Ascension Through Skills-Chapter 440: 86th Floor, The World of Armaments (2)

Clang!

A spinning axe flew toward Taesan’s head. He caught it by the handle, and it immediately thrashed in a frenzy.

Without hesitation, Taesan threw the axe away. It spun through the air, and other weapons embedded in the ground rose up to intercept and catch it.

The scene was almost human-like in its coordination, and Taesan chuckled.

“What kind of world is this?”

The weapons here were alive, undeniably so.

They were not mere tools but entities forged from iron with wills of their own. Compared to the arrow Taesan wielded, these weapons possessed far greater autonomy and intelligence.

This world didn’t seem like something created solely for a labyrinth trial.

Normally, he would’ve asked the ghost for answers, but the ghost wasn’t here. Instead, Taesan summoned Minerva.

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

“Phew, what a summoning.”

This 𝓬ontent is taken from freeweɓnovel.cѳm.

Minerva materialized in a swirl of wind and planted her feet on the ground. Almost immediately, she grimaced with visible discomfort.

“...Master, what is this place? I can’t feel even a trace of nature here.”

“I don’t know either. That’s why I called you. Do you have any ideas?”

“Huh?”

Minerva tilted her head as she scanned the surroundings.

“Wait a minute, where’s the ghost?”

The absence of the ghost, who was always at Taesan’s side, didn’t go unnoticed.

“He left for a while,” Taesan replied.

“Aren’t you bound together by a quest? How is that even possible?”

“The quest is over.”

Minerva nodded in understanding.

“I see... That must feel lonely. Don’t worry, Master. You still have me and Varkaz.”

“We’ll talk about that later. For now, can you figure out what kind of world this is?”

“Hmmm...”

Minerva pressed a finger to her chin, deep in thought.

“There are so many weapons here, most with faint wills. But there’s no sign of any real life—not even other spirits. It’s as if this world exists solely for the weapons.”

She hesitated, her tone uncertain.

“Maybe... a God of Blacksmiths?”

“A God of Blacksmiths?”

“A deity who governs the concept of weapons and their creation. I’m not sure, though. We spirits aren’t exactly on friendly terms with him.”

Minerva continued, “It’s said that he can forge weapons that surpass mortality itself—tools that choose their own masters and elevate them to extraordinary heights. According to rumors, he maintains several realms to store his creations. This might be one of them.”

She shook her head.

“That’s all I can tell you. He’s a god too far removed from us.”

“That’s enough,” Taesan said.

He had gained enough to work with. Minerva shrank back, visibly uncomfortable.

“Master, I’m sorry, but can I go back now? There’s no natural energy here—just cold metal. It’s unbearable.”

“Go ahead.”

“Thank you, Master. Call me if you need me again.”

With a look of relief, Minerva vanished back to the spirit realm.

Her assessment had been accurate. The only thing that filled this world was the overwhelming will of the weapons. The entire realm felt like a showcase—a display case built solely for the armaments.

Clang! Clang!

Dozens of weapons embedded in the ground around Taesan simultaneously rose and launched themselves at him, aiming for his body.

“Stand down.”

[You activated Declaration of Exclusion.]

Boom!

The intense will of the weapons collided with Taesan’s power and was repelled, scattering them in all directions.

The weapons emitted creaking noises, almost as if expressing confusion.

Subduing each weapon individually was impractical, and their endless attacks were becoming tedious.

[You activated Baal’s Overlapping Darkness.]

A veil of layered darkness surrounded Taesan, obscuring him from view.

The weapons seemed to lose sight of their target, their wills faltering. Ignoring them, Taesan focused.

[You activated Leraje’s Domain Detection.]

The power of detection spread throughout the world. In an instant, Taesan absorbed a detailed understanding of everything within the realm.

Given time and no interruptions, he could even map an entire planet larger than Earth from his current position.

Through this scan, Taesan discerned three critical points:

The immense size of this world, rivaling Earth.The location of an overwhelmingly powerful presence, likely the King’s Sword described in the quest.A single other living being within this realm.Taesan's attention shifted.

While the King’s Sword was undoubtedly important, he decided to investigate the third discovery first.

He stomped the ground, and his body surged forward, tearing through space.

Eventually, he found a small cave.

Surrounding the cave were weapons, much like the rest of the world. However, their aura was different.

Unlike the hostile, unyielding will of the other weapons, these exuded a calm, stable intent.

Taesan picked one up.

[A Sword with Tempered Will]

[A nameless sword born of self-forging in this world. It has been refined by a skilled blacksmith, transforming into a sharp weapon.]

Attack Power: +1000Actively aids its wielder.Unlike the weapons that had attacked him, this one had genuine value as a weapon.

Taesan entered the cave.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

The sound of a hammer striking metal echoed within. The air was thick with heat, clinging to his skin.

As Taesan ventured deeper, the weapons in the cave stirred, as if ready to defend their master.

