Ascension Through Skills

Ka-ga-ga-kak!

An axe spun toward Taesan's head. He caught its handle. The axe began thrashing wildly.

Taesan threw the axe away. Weapons embedded in the ground around him rose and caught the flying axe.

They acted almost human. Taesan let out a short laugh.

"What kind of world is this?"

These armaments were alive.

They could be considered lifeforms made of iron. Similar to the [Arrows] Taesan possessed—but with much more advanced egos.

This didn't feel like a floor made simply for use in the labyrinth.

Normally, he would've asked the ghost about it. But the ghost wasn't here.

[You have summoned the Spirit King of Wind, Minerva.]

"Yup-cha-cha!"

Wind gathered and Minerva appeared. As soon as her feet touched the earth, she looked displeased.

"…Master. Where are we? I can't feel any essence of nature here."

"I don't know either. That's why I called you. Do you have any guesses?"

"Huh?"

Minerva looked around Taesan and tilted her head.

"Come to think of it, where's the ghost?"

The ghost had always been by Taesan's side. Minerva immediately noticed his absence.

"He left me temporarily."

"But weren't you two bound by a quest? He could just leave like that?"

"The quest ended."

Taesan answered. Minerva nodded.

"I see… must be a little lonely, huh? It's okay, Master. You have me and Varkaza."

"Let's set that aside for now. Can you tell what kind of world this is?"

"Hmm."

Minerva touched her chin with her finger.

"There are lots of armaments here, most with faint wills. No signs of living creatures. Not even spirits. It's like a world made just for weapons."

She sounded unsure.

"The God of Blacksmiths, maybe?"

"Blacksmith?"

"A god who governs and rules the concept of weapons. I'm not sure. We're not exactly close to him."

She continued.

"I've heard he can craft weapons that surpass mortality—ones that choose their own masters and help them reach great heights. It's just a rumor, but they say he has several realms where he stores his creations. Maybe this is one of them?"

Minerva shook her head.

"I don't know beyond that. He's too distant from me."

"That's enough."

He had gathered a rough understanding. Minerva shrank slightly with an uncomfortable expression.

"Then, Master, can I head back for now? There's no natural essence here. Just cold metal. This place is really unpleasant for me."

"Yeah, go ahead."

"Thanks, Master. Call me when you need me again."

Relieved, Minerva returned to the Spirit Realm. Just like she said, the only thing that could be felt here was the will of the armaments. Nothing else gave the impression of a proper world.

This world felt like a display hall built entirely for those weapons.

Ka-ga-ga-kak!

Dozens of weapons embedded around Taesan rose and charged to pierce his body.

"Stand down."

[You have activated Declaration of Exclusion.]

Clang!

The weapons collided with Taesan's intense will and were flung away.

They trembled as if startled.

There were far too many to subdue one by one. No matter how much power he showed, they kept attacking—what a hassle.

[You have activated Baal's Layered Darkness.]

Layered darkness cloaked Taesan's body.

The will of the weapons wavered as if they had lost him. Taesan ignored them and focused.

[You have activated Leraje's Domain Detection.]

The power of detection spread across the world. In an instant, the entirety of this realm entered Taesan's mind.

So long as there were no interruptions, he could grasp the entirety of a planet larger than Earth from a seated position.

And so, Taesan discovered the world's scale—nearly the size of Earth.

And on the far side, he sensed an immense power.

It was likely the King's Sword, the quest target. Taesan couldn't help but be surprised.

The power emanating from the King's Sword was colossal.

It had reached the peak of mortality.

It seemed nearly impossible to subdue with mortal strength.

Balbamaba had said this floor was pulled from deep within. That meant this floor existed in ordinary labyrinths too.

Which meant that Lee Taeyeon had likely cleared it as well.

'Did she ever mention this floor?'

Taesan didn't remember every single thing she said. Unfortunately, nothing came to mind.

After a moment's thought, Taesan began to walk.

But he wasn't heading toward the King's Sword.

Domain Detection had revealed three main things to him:

The scale of the world.

The location of the armament presumed to be the King's Sword.

And a single other lifeform.

Taesan kicked off the ground. His body shot across space.

Before long, he found a small cave.

Taesan walked toward it.

Like elsewhere, countless weapons were embedded around the cave. But something was different.

Whereas the other weapons had fierce, rejecting wills that acknowledged no one, the ones near the cave had calm, stable wills.

Taesan picked one up.

