Chapter 204: 51st Floor, The Forest Of Mystical Things (1)


    While touring the city, Taesan asked,


    Who made this?


    It looked too well-established to have been made by adventurers, no matter how he looked at it. The ghost replied,


    [Not us. It was here before I arrived, and before Ainzhar. It existed even before that spirit arrived.]


    So then


    [It was made by the magician. The reason why is not hard to understand.]


    As Taesan was conversing, a figure approached him.


    Are you a new adventurer?


    A man wearing shabby armor approached him, his face filled with annoyance.


    The man extended his hand towards Taesan.


    Its annoying, but work has to be done. My name is Darien.


    Taesan shook his hand and looked at him.


    When he had met NPCs before, a system window announcing them would appear.


    But no system window appeared for Darien.


    That meant one thing.


    Darien, noticing Taesans gaze, shrugged his shoulders.


    As you guessed, Im not one bound by thebyrinth. Im an adventurer like you.


    [You''re still here?]


    The ghost said, noticing Darien. Dariens face brightened upon seeing the ghost.


    The hero? If youre here, does that mean youre dead?


    [That''s why I''m here. Are you picking a fight?]


    No, no.


    Darien suppressed hisughter, his face looking delighted at the prospect of the hero dying and appearing before him as a ghost.


    Lets get the tour over with quickly so I can rest. Follow me.


    Darien walked down the road. Taesan looked around again.


    The scenery didnt seem at all like abyrinth. Numerous buildings. And roads that were damaged but still paved.


    And beyond the vige, a vast space was visible.


    This ce felt more like a world of its own than abyrinth.


    As you can roughly see, this ce is different from before. Whether you move forward or end up stuck here like us.


    Us?


    Everyone here was an adventurer. Or rather, used to be.


    As he said, Taesan saw many people, but not a single system window appeared for any of them.


    It seems like youve lived quite a long time.


    The age of the buildings and theyout of the vige indicated that they had been here for a long time.


    Darien smirked bitterly.


    This is that kind of ce. A gathering ce for those who have given up.


    Darien moved on.


    There are broadly three types of adventurers in thebyrinth. One is the adventurers who die descending thebyrinth. They are the mostmon and numerous.


    The difficulty of thebyrinth was notoriously high. Even the most talented individuals could die from a moment of carelessness.


    For example, out of the hundreds of thousands from Earth who chose Solo Mode, only Lee Taeyeon survived, which said a lot.


    There must have been talented and exceptional ones among them who did not survive.


    And then theres the adventurer who descends to the end of thebyrinth. Im not sure if such a person actually exists. Even the hero ended up dying.


    [If I hadn''t been stabbed in the back, maybe it could have been possible, but dead is dead.]


    That part made him a bit curious.


    Aside from Lee Taeyeon, was there someone who had cleared thebyrinth?


    Is there actually someone who cleared it?


    I dont know. Ive heard rumors that such a person exists, but Ive never actually seen them. Even the leaders of the guides cant go down there, so how could we possibly know?


    Darien replied nonchntly.


    Thest one is us. Those whose spirits are broken.


    Those who gave up on tackling the increasing difficulty as they descended and settled in thebyrinth.


    Simr to NPCs, but unlike them, they were not bound by any contract.


    The 51st floor was a gathering ce for such individuals.


    Its just as Lee Taeyeon said.


    Long before, even before the Guides of Sin settled here, there were those who lived on the 51st floor.


    They were like those whose time had stopped.


    And the Guides of Sin, the Demon God said, were waiting on the 51st floor.


    Taesan extended his senses while listening to Dariens guidance.


    This is a residential area. If you save up money diligently, you can live here.


    Numerous detached houses were in sight, forming the shape of homes yet appearing on the verge of copsing. People from a dying Earth lived in better homes than these.


    This is a tavern. If you want to eat,e here.


    Inside the tavern, a woman drinking nced at Taesan and Darien and said,


    Are you a new adventurer?


    Yes.


    Then youre a new resident. Youll end up stuck here anyway. Nice to meet you.


    That wont happen to me.


    No. It will.


    The woman scoffed at Taesan.


    We all confidently ventured beyond, just like you, but ended up stuck here. Youll be the same.


    Darien remained silent, as if he found her words to be true.


    From this series of conversations, Taesan could tell.


    His values and theirs were fundamentally different.


    This conversation would definitely not progress any further.


    Leaving the woman behind, Darien continued to guide him through the vige.


    This is the church. Those who want to praye here.


    The exterior of the church was also crumbling, revealing the inside.


    Theres no one praying.


    They sleep to meet God.


    Taesan chuckled.


    Its just as the story goes.


    Lee Taeyeon had said the 51st floor was a ce for those with broken spirits. Thats why she believed she could rest here.


    But the moment she truly understood the 51st floor, she realized that was a vain dream.


    This ce was thebyrinth.


    Thebyrinth gave nothing to those who do not brave its depths.


    And these were the people with broken spirits who did not brave it.


    Such people building a vige, gathering food, and having enough materials to repair buildings was unlikely.


    The goods themselves could probably be obtained from shop owners.


    But gathering the money for it was the problem.


    If theybined their strength to kill monsters, they could supply themselves with gold, but the amount would not be substantial. After all, they were those whose spirits had been broken. They wouldnt want to risk their lives fighting.


    Therefore, the 51st floor was always short on food, and the buildings were crumbling.


    And those whose spirits were broken always envied those who moved forward.


    Total shut-ins.


    You too, if you stay here for hundreds of years, youll end up just like that.


    Maybe.


    Even Lee Taeyeon seemed like she would go crazy if she stayed here too long, so she quickly left.


    What do you guys do here?


    Nothing.


    Darien answered indifferently.


