Ascension Through Skills

The boss of the 41st floor was a spirit consumed by rage. Yet, as before, it had no effect on Taesan.

After clearing everything on the 41st floor, Taesan began to examine each of the rewards one by one.

The first was the secret room reward.

[Elven Longbow] [Attack Power + 60] [Accuracy + 60%] [A bow made to protect the realm of the elves]

It boasted high attack power and accuracy. Not a bad piece of equipment at all.

However, it was merely store-bound equipment for Taesan, who does not use bows.

[Pitiful Soul's Gem] [A gem inhabited by the most pitiful of souls. The emotions contained within are not easily endured.]

“Is this a material item?”

[It seems so.]

“I can’t use it for a while.”

The blacksmith Hafran was currently crafting top-tier equipment for him on commission. Since the ghost said that he would only got in the way, he had been advised not to visit, so for the time being, it was just another material languishing in his inventory.

“This needs to be dealt with too.”

A gemstone given to him by Umberak. At first glance, it was extraordinary.

If crafted into equipment, it would certainly prove useful.

[Just wait a little longer. It's much more beneficial to go all the way rather than just making something passably useful.]

“I know.”

That’s why Taesan also refrained from visiting.

And then, the ??? reward.

[Gloriously Shining Anklet of Glory] [Strength + 100] [Defense + 70] [An anklet known to shine brighter and hold more value than anything else. Not only does it shine, but its performance is unmatched by anything.]

“Oh, wow.”

It was quite impressive.

Its defense was a full 35 points higher than the anklet he was currently wearing. Considering he had changed anklets relatively recently, this was a significant upgrade.

“Is it because the floor series has changed?”

The labyrinth altered its grand appearance every 10 floors. Accordingly, the performance of the equipment also improved.

Having ascended to the 41st floor, the equipment to come would be a step above everything he had obtained so far.

“And what about this one?”

A leather strap was wrapped around the handle, continuously increasing the attack power.

Upon checking, the attack power had indeed increased from 21 to 1.

For every floor passed, there was an increase of 1. Simply put, descending to the 100th floor would yield about 60, but it was likely to be more than that. The further down he went, the greater the increase would surely become.

Certainly, it was not a bad effect.

This was what he had obtained from the store on the 41st floor.

Looking forward to what he would obtain next, Taesan descended to the next floor.

[Start of the 42nd floor quest.] [Defeat the boss of the 42nd floor and pass through.] [Reward: Ring of the Distorted Soul] [Secret Reward: ???]

The monster on the 42nd floor was a spirit consumed by sorrow. Similar to the spirit filled with rage, it attempted to affect Taesan mentally, but just like before, Taesan remained unaffected.

Taesan navigated through the labyrinth with ease.

“This is the first time it’s been this easy.”

[You've always breezed through anyway.]

The ghost chuckled. To the current Taesan, it didn’t matter whether the labyrinth’s monsters were spiritual or physical beings. Except for the bosses, they were merely beings that would fall with a single touch.

“I can’t even make use of the dark magic I’ve acquired.”

The Thorn of Agony he obtained from defeating Quaned and the irregular armor given by the demon god.

He wanted to test their effects at least once, but there was no opportunity to use them.

As Taesan defeated the spirits, he asked the ghost.

“Quaned was taken by the demon god, right?”

Even though the Soul Ascension was activated upon his defeat, due to some contract, he did not die. Instead, his soul and body were taken by the demon god.

“I wonder if it’s possible for him to return?”

[If the demon god personally heals his soul and body, it's not impossible. There's not just one path. The labyrinth certainly makes those who advance through it stronger, but... this isn't the only place like that. You've experienced it a few times yourself, haven't you?]

“A trial by the gods.”

Balthasar. Lakiratas. Maria. The demon god.

Their trials noticeably strengthened Taesan. The ghost affirmed it.

[Quaned might also receive a trial from the demon god. He could become stronger from overcoming it and return. But that's not necessarily a bad thing.]

The ghost spoke calmly.

[If he doesn't become your enemy, it could actually be a big help. There are quite a few floors in the deeper layers that are impossible to clear alone.]

Lee Taeyeon had said something similar.

That it was impossible to clear alone. That one needed the help of someone else.

And yet, she managed to clear it through all sorts of means, which was impressive.

Crack.

During their short conversation, they had nearly cleared half the floor. Taesan continued as he moved on.

“The difference in power between gods and immortals is bigger than I thought.”

Immortals are those who have transcended mortality. He thought the difference in power wouldn’t be that significant.

But the demon god easily subdued the struggling Patricia. It seemed he had gathered power, but it didn’t look that great.

[Is it just power you possess, or do you also possess stature? That difference is significant. We mortals might not understand, but for those who have transcended mortality, there's an insurmountable gap. So, it's better to be careful.]

The ghost spoke calmly.

[As you know from your experience, most immortals will not take kindly to you. And unlike gods, they're the ones who will interfere directly. Be fully prepared.]

“It doesn’t matter.”

The more they tried to kill him, the more Taesan could gain. It was all about overcoming it.

Even as they conversed, Taesan skillfully navigated the labyrinth, securing the secret room’s reward.

This time, it was a shield. Thanks to the activation of his adventurer title, he obtained two, but with the Aegis shield in his possession, they were redundant. These, too, had to be sold in the shop.

With the general tidying up out of the way, Taesan proceeded to search for the hidden room.

There, as on the 41st floor, floated a solitary pillar.

[You've found a grudge filled with sorrow.]

