Ascension Through Skills

The note requested a meeting at the last place they had met.

Taesan’s last encounter with Hafran was on the 30th floor, a significant distance of 22 floors from the 52nd.

Ultimately, Taesan had no option but to ascend the floors one at a time.

“I wonder what has been created.”

A vast array of materials was utilized.

Each was of a quality that could easily surpass the 50th floor, raising inevitable expectations.

[Given the materials, the resulting ring should last until the labyrinth is cleared. But even Hafran might not have been able to work with such materials... It's uncertain.]

The ghost appeared doubtful as well.

[If anyone has the skills, it might be him... but it's uncertain.]

“How will it turn out?”

Facing formidable enemies and high-ranking beings ahead, new equipment was absolutely essential.

With a mix of anticipation and anxiety, Taesan reached the 30th floor.

“You’ve arrived.”

Hafran awaited him there.

He appeared significantly more worn than Taesan remembered. His muscles had diminished as if deflated, and his skin was cracked like parched earth.

Yet, his eyes sparkled brighter than before.

[Are you okay?]

“Somewhat. Physically, I’m a wreck, but mentally, I’m clearer than ever.”

Hafran clicked his jaw.

“What you seek is over there.”

Taesan followed his gaze to an anvil.

Atop the anvil rested a pair of rings.

One was of a purity unmatched, a pristine white, while the other was a black that seemed to swallow everything in its path.

A subtle aura emanated from the rings, signifying their extraordinary nature.

As Taesan reached for the rings, Hafran cautioned him.

“You should be careful.”

Taesan lifted the rings.

Instantly, a force emanated from the rings.

It seemed to repel everything that came near. Taesan instinctively released them.

He gazed intently at the rings.

From the pair, an aura reminiscent of a hedgehog’s shimmered.

“What’s this?”

“Those damned rings choose their owner. If they don’t like someone, they won’t accept them. Because of that, I couldn’t even get close to the anvil.”

Hafran grumbled, while the ghost let out a surprised sigh.

[Ego rings? Did you make those?]

“Not to that extent. But it seems they possess a weak sense of self. Given the materials, I anticipated it, but didn’t expect them to be this fussy.”

Hafran spoke as he forcefully stuffed dried jerky into his mouth.

“It’s hard to overpower the rings with force alone. Wait a bit. I’ll make you a tool to help.”

“No need.”

Taesan approached the rings again, and Hafran tried to stop him.

“Wait a…”

[No need to stop him.]

The ghost spoke leisurely.

As Taesan grasped the rings, a force surged.

A power that pushed away everything that approached.

It was more of an aura than a mere force.

‘If that’s the case.’

Overcoming it was surprisingly simple. Taesan raised his own spirit energy.

Whooosh!

The surging aura from the rings began to be suppressed by Taesan’s rank.

Taesan suppressed the rank with his hand.

“Stay calm.”

Even without using Apostle Transformation, his own rank was enough to easily subdue this level of resistance.

“I am your master. As tools, you will be used as I wish.”

Crack.

Taesan gripped the rings tightly.

The surging power vanished with a poof.

Taesan lifted his hand. The pair of rings quietly rested on his palm.

Surprise spread across Hafran’s face.

“To do it so easily…”

“I’ve grown a lot. Became much stronger.”

If it was him from the 30s range of floors, it wouldn’t have been so easy to overpower the rings.

“You’ve gotten quite strong…”

Hafran smiled satisfactorily.

“Then check them out. These are the rings I poured my all into creating.”

Now, he could easily suppress the resistance of the rings. But, if it were him from back then, he would have struggled or needed assistance from something else.

For a mere piece of equipment, it possessed the strength to reject adventurers of the 30th and 40th floors.

Taesan examined the pair of rings.

One was a black ring.

The aura it emitted was fierce. It recognized Taesan but seemed not to have fully accepted him, giving off a subtly rebellious aura.

[A blackness mixed with majesty] [The wearer's rank is too low to bring out its proper effect.] [Attack power + 500] [A ring created from the fusion of a dragon's claw and the spirit king's ember. It is merely powerful. The great auras of each clashed to form a single ego. The ego is not whole, is violent, and recognizes nothing but its twin. The one who fully tames it will gain another power.]

“Ah.”

[Huh?]

Taesan and the ghost spoke simultaneously.

At their reaction, Hafran was pleased.

“Are you satisfied?”

“No… This is.”

Taesan was at a loss for words. Even he, who rarely gets flustered, found the ring astonishing.

The ghost voiced his feelings.

[What's this? Is this really a ring?]

“It is. You’d know if you saw the description.”

[No, that's not the issue.]

The ghost had read the description as well, but even he found the attached abilities incomprehensible.

[...Attack power 500? Attached to a ring? I haven't seen this level even in the deep layers?]

“That’s because, hero, you haven’t descended properly into the depths. In very deep places, equipment of this caliber is rare but can be found.”

[That's beside the point.]

The ghost dumbly repeated the same phrase.

Indeed, he had been killed by the Guides before properly descending into the depths.

But still, the performance was hard to comprehend.

Taesan chuckled.

“One ring almost adds up to half of my attack power.”

“Of course. The materials you provided were of that caliber, so it’s only natural this kind of equipment came out.”

[That's certainly true.]

The ghost groaned.

