Ascension Through Skills

“Huff. Huff.”

Boom

With a loud noise, a monster fell. A smile formed on the face of the man who had fought it.

[10th Floor Clear Reward] [Five Blue Potions.]

“Oh…”

The man, Kim Yohan, exclaimed in awe.

He had just cleared the 10th floor on his own for the first time.

“Yes!”

He clenched his fist. This was an achievement beyond his wildest dreams.

He was a Normal Mode player. Like others, he was initially panicked but eventually accepted the situation and entered the Labyrinth.

However, he had been unable to pass the 5th floor for months.

His lack of talent was the reason.

He struggled even with light attacks and had barely escaped death from monsters of his level. Others like him who entered the Labyrinth had moved on, but he remained stuck here.

Known as a failure in Normal Mode, he struggled alone and couldn’t find a proper party.

But that was now over.

“This is really…”

He looked at the skill with awe-filled eyes.

[God's Blessing: Struggle and Death's Harvest] [You gain all talents related to struggle and death.]

The skill that enabled him to clear the 10th floor alone.

The effect of gaining talents he didn’t have before was tremendous. He could now easily block attacks from monsters he couldn’t handle before and defeat them without significant damage.

This skill made him much stronger.

And there was a person responsible for him obtaining this skill.

“Kang Taesan… was it?”

He had been in Busan when the world was ending, and the choices were given.

He had never seen Taesan directly, but he had heard stories from other Normal Mode players.

A single person who defeated many players from Hard Mode.

Someone who defeated a monster that others couldn’t even resist.

And the one who bestowed blessings upon them all.

Thanks to Kang Taesan, Yohan could conquer the Labyrinth. His gratitude towards Taesan was indescribable.

“I should thank him if I ever meet him.”

He had reached a place he believed was unreachable. His feelings were evolving beyond mere gratitude.

And unbeknownst to Kim Yohan, a golden aura was emanating from him.

This aura reached out across dimensions to someone.

[Divine Power increased by 1%.]

Taesan, who had just defeated a monster, paused.

“Why did this suddenly increase?”

[...Indeed?]

The increase in divine power proficiency was unexpected. Taesan frowned.

“Did this monster possess divine power?”

[Unlikely...]

“I’m not sure.”

It was an inexplicable increase. Feeling uneasy, Taesan continued deeper into the Labyrinth.

The 31st floor was also nearing its end. Taesan checked the rewards in the secret room.

[Sword Infused with Holy Energy] [Attack Power + 25] [A sword blessed by the gods. Now faded, only remnants remain.]

It was equipment of the same grade as the weapon he was currently wearing. He thought it would be good to sell it in the store.

[Adventurer Title Activated. Rewards from the secret room are doubled.]

“Oh?”

Another Sword Infused with Holy Energy was generated.

Taesan picked it up with a satisfied expression.

“Not bad.”

Though it was unnecessary equipment, it would be quite valuable in the store.

After collecting the rewards, Taesan continued to break through the Labyrinth and soon encountered the boss.

[The Fragmented Self of a Knight Appears.]

Clank.

A white knight wielding a sword similar to those he had faced before. Taesan drew his two swords and charged.

Clash!

He used Wolf’s Fang and Dance of Swords in quick succession without activating a skill. The knight countered with his own swordsmanship.

Clang!

Taesan’s sword smoothly countered the knight’s attack and pierced the armor. He crushed the knee with an attack and struck the head.

[You have defeated the Fragmented Self of a Knight.]

The victory was not difficult. Taesan swung his swords around.

According to Lee Taeyeon, monsters wielding various weapons appear from the 31st floor. So Taesan focused on swordsmanship, which significantly improved his proficiency.

[Advanced Skill: Stormscar Sword] [Proficiency: 39%] [A sword technique passed down from the destroyed world. Only one person now masters it. You can be confident you've begun to understand it.]

40% was close.

The rise was quick, but Taesan’s expression was not too pleased.

“It feels like I’m hitting a wall.”

His swordsmanship was improving. Now, there was almost no delay in activating Wolf’s Fang and Dance of Swords.

But that was it.

There was no sign of gaining anything new.

The ghost agreed.

[You're reaching your limit. I told you before, right? Beyond a certain level, it's really hard to self-learn.]

“Have I reached that point?”

[Yes, the fourth stage is particularly tough. It's a kind of consolidation. The techniques you've accumulated and learned. You need to combine these two to create something new. But that's...]

“Not easy.”

[It's actually difficult.]

The ghost spoke in an ambiguous tone.

[There are a few methods... but they're difficult to apply here. You need to discover them yourself; I've never seen anyone do that. Even with your talent for struggle, swordsmanship is a different realm. What to do.]

A way to learn higher-dimensional swordsmanship.

He pondered for a while, but the answer didn’t come easily.

“I’ll think about it over time.”

[You can take your time. Once you get past that stage, it gets a bit easier.]

He checked the clear reward.