Taesan grasped the pillar.

Then, the emotion burrowed into Taesan’s mind.

The sorrow of having to survive alone in easy mode.

The sorrow of discovering someone he knew dead one moment.

The sorrow of having to survive alone, isolated from everyone under Choi Junghyuk’s oppression.

Taesan laughed. Overall, these were emotions from his immature days.

“Clear it.”

He exerted strength in the hand holding the pillar. The emotions coalesced into a pure white core.

Taesan secured the core.

Now, only the boss remained.

As he was heading towards the boss, Taesan suddenly remembered something and said,

“Patricia mentioned that the magician is currently away from his position.”

Thus, she taunted Balbambamba, questioning if he could help Taesan in a situation devoid of the magician.

In other words, if there were the magician present, it implied that they could fend off an immortal.

“Is the magician a transcendent?”

[Well? I'm not entirely sure myself. They're a being shrouded in mystery.]

“Didn’t you say you’ve seen them directly?”

[I have, but I felt no aura from the magician. If I hadn't known who they were, I would've thought they were just an ordinary adventurer.]

“So, what kind of person is the magician?”

[...It's hard to put into words.]

The ghost spoke in an ambiguous tone.

[They seem like a madman but also colder than anyone. They appear steeped in dreams but are also grounded in reality. It would be best to meet them yourself and decide. Eventually, as you descend... you'll meet them someday.]

The magician of the labyrinth.

Considering Lee Taeyeon never mentioned the magician, it seemed she hadn’t met them.

While organizing his thoughts, Taesan arrived at the boss.

[A spirit filled with sorrow appeared.]

Taesan effortlessly dodged the spirit’s attacks and swung his sword. The spirit resisted, but it was all in vain under his feet.

[You have defeated the spirit filled with sorrow.] [Your proficiency in Reconaissance has increased by 1%.]

“That was easy.”

It felt like walking down a leisurely path.

At least on the 40s floors, it seemed unlikely he would struggle against the monsters. The ghost grumbled.

[It's not supposed to be like this. You're supposed to be crying and sniffling your way through.] [Ring of the Distorted Soul] [Attack Power + 30] [Defense + 20] [Strength + 50] [Intelligence + 30] [Once strong, but now a soul more broken than anyone else resides within.]

High attack and defense power. Useful strength and intelligence stats attached. Indeed, from the 41st floor onwards, higher-grade equipment started appearing.

[You used ???] [You obtained the Piper of the Man.] [Piper of the Man] [A flute of a man who bewitched the children of the village.] [When played, attempts to enchant targets within range.]

An item with a special effect. The difficulty of the enchantment check was uncertain, but it was a piece of equipment worth having for now.

Having cleared the 42nd floor entirely, Taesan returned to the 41st floor.

There, he handed the pure core to Valencia, who was waiting.

“Oooo!”

He eagerly accepted the core and inhaled it. The emotions leaking from it penetrated Valencia’s body.

“Oooo…”

His eyes shook violently.

After a while, he calmed down and burst into laughter.

“Good! Very good! The 43rd floor! The third room on the left. It’s there. Bring the emotions from that place!”

Valencia burst into laughter. A dangerous gaze was directed at Taesan.

“Keep going down! Bring all the cores up to the 50th floor. And…”

Taesan collected the core.

Valencia’s words didn’t follow after that.

Only a twisted laugh was audible.

“Hehehe! If it continues like this… if it continues like this, I really…”

Valencia, who had previously shown significant emotional fluctuations, was now even more intense.

He was literally going insane.

Having received a new quest, Taesan descended to the 43rd floor.

[Start of Floor 43 Quest.] [Defeat the boss of the 43rd floor and pass through.] [Reward: Helm of the Broken One] [Secret Reward: ???]

The monsters of the 40s floors couldn’t stop him. He planned to keep descending non-stop until he reached a God’s altar or a special NPC gave him a quest.

Taesan began to break through the 43rd floor.

The monster on the 43rd floor was a spirit left with only joy. Positive emotions burrowed into Taesan’s mind.

However, it wasn’t just simple joy as one might expect from a monster. If one had weak mental fortitude, they might shake uncontrollably, unable to restrain such a level of joy.

Of course, Taesan was unaffected.

He breezed through over half the floor in just a few minutes.

He collected the secret room reward, a staff imbued with magical power. Not bad, but not the equipment he would use. He planned to offer it as a tribute to the god of magic.

Then, he found and activated the pillar in the secret room, suppressed the emerging joy, and secured the core.

“Already?”

The speed was so fast that it surprised Valencia more than it pleased him. He hesitantly informed him about the secret room on the next floor.

After gathering the information, Taesan returned to the 43rd floor to defeat the boss.

He collected the clear reward.

[Helm of the Broken One] [Strength + 50] [Defense + 100] [Action Speed + 5%] [A helm once belonging to someone great, but who met a more miserable end than anyone else.]

It was a helm with high defense, twice as high as the helm he was currently wearing.

The downside was that changing the helm would remove the special effects linked with the armor, but the condition was too specific. The special effects would activate in cases of hatred and madness, emotions Taesan was unlikely to be engulfed in.

Therefore, it was worth the change.

The ??? reward was a magic-infused cloth armor. Equipping it came with a penalty of reduced defense, making it awkward to wear.

“I’ll have to offer this as a tribute too.”

Having finished checking, Taesan immediately went down to the 44th floor.

[Why so fast?]

The ghost chuckled in disbelief.