Boom!

Lightning struck down with fury. A violent windstorm raged, and the ground crumbled as if to consume Taesan.

Taesan stomped down, steadying himself on the collapsing ground. He dodged the lightning and punched the storm aside.

Quickly, he assessed the situation.

At this level, clearing the floor wouldn’t be difficult.

In that case, instead of rushing to finish, it would be wiser to explore and see if he could gain anything else from this floor.

Taesan began investigating his surroundings instead of heading directly for the goal.

---

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

**[You have activated Focused Detection.]**

---

He continuously used his detection abilities, gathering information on the skies, the depths of the ground, and everything around him.

But nothing appeared.

This place truly was empty.

"Nothing here at all," he muttered.

---

**[This world can’t sustain life. In rare cases, even places like this have something to offer, but not here, it seems.]**

---

Taesan moved further, expanding his search radius.

The abandoned planet was irritated by Taesan’s actions.

Furious, the planet unleashed a barrage of lightning. Taesan drew his sword.

Clang!

The lightning struck the blade, dispersing in all directions.

“Nothing here, either.”

Taesan paid no mind to the planet’s attacks.

His indifference only intensified the planet’s anger.

Fueled by emotion, its will manifested with even greater intensity.

---

Rumble!

---

The ground split apart, collapsing into massive craters the size of cities.

Boom!

Lightning rained down wildly, setting the earth ablaze. The violent wind scattered pieces of debris through the air.

It was a scene of utter devastation.

And yet, atop the crumbling ground, Taesan stood unwavering.

He remained steady thanks to a special skill—*Balancing*—which allowed him to maintain his balance under any circumstances.

The ground continued to shift and rise, trying to swallow Taesan under the planet’s will. In response, he activated a skill.

---

**[You have activated Earthquake.]**

---

The collapsing ground met Taesan’s earthquake, neutralizing each other.

In an instant, he escaped the crumbling area.

The planet was left frustrated, like a dog chasing its tail.

“This is nothing compared to Hafran’s world.”

---

**[That was an anomaly. For a star to wield Immortal-level power is nearly impossible.]**

---

An Immortal is, by definition, everlasting.

They have no lifespan. They continue to exist until they are killed physically or mentally.

But planets are not like that. Though long-lived by human standards, planets have an inevitable end.

Thus, a planet could never possess the power of an Immortal.

Hafran’s world was an extremely rare exception that broke this rule.

---

**[Not that this one is weak...]**

---

This was the 75th floor, part of the labyrinth’s deep levels. Even advanced adventurers found it impossible to defeat the planet’s will.

The problem was, Taesan wasn’t just any adventurer.

“Let’s see if there’s anything else here worth my time.”

Clearing the floor was a minor issue. Taesan intended to push the limits, searching for anything valuable on the planet.

The planet was becoming more and more agitated by Taesan’s actions.

It was accustomed to harassing the adventurers who reached the 75th floor.

The outcome was always the same. Either they completed the challenge and returned to the labyrinth or perished and vanished.

In the end, nothing ever remained.

The emptiness was unbearable.

Eventually, the planet formed a single belief.

Mortal beings, adventurers—they were merely its toys.

Life was weak and frail. They couldn’t even withstand its lightest torment.

Compared to them, it was strong, vast, and superior.

Yes, it was perfect alone. Life was nothing more than a plaything to express its emotions.

This twisted perspective became the core of the planet’s existence, stealing even the admiration and envy it once held for living beings.

But now, it couldn’t do anything against Taesan.

As much as it wanted to deny it, the truth was clear. Taesan was stronger than it.

The planet roared, wild with rage.

Its emotions swung violently, distorting everything. Until now, the planet had never unleashed its full power on an adventurer. The effort to clean up the aftermath was too taxing.

But this time, it attacked Taesan with all its might, consequences be damned.

“This is getting ridiculous.”

Still, nothing could touch him.

