Ascension Through Skills

As he descended, Taesan opened the community. It had been quite a long time since he had entered into Vekveta. It was enough time for some changes to have happened for the other Solo Mode players.

［Kang Taesan［Solo］: Are you alive?］ ［Lee Taeyeon［Solo］: Huh?］ ［Kang Junhyeok［Solo］: What. I thought you had gone away since you hadn't said anything.］ ［Kang Taesan［Solo］: I was somewhere for a while. So what's up?］

As Taesan had predicted, Kang Junhyeok and Lee Taeyeon were descending quickly.

［Kang Taesan［Solo］: Did you reach the 6th floor?］ ［Lee Taeyeon［Solo］: Yes. I'm currently dealing with Lizard Men. The swamp is annoying, but it's somewhat manageable.］

Lee Taeyeon posted calmly. She seemed more mature, perhaps because she had passed the trials of Balthasar.

［Kang Taesan［Solo］: Come down quickly. I have something to tell you on the 8th floor.］

On the 8th floor was the God of Trials, Oman. His trial was very safe as one could voluntarily give up. It was a trial worth discussing with them.

［Lee Taeyeon［Solo］: Okay. Thank you, Mr. Taesan.］

After that, they chatted about various things. Lee Taeyeon and Kang Junhyeok asked Taesan about this and that, as they had a lot of questions for him. As someone who had gone deeper than them, they seemed curious about the information on the lower floors.

Taesan answered these questions. Naturally, stories about other players came up as well.

［Kang Taesan［Solo］: Now there are several people who have cleared the 2nd floor.］ ［Lee Taeyeon［Solo］: Yes. ...Although there are also many who have died.］

Clearing the 2nd floor. It was a very fast and large number compared to before. But it was still far from clearing the labyrinth. No matter how hard one tried, the 20th floor would be the limit. It was virtually impossible for most of them to descend to the end of the labyrinth.

Unless a special method came out, one could not return to Earth except at the time of forced return.

［Kang Taesan［Solo］: Then take care.］

Taesan closed the community and arrived at the 20th floor.

In the safe zone, there was Lilis.

“Huh? You’re alive? I thought you were dead when I didn’t see you for a while.”

“I had somewhere to go.”

“Phew. That’s a relief. You can’t die yet. There’s still a lot to do.”

Lilis waved her hand with a bright smile.

“See you next time!”

Ignoring her farewell, Taesan headed for the boss room on the 20th floor.

In there was the Guide of Sin, Gagorat, whom he had saved.

“……You have arrived.”

“Yeah.”

Taesan nodded. Gagorat swallowed his saliva.

“Now… are you going to go down?”

“I have to.”

The reason he came into the labyrinth was for conquest. Gagorat smirked and said.

“Then I have something to tell you.”

“About the Guides of Sin on the 21st floor?”

“Yes.”

Taesan had detained the Guides of Sin and received their agreement to not pass on Taesan’s information further below.

But that was only an agreement he received from adventurers up to the 20th floor, the 2nd tier adventurers. The place he was going to next was the 21st floor, where the 3rd-tier adventurers were.

“3rd tier adventurers will think you are strong, but they believe you are dead. So it will be troublesome when you meet them.”

The one thought to be dead had appeared alive. If the 3rd tier adventurers realized that the 2nd tier adventurers had lied, they would immediately inform the headquarters.

Then, it would be the end. There was no way for Taesan to defeat the core members of the headquarters that had gone down to the depths.

So, Gagorat intended to suggest a way for Taesan to avoid the adventurers.

“I don’t care.”

However, Taesan did not listen to Gagorat’s words. Surprised, Gagorat urgently tried to explain.

“Do you plan to kill them all? That’s not good. If the Guides of Sin dies, the information is automatically relayed to the headquarters. They will come down then.”

They shouldn’t be encountered. They shouldn’t be killed, either.

“Above all, even for you, Taesan, the adventurers of the 3rd tier… are not weak.”

Jagan died at Taesan’s hand, but it wasn’t because he was weak. It was largely due to the fact that he underestimated Taesan and let his guard down. If many from the 3rd tier attacked, Taesan was in great danger as well.

“The correct answer is to avoid them.”

“I know, but I have no plans to avoid them.”

Avoiding the adventurers. It was not impossible. Unlike the 2nd tier, they, who didn’t need to look for new adventurers, were likely to gather in one place. So, all he had to do was somehow pass through that place.

However, passing through unnoticed was equivalent to giving up rewards. Taesan had no intention of suffering unnecessary losses.

Desperate, Gagorat tried to stop him in any way he could. If Taesan rampaged, it would also be known that he had conveyed falsehoods. Then, his life was over, too.

As Gagorat was trying to persuade him, Taesan spoke.

“I’ve prepared a way.”

“A way…… you say?”

“Yeah. So stay put. Don’t try to interfere needlessly.”

With a warning, Taesan descended to the 21st floor.

[This is a place beyond the entrance to the labyrinth.] [There are things here that do not die when stabbed with a sword and do not fall when magic is cast. This is a space where darkness and light are mixed.] [Starting 21st floor quest.] [Defeat the boss of the 21st floor and pass.] [Reward: Spirit Stone] [Secret Reward: ???]

The 21st floor. A place the adventurers referred to as the 3rd tier.