[...Is this really okay?]

“Is there a problem? He has merely received compensation for what he deserved.”

Hafran spoke as if there were no issues at all.

“Moreover, with the strength he currently possesses, even acquiring this much wouldn’t be a problem.”

Unable to argue, the ghost fell silent.

What Taesan faced now were apostles of gods and monsters originating from ancient deities, fragments of monsters that had destroyed the world. None were monsters that a 50th-floor adventurer could handle.

Therefore, it wasn’t strange for Taesan, who had exceeded the 50th floor, to possess equipment far beyond that level.

It was just that the ring’s unparalleled performance had left them speechless.

“What about the other one then?”

The black ring contrasted with the white one. Like its color, the aura it emitted was the complete opposite.

If the black ring was rough and rebellious, the white ring carried an aura of nobility and elegance. It accepted Taesan’s touch without resistance, recognizing him.

[A pure white tinged with elegance and mystery] [The user's rank is too low to bring out its full effect.] [It synergizes with the user by utilizing its own spirit energy and assists. It can also store various powers for use when needed.] [A ring created from the fusion of the origin of light and the apostle's source. Huge ranks collided to become one. The ego is complete and possesses dignity. It accepts others besides its twin. The one who fully tames it will gain another power.]

Unlike the black ring, there were no immediately noticeable effects. However, the written effects alone were enough to elicit a gasp from Taesan.

“Equipment with spirit energy…”

A not-to-be-underestimated rank was felt from the equipment itself. That rank was assisting Taesan.

Taesan tried to draw out spirit energy as a test. He then twisted the drawn spirit energy, using the twisted spirit energy to tune into three proofs that spread in all directions.

Crackle.

Materialized power stomped around.

Normally, tuning spirit energy like this would lead to significant fatigue. However, Taesan did not feel much of a burden. There was a slight onset of fatigue, but it was manageable.

If so, the burden of tuning spirit energy after using Apostle Transformation must have been significantly reduced.

He gained a clear advantage in utilizing spirit energy. Like the black ring, the effect wasn’t overt, but it was equally effective.

The other effect of storing power wasn’t fully understood yet, but it was certainly not a simple effect.

“This is too good.”

Taesan marveled.

Even these effects were not perfect. There was a note that Taesan’s power was still insufficient to fully harness the ring’s potential.

The deeper he delved, the stronger he became, and the performance of the ring would also improve.

It was a ring beyond what he had imagined. Hafran, too, was continuously smiling, satisfied with the outcome.

“I always wanted to create such great equipment. It was an opportunity to fulfill that dream, so I poured my heart into making it.”

Taesan wore both rings.

He had to remove two good rings to equip the new ones, but the performance made it an easy choice.

As soon as Taesan wore the rings, the energy contained within them began to swirl around him.

[You have equipped a pair of rings dyed in color. Set effect activated. Strength, Agility, Intelligence increase by 5%.]

Additionally, a set effect that increased all stats by 5%. It was indeed laughable.

“Status window.”

[Kang Taesan] [Level: 113] [Shield: 3469/3469] [Health: 36520/36520] [Mana: 3458/3458] [Agility: 582/582] [Strength: 7401] [Intelligence: 6281] [Agility: 6788] [Attack power + 1958] [Defense + 1322] [The target is in the best condition.]

His attack power was now nearing 2000.

He had become incomparably stronger in an instant.

“It seems you’re satisfied. So am I. It was a pleasant time.”

He leisurely picked up the hammer.

“Bring more next time. I’ll enjoy making them.”

“Then I’ll entrust it to you right away.”

“What?”

Taesan handed over the ores he had received from the world of giants and the Will of Destruction he had obtained from hunting wolves.

Hafran reluctantly accepted the equipment, which emitted an extraordinary aura at first glance.

“When did you get these?”

As he examined each item, Hafran gasped upon seeing the Will of Destruction.

“This is… Well. You’ve brought back something interesting.”

“Do you know what it is?”

“The will that calls for the destruction of worlds. I know it well. After all, my world was destroyed by it.”

It occurred to him that Hafran’s world itself had brought about its own destruction.

With a joyful face, he sorted through the materials.

“This will be practice for later. I’ll be busy; come back later. I’ll make something else.”

Leaving Hafran behind, Taesan descended back into the labyrinth.

He arrived back on the 52nd floor. He immediately encountered a transparent snake and stabbed it with his sword.

[3423 damage to the transparent snake.]

The damage had significantly increased.

The snake couldn’t withstand the sword strike and disappeared instantly.

He was already fast, but now he moved through the labyrinth even faster.

He quickly passed through secret rooms and defeated the boss.

The rewards of the 52nd floor were all related to magic. He gathered them and presented them to Lilis as offerings.

“You’re fast… Not much left until the next intermediate magic. Keep it up!”

She encouraged Taesan with shining eyes.

And then, Taesan reached the 53rd floor.

The monster on the 53rd floor was a human-faced spider. It spat out tough spider silk and lunged with its jaws, but it was no match for Taesan.

50th floor series.

New entities appeared, but nothing changed. The power Taesan had built up did not fade even as he entered a new tier.

As before, only special entities could stop him. Altars of the gods. The Immortals. Guides. Ancient gods.

And then it appeared.

[You have discovered the altar of Beatrice.]