Muttering to himself, Taesan unleashed his power. Dark magic and spells blocked the planet’s relentless attacks.

The ground couldn’t withstand the force and began to crumble.

If it continued like this, it would take centuries to restore itself. There was even a risk that the contract with the wizard would break, and the planet would be expelled from the 75th floor.

But the planet cared only about killing Taesan.

---

**[This reaction is so different from when I was here.]**

---

The specter chuckled. Though he had been strong, he hadn’t been as powerful as Taesan.

When he cleared the 75th floor, the planet had mocked him, attacking playfully, while he barely managed to survive.

But against Taesan, the planet was unleashing every ounce of emotion, determined to kill him.

And Taesan was effortlessly fending off all its attacks.

The time was nearly up. He was close to completing his lap.

Taesan kicked off, using acceleration and skill boosts to sprint around the planet.

Realizing he was close to completing the task, the planet frantically gathered more power, but it was too slow. Taesan’s speed broke through every barrier.

Taesan approached his destination.

Finally, the planet reached its limit.

---

Whiiiiir!

---

With a thunderous noise, the ground in front of Taesan collapsed. From within, a pure white will emerged.

Taesan, having experienced this before, immediately understood what it was. This white will was the world’s own essence.

The will gathered power to strike. The very force of the world was concentrated, aimed to crush Taesan.

But compared to the destruction of Hafran’s world, it was pitifully weak.

This level was manageable. Taesan swung his arm.

---

**[You have activated Magic Stacking.]**

---

He layered *Starlight Arrow* three times and released it.

---

**[You have activated Magic Release.]**

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

---

The starlight arrow shot forth.

It collided with the will’s power, turning the world blindingly white.

---

Boom!

---

The planet was stunned. The power it had summoned, revealing its very essence, was shattered by Taesan’s starlight arrow.

The planet made a decision.

There was no turning back now.

Even if it meant its own destruction, it would kill Taesan. With this resolve, it unleashed its true form.

---

Boom!

---

The planet began to break apart.

Its sphere fractured, its core twisted.

The ground rose, the air trembled, and the atmosphere collapsed.

This attack was on an entirely different scale.

Every part of the planet hurled itself at Taesan.

The weight of continents bore down on him, and the compressed atmosphere surrounded him.

In pure physical terms, it was stronger than anything Taesan had faced before.

But it wasn’t beyond his ability to withstand.

He braced himself and charged forward.

---

**[You have activated Gale Sprint.]**

**[You have activated Skill Acceleration.]**

---

He crushed the oncoming ground with storm-like speed. Taesan leaped forward.

---

**[You have activated Beyond the Boundary.]**

**[You have activated Magic Stacking.]**

---

He stacked *Earthquake* and unleashed it on the advancing ground.

---

**[You have activated Magic Release.]**

---

The wall of earth crumbled.

Pieces scattered like shattered cubes, creating a path.

With a light step, Taesan pushed forward. The planet’s will exploded in fury, unleashing a final burst of power.

Taesan swung his sword.

---

Crack!

---

Power collided, rippling in all directions.

He pressed his sword forward, overpowering the planet’s force. At last, he could see the planet’s will directly.

It was trembling violently.

The emotions were so intense that Taesan could feel them.

How could this be?

It was a massive star. A planet. Humans were less than dust to it.

The power it had unleashed, even at the cost of its own destruction, should have killed him.

And yet, Taesan had broken through and was standing right in front of it.

This is impossible!

With a wave of overwhelming denial, it gathered power once more.

The emotions shook him mentally, but he shrugged them off with a light shake of his head.

A mix of black and gold light fused on Taesan’s sword, creating a grey hue.

The planet did not relent.

But as it clashed with the boundary, the planet’s power began to distort.

---

Crack.

---

His sword pierced through the planet’s will. A grey light burst forth, engulfing the world.

---

* * *

---

**[You are…]**

Balbabamba couldn’t finish his sentence. Taesan sat calmly before him.

