Ascension Through Skills

[Lee Taeyeon [Solo]: God…….] [Kang Jun-hyeok [Solo]: Acknowledged you?]

Lee Taeyeon and Kang Jun-hyeok express their surprise.

Amelia laughed, clearly enjoying their reaction.

[Amelia Aerin [Solo]: So, you're aware of the gods? You must be quite strong. But not as strong as me.] [Oliver Khan [Hard]: Amelia Aerin. They are our allies. We cannot afford to be hostile.] [Amelia Aerin [Solo]: Shut up, Oliver. You made a promise, remember? I will follow your orders as the leader, but don't interfere with discussions among Solo Mode players.] [Oliver Khan [Hard]: What a troublesome woman.]

Oliver posts, sounding exhausted. He seemed to have had a difficult time until now.

[Oliver Khan [Hard]: Sorry. I made a promise beforehand. Think of it as dealing with a stubborn troublemaker.]

Oliver left after posting that message.

Amelia remained unfazed.

[Amelia Aerin [Solo]: How strong are you guys?] [Lee Taeyeon [Solo]: We've just reached the 20th floor……]

20th floor.

This was when the quest against the spirits was underway. Taesan intended to offer some advice about it.

It was not a low floor by any means. Compared to the Lee Taeyeon from his previous life, this was a remarkably fast pace.

But Amelia was not surprised.

[Amelia Aerin [Solo]: 20th floor. Not bad. Much better than the idiots in America.] [Kang Jun-hyeok [Solo]: And you?]

Kang Jun-hyeok asked impulsively. He was confident in himself, but Amelia’s tone, akin to praising a child’s achievement, angered him.

[Amelia Aerin [Solo]: Me?]

Amelia spoke with confidence.

[Amelia Aerin [Solo]: 35th floor.] [Lee Taeyeon [Solo]: What?] [Kang Jun-hyeok [Solo]: 35th floor!]

They were shocked. Amelia posted, clearly enjoying their reaction.

[Amelia Aerin [Solo]: I am strong. Much stronger than you.]

Her words were neither exaggeration nor lies.

In Solo Mode, the deeper you went, the exponentially stronger you became. The two on the 20th floor were confident they could defeat dozens of their 10th-floor selves.

In other words, Amelia was so strong that she could easily defeat both Lee Taeyeon and Kang Jun-hyeok if they attacked her simultaneously.

Being an adventurer on the 35th floor signified just that.

Moreover, Amelia didn’t have Taesan’s support. This meant she had navigated the labyrinth solely with her own strength, discovering everything by herself.

Taesan observed their conversation in silence.

Amelia Aerin.

She was undeniably the strongest Solo Mode player. No one could match her strength, and no one could defeat her.

Furthermore, she was distinct from Lee Taeyeon.

She focused not only on breaking through the labyrinth but also on devising strategies. She gained a lot, so in terms of strength on the same floor, she was far superior to Lee Taeyeon.

Taesan recalled Amelia’s strength from his previous life.

The power to obliterate mountains and collapse tidal waves single-handedly.

She was a monster.

[Amelia Aerin [Solo]: A god descended directly and acknowledged my strength, granting me their power.]

Taesan scrutinized her message.

A god.

In his previous life, he hadn’t paid much attention to her words, since he was in Easy Mode and had never encountered a god.

But now, his feelings were different.

[Kang Taesan [Solo]: Which god descended to you?] [Amelia Aerin [Solo]: Huh? Who are you?] [Kang Taesan [Solo]: Someone you wouldn't like. Just answer. It's not hard, is it?] [Amelia Aerin [Solo]: ...Don't misunderstand. It's not because you asked that I'm answering. I was going to answer anyway.]

She responded with a sulky tone, seemingly upset about being outmaneuvered.

[Amelia Aerin [Solo]: The God of Descent, Essence.]

The God of Descent.

Taesan hadn’t encountered such a god while descending the labyrinth.

Judging by Lee Taeyeon and Kang Jun-hyeok’s reactions, all the gods’ altars in the labyrinth were in fixed locations.

This meant that Amelia had not received recognition by clearing an altar, but that the God of Descent had directly approached her.

“Ghost.”

[Huh? Why?]

“Is it possible for a god to directly appear to an adventurer?”

[Well... it's rare, but it happens.]

The ghost explained.

[Gods have very discerning eyes. They don't approach just because someone is talented. It's not only about talent; the person's ideology, values, and personality all must align with the god's. When a god personally descends, it means they don't want another god to take that person. It's extremely rare.]

Amelia seemed to be a perfect match for the God of Descent.

[Amelia Aerin [Solo]: Who are you? Which floor are you on?] [Kang Taesan [Solo]: I told you, someone you wouldn't like.] [Amelia Aerin [Solo]: What kind of nonsense is that?]

Amelia was confused.

[Amelia Aerin [Solo]: Judging by the way you talk, you're around the mid-10th floor. I have no interest in talking to idiots. You said your names were Lee Taeyeon and Kang Jun-hyeok, right?]

She lost interest in Taesan.

[Amelia Aerin [Solo]: Weaklings will just end up dead, but you two are different. If you need help, just ask. I'll share information you don't know.]

She spoke proudly.

But Lee Taeyeon and Kang Jun-hyeok’s reactions were ambiguous.

[Kang Jun-hyeok [Solo]: Uh... thanks...?] [Lee Taeyeon [Solo]: Thank you...?] [Amelia Aerin [Solo]: ...Why are your reactions like that? Shouldn't you be grateful and happy I'm offering to help?]

Amelia was puzzled.