[White Sword] [A Spotless White Sword. Refined from a mineral not found here.] [Attack Power + 35]

“Good.”

Taesan used dual swords. Aside from Calvert’s Relic, he needed another weapon. The one he was currently wearing had an attack power of 25, so naturally, he thought to replace it.

[??? was used.] [Obtained a Golden Sword.] [Golden Sword] [Attack Power + 45] [A spotless golden sword. Refined from a mineral not found here.] [This feels like a tease, doesn't it?]

The ghost murmured sulkily.

Taesan changed his weapon again and went down to the 32nd floor.

[32nd Floor Quest Started.] [Defeat the boss of the 32nd floor to pass.] [Reward: Bloodstained Armor] [Secret Reward: ???]

“Seems like no magical items will be given.”

The rewards were all similar, possibly due to the knights on this floor.

Taesan, wishing to learn new magic, felt a bit disappointed. He met the store owner and sold the equipment he had acquired.

“Why are there two of these?”

The store owner looked puzzled as he picked up the Sword Infused with Holy Energy.

“This should be worth about… 14,000 gold. Are you selling?”

“Yes, I’ll sell.”

The amount was satisfactory. He had now accumulated enough money to buy items from the store owner.

“What do you want to buy?”

“Not now.”

There was no rush. The deeper he went, the better the equipment for sale, so he planned to wait as long as possible.

Leaving the store owner behind, Taesan descended to the 32nd floor.

The monsters on the 32nd floor were similar to the 31st, armored and wielding swords. Their movements were more refined and faster.

However, that was it. He handled them with his swordsmanship alone and moved on.

After a while, he found a shrine of a god.

[You have discovered the Shrine of Ehili.] [First Discovery Bonus] [[Strength permanently increased by 10. Health permanently increased by 30.]

“It’s been a while.”

It was a reward that felt good, even though it wasn’t necessary.

Taesan turned off the window and looked at the shrine.

The shrine’s appearance was very simple. No, it was too simple to even be called a shrine.

A giant sword, reaching to the ceiling, was the only thing piercing the ground.

A chilling aura emanated from it.

He had a guess. Who the owner of this shrine was.

The ghost calmly confirmed his guess.

[God of Swords. Ehili.]

“Indeed.”

He had suspected it. With the God of Magic residing in the Labyrinth, there was no reason for the God of Swords not to exist.

“This feels strange.”

He was unsure how the God of Swords would react to him.

In a way, Taesan had stolen the Aura bestowed by Ehili on Vekveta through Soul Ascension. It wouldn’t have been strange to interpret it as intercepting the power of a god.

Moreover, Vekveta had also perished. Although the Demon God directly crushed it, Taesan’s involvement was a fact, so he felt a bit uneasy.

[It doesn't matter. The most indifferent god in the Labyrinth is the God of Swords. He might not take interest in you, but he won't show hostility either.]

The ghost spoke with certainty. If he said so, it was unlikely Taesan would face hostility.

Taesan approached the sword and touched it. Coldness seeped into his hand.

Simultaneously, energy flowed from the sword. A calm yet heavy aura filled the room.

Within the energy, a few emotions were felt.

Curiosity.

Doubt.

And welcome.

[Looks like there's no hostility.] [Sub-quest begins] [The influence of Ehili is reduced.] [Ehili wants to test you, having come to his shrine. Accept, and an enhanced trial will come to you. Overcome it, and a reward follows.] [Reward: Ehili decides based on your performance.]

“An enhanced trial from the start?”

[Even the indifferent Ehili must have heard about you. He's not planning to take it easy. Here it starts.]

The ghost murmured excitedly.

[What kind of trial will it be? Ehili, a god who rarely shows emotions. I've never heard rumors of him giving an enhanced trial, so what could it be?]

“What did you get?”

[Similar to Lakiratas. I had to defeat a servant of Ehili.]

“So, this time, I have to face a real servant?”

[Most likely.]

As they discussed the content of the trial, a system window appeared.

[Sub-quest accepted] [Ehili's power infuses into the ghost.]

“What?”

[Huh?]

They paused. Massive energy from the sword embedded in the ground began to infuse into the white ghost.

The ghost flailed in apparent panic.

[Wait a minute!] [Condition 1: Strike the ghost in an equal state with a single blow.] [Condition 2: Prohibit the use of any skill unrelated to swordsmanship.] [Condition 3: This quest does not end until the conditions are met.]

Taesan’s pupils dilated as he read the conditions.

[Ah, ahh.]

The ghost let out a groan-like exclamation. His form, which was white like a ghost from a movie, began to change.

“…Is this possible with the power of a god?”

Taesan groaned.

Platinum hair flowed, and a well-built body materialized. Expressions began to form on the previously blank face.

The ghost vanished.

Instead, a prince from the destroyed world appeared.

“Ah, ahh…”

The ghost looked at his own hands. After staring blankly, he eventually let out a small laugh.

“This is… quite surprising.”

“Same here.”

[The prince of the destroyed world, Bradley, appears.]