---

**[I wish you’d clear floors like everyone else.]**

---

In the end, Balbabamba couldn’t hold back. Although it was something a labyrinth administrator should never say, he had to get it off his chest.

Floors 71, 74, and now 75 had been changed because of Taesan.

Three deep levels had shifted in such a short time—a feat unheard of.

---

**[I’m the one responsible

 for crafting locations and concepts fitting each floor. Do you know how difficult that is?]**

---

Balbabamba sounded exhausted. He was already overwhelmed with creating a new 71st floor, and now he had to add another.

And it wasn’t just any floor—it was the 75th. Since the labyrinth’s creation, it had never been altered, until Taesan came along.

“Sorry, but I can’t just do things halfway.”

---

**[I know. It was just a complaint. Do you have any idea how hard it was to find that planet during the labyrinth’s design phase? And now it’s useless.]**

---

“Was it really that old?”

Taesan was surprised. He had known the quest was around during the specter’s time, but he hadn’t realized it dated back to the labyrinth’s design.

“What will happen to the planet now?”

As soon as he had pierced the will, a completion message appeared.

He had returned to the labyrinth before seeing the result. Balbabamba explained.

---

**[It’s not destroyed, but it’s severely damaged. Its consciousness is likely broken, so it can’t function as a labyrinth floor anymore.]**

---

The abandoned planet could no longer serve as a floor.

Not that it mattered to Taesan; he had merely defended against its attacks.

---

**[Well, I’d better get going. I have a lot of work ahead.]**

---

Grumbling, Balbabamba departed.

In any case, Taesan had cleared the 75th floor and received his rewards.

---

**[Ring Refined from the Core of a World]**

**[Health +2,500]**

**[Mana +500]**

**[Attack +150]**

**[Defense +150]**

*A ring made by refining the core of a world. Though the creator’s skill was crude, resulting in power loss, the remaining strength is considerable.*

---

**[Staff of the Demon Lord’s Contract]**

**[Dark Magic +330]**

**[Dark Mana +500]**

**[Casting Speed +15%]**

*A staff wielded by one who once contracted with the mighty Demon Lord. While those who contract with demons often meet tragic ends, this does not apply to the Demon Lord’s chosen.*

---

The ring provided a straightforward boost in health, mana, and attack power. Its performance was clear and dependable.

The hidden reward, a dark magic staff, wasn’t particularly special. It would make a fine offering to the Dark God.

But that wasn’t all he’d gained.

Despite the planet’s emptiness, there was one thing of value he had acquired.

---

**[Special Passive Skill: Opponent of the World]**

**[Proficiency: 1%]**

*One who fought against the very world itself. When opposing the will of a world, boosts one’s rank and all stats. Also allows a deeper understanding of the intentions within planetary forces.*

---

It seemed like an extension of *Opponent of the Immortal*, acquired on the 74th floor, but adapted to the scope of a world.

“This could come in handy against Hafran’s world.”

Even now, Taesan couldn’t be certain he could defeat Hafran’s world.

But with skills like this and steady growth, he would eventually reach that level.

Taesan set his sights on the 76th floor.

The start of the 76th floor.

Here, as the Dark God had mentioned, they were waiting for him.

Taesan stepped past the shopkeeper and entered the 76th floor.

Immediately, he sensed many presences.

“Why are there so many?”

He murmured as he followed the signs of life.

And there, he found them—a gathering of numerous Guides of Sin.

---

**[You have encountered the Dark Twins.]**

**[You have encountered the White Twins.]**

**[You have encountered Altiar, the Fist Saint.]**

**[You have encountered Cliff, Ruler of the Abyss.]**

**[You have encountered Estevan, Master of the Echoing Valley.]**

**[You have encountered Floria, the Starlight Flash.]**

**[You have encountered Gloria, Warrior of the Great Saint.]**

**[You have encountered Helia, the Most Noble One.]**