Ascension Through Skills

The monsters of the 30th floor seemed like a collection of all previous encounters, with various spirits like fire, wind, and water emerging. Each one was stronger, faster, and more powerful than those encountered before.

However, they still were no match for Taesan. He easily breached the labyrinth, reaching the secret room and its reward.

[Ring with an Unknown Aura] [Attack Power + 10] [A ring imbued with an unidentifiable aura that aids the wearer in attacking enemies. While not significantly meaningful, it seemed it could be sold for a good price.]

Unless attached to a weapon, attack power alone wasn’t of great significance. It would likely have ended up as an item sold for money. For Taesan, who had learned the Airak Weapon Arts, however, it was hard to find better equipment.

Replacing a ring with 5 power and 5 defense, his attack and defense power now matched perfectly.

[Attack Power + 228] [Defense + 228]

“Good.”

It was a minor but pleasing improvement.

He continued to advance through the labyrinth. The 30th floor, lacking any special features like a god’s altar or differently colored doors, was quickly navigated.

Then, he reached the boss.

[The Fire Spirit, Ifrit, has appeared.]

The giant of flame blocked Taesan’s path, swinging its massive arms and creating a firestorm.

Taesan, seeing an opportunity, raised his hand.

“Perfect for a test.”

[You have activated Little Spark.]

With the skill’s activation, his senses changed. He felt closer and more familiar with the flames and realized he had gained control over them.

Taesan reached out toward the incoming punch of Ifrit.

Boom!

Ifrit’s arm exploded, a result of Taesan’s control over the flame. Though the arm regenerated, Ifrit seemed disoriented.

“Nice.”

The boss of the 30th floor could do nothing but be relentlessly beaten up.

What followed was a one-sided battle. Ifrit’s attempts at retaliation were effortlessly blocked by Taesan’s slight gestures.

“Farewell.”

Taesan clenched his fist. Ifrit’s entire body exploded, leaving only ashes. An anticlimactic end for a 30th-floor boss.

[Your level has increased.] [Your Soul Ascension has been activated.] [You have discerned the 30th floor's hidden element. Reward [???] obtained.] [You have perfectly cleared the 30th floor. Title [Settler] obtained.] [You have perfectly cleared and understood all floors up to the 30th. Title [Seeker of Perfection] obtained.] [You have ascended to a level worthy of pride as an entrant of the labyrinth. Title [Pioneer] obtained.] [Your continuous challenges and value are evident. Title [Persistent Challenger] obtained.] [You have reached a position acknowledged by all. Title [Adventurer] obtained.] [Your footsteps now leave a meaningful change.]

As usual, numerous rewards were provided all at once.

“Now, then.”

Before concluding the floor, he had to check. Taesan sat down.

The 30th floor’s completion reward, like before, was a title. Expectedly high in terms of stat boost, it was satisfying, but the lack of change made it somewhat dull.

Thinking this, Taesan checked the title.

[Title: Settler] [You have reached a level where settling in the labyrinth is possible. Whether to move forward or stay is your choice.] [Strength +40] [Agility +40] [Intelligence +40] [Attack Power +10] [Defense +10]

Taesan was momentarily taken aback.

“The values are too different?”

He had received a title when he cleared the 20th floor. The corresponding title for “Settler” was “Advancer,” which had boosted each stat by 15—a fairly good title. However, the current title offered incomparably better performance.

“Stat increase of 40 and attack/defense by 10? What’s this?”

[Because you've reached the 30th floor.]

The ghost explained calmly.

[If up to the 20th floor was the beginning, from here, it's different. This place is no longer considered a lower level. That's why they're giving such substantial, clear rewards. It might not mean much to you, but title attack power applies even if it's not on a weapon, which is very good.]

“Interesting.”

It was not bad, actually, it was good. This suggested that other titles could also be at this level. Taesan, filled with anticipation, checked the other titles, and they met his expectations.

In fact, they did more than that.

The title “Seeker of Perfection” increased all stats by 40, “Pioneer” by 70, and “Persistent Challenger” by 30.

In total, he gained an incredible 180 points in stats just by clearing the 30th floor.

And then, the last title, “Adventurer.”

Taesan paused upon checking it.

[Title: Adventurer] [A qualified individual. This title disappears if qualifications are lost.] [Strength +100] [Agility +100] [Intelligence +100] [Attack Power +10] [Defense +10] [Low chance to double the rewards in the Secret Room.] [Skill proficiency increases 20% faster.]

Taesan chuckled.

“Too good.”

The numbers were incredibly high, but the special effects were the real deal.

Double rewards in the Secret Room at a low chance. Plus, a title that speeds up skill proficiency by 20%.

“What’s this? They give such a title on the 30th floor?”

[It's not a title easily obtained.]

The ghost elaborated.

[Probably, not all who faced the Guides of Sin received it. It's granted under the labyrinth's independent judgment to selected adventurers. A kind of qualification.]

Gods granted enhanced trials only to those they favored and chose as their apostles.

This title seemed to serve a similar purpose.

“Status window.”

[Kang Taesan] [Level: 69] [Shield: 435/435] [Health: 4890/4890] [Mana: 875/875] [Magic: 66/66] [Strength: 2043] [Intelligence: 1601] [Agility: 1875] [Attack Power: +248] [Defense: +248] [The subject is in optimal condition.]

Finally, Taesan’s strength had surpassed 2000. Considering Lee Taeyeon’s stats were over 10,000, it still seemed far off, but he was slowly getting closer.

“Very good.”