[Refined-Willed Sword]

[A nameless sword born through self-forging. It was reforged into a sharp weapon by the hands of a skilled blacksmith.]

[Attack +1000]

[Has its own will and supports its master.]

The swords that had lunged at him earlier had no value as weapons.

But this one had been properly transformed into a weapon.

Taesan entered the cave.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

The sound of a hammer echoed. Heat clung to his skin.

Step.

As Taesan moved forward, the weapons in the cave stirred.

They seemed intent on protecting their master.

"That's enough, you lot. He looks like a guest."

A laid-back voice rang out. The weapons slowly returned to their places.

Taesan reached the deepest part of the cave.

There stood a dwarf.

He looked like something straight out of a fairy tale—comically proportioned, wielding a hammer too large for his body, striking an anvil.

Kang!

The dwarf spoke sharply.

"You. You're an adventurer, aren't you?"

[You have encountered the Mad Dwarf, Koslun.]

* * *

Koslun. The name rang a bell. Haphran had mentioned him once.

A man obsessed with creating equipment that transcends mortality. In terms of gear related to will, Haphran said he was superior to himself.

"Why aren't you answering? I asked if you're an adventurer."

Taesan nodded. Koslun tilted his head.

"When the new contract was made, there weren't supposed to be any adventurers here for a while. But I guess it's fine."

Koslun puffed out his chest and shouted boldly, barely reaching Taesan's waist.

"I am Koslun! The blacksmith who has taken root in the labyrinth! Etch it into your mind and never forget it!"

"I know. Your name is Koslun. And you're extremely skilled at working with will-based equipment."

Koslun, ready to boast, suddenly froze.

"What? How do you know that?"

"Haphran told me."

"Haphran?"

Koslun frowned.

"…He's not the type to tell adventurers that kind of thing. Oh-ho. You must be pretty skilled, huh? Well, it makes sense if you made it here."

Koslun's gaze toward Taesan grew intrigued. Taesan asked,

"I heard you were based around the 70th floor."

"I used to be. But a place I really wanted got added in the Deep Layer. So I changed my contract and moved here."

Koslun cheerfully waved his hammer.

"Haphran. Maybe I should've brought him too. Nah, this place isn't his domain. He's better off not coming."

"What is this place?"

"The magician and the God of Blacksmiths recently made a contract. Thanks to that, we can now use the God of Blacksmiths' domain in the labyrinth—previously inaccessible."

Minerva was right. This place was the domain of the God of Blacksmiths.

Koslun beamed proudly.

"As soon as I found out, I requested to change my contract with Balbamaba. There was some fuss, but I got to settle here in the domain of the God of Blacksmiths! All the armaments here, gear you could never find outside, are mine to use as I please! It's awesome!"

"You can change your contract like that?"

"My stay in the labyrinth is to fulfill my wish! If a better way to achieve it comes up, of course I'll change!"

Thinking back, the ghost's original quest was to defeat a secret boss on the 10th floor.

But after learning the truth, a new quest emerged. So changing a contract to fulfill one's wish seemed possible.

"Of course there's a price! That's why I made a contract with the God of Blacksmiths! Once my wish is fulfilled, I'll become part of this place! I'll become one of the many weapons embedded in this land!"

"…Forever?"

"Of course!"

Koslun grinned.

"I wonder what kind of weapon I'll become? A spear? A shield? I'm so excited!"

To become a weapon and remain here forever. For an ordinary person, it'd be despair. But Koslun looked like he genuinely longed for it.

'Haphran did say he'd gone mad.'

Just from this brief meeting, Taesan could tell Koslun's values were twisted.

"Still, I heard there wouldn't be anyone coming here for a while. Interesting. Is there already an adventurer who reached the 100th floor?"

Koslun muttered curiously. Taesan frowned.

"This is the 100th floor?"

"What are you talking about? Of course it is."

Koslun looked at him like he was saying something absurd.

Taesan had expected late 90s—but hadn't imagined they pulled the 100th floor.

'So this was supposed to be the end of the labyrinth.'

"Judging from your expression, you're something special… but that doesn't concern me."

Koslun pounded his hammer. Clang!

"I just do my work. You've made it here. You've earned Haphran's approval. You should be able to help me. So I'll give you a quest."

[Sub-Quest Start.]

[The dwarf Koslun wants to forge a weapon that transcends mortality and surpasses his own limits. Help fulfill his wish.]

[Condition: Bring Koslun the armaments he desires.]

[Reward: Koslun will determine based on your achievement.]