But Lee Taeyeon and Kang Jun-hyeok couldn’t accept it anyway.

Because they didn’t need Amelia’s information.

[Lee Taeyeon [Solo]: Mr. Taesan. Why aren't you saying anything?] [Kang Taesan [Solo]: Is there anything for me to say?] [Amelia Aerin [Solo]: What are you talking about?] [Kang Jun-hyeok [Solo]: Uh, sorry, but we don't need your information. We already have someone who tells us.] [Amelia Aerin [Solo]: ...Are you saying this Taesan guy has gone further down than you?]

Her message conveyed a sense of caution.

[Amelia Aerin [Solo]: Which floor are you on?] [Kang Taesan [Solo]: Who knows.]

35th floor.

Taesan recalled what was there and posted,

[Kang Taesan [Solo]: 36th floor. You should be careful of one area there. It’s something that hates people like you the most.] [Amelia Aerin [Solo]: ...What?]

Amelia seemed not to understand, but she would figure it out once she arrived.

On the 36th floor, there was an Immortal.

That hunchback who hated talented people would try to kill Amelia.

From Taesan’s memory, Amelia didn’t die on the 36th floor, so she would probably manage without any issues. He didn’t provide a detailed explanation, only giving her a rough warning.

[Amelia Aerin [Solo]: Who are you? How far have you gone down? Answer me.] [Kang Taesan [Solo]: You’ll find out soon.]

She was American.

Normally, they wouldn’t be able to meet until at least the next return.

However, soon there would be a somewhat unique quest.

A temporary space where people from different countries could meet.

It was there that Amelia and Kang Taesan would meet.

[Kang Taesan [Solo]: Well then, I’m off.] [Lee Taeyeon [Solo]: Take care.] [Amelia Aerin [Solo]: Hey!]

Ignoring her shout, Taesan turned off the community.

There was no need to specify the exact floor. Stories that went beyond a certain level wouldn’t be accepted by others. It would be quicker to show them directly when they met.

By the way,

The God of Descent, Essence.

Taesan asked the ghost about that name. The ghost hesitated before responding.

[How do you know that god?]

“There’s someone connected to him.”

[Was that what you were asking about earlier? Hmm. Essence… I’ve met him before.]

The ghost began to explain.

[The God of Descent, Essence. He has an altar on the 83rd floor.]

The 83rd floor.

A deep level.

[Among the gods, he is particularly interested in mortals. If he finds someone to his liking, he provides full support. He’s not a bad god, but... the domain he governs makes him a bit tricky.]

Each god had their own domain.

The God of Victory, the God of Struggle and Death, the God of Despair.

Each acted according to their domain.

Essence was known as the God of Descent.

[I’ve undergone his trial before, and it was far from pleasant. If he takes a liking to you, he’ll surely support you, but he’s not a deity you’d wish to encounter.]

“Really?”

Taesan reflected on his past experiences.

They were soon to meet.

And Amelia was bound to showcase the skills from her previous life.

It seemed likely that the God of Descent had orchestrated their meeting.

“Interesting.”

Reuniting with old acquaintances he thought he’d never see again was always a pleasure.

Especially since Amelia was exceptional.

If he had to choose the human he had clashed with the most, it would undoubtedly be her.

“The last I heard from her was on the 78th floor.”

He was unsure if she had perished or had been made an apostle by a god. Unlike Lee Taeyeon, she hadn’t been forthcoming about her circumstances.

He intended to uncover the truth moving forward.

Taesan commenced his assault on the 58th floor.

The monsters on this floor were deer with golden antlers. One lunged at Taesan, aiming to gore him with its antlers.

[You activated Frost Arrows.]

Dozens of Frost Arrows appeared instantaneously.

The charging deer were impaled and slain.

Taesan navigated through the labyrinth.

As he descended, the monsters became more formidable, but Taesan’s growth outpaced them significantly.

He swiftly vanquished the boss of the 58th floor.

The reward in the secret room was a magical staff, which he planned to offer as a tribute.

[Sword that Guards the Line of Life] [Attack Power +140] [A swordsman who constantly flirted with death. As a result, he wielded a weapon that perpetually straddled the line between life and death.] [When the Line of Life is activated, Attack Power increases by 50 for 10 seconds.]

It was a skill linked to the Line of Life, activated in moments of dire peril. Though he hadn’t given it much thought, the Line of Life consistently activated when he faced formidable foes.

Given this, the sword’s Attack Power could reach 190 under specific conditions. It proved to be quite useful.

[You used ???.] [You obtained the Skull Staff.] [Skull Staff] [Dark Magic +50] [Mana +50] [People speculated whether the remains of a great archmage retained magical powers. Upon the archmage's death, someone stole their remains, crafted them into a staff, and indeed, the magic was real.]

A staff imbued with dark magic.

Taesan knelt and prayed.

A black space opened, and the staff was transferred into it.

‘I’ve offered quite a bit now.’

He had made many offerings to the Demon God. It seemed about time for something to occur.

Suddenly.

As he harbored this thought, the space split open.

Taesan observed the splitting space with calmness.

[Greetings.]

“It’s been a while.”

Indeed, it had been a long time since he last encountered the Demon God.

Despite his offerings, she hadn’t appeared. Normally, gods remained elusive, but the Demon God had always made an appearance, which was intriguing.

[I had some matters to attend to.]

The Demon God spoke, looking down at him with a troubled expression.

Something was clearly troubling her. Taesan could easily surmise what it was.

“Is it because of the High God’s power?”

[That’s part of it... and also because of the grey power you obtained.]

She touched her hair, her expression complex.