He had become stronger than yesterday, and tomorrow, he would be stronger than today.

It was an extremely enjoyable experience.

Taesan laughed happily and struck the wall.

Crack.

The wall crumbled. The labyrinth’s walls were extremely sturdy, requiring tens of thousands of attack power to even scratch them.

That it broke so easily meant something was hidden inside.

Already aware of this from his reconnaissance, Taesan calmly entered the broken wall.

After descending briefly, a small space appeared where five figures were seen.

“Hello. This is our first time meeting, right?”

Taesan greeted them.

These were the Guides of Sin who had not come to him, choosing to preserve their lives over battle.

All five of them stood in front of Taesan.

“Let’s end this then.”

Taesan leisurely drew his sword. The thin man, who had been swallowing nervously, hastily raised his hand.

“Stop! You can’t kill us!”

“I think I can.”

“No, you can’t.”

The man declared confidently.

“Because contact has been made with the deep layers!”

Taesan paused his sword for a moment. Seeing this, the man brightened up and spoke.

“Just a moment ago! We made contact with the leadership! They said they would come immediately upon hearing our message!”

Even hidden in this secret room, they could discern the general situation in the labyrinth. Their faces turned pale when they saw Taesan rapidly conquering the 29th and 30th floors.

When Taesan defeated the boss of the 30th floor, they almost gave up.

But at the same time, the leaders from the deep layers had finished conquering their respective floors and were returning.

Whether it was a failure or success was unclear, but the important thing was they could make contact.

The man immediately contacted the deep layers. He reported that the man they thought was dead was alive and coming to kill them.

As soon as Taesan reached them, they received a message that the leaders would soon arrive.

“You can’t kill us! If you kill us, too, you’ll be completely hostile!”

The man’s face now showed no fear, confident that Taesan could not touch them.

“So what?”

And then, Taesan shattered that confidence.

He moved forward with his sword towards them.

The man, panicked, stepped back.

“Cra, crazy! Do you want to be hostile against the adventurers from the deep layers!”

The reason they were sure he had survived was due to this.

Taesan was undeniably strong. Even being on the 30th floor, he was able to defeat the five of them. He possessed enough power to conquer typical adventurers of the 40th floor.

But that was a story up to the 40th floor.

The adventurers of the deep layers were those who had surpassed the 70th floor. They literally possessed power of a different dimension. The gap between the 1st and 30th floors was smaller compared to the gap between the 30th and 70th floors.

Therefore, they believed Taesan would choose to preserve his life rather than continue fighting.

But Taesan had no such intentions.

“I’ve already crossed a river of no return. What difference would killing five more make?”

“No, no!”

The man shouted out in a fit of panic. His back was against the wall.

“You’re strong! Unprecedentedly strong among us! With your power, you could be welcomed under the judgment of the leadership!”

It wasn’t a lie.

Something very special, a precedent hard to find since the establishment of the Guides of Sin, but it was certainly possible. In fact, once in the very early days, before they even entered the labyrinth, there was one who opposed the Guides of Sin. He rampaged through the lower floors, and when the leadership found him, he was not punished but became one of the Guides of Sin.

“Really?”

“So, now…”

“But I don’t want to. I have no intention of getting along with you guys.”

Taesan shook his head and approached them slowly.

“You… you…”

“Aren’t you adventurers who have risked your lives to descend to the 30th floor? You’ve overcome one or two trials, haven’t you? Choose. Either fight for your life. Or die a pathetic death here.”

Their eyes changed at Taesan’s murmuring. The man clenched his teeth and let go of the wall.

“… You’ll regret this!”

They stood up. Their powers erupted, violently shaking the small space.

They gave their all.

Perhaps stimulated by Taesan’s words, they used all their hidden trump cards, skills they had learned and honed, and items they had kept until now. They used everything to confront Taesan.

This made it a bit tricky for Taesan. He was slightly pushed back by the Guides of Sin, who were desperately creating openings at the cost of their lives.

But that was it.

Crackle.

Taesan blocked an attack and retreated. Seeing this, one of the Guides of Sin, thinking he had gained the upper hand, charged excitedly at Taesan.

Then, he stepped on the dark energy that had formed where Taesan had stepped.

“What, what?”

His face was instantly filled with dismay. His body movements slowed, and his complexion turned deathly pale.

Crack.

“Kergh!”

Taesan’s sword pierced through his chest. He used him as a shield to block the skills.

[You have activated Decarabia's Twisted Life.]

Rumble!

Roots wildly grew, filling the room. Startled by the sudden appearance of the vegetation blocking their vision, they were confused.

And Taesan saw it all.

Not with his eyes but with other senses. Enhanced sensations, among others. High proficiency in detection skills showed him more than what the eyes could see.

Boom!

Breaking through the roots, Taesan appeared. The man who had been looking for him was pierced through the neck.

“Goodbye.”

He charged at them.

With stern faces, the remaining three Guides of Sin held their weapons.

And 10 minutes later.

They were all annihilated.

“Well fought.”

There was a definitive gap between them and Taesan. Yet, they managed to hold out for 10 minutes. It was something they could be proud of.

In fact, the last man to fall also wore a satisfied smile.

Taesan shook his sword clean.

The third tier of the Guides of Sin, there had been five of them. Although there was a level difference, it was enough to trigger the Soul Ascension. He gained levels and a few skills.

But there was no time to check that.

Taesan lifted his head.

“Hey, what’s this? Why are they all dead?”

A young man with a frivolous demeanor was entering the room, looking shocked.