    We do nothing. Only I sometimes act as a guide upon the request of thebyrinths manager, but even thats bing too bothersome. Its killing me.


    Those who despaired at the difficulty of thebyrinth. Those who gave up and sat down.


    They werepletely consumed by a sense of powerlessness.


    Its even worse than the Guides.


    No, perhaps these were what the Guides would be in the future.


    Those who lost their way.


    That was the adventurers of the 51st floor.


    Its really bothersome but I still have toplete the guide I took on.


    Darien pointed with his finger toward the end of the vige.


    There, an imprable foresty ahead.


    You want to go down here, right?


    Taesan nodded.


    It might not seem possible, but Ill tell you anyway. Somewhere at the end of that in, theres a unicorn with a blue horn. If you kill it and bring back its horn, you can leave the 51st floor.


    Lee Taeyeon had said that the 51st floor was very unique, that it waspletely different from anything seen before.


    Just as she said, it was very peculiar. Finding a unicorn in a wide in instead of the usualbyrinth form as the way to clear the floor.


    Just in case, but hero. You cant tell anyone the location.


    [I know. I don''t n to tell anyone about the path itself. The strategy for thebyrinth is to rely solely on one''s own strength, without anyone''s help. ...Well, that''s already been broken.]


    Lee Taeyeon thought Taesan was in Easy Mode and spilled all the information about Solo Mode. That information was now in Taesans head.


    Just so you know, you can enter any house to sleep. If you want to eat, go up to thebyrinth and somehow scrounge up something. It might be blocked due to penalties, but if you struggle, you can get a small amount of gold. Thats enough to buy from the shop owner.


    It was as if he was saying Taesan was bound to fail and return here. Taesan shook his head.


    I dont n toe back.


    No, you will.


    Darien twisted his lips.


    I was like you too. I descended thebyrinth faster than anyone. I was full of confidence that I could go all the way to the end, that I could clear it. But I ended up stuck here. Not just me, everyone here felt that way.


    Darien pointed past the forest.


    Those who can get past there are either supported by the Guides or are beings different from the rest, like dragons. Yeah, like that demon that passed before. Otherwise, no one can get past.


    Darien spoke as if his view was the absolute truth.


    The hero beside you is the same. He descended thebyrinth but ultimately didnt clear it and died.


    [Well... that''s true, so I won''t say anything, but it''s pretty shameful for you to mention that.]


    Darien ignored as if he didnt hear and continued.


    So, youll be the same. Come back and try to adapt here.


    Sorry, but Im different from you guys.


    Taesan shook his head.


    I cant just lie down at the bottom and scrape the bottom. Id rather die trying to descend.


    You.


    Dariens face twisted momentarily. He retorted with a face hurt in pride.


    Yeah. Lets see you prove it.


    Thats the n.


    Taesan entered the forest.


    The sight was filled with an incredibly colorful palette.


    The moment he stepped into the forest, he realized the air was different.


    Poison?


    Taesan momentarily held his breath, quickly assessing the texture and properties of the air.


    Not poison hallucinogens?


    [Judging hallucinogens...]


    [Judgment sessful!]


    The judgment came as soon as he thought about it. Although sessful, the judgment continued toe in periodically.


    Taesan surveyed the forest.


    It was incredibly colorful.


    Orange, green, red, purple - all these colors mixed together to disorient the mind.


    [You should be careful. The creatures thate out here are quite mischievous.]


    Taesan slowly moved forward.


    And then he realized.


    The forest is moving.


    Taesan turned around. The trees and bushes of the forest were stealthily moving, blocking the path he hade through.


    When Taesan looked at them, they hesitated for a moment and then continued moving, finishing their task.


    With a wry smile, Taesan walked forward.


    A bit further, Taesan saw a corpse in his field of vision.


    It was apletely rotten skeleton. He assumed it was the body of an adventurer who had gone ahead, but Taesan clicked his tongue.


    Whoever it was, they had bad taste.


    [Did you see through it?]


    As if a freshly rotting corpse would appear right in front of me just now. And in thisbyrinth? Impossible.


    He hadnt found a single corpse while descending thebyrinth. It meant there was an entity, perhaps the manager, who took care of the bodies.


    Therefore, the skeleton must have been deliberately ced there by someone.


    Click, ck.


    No sooner had he realized this than the skeleton rose up. Taesan punched towards the skeleton rushing at him with its arms iling wildly.


    Crack.


    The skeleton crumbled and did not move again.


    Simultaneously, he could hear gigglingughter.


    Theughter came from all around.


    It was a high-pitchedughter, like that of a child, but it was thick with murderous intent.


    Feeling a momentary murderous intent, Taesan stamped his foot.


    Keeng.


    White light pierced the tree and the spot where Taesan had been. Taesan quickly ran towards the source of the light, but found nothing there.


    [You dodged it.]


    [You dodged it.]


    A voice, filled with lightughter, echoed.


    [Will you dodge this too?]


    Keeng.


    Lights flew in session: two from the left, one from the right, and two from the front.


    Taesan drew his sword.


    [You activated Flow.]


    Keeng.


    The light collided with the sword and was deflected. Then, twisting his body, he dodged the lights that the sword hadnt intercepted.


    Koogooogooong.


    The light pierced through the trees.


    Taesan concentrated his mind.


    But he felt nothing.


    Surprise tinged the voice of the fairy.


    [You dodged that too.]


    This is fun,


    Taesan murmured.


    The light just now would have been life-threatening for a regr adventurer on the 51st floor.


    Lee Taeyeon had said that from the 51st floor onwards, the difficulty spikes dramatically, iparable to anything before.


    A ce where mystical beings lived and sought to kill outsiders.


    This was the starting point of a newyer.