The Lion King exhaled deeply. His entire body seemed on the verge of disintegration.
With all his remaining strength, he summoned his aura to protect himself, but it flickered dangerously, as if it could shatter at any moment.
The Lion King looked up. In the endless gray space, black spheres floated like stars, scattered throughout.
Gritting his teeth, he advanced forward.
*Crack.*
A fierce pressure engulfed him, distorting the space around him, twisting his entire being.
“Ugh!”
The Lion King unleashed his power, using the full strength of someone on the brink of mortality.
But it was in vain. Like a single drop falling into the ocean, a small ripple spread, then quickly vanished, leaving the gray space eerily silent.
His expression hardened as he pressed on.
He had spent all his gold on protective gear, but each piece was destroyed, one by one, as he moved forward. Finally, he reached the massive black sphere before him.
“Oh...Great One!” he cried out, falling to his knees.
“To the one who desires the collapse of all things, who despises every law! This humble body calls to you in your domain!”
With a cry, he threw several gemstones from his pockets toward the sphere.
The gemstones were swallowed by the enormous sphere, disappearing into it.
He pressed his forehead to the ground, knowing he had no idea what might happen next. His throat was dry as he waited in silence.
*Boom.*
The sphere began to tremble.
The fierce pressure pressed down on his entire body. In the overwhelming force that felt like it would dissolve his very mind, the Lion King barely held on.
The torrent of force gradually subsided.
And then, it descended upon this place.
“[You, insignificant creature.]”
The voice, filled with irritation, echoed. The sheer force within it shook the space.
“[I commend you for struggling your way into my domain. But you, a mere worm, dare to call upon me?]”
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The Lion King’s body began to crumble, his resistance meaningless. The power gap between them was insurmountable.
Yet, he remained prostrate, unmoving, his head bowed.
Gradually, the crushing force diminished.
“[Speak. For what purpose have you intruded into my domain?]”
He had passed the first test.
Suppressing his racing heart, the Lion King spoke.
“Oh, Great Transcendent, I have an offer for you.”
The moment he finished speaking, a force beyond anything before crashed down upon him.
For a moment, his consciousness flickered.
“[You, an insignificant being, dare to propose an offer to me?]”
The voice was filled with a single emotion: rage.
The Lion King’s lips trembled as he spoke again.
“Do you not wish to disrupt the plans of the other gods?”
The crushing force holding him down suddenly vanished.
Without missing a beat, the Lion King continued, knowing this was his chance.
“A certain adventurer is descending through the labyrinth. He possesses great strength, and many gods favor him, hoping to claim him as their own once he dies.”
If no one stopped him, that adventurer would likely clear the labyrinth. The other gods would revel in it, feeling satisfaction for having created such a place.
"Do you not wish to shatter their expectations? To render their beliefs meaningless and crush their confident plans?"
His voice was steady. He waited.
A moment later, the voice returned.
“[That would indeed be an entertaining prospect.]”
Success.
The Lion King clenched his fist.
“I will serve as your agent, your tool, carrying out your will.”
“[Why should I use a wretch like you?]”
“You are bound by the laws of the labyrinth; you cannot intervene directly with the adventurer.”
One of the labyrinth’s unbreakable rules: gods could not directly interfere with adventurers. It was the reason why so many gods refrained from touching the one who led the path of sin.
But this wasn’t limited to just one god. Many gods existed within the labyrinth, and some surely disliked Taesan as well.
“[So, because I can’t reach him myself, I should stoop to using you?]”
“No. I only beg for mercy.”
The Lion King quietly bowed.
He could feel the presence scrutinizing him.
The Lion King closed his eyes. The outcome was beyond his control. All he could do was offer a silent prayer.
“[Very well.]”
He opened his eyes.
“[I will permit it, in light of your pitiful effort. But do not expect it to be what you desire. Do not regret this, mortal.]”
Power surged over him.
---
Valvavamba appeared, silently watching Taesan before sighing.
"[You truly are a headache.]"
Valvavamba spoke as if exhausted.
"[You cause me endless headaches.]"
“What went wrong?”
“[Nothing is wrong. In fact, your clear of the 77th floor was flawless.]”
On the 77th floor, Taesan had stabilized a world destroyed by an ancient god, a quest most adventurers completed with brute force, doing just enough to ensure the survivors could scrape by. Yet, Taesan had done far more than expected, far beyond what even Valvavamba had anticipated.
Valvavamba’s headache lay elsewhere.
“[He has, however, reached a partial transcendence. And he has yet to step foot on the 80th floor.]”
