Episode 221

Barkaza raised his voice and kept his distance. Taesan tilted his head, puzzled.

“How does news spread so that the spirits know everything about the labyrinth?”

The labyrinth and the outside world were separate entities. Considering the title’s implication to be hostile, Barkaza was accurately accusing him of killing the spirits’ kin.

Barkaza looked at Taesan from afar.

“Nothing much.”

Taesan pointed his sword at Barkaza.

“I wish to form a contract with you.”

“I hope you can view it as self-defense. Anyway, if you want to make a contract, it’s simple: if you defeat me, do as you please, and if I win, you enter into a contract with me. How about it?”

Interest tinged Barkaza’s voice.

Barkaza clapped his hands, and light spread in all directions like the sun.

Taesan closed his eyes, but it wasn’t just light that obstructed his vision. It was light that engulfed the mind itself, preventing normal thought.

Kukukukung!

A rainbow-colored beam descended upon Taesan.

Taesan stomped his feet. The light shattered the ground and trees, attempting to pierce him.

“Kyaaaak!”

“What, what’s happening!”

Akien and her companions, who were sleeping in a nearby carriage, woke up in shock.

“What’s going on!”

They had been sleeping peacefully when suddenly a tremendously strong force collided right beside them.

Hearing the screams, Taesan stomped his feet.

“Let’s keep some distance.”

Barkaza clapped his hands. Then, floating, he followed Taesan.

Taesan landed on a suitable cliff. Barkaza, following, clapped his hands vigorously.

Kukukukung!

Nature empathized. All the power in the surroundings infused into Barkaza, becoming his strength.

And it transformed into a rainbow-colored light that cascaded down upon Taesan in streams.

Taesan attempted to dodge. The light descended like a tempest. Taesan continued to evade, yet the onslaught persisted.

The quality and quantity of this power surpassed any spirit Taesan had encountered before.

However, Taesan was perplexed.

‘It’s not as intense as I anticipated.’

Taesan channeled strength into his legs and directed his sword towards the descending light.

The trembling sword made contact with the light. The path of the light bended. Consequently, the altered trajectory of the light intersected with the descending beams, causing them to fluctuate.

Kukukukung!

The rainbow-colored beam misses its target entirely.

Seizing the opportunity, Taesan charged at Barkaza through the gap that had formed.

Barkaza quickly clapped his hands together. Light radiated, vividly illuminating everything around Taesan.

The light, which had even engulfed the spirit, vanished.

Dodging the cascading rainbow-colored light, Barkaza appeared directly in front.

Barkaza hastily mustered his strength. The forces of nature began to gather around him.

Kukukukung!

A formidable defense encased Barkaza.

Taesan lunged with his sword.

Kaang!

The sword rebounded. Taesan’s eyes widened from the recoil felt in his wrist.

‘It’s solid.’

The spirit’s defense proved to be far superior to the attack.

Kukung!

Rainbow-colored light descended once more.

Taesan moved.

He dodged the descending beams of light and thrust his sword at Barkaza’s defense again, but the sword rebounded.

Barkaza proclaimed confidently.

“Let’s see about that.”

Taesan observed the descending light and shifted his stance.

Taesan reappeared in front of Barkaza. Barkaza, taken aback by Taesan’s sudden appearance, laughs, trusting in his defense.

“That’s the plan.”

Kaaaang!

With a fierce sound, the defense shook.

Cracks started to form at the spot where the sword hit.

[Uh?]

Barkaza was flustered. Taesan wedged into the newly formed gap.

And then he thrust his sword in again.

Kaaaang!

Crack.

The crack grew even bigger.

Barkaza, in shock, quickly tried to shoot light at the moment Taesan moved his hand.

Kukukukung!

The light penetrated Barkaza’s defense, ignoring it. The uncontrollable rainbow-colored light scatters in all directions, destroying the cliff. In that gap, Taesan swung his sword even more powerfully.

Kaang!

The crack spread, creating a small gap.

Taesan inserted his arm into the gap and swung it harshly, breaking the defense.

At the moment Barkaza hurriedly tried to clap, Taesan grabbed his neck.

Kwaang!

He slammed him into the ground, creating a crater and completely collapsing the cliff. A sudden wind spread throughout the forest.

“Then, let’s continue.”

Taesan subdued Barkaza.

What followed was a one-sided fight. Taesan, reading Barkaza’s will, suppressed and defeated everything he attempted before he could do it. Barkaza could do nothing but be beaten without a decent resistance.

Eventually, Barkaza conceded defeat in a nearly shattered state.

Taesan sheathed his sword.

“It was still decent.”

He had known from the start that the opponent would not stand a chance.

Taesan had defeated a high-level spirit on the 23rd floor. He had become incomparably stronger since then; it was impossible for a supreme spirit to stand against him.

It was rather surprising that Barkaza could create a defense that blocked Taesan’s attacks several times.

Barkaza grumbled.

“How do you know about what happened in the labyrinth?”

“Then I’m curious, aren’t the spirits of the labyrinth your enemies?”

“Because they have escaped their lifespan and duties, running away to the labyrinth.”

The Spirit God, Beatrice said that the Spirit King was a being that protected the world.

If that’s true, then the Fire Spirit King had abandoned the world he should protect and entered the labyrinth.

Barkaza fell silent at Taesan’s words.

“Someone you also know.”

Barkaza snorted.

“Yes.”

Woong.

The power of nature converged to form a shape. It appeared in front of Taesan and Barkaza like a key.

Taesan nodded and grabbed the key.

Power stretched out to both Taesan and Barkaza at the same time.

It was a contract and a binding of rules.

A new power that Taesan never felt before filled him. Barkaza calmly spoke.

A small symbol of the contract appeared on the back of Taesan’s hand.

The contract was complete. Barkaza grumbled.

The ghost waved its hand. Barkaza shut his mouth.

While the two exchanged various stories, Taesan was checking his skills.

What Barkaza could do was crucial because it meant using his power.

“What can you do?”

Barkaza clapped his hands. The energy of nature started to gather around them.

“Do I need to manage that power?”

“Do I have to be nearby to use that power?”

“That’s good.”

There were quite a few instances where Taesan had to be far from others on Earth. It meant Barkaza could protect them when Taesan wasn’t there.

“Assist?”

Reflecting on it, when Taesan summoned spirits, he would gather all the surrounding powers, unlike Akien who summoned with a specific attribute.

Flurk.

A flame arose. The power imbued with the king’s strength swirls around Taesan.

“It’s definitely stronger.”

The color of the flickering flames was deeper than before, indicating a significant increase in power.

Taesan extinguished the flame.

Barkaza fumbled.

“Because there was an opportunity.”

Barkaza let out a bitter laugh.

Interest was clear in Barkaza’s voice.

“Probably, that’s what will happen.”

Barkaza’s eyes sparkled. Taesan was puzzled by his visibly joyful reaction.

“I thought you despised me? For killing your kin.”

Barkaza said, laughing.

“Quite peaceful.”

Disgust was evident in Barkaza’s voice.

In a world where nothing special happened it was always serene. There’s no inconvenience, no disputes among people, just living. That’s boring. Living like this for hundreds of years, even a spirit got mentally drained.

He clapped his hands together.

The ghost was intrigued by Barkaza’s combative spirit. Spirits were known to love peace and not enjoy disputes with others. That had been the ghost’s observation of spirits so far.

Taesan responded.

“Then you don’t have to worry. I plan to fight till I’m weary.”

Barkaza was pleased.

“Your god gave me a task.”

Barkaza paused.

“Let’s talk about the details later and head back for now.”

Taesan moved. Barkaza, confused, followed him.