This was a level that could now be said to be separate from the starting floors, and Taesan knew what appeared here.

Taesan penetrated the labyrinth. Upon opening the door, he felt a surge of heat.

[A low-ranking fire spirit of the labyrinth has appeared.]

There was a wavering sphere of flame in the air. Taesan drew his sword.

Spirits.

Lee Taeyeon had mentioned their appearance. She said that if he went further, things like spirit kings would come out, but that was a story for later.

While Taesan was recalling the things she had said, the spirit detected Taesan.

The body of the spirit swelled, and then balls of flame were shot out like a shotgun.

Taesan kicked the ground and flew into the air. He charged at the spirit through an aerial leap and struck it with his sword.

But no damage window appeared. The split spirit recombined once again.

‘As expected.’

It was as Lee Taeyeon had told him. Taesan didn’t panic and distanced himself.

Lee Taeyeon had said that physical attacks did not work on spirits. She had tried all sorts of methods, but they did not work, so she had said that he should find another way to handle it.

Taesan swung his sword a few more times after that, but it didn’t work. It was the same even when he used a skill.

As Lee Taeyeon said, physical attacks didn’t seem to work.

‘Then, how about this?’

A blue light rose from Taesan’s sword.

The power gained from Vekveta. With the sword filled with aura, he split the spirit in half.

Fizz.

The form of the spirit distorted for a moment but soon returned to its original state.

‘It’s not working either.’

Taesan distanced himself and activated Frost Arrow and Blazing Orb. Both fire and ice pierced the fire spirit.

Again, it did not work. The spirit was floating as it had been at the start.

‘Just as she explained.’

When entering the 21st floor, it was noted that enemies here did not fall even when magic was used. He had tried it simply because it was easier to understand when verified directly.

There was a separate way to deal with spirits. And Taesan knew that method.

He was thinking of using what he had before that.

‘I don’t know how to use holy power, so how about this?’

[You activated the False Flames of Marbas.]

With no particular expectation, Taesan activated the dark magic. There was no reason why dark magic should work when magic didn’t.

A flame-shaped substance was poured onto the spirit.

[106 damage to the low-ranking fire spirit of the labyrinth.]

Woo, woo, woo!

The spirit quivered as if in pain.

Taesan was surprised at the damage window.

“Damage is applied?”

[It's simple.]

The ghost answered Taesan’s question.

[Spirits are lifeforms from nature. Therefore, attacks derived from nature do not work. Even aura doesn't work because it is ultimately something that gods bestowed upon the world. But black magic originates from demons.]

“So because it’s not natural, the damage is applied?”

[It's a bit more complicated, but the basic concept is that. That's why I heard that demons descend past the 3rd tier a bit more comfortably.]

The conclusion was that black magic could take down spirits. Taesan invoked his black magic again. This time, he used all the magic power he possessed.

[You have activated the False Flames of Marbas.]

Flames erupted. The spirit tried to avoid it, but the fake flames that swept the entire room couldn’t be avoided.

Woo, woo, woo, woo, woo!

[302 damage to the low-ranking fire spirit of the labyrinth.] [You have won against the low-ranking fire spirit of the labyrinth.] [You've obtained the spirit's core.]

“It worked.”

It was an unexpected victory.

Taesan quickly began to assess the situation.

“Still, it’s not at the level to be useful.”

His current magic power was too low. He had just barely taken one down by using all his magic power, so he couldn’t descend into the labyrinth with this.

‘I’ll have to move as per Taeyeon’s information.’

Taesan broke through the rooms of the labyrinth. Fire spirits appeared from time to time, but he ignored them all and broke through. Due to the basic difference in stats, he could pass without any problems.

Soon, Taesan was able to reach the peripheral room.

[You know well. I don't even need to tell you. The strategy for the 21st floor is just this.]

Whether he was now familiar with it, the ghost was not surprised.

Spirits were immune to both physical and magical powers. Taesan could defeat them because he had black magic, but it was closer to a workaround.

So there was another way.

Taesan opened the door to the outskirts. A mad laughter came.

[Hehe! Hehehe! Hehe!]

A white spirit was spinning in the middle of the room. With a design like a simplified character, it could be called cute, but in contrast, the mad laughter that came out of it was eerie.

[Hehe! A guest! Hello!] [You have encountered the crazed spirit.] [Hello! Nice to meet you!]

The white spirit shouted with a laugh of madness. Taesan calmly opened his mouth.

“I want to descend into the labyrinth.”

[Go down?]

The spirit tilted its head. It was a face that didn’t fully understand Taesan’s words.

“I want to take down the spirits to do that.”

[Spirits? Take down?]

A deep hatred flashed across the spirit’s eyes for a moment.

[Take them down! Take down the ones who abandoned me! Kill and take from those who said I'm not normal!]

The white spirit shouted out furiously. He cried out with a face full of madness and hatred.

[This one never changes.]

The ghost clicked his tongue. He seemed to have encountered the white spirit before as well.

The crazed white spirit waved his hand.

[Straight ahead five, third on the left! There's a hidden room there! There's a golem made by the king who abandoned me! Avoid it and bring the hidden core! Then I'll give you power!] [Sub-quest start.] [The crazed spirit hates everything that made him this way. The spirit wants you to bring back the fountain of nature that the golem is guarding.] [Reward: Skill to attack spirits.]