Ascension Through Skills

“Did you go back to the village? At that time, you must have observed the flowers and weeds around you and seen how they’re described. How was it?”

“I couldn’t understand it.”

After learning alchemy, Taesan had examined the flowers and roots.

What appeared in the system window was information about the energy and repulsion, harmony, and combination of these materials.

There was no guidance on how to manipulate them to achieve a specific outcome.

Bariza spoke as if he had anticipated this.

“Of course. Even with the labyrinth’s system aiding you, it’s not easy. It took me five years to master alchemy.”

Five years.

Even for Taesan, who had lived a long life, it wasn’t a short period.

“You, unlike me, have the labyrinth’s assistance to understand the materials, so it won’t take as long… But to reach a proficient level, it’ll still take about six months. Do you have that much time?”

Taesan nodded. The next return was approaching. He needed to strengthen himself as much as possible before then.

Bariza, stroking his chin thoughtfully, made a decision.

“Then, there’s a way to learn it more quickly…”

He raised one finger.

“Just one thing. Concentrate on mastering alchemy in a specific area. With this approach, it won’t take days. Do you have something in mind?”

“What’s possible with alchemy?”

“As I mentioned before, the possibilities vary. You can restore health, torture enemies by administering certain substances, change shapes as I demonstrated… and you can also create a kind of domain.”

Domain.

That was precisely what Taesan wanted.

“I want to learn about domains.”

“Excellent. Let’s get to it quickly then.”

Bariza led Taesan outside the house. He began to scatter powders and liquids around Taesan.

“The domain will be exactly the power you envision. You can define a certain area and weaken enemies within it or bolster yourself. There are various functions, but explaining all of them is too complex, so let’s skip that. For now, I’ll just show you.”

He scattered materials in the north, south, east, and west directions around Taesan. Once the setup was complete, he tossed a petal at Taesan,

Kwoooong!

Simultaneously, an immense feeling of oppression enveloped Taesan.

It was as though a giant was exerting its power upon him.

“How does it feel?”

“It’s heavy.”

Taesan moved his hand. Given this level of pressure, other players would find movement impossible. Bariza, taken aback, tinkered with the powder.

“You’re moving effortlessly. Although I made it hastily, I utilized quite high-quality materials…”

He adjusted the placement of the materials and removed some. The pressure on Taesan vanished, replaced by a massive concentration of power.

Kwooooong!

Power surged into Taesan. His entire body was fortified, and his vision expanded.

“How about now?”

“Physical enhancement?”

This was no mere clumsy enhancement. It elevated the skills Taesan possessed, which provided bonus stats against formidable opponents, to that level. Bariza clicked his tongue in disappointment.

“It’s a temporary concoction, so the effects are limited.”

“What level could it achieve if crafted properly?”

“It would be beyond comparison to what you’ve just experienced.”

The effect wasn’t just functional. It had the potential to significantly turn the tide of a battle.

“It seems you’ve only given me a rough demonstration of its effects. Now, show me how to create it.”

Bariza presented each of the materials spread around them to Taesan.

“The domain encompasses north, south, east, and west. You need to position materials in all four directions. Their powers clash and merge to create a force.”

“Do I need to place materials exclusively in those directions?”

“No. That’s merely the foundation. You’re not restricted to the four directions alone. However, with your current abilities, even managing the four directions would pose a challenge.”

Bariza proceeded with his explanation at a measured pace.

“The domain isn’t a force that emerges from mere combination. It’s crafted from the energy produced by the repulsion between materials, directed inward.”

“Do I have to place only those that have strong resistance?”

“That’s a bit tricky to say. If all materials resist, the force will disperse outward. To gather it inward, at least one of them must not resist too much.”

Three materials with strong resistance. And one with not so strong resistance.

That seemed to be the basis for forming a domain.

“It doesn’t seem too hard.”

“The problem starts from here.”

Bariza handed Taesan a crushed petal.

［Light-Deprived White Flower］ ［It holds a deep and dense energy. Its repulsion is strong, making harmony difficult. It tries to absorb other things.]

“What you need to focus on here is the deep and dense energy. And the part about trying to absorb other things. These aspects change the domain’s effect. Understanding the properties of each different material to draw out the desired effect is practically impossible.”

The number of possibilities originating from four materials easily exceeds thousands or tens of thousands. And that’s just for one domain.

“So what should I do?”

“Memorization?”

Information about the materials was embedded in the mind, remembering all the effects that arose from it.

Bariza grinned.

“You know well.”

Taesan spent some time with Bariza, memorizing the effects of the materials and the combinations derived from them.

‘Simple memorization… it has been a while.’

The labyrinth was a place where one could not advance through memorization alone. Understanding and experience were far more important.

That’s why, at some point, he never made an effort to remember anything. It naturally etched into his brain as he tackled the labyrinth.

Perhaps that’s why memorizing the combinations of materials felt quite novel.

Taesan remembered dozens of materials and embedded the derived effects one by one into his mind.

After a full two days, Taesan was able to grasp the general effects.

“Faster than I thought? I expected it to take a week.”

“It’s enough to know the important ones.”

He excluded all the minor, unused effects and focused only on what he would truly use, so it didn’t take long.

Over two days in the forest, he gathered many of the materials he wanted, securing enough for the foreseeable future.

“So… that’s it.”

Bariza saw off Taesan with a bittersweet expression.