“Enough, you fools. He seems to be a guest.”

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

Taesan walked to the deepest part of the cave.

There, he found a dwarf.

He looked like something out of a fairy tale—an almost comical figure holding an oversized hammer, striking an anvil.

Clang!

The dwarf looked up sharply.

“You there. Are you an adventurer?”

[You have encountered the Mad Dwarf, Kosrun.]

***

The name Kosrun resonated with Taesan—he had heard of it before. Haphran had spoken about him.

Kosrun was a smith driven mad by his obsession with creating equipment that transcended mortality. When it came to gear imbued with will, Haphran admitted Kosrun was unparalleled.

“Why aren’t you answering? Are you an adventurer or not?”

Taesan nodded, and Kosrun tilted his head curiously.

“When I signed my new contract, they told me no adventurers would come here for a while. Guess it doesn’t matter.”

Puffing out his chest, Kosrun thumped it proudly. Despite barely reaching Taesan’s waist in height, his voice was booming.

“I am Kosrun, the blacksmith who resides in the labyrinth! Burn that into your mind and don’t you dare forget it!”

“I know who you are,” Taesan replied calmly. “You’re Kosrun, and I’ve heard you’re unmatched when it comes to handling gear imbued with will.”

Kosrun’s confident demeanor froze, his face falling in surprise.

“What? How do you know that?”

“Haphran told me.”

“Haphran?”

Kosrun scowled.

“...That’s odd. He’s not the type to share that kind of thing with adventurers. You must’ve impressed him somehow. Then again, I suppose that’s expected if you’ve made it this far.”

Kosrun’s gaze turned sharper, tinged with interest.

“I heard you were stationed on the 70th floors,” Taesan remarked.

“I was,” Kosrun confirmed, grinning as he swung his hammer. “But when I learned that a place I’ve dreamed of was now accessible in the deep floors, I immediately requested a new contract and relocated.”

Kosrun’s excitement was palpable as he spoke.

“Haphran, huh? Maybe I should’ve brought him along. Then again, this place isn’t really in his area of expertise. It’s probably better he didn’t come.”

“What kind of place is this?” Taesan asked.

“The Wizard and the God of Blacksmiths recently forged a contract,” Kosrun explained. “Thanks to that, the previously inaccessible domain of the Blacksmith God is now part of the labyrinth.”

Minerva’s guess had been correct—this was indeed a realm of the Blacksmith God.

Kosrun grinned proudly.

“The moment I learned that, I immediately renegotiated my contract with Balbabamba. There was some back-and-forth, but in the end, I secured a position in the Blacksmith God’s domain! Now, I can work with all the weapons here—gear you’d never find anywhere else! It’s perfect!”

“Is it really possible to change contracts so freely?” Taesan asked.

“Of course! The only reason I’m here is to fulfill my own desire! If a better way to achieve that comes along, why wouldn’t I adjust my contract?”

Thinking about it, Taesan realized that the ghost’s original quest had been to defeat the secret boss on the 10th floor. Over time, the quest had evolved as new truths came to light. It seemed that as long as it aligned with the contractor’s ultimate goal, changes to contracts were permitted.

“Of course, there’s a price,” Kosrun added with a laugh. “I made a pact with the Blacksmith God. Once my desire is fulfilled, I’ll become part of this place—one of the countless weapons embedded in the ground.”

“...Forever?”

“Of course!” Kosrun’s laughter echoed loudly.

“I wonder what I’ll become—a spear? A shield? I’m excited just thinking about it!”

Taesan remained silent.

To willingly become a weapon and exist eternally in this realm—it was a fate most would consider despairing. Yet Kosrun seemed to yearn for it with every fiber of his being.

“Haphran was right,” Taesan thought. Kosrun was undeniably twisted. Even after a brief interaction, it was clear his values were warped beyond recognition.

“So, they said no one would come here for a while,” Kosrun muttered, curiosity flickering in his eyes. “But here you are. Does that mean you’ve already reached the 100th floor?”

Taesan frowned.

“Is this the 100th floor?”

“What are you talking about? Of course, it is!” Kosrun replied, as if the question was absurd.

Taesan’s expression hardened.

He had expected this floor to be in the late 90s but never imagined it would be pulled directly from the 100th.

“Was this originally the end of the labyrinth?” he wondered.

Kosrun glanced at Taesan’s expression and shrugged.

“You seem special, but that’s none of my concern,” he said, striking his anvil with a sharp clang.

“I just need to do my work. You’ve reached this place, and you’ve earned Haphran’s approval. That means you might just be able to help me. So, I’ll give you a quest.”

[Sub-Quest Started.]

[The Mad Dwarf, Kosrun, desires to forge a weapon that transcends mortality and surpasses his limits. Help him achieve his dream.]

[Conditions: Bring Kosrun the materials he desires.]

[Reward: Determined by Kosrun based on your performance.]