**[Ring of the Victorious One]**
**[Attack Power +300]**
**[A ring worn by one who ultimately overcame his struggles. Although he never reached the highest realm, his strength was nheless formidable.]**
---
**[You used ???]**
**[Obtained the Emblem of Struggle.]**
---
**[Emblem of Struggle]**
**[An emblem proving that the bearer has dedicated their life to struggle itself. The emblem holds a powerful strength of its own.]**
---
The rewards included a ring that boosted pure attack power and a material item. It was a decent ring, and though Taesan nned to consult with Hafran, he could already sense its impressive value.
Additionally, he had gained a unique skill.
---
**[Special Passive Skill: Absolute Authority]**
**[Proficiency: 1%]**
**[Those of a lower rank than you will feel an overwhelming authority from you and lose their will to fight. Resistance is nearly impossible without extremely strong mental fortitude and power.]**
---
A skill obtained only by pacifying an entire floor without using force. Likely, no one else had ever managed to acquire it. It was a skill unique to Taesan alone.
---
“Quite the array of unusual skills, really,” the ghost chuckled.
“Considering that even the boss on the 79th floor couldn’t resist, it’s safe to say that most mortals won’t be able to either. Balbabamba must be beside himself.”
Thebyrinth was, after all, a ce for mortals.
The 80th floor would likely produce a simr oue to the 79th. At this point, each floor was losing much of its significance.
Balbabamba had gone to consult with the mage on Taesan''s behalf. He would return with answers once they reached a decision.
Taesan resumed his journey, as the beasts quietly bowed their heads in deference to him.
And so, he stepped onto the 80th floor.
---
**[80th Floor Quest Initiated.]**
**[Pass the Trial of Acurus.]**
**[Reward: Thread of Ruin.]**
**[Hidden Reward: ???]**
---
Moving past the shopkeeper, he arrived at the floor and was greeted by an ominous ck orb.
---
**[You have discovered the Altar of Acurus.]**
**[First Discovery Bonus]**
**[Permanently increased Strength by 100.]**
---
The ck orb radiated an overwhelming power.
Taesan had encountered many altars of gods, but none had exuded such a dense, malevolent force. It was powerful enough that a lesser being would be crushed in both body and mind merely by approaching it.
---
**[Acurus, the God of Ruin,]** the ghost whispered.
Acurus was a transcendent god who governed the realm of ruin.
---
“Among the gods that dwell within thebyrinth, he’s closest to being an evil god,” the ghost continued.
“More so than the God of Fall?”
The God of Fall, who treated mortals as mere ythings, seemed like an evil god from a human perspective.
---
“In some ways, yes, even worse.”
---
“Why?”
---
“Acurus desires ruin in the truest sense. He wishes for the copse of order and the obliteration ofws. Everything humanity holds sacred—basic morality, faith in the divine, even soul-bound contracts—he wants it all shattered and broken. He is a god who desires the ruin of all things.”
---
The copse of every concept and material thing—that was Acurus’ motive.
---
“To mortals, he is indeed an evil god, nothing more and nothing less. Even I had a rough time dealing with him.”
The ghost shivered.
“He’s disliked by the other gods too, given his nature.”
“Then I’m sure he’ll dislike me as well.”
“Most likely...”
---
Taesan approached the altar. The chaotic energy rising from it sought to engulf him, radiating a malice that seemed intent on crushing him. Yet within it, there was also a quiet proposal.
---
**[Sub-Quest Initiated]**
**[Acurus wishes to test you as you havee to his altar. If you ept, the trial will begin, and if you ovee it, a reward will follow.]**
**[Reward: Determined by Acurus based on your performance.]**
---
“I ept.”
Taesan nodded.
The condition for clearing the floor was to pass Acurus’ trial, so refusal wasn’t an option. Power surged from the altar and began to coalesce into a form.
It took on the shape of a lion-maned figure with a muscr body and a massive sword that symbolized strength.
---
“...Huh?” the ghost said in disbelief.
As the power settled, the form took on a distinct shape.
The entity that appeared in thebyrinth opened its eyes.
---
**[Servant of Acurus: The Lion King has appeared.]**
---
---
“Oh,” Taesan murmured. He recognized the Lion King. He had glimpsed him once during his encounters with the leaders of the Path of Sin.
“If my memory serves, he wasn’t a servant of Acurus then.”
The Lion King looked at Taesan and the ghost, then spoke.
“It has been a while, hero.”
---
**“You... what are you?”** the ghost asked, sounding baffled.
**“Did you really offer yourself?”**
“What point is there in asking when the answer stands before you?”
The Lion King replied calmly, and the ghost let out a bitterugh.
**“You... After all that time descending thebyrinth, you end up not as an apostle but as a mere servant?”**
A servant of a god. Taesan had seen such beings once before in the trial of Lakhiratas, and now, having achieved immortality, he could sense the essence of what they truly were.
---
“A tool.”
---
An apostle was a title bestowed through a mutual agreement.
In exchange for offering themselves to a god, mortals received a fitting share of power and stature from the deity.
Since it was a consensual contract, there were very few apostles, and gods cherished them greatly. They respected their apostles'' autonomy and would even protect them, sometimes at the cost of their own power.
Horaira was an exception, but that was a unique case. Normally, the rtionship between gods and apostles was one of mutual respect.
A servant, however, was different.
A servant was simply a god’s tool.