“You already knew?”
“[I am the administrator. I know most of what occurs in this place.]”
Valvavamba spoke, clearly troubled.
“[In rare cases, one may reach such a state through a pact with a god. But to achieve it with one’s own strength...this is unprecedented...]”
Shaking his head in resignation, Valvavamba had decided to wash his hands of the situation, leaving any future issues with Taesan to the mage. It was the least troubling choice.
“[And now, for your reward.]”
This, too, presented a problem.
Taesan had surpassed all expectations in clearing the floor, so his reward had to reflect that.
After pondering, Valvavamba made a decision.
“[In cases like this, simple is best.]”
Power surged into Taesan.
“[You have received the title: ‘Savior of the World.’]”
“[You have received the Ring of the World’s Savior.]”
“[Your level has increased.]”
“[Your level has increased.]”
“[Your level has increased.]”
“[Review the rewards on your own.]”
As Valvavamba’s form began to fade, he left a final remark.
“[You are still unstable. If you achieve complete transcendence, the mage will seek you out.]”
“Understood.”
With that, Valvavamba vanished.
Taesan checked his rewards.
---
**[Title: Savior of the World]**
*A title given to one who has perfectly saved a world.*
- Health +2000
- Mana +500
- Demonic Energy +200
- Attack +200
- Defense +200
---
“Not bad.”
Unlike equipment, titles provide benefits simply by being held. This one was as powerful as high-tier labyrinth gear.
---
**[Ring of the World’s Savior]**
*Given as a reward to one who restored a world on the brink of collapse.*
- Mana +500
- Demonic Energy +100
- Attack +300
---
It included stats beneficial to Taesan, with impressive capabilities.
Additionally, he received the usual weapon reward, which he planned to sell, and the skills.
---
**[Divine Skill: Sanctuary Creation]**
- Mastery: 1%
- Divine Power Cost: ???
*Manifest divine power to create a sanctuary. The size and characteristics of the sanctuary vary based on the divine power used and the form manifested.*
---
It was his first divine skill.
This skill was more useful on Earth than in the labyrinth, perfect for Earth’s ravaged lands.
As long as his followers continued their faith, the sanctuary would persist. Lesser monsters wouldn’t even be able to approach it.
Then came the transcendent skill.
---
**[Transcendent Skill: Eternal and Immortal Faith]**
- Mastery: 1%
- Cost: Faith and Rank.
*You receive faith from all life in one world. They will offer unwavering faith eternally. By consuming their faith and your rank, you can gain true divinity.*
---
“Hmm.”
He had a rough idea of the skill’s effect.
**[You have activated Eternal and Immortal Faith.]**
In an instant, Taesan’s inner self expanded.
The faith of all those who worshipped him flowed into him. A powerful strain accompanied his transformation, pushing his body and mind to a higher level.
The omnipotent feeling he experienced in the dying world filled him once more.
“[Oh.]”
The Wraith let out an involuntary gasp.
Taesan had, even if only briefly, transcended mortality.
“[It’s real...]”
“No.”
He canceled the skill, the omnipotence vanishing and replaced by an overwhelming fatigue.
“I’m not there yet.”
While he could temporarily transcend mortality, it was unstable, lasting only a few minutes due to the strain.
Moreover, faith was depleting rapidly. With fewer than a hundred thousand believers, he risked exhausting his sanctuary’s faith.
“So, it’s limited to that world.”
This was only natural.
In the dying world, he had become a god by receiving universal faith. It was a shortcut to power.
His godlike strength was confined to that realm.
To use it elsewhere came at a steep cost.
“[Still, do you realize what this means?]” The Wraith’s tone was slightly excited.
“
[Unless your opponent also transcends mortality, they can’t defeat you.]”
Taesan was now different.
Even those who had touched the edge of transcendence couldn’t defeat him.
“Though this power remains unstable...for now.”
As he prepared for the upcoming Earth quests, he realized that players from China, Japan, and Korea were already worshipping him.
If people from other countries began to do the same, what would happen?
Taesan’s story was spreading through the community, and his name was reaching other nations.
Though many players had perished while fighting monsters or traversing the labyrinth, far more survived than in the dying world.
If he received their faith, his powers could stabilize. His Divine Power mastery might even reach 100%.
He looked forward to his eventual return.
Taesan proceeded to the 78th floor as a quest window appeared in his vision.
---
**[78th Floor Quest Initiated]**
- **Objective:** Successfully complete the librarian’s request in the Library of All Things.
- **Reward:** Book of Knowledge.
- **Secret Reward:** ???