HBWnovel Chapter 399: Floor 80, The Lion King (3)
Chapter 399: Floor 80, The Lion King (3)
Centered around Acurus’s sword, everything began to collapse. Even the near-impenetrable walls of the labyrinth started to crack under the overwhelming force of ruin. But Taesan didn’t retreat.
He reinforced himself with divine power, charging toward Acurus’s sword. The destructive energy washed over him but couldn’t breach his divine shield and absolute protection.
“Minerva, you should return.”
“Understood. I wouldn’t be much help from here on. Good luck.”
Taesan sensed irritation and fury emanating from Acurus. The sword, acting as an instrument of its master’s will, swung in response.
---
*BOOM!*
---
With that strike, a concentrated blast of destructive force lashed out.
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**[Acurus’s sword activated Ruin.]**
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*CRASH!*
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“Hm.”
Taesan let out a small grunt as his sword clashed with Acurus’s. Though he didn’t take any damage, an unsettling sensation coursed through his blade.
He instinctively knew that a direct hit would break his body apart, a feeling close to a primal fear.
*‘Not that it matters.’*
Acurus’s sword exhibited no intelligence or awareness.
So, breaking through it would be a straightforward matter. Taesan advanced even closer to Acurus’s sword.
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**[You activated Limited Blink.]**
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Taesan moved behind the sword. It twisted its body, swinging its weapon back at him. He dodged with a quick turn of his neck, driving his own sword deep into its back.
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**[You activated Addition.]**
**[You activated Critical Targeting.]**
**[You activated Absolute Judgement.]**
**[Acurus’s sword took 54,231 damage.]**
---
Even without using his Blade of Will or Conversion, the damage was incredibly high.
Taesan gripped his sword, plunging it deeper. With his focus on the offensive, he left himself open, a vulnerability Acurus’s sword didn’t hesitate to exploit—exactly as Taesan planned.
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**[You activated Selective Exclusion.]**
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The sword’s attack vanished, rewinding to the moment before it was executed. Acurus’s sword looked visibly shaken.
*Selective Exclusion*, a power from Maria, allowed Taesan to erase one specific enemy attack, rendering it effectively null.
While the sword wavered, Taesan continued to drive his blade into its vital points. By the time it recovered, it swung its weapon again, but to no avail.
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**[Your first attack Absolute Nullification activated.]**
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Acurus’s sword reset back to the point before its last attack.
Taesan pressed harder.
The Lion King had understood Taesan’s power well. He would have devised a countermeasure, had he possessed the strength to act on it.
But Acurus’s sword, while stronger than the Lion King, lacked intellect and operated on pure instinct.
Taesan’s power was overwhelmingly effective against foes with no sense of his abilities, especially against mindless, instinct-driven opponents.
Acurus’s sword started to thrash violently, unleashing blades of ruin that tore through the air.
The power to obliterate anything in its path. If a member of the Sin Guide's leaders faced this power, they would have been erased without resistance.
But Taesan now stood in a class of his own.
Even against a transcendent’s force, the strength of an unthinking weapon was something he could easily overcome.
Taesan sidestepped, sliding under the sword’s reach.
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**[You activated Leap.]**@@@@
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He rose into the air, using dark magic to bear down on the weapon. Although Acurus’s sword shattered each attack with ruinous force, Taesan was prepared to capitalize on the opening.
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**[You activated Call of Destruction.]**
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Taesan wielded the power of ruin itself, a force capable of ending worlds, surpassing mortal power at its core.
Acurus’s sword erupted with ruinous energy, seeking to consume everything around it, but *Call of Destruction* hungrily devoured it. Seizing the moment, Taesan struck, his blade piercing the sword’s core.
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*CLANG!*
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After blocking a swing, he widened the distance.
“This could’ve gone differently.”
Taesan muttered quietly.
Under normal circumstances, Acurus would have deployed even greater power to kill him. But the interference of the Demon Lord had restricted the god’s influence, limiting Acurus’s sword to its current abilities.
Taesan’s sword struck the critical point again.
But Acurus’s sword didn’t falter. It continued attacking with relentless precision.
**“Only one remains.”**
Only one member of the Sin Guide was left to face.
The final foe was the ash-haired woman, Sociète.
The ghost’s target.
**“Where could she be waiting? I’m curious.”**
Taesan opened his skill window.
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**[Special Activation Skill: Ruin]**
**[Mana Cost: 2,000]**
**[Proficiency: 1%]**
**[Destroys anything the weapon touches. If the user lacks sufficient power, they cannot wield it properly. This skill can only be used once per battle.]**
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This skill, like Maria’s Selective Exclusion, was akin to divine power. Even while Taesan protected himself with divine energy, the ruin unleashed by Acurus’s sword had affected him, proving its tremendous value as a skill.
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**[Helmet of Ruin]**
**[Attack Power +500]**
**[Strength +500]**
**[Defense +500]**
**[A helmet infused with ruin’s power
. If the user lacks sufficient strength, it will destroy them from within.]**
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**[Gem Necklace of Ruin’s Origin]**
**[Health +2,000]**
**[Strength +500]**
**[Attack Power +250]**
**[Defense +250]**
**[Reduces all incoming damage by 10%.]**
**[A necklace crafted from a lone gem found in the heart of ruin. Without adequate strength, it will tear the user apart.]**
---
The descriptions were ominous. Taesan donned the equipment.
As he did, a strange sensation swept over him.
It was like a force writhing, attempting to dismantle him from within.
“Out.”
Taesan pushed back against the invasive force. The equipment’s power was expelled from him, unable to pose a threat. Its attributes were indeed fitting of a divine reward.
---
**[Title: One Who Walks the Depths]**
**[Granted to those who advance and prove their strength in the depths.]**
**[Health +800]**
**[Strength +500]**
**[Attack Power +200]**
**[Defense +200]**
---
The titles themselves were not drastically different, mostly amplifying Taesan’s stats. The other titles, *Ruler of New Realms* and *Seat of the Abyss,* similarly raised his stats.
The last two were more intriguing.
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**[Title: Unyielding Body and Spirit]**
**[A title bestowed upon those who venture deep into the abyss. Their body and mind reach an unshakable level, as unyielding as a fortress.]**
---
This title seemed to enhance his physical and mental resilience. But Taesan felt no change.
The same went for the passive skill.
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**[Special Passive Skill: Unwavering Heart]**
**[Proficiency: 100%]**
**[When facing beings beyond mortality, your mind remains steadfast, and your spirit unbroken, allowing you to endure their oppressive presence.]**
---
Both were geared for mortals.
But Taesan had already surpassed that threshold. With his transcendence, their oppressive presence was no longer a threat.
The title *Unyielding Body and Spirit* was equally irrelevant. With his ascended physical and mental prowess, any further reinforcement had no real impact.
“This could be a problem.”
Indeed, reaching the immortal stage had created unexpected complications.
Just as he was about to inspect the final floor rewards, he heard a rumbling.
The broken labyrinth stirred. Balbaba appeared, glancing around with a sigh.
**[Seems I’ll have to do some repairs again.]**
“Sorry about that.”
**[Of all the things you’ve done, this is among the least troublesome. Anyway, congratulations. You’ve cleared the 80th floor and are approaching the labyrinth’s end.]**
Balbaba’s gaze fixed on Taesan.
**[And the Mage has returned.]**
Balbaba had mentioned before, on Floor 79, that the Mage was away.
**[I told him about you. He said he’d like to see you again. Come with me, adventurer. The Mage awaits your arrival.]**