Taesan waved his hand.

“Don’t die. I’ll come back later.”

“I’m not planning to die now.”

Bariza grinned.

Bariza had fulfilled his wish by entering the labyrinth.

He himself did not know, but this was a very rare occurrence throughout the history of the labyrinth.

“Before you leave, take this.”

Bariza handed Taesan a bead.

［Shape-Shifting Bead］ ［It can transform the body into any desired form. The duration is not very long.］

Taesan narrowed his eyes after reading the description. Bariza shook his head.

“I had more materials than I thought. So, I made two. I have no use for it, so take it. You might find it useful.”

“Sure.”

There was no reason to refuse since it was offered. Taesan accepted it. Bariza bid him farewell.

“Come visit me again. I’ll be waiting.”

Taesan waved his hand.

He passed through the forest. Now, the long journey through the 51st floor comes to an end. It was the start of the 52nd floor.

At the end of the forest, there was a staircase.

Taesan stepped into it.

[You have cleared the 51st floor. You have obtained the basic reward [Ankle Brace of the Heartbroken].] [You have identified the hidden element of the 51st floor. You have obtained the reward [???].] [52nd Floor Quest Starts] [Defeat the boss of the 52nd floor and pass through.] [Reward: Necklace of the Invisible.] [Secret Reward: ???]

He was finally able to receive the rewards of the 51st floor.

Taesan checked what he had obtained.

［Ankle Brace of the Heartbroken］ ［Strength + 150］ ［Agility + 100］ ［Defense + 100］ ［An ankle brace of one who once broke through the labyrinth. He became a guardian after his spirit was broken.]

“Is this from the Broken Man?”

The guardian of the labyrinth, whose spirit had been shattered, was the first NPC Taesan encountered upon entering Solo Mode.

Upon reflection, it was intriguing. He was heartbroken yet did not remain on the 51st floor. Furthermore, he possessed a power that even the current Taesan could not overcome.

Perhaps he was guarding the entrance due to a contract with the wizard.

For what reason? That remained a mystery.

The performance itself was significant for the 51st floor. Entering a new tier seemed to be an opportune moment to significantly upgrade his equipment.

［??? was used.］ ［Belt of Catastrophe］ ［Strength + 200］ ［Defense + 200］ ［A belt that brings calamity wherever it goes, destroying everything. It's unclear whether the belt's power is the cause or if it's simply a product of coincidence.]

“Definitely good, but…”

Taesan cast an uncertain look. The high strength and defense, up to 200, were much higher than what Taesan was currently wearing.

However, it lacked any attack power. Since attack power was of the greatest value to Taesan now, this was somewhat disappointing.

Still, with a defense increase of 130, it was beneficial to switch.

Taesan arrived at the shopkeeper, who was always stationed at the entrance.

“Took you a while?”

“I had a lot to do.”

“That place is a bit… But it looks like you managed to overcome it without any issues.”

The dwarf, looking at Taesan, curled his lips.

“There was even a strange power wave, but you overcame that too. Very good. Go down to the depths like that. And fulfill my wish.”

The shopkeeper chuckled, his eyes full of longing.

Taesan passed by him.

The 52nd floor had begun. And the labyrinth of the 52nd floor consisted of the same brick corridors as before.

“Was only the 51st floor unique?”

[Not all floors are like that. But after the 60th floor, it becomes common, and from the depths, it's mostly like the 51st floor. The normal labyrinth you see is slowly coming to an end, so enjoy it while you can.]

Hearing the ghost’s words made it feel real anew—that he had reached the middle or almost the depths of the labyrinth.

Taesan broke through the corridor.

And in the room that appeared, no monsters were visible.

However, the monsters were there. The system window notified him.

[A transparent snake has appeared.]

Shush.

The sound of something slithering on the ground echoed. It quickly rushed towards Taesan.

Taesan thrust his sword.

The snake jumped away in an attempt to escape, but Taesan accurately determined the

invisible snake’s position and cut it in half.

[Shaaaaa!]

The bisected snake screamed. Hiding its form was meaningless. The continuously improving conceptual skills now allowed him to read the will of ordinary monsters to some extent.

“An invisible monster, huh.”

It would be a problem for an adventurer who hadn’t acquired scouting or vision-related skills, but for Taesan, it was not an issue.

Perhaps because the 51st floor was so vast, it felt oddly uneventful. With nothing particularly remarkable, Taesan quickly cleared the 52nd floor.

As Taesan was clearing the room, something found him.

Paralak.

It was a letter with wings.

Fluttering hard, it made its way to Taesan. Taesan, who was intently watching, reached out his hand.

Paralalak.

The letter barely managed to land on Taesan’s hand.

And then, as if breathing, it fluttered before stopping.

“What’s this?”

[The labyrinth's letter delivery.]

The ghost answered.

[If someone can't come in person, they send a letter through this to convey messages. They're sold in shops but are quite expensive, so they're not commonly used. Who sent it?]

“It’s not Bariza, is it?”

Taesan unfolded the letter. He exhaled in admiration as he read the contents.

[What does it say?]

“Hafran has finally finished the job.”

[...Ah.]

The ghost realized.

Taesan had entrusted Hafran with many materials: the Apostle’s core, a dragon’s claw, a spirit’s core, etc.

And Hafran had said he could make something out of these materials, but it would take some time.

The letter was to inform Taesan that the results were finally ready.