, unable to reach him.

Without *Apostle Mode*, *Avatar of Nature*, or *Vessel of the King*, he was effortlessly resisting the realm’s pressure.

[… What is this?]

Balbabamba was astounded.

The gap between mortal and immortal was insurmountable. No amount of effort or strategy could typically close it.

But the ancient gods existed beyond such principles.

It wasn’t surprising that their power could bridge that gap.

The only bizarre part was that Taesan, a mortal, could wield it.

[….]

This was dangerous.

The power Taesan possessed was highly unconventional.

If a mortal capable of withstanding immortal power were to ascend to even greater heights…

It could disrupt the laws of the labyrinth itself.

Balbabamba’s instincts warned him of this future.

However, he took no action

.

Both the mage and gods had met Taesan and recognized his peculiarity. Yet they had taken no steps against him.

Thus, Balbabamba saw no reason to act. He would leave it in their hands.

[Well then, I’ll take my leave. Do as you will.]

"Understood."

With that, Balbabamba vanished.

As Taesan advanced, the Black Force erased the overwhelming power that surged around him.

---

**…**

This was an immortal’s domain. A place where power crushed the flesh and broke the mind of any mortal who entered.

But none of it reached Taesan.

[What a bizarre thing to witness.]

The ghost, though different from Balbabamba, also struggled to process it.

[So technically, even an entity of immense power can’t apply mental pressure on you as long as you’re wearing that?]

It wasn’t an unreasonable conclusion, but Taesan shook his head.

"That’s not quite accurate."

As the one using the skill, Taesan understood its limitations. It wasn’t an all-purpose solution.

“I may have stabilized it, but it’s a delicate balance.”

Divinity and the Black Force spun in opposite directions, maintaining equilibrium. In theory, it was perfect.

But it required incredibly fine control, meaning he could only draw upon a minuscule amount of power.

“For now, I can withstand this because the power in this place lacks intent.”

The forces here weren’t directed at him personally. They were merely remnants of immortal presences that lingered in the atmosphere.

It was power without intent. Therefore, he could use *Counterbalance* to negate it.

“And it requires a lot of focus.”

If the balance wavered, even slightly, the *Boundary* could activate and overwhelm him.

He needed to maintain constant, meticulous control.

Still, he could now move through the immortal’s domain with little difficulty.

As he increased his mastery and raised his rank, he would find even more uses for it.

Additionally, this skill opened the door to other potential applications of divinity and the Black Force.

‘I’ll need to experiment with this.’

This power was distinct from anything else he had acquired so far, a new force entirely. Energized, Taesan continued his path toward the powerful energy he sensed ahead.

With *Counterbalance*, he didn’t stop.

At the end of his journey, he found another remnant of an immortal.

The aura emanating from it was powerful, but the Black Force shielded him, erasing its effect.

Taesan planted a flag.

*Buzz.*

A large barrier enveloped the remains.

"That’s three."

Taesan continued forward.

Thanks to the reduced energy expenditure, he could use divinity and the Black Force for a longer duration.

As a result, he quickly located two more remnants of immortals.

Only one remained. At this pace, he’d clear the 74th floor in less than a day.

[The others would be dumbfounded to see this.]

The guides had struggled here for an extended period.

Yet Taesan was advancing toward completion with ease.

The difference between him and the guides was that pronounced.

[Their heads are probably spinning right about now.]

The ghost, who had some connections with the guides, could only imagine.

For a wizard like Shayan, who had made every preparation only to lose to Taesan, it meant none of the guides could defeat him one-on-one.

At the end of Taesan's journey, he spotted the final remnant of an immortal.

It was a mechanical construct, resembling a humanoid robot.

[Not all life forms in the universe are organic. Some machines have also ventured deep into the labyrinth.]

While he’d considered it possible, seeing one in person was still surprising. Taesan opened his inventory.

“This is the last one.”

The clearance of the 74th floor was now within reach. Taesan planted the flag in the ground.

Buzz.

A blue barrier appeared around the remains.

[Quest Complete.]

He had located all the immortal remains in Valhallu.

At that moment, an immense power enveloped the realm.

Though it didn’t affect Taesan, a transcendental force had descended upon the entire world.

"Is it finally over?"

The collision of immortal forces had previously prevented transcendental beings from intervening directly here, as it could create an opening for the ancient gods.

But now that the remains of the immortals had been located, it seemed the transcendental forces were stepping in to claim them.

"They seem in a hurry."

[With the ancient gods lurking, they probably want to clean things up quickly… though it does seem a bit rushed. They haven’t even waited for you to return to the labyrinth.]

Taesan observed the forces recovering the remains of the immortals.

The energy was entirely impersonal, devoid of emotion.

The world was being purified. The scattered fragments of immortality were vanishing, and one by one, the remains of the immortals disappeared. Even the mechanical remains before him started to lose their energy.

Then, a rupture split the sky.

A black pillar of energy descended, a force beyond natural laws.

The transcendental forces encompassing the world surged, attempting to crush the black pillar.

But a sliver—a single, fragile tendril of that black energy—managed to reach the remains of the immortal.

Buzz.

[Wait… what?]

The remains of the immortal began to glow. Its eyes, if they could be called that, flashed red, as though warning.

Suddenly, a powerful force erupted.

The Counterbalance shrouding Taesan faltered for a moment. Quickly gathering his strength, Taesan stepped back.

Rumble.

The remains of the immortal started to move.

"That thing was definitely dead."

There was no sign of life—no soul remained in the body.

But the immortal's physical form was rising.

It recognized Taesan and perceived him as a threat.

Buzzing.

Mechanical components whirred as they activated. The soulless shell turned its killing intent directly toward Taesan.