They were used as the god desired, discarded as pawns at any time. All their umted strength, experiences, and values became utterly meaningless, reduced to nothing more than a disposable oue.
This was why the ghost couldn’t understand it.
---
**“Is this really the ending you wanted? To throw everything away and be used by a god without a second thought?”**
---
“Of course not.”
The Lion King denied it lightly.
“Although I may be Acurus’ servant, I am powerful. Not even a god would treat me as a mere expendable pawn.”
---
**“But your essence hasn’t changed. To Acurus, you’re worthless. You sacrificed yourself just to be that.”**
@@novelbin@@
The ghost spoke with sharp disdain.
The Lion King remained silent.
---
**“Well, I guess it makes sense. Acurus wouldn’t ept you as an apostle, nor would any other god. In desperation, you turned to Acurus... but to go that far, all just to kill Taesan?”**
---
“...Silence.”
The Lion King ground his teeth.
His gaze was filled with raw fury.
---
“I cannot ept it!”
His powerful voice echoed through thebyrinth.
“He’s been in thebyrinth for less than three years, yet he’s already reached the 80th floor! It’s uneptable! There should be no such being! It’s wrong!”
His face twisted with rage and hatred, mingled with envy and jealousy.
---
“A being like you should not exist in this world! You’re a distortion of order! I’m merely setting things right!”
His voice held a powerful conviction that would shake the hearts of the weak-willed.
Taesan responded indifferently.
“So, in the end, you’re just jealous of me.”
---
“What...?”
---
“Am I wrong? It hasn’t been long since I entered thebyrinth, and here I am, already at this floor. In the time it took you, struggling for countless years, I’ve reached this ce almost instantly.”
It was indeed a remarkable feat. Even the ghost couldn’t help but marvel at the pace at which Taesan grew stronger.
The Lion King harbored intense resentment toward Taesan.
---
**“Now I get it. You always imed we were the greatest in the world. You said that if not for thebyrinth, we would be unmatched.”**
---
“Hero...”
The Lion King’s face twisted with anguish.
Those who delved into thebyrinth’s depths were, more often than not, the strongest in the outside world.
The Lion King was no exception. He had likely descended thebyrinth’s depths without much resistance, developing an unwavering confidence in his abilities.
But the deeper levels had rejected him.
The depths had shattered his pride and talent.
As he wallowed in inferiority and frustration, others like him began to appear.
They were all highly talented like him, but they, too, couldn’t breach the deeper levels.
This gave the Lion King a sense of relief. He wasn’t alone; even the finest others were blocked here. This was simply the limit of mortals, he thought.
Thus, he gathered them to form the leaders of the Path of Sin.
The Lion King had led the formation of the Path of Sin.
He consoled himself and kept his confidence alive until Taesan appeared.
Despite not possessing
great initial strength, Taesan had cut through thebyrinth’s depths at an unprecedented speed, a pace so fast that even the depths couldn’t keep him from advancing.
The Lion King couldn’t ept it.
“In a way, it’s remarkable,” Taesan said.
**Absolute Authority** was active.
The Lion King’s warped pride and inferiority were fueling his resistance against the skill’s effects.
---
**“I still can’t understand. You sacrificed yourself for that?”**
“Enough,” the Lion King growled.
“You know nothing. I cannot ept him.”
“It’s not umon for people to die over pride.”
Taesan had seen it even on Earth.
In the Lion King’s case, his very sense of self was rooted in his strength and the confidence that came with it, making it all the more likely.
It wasn’t particrly surprising.
The Lion King grinned wickedly, baring his teeth.
“Perhaps you’re right. I am a tool. But I gained power through this.”
---
Rumble...
---
Thebyrinth trembled.
The Lion King’s strength surged as his entire being began to twist and distort.
---
**[The Lion King has activated the Oath of Ruin.]**
---
Taesan could sense it.
That was the power of Acurus.
The Lion King was breaking through the barrier of mortality, transcending his limits with sheer force.
---
“Oh! Oh! Ooooh!”
Forcing his decaying mind to remain focused, the Lion King swung his greatsword with ferocity.
“Hahaha!”
The Lion King roared withughter.
A feeling of omnipotence he had never experienced before was taking over his entire being.
Though his body and mind were slowly deteriorating, it didn’t matter. The sensation was utterly intoxicating.
“So this is what it means to be immortal!”
Atst, he had reached the ce he had only dreamed of, the ce he had sacrificed his life for.
He felt as though he could do anything.
The Lion King looked at Taesan with a crazed grin.
“Now... die, you wretched—”
His words were cut off.
---
“...What?”
---
“To sacrifice both body and mind just to surpass one’s limits.”
Taesan was watching him calmly.
As if the Lion King’s newfound immortality meant nothing.
And absurdly enough, the Lion King sensed it too.
Upon meeting Taesan, he had recognized that Taesan had reached an elevated realm.
But he had believed that Taesan was only at the early stages of this state, a state that would still be unstable.
It made sense. Taesan had grown far too quickly. Reaching immortality so soon was practically impossible by normal standards.
The Lion King was certain Taesan had used some kind of shortcut.
This belief fueled his confidence that, by bing immortal, he could surpass Taesan.
But upon reaching immortality, he realized the truth.
Taesan had attained a stable level of immortality, far beyond his own.
---
“No... Impossible! How... how are you already there?!”
“Quiet.”
Taesan dismissed him and drew his sword.
“Let’s end this quickly.”