Ascension Through Skills

“You can’t be eternal. That would be power beyond the law. But you can get close to eternity. To be specific, until the end of this world.”

“Essentially immortality.”

“Not quite. It will eventually end.”

Until the end of the world.

It was possible for mortals to live through a time close to eternity.

“If you wanted to destroy a galaxy, that would be possible. Becoming the master of thousands of planets where life resides is also achievable. You can resurrect the dead and travel to any time you wish. If you want to become the master of the labyrinth, I can make that happen.”

Taesan remained silent.

He had somewhat expected it.

Not merely clearing the labyrinth, but conquering it. It was an achievement close to impossible, and the reward was bound to be significant.

But the wizard’s words exceeded Taesan’s expectations.

To think he could become the master of the labyrinth. To destroy galaxies and rule over thousands of planets.

It was the same as saying he could achieve anything he desired.

But Taesan’s eyes grew cold.

“I guess intervening with the High Gods is impossible?”

“Correct.”

The wizard nodded.

“They are beings beyond the law. They distort order. They cannot be the subject of your wish.”

The creators of the labyrinth were transcendent beings. Gods of this world.

But even they could not completely prevent the interference of the High Gods.

That was because the High Gods existed beyond the law.

“That’s unfortunate. It seems it won’t be so easy to save my broken world.”

Taesan clicked his tongue.

One of his ways to achieve victory had been blocked.

He knew it wouldn’t be easy, but it still frustrated him.

The wizard spoke.

“Don’t you find them fascinating?”

“Fascinating?”

“Their power is limitless within their own boundaries. No matter how much they use, it never diminishes. For transcendent beings, recovering from the use of power is incredibly difficult, making them unique creatures.”

The wizard murmured with a voice full of heat.

“Though they were banished from this world, it wasn’t because they lacked power. How far can they go? What is possible for them? By bending law and order, what phenomena can they create?”

Taesan looked at the wizard.

The gods he had spoken with about the High Gods were filled with annoyance, anger, and hatred.

But the wizard was different.

His face brimmed with interest and curiosity as he spoke of the High Gods.

Taesan couldn’t help but ask.

“For what purpose did you create this place?”

The transcendent beings had settled here to witness the fighting spirit and battles of great warriors.

Then what was the wizard’s goal?

“A wizard is someone who explores the unknown.”

The wizard spoke calmly.

“I simply want to know. The many things I do not yet understand.”

He pointed his finger at Taesan.

“In that sense, you fulfill my desire. Didn’t I tell you? You interest me.”

The wizard’s eyes sparkled as he looked at Taesan.

“When I created the labyrinth, I designed and calculated many conditions. So far, nothing has ever deviated from those designs and calculations. But you are different.”

The wizard’s excited voice echoed.

“Even though you rely on the system, you possess power beyond my design. Soul Ascension—what could that be? What enables a mortal body to surpass mortality and hold power beyond the law?”

Taesan knew little about Soul Ascension.

Neither did the Green Witch.

And it seemed the wizard was no different.

Even the creator of the labyrinth could not comprehend the skill Taesan possessed.

“The source of the power you’ve gained ultimately lies in Soul Ascension.”

The holy power, the black magic, the borderline, the Word of Command—all the skills he had gained were thanks to Soul Ascension.

“What could it be?”

The wizard voiced his question.

It was a question he hadn’t uttered in thousands of years.

“I called you here because it was better than letting you get crushed. That was all.”

The wizard had no expectations for adventurers from Earth.

Rather than leaving them to be killed by the High Gods, he had called them to the labyrinth to witness even the smallest change.

“But you and that woman, both of you. You’re interesting. I would have regretted it if I hadn’t called you.”

There was only one woman.

Lee Taeyeon.

The wizard smiled faintly.

“That woman is also fascinating. She’s traversing the labyrinth in a direction different from yours. It’s not what I desired, but she’s much better than the others.”

There were many things Taesan wanted to ask about Lee Taeyeon.

But the wizard stood up as if signaling he would accept no further questions.

“That’s the end of our conversation. I’m curious about many things as well… but anything beyond this point is against the rules.”

Taesan’s body began to shake uneasily.

It was as if the space was pushing him away, indicating that further meetings were not allowed.

“You have many qualifications, but it’s still not enough. Come further down, and we will meet again.”

The space began to close.

Taesan’s body was slowly moving away from the wizard.

“Ah, let me ask one last thing.”

The wizard was no longer visible, but his voice sounded as if it were right beside Taesan.

“Is the labyrinth a satisfying place for you?”

A question about satisfaction.

There was no need to think about it. Taesan answered.

“Yes.”

“Hmm.”

A satisfied hum echoed.

“That’s good enough. Keep going down, and achieve what you desire.”

Boom.

Taesan’s body fell into the labyrinth.

The waiting Balbabamba spoke.

[Did you have a good meeting?]

Taesan nodded and stood up.

There was something in Taesan’s hand.

“This is…”

[A gift from the master. Though the master never interferes with adventurers, it seems you\'ve piqued his interest.]

Taesan examined what he was holding. It was an orb filled with magical energy.

[Magic Orb]

[An orb of magic that would satisfy the god of magic if offered as a tribute.]

“A tribute, huh.”

For a single meeting, this wasn’t a bad reward.

Taesan clenched the orb.

[How was it?]

“It was surprisingly ordinary.”

Taesan answered the ghost’s question.

Considering that the wizard had created a place like the labyrinth, he had thought the wizard would have some issues with his personality, but he was normal.

It was easier to talk to him than expected.

[Is that so?]

The ghost muttered as if something was bothering him.

[For someone who created such a crazy place after ascending to that position, it\'s strange how ordinary he is...]

[My work here is done. The rest is up to you.]

Balbabamba’s body began to crumble.

[Good luck, adventurer.]

With his final words, he returned to the bricks of the labyrinth.

Taesan organized the things he had obtained.

Come to think of it, he had not yet checked the reward for clearing the 70th floor.

[Reward: Necklace of the Reached One.]

[+1000 Health]

[+500 Mana]

[+500 Strength]

[+500 Agility]

[+500 Intelligence]

[+200 Attack Power]

[+200 Defense Power]

[A necklace given to those who have reached the deepest depths.]

Taesan paused as he examined the necklace’s performance.

“What is this…”

Unlike armor, accessories like rings didn’t typically have high stats.

However, the Necklace of the Reached One boasted stats far superior to most armor.

[This is because you\'re in the deeper layers now.]

The ghost spoke as if it were obvious.

[From now on, you should understand that the rewards you receive here are of an entirely different level than those you’ve received before.]

Taesan also checked the rewards from the secret room and secret quest.

[Staff of Dawn’s Call]

[+400 Magic Power]

[+2500 Mana]

[A staff imbued with the sunlight that has illuminated the world thousands of times from within the darkness.]

[Sword Close to Immortality]

[+500 Strength]

[+500 Attack Power]

[A longsword forged by one who has transcended mortality. Its power still lingers heavily within the blade.]

The stats overall were significantly higher than those of the equipment he had received as rewards for clearing previous floors.

They were on par with the equipment he had obtained from passing the trials of the gods or commissioning materials from blacksmiths.

“So, from now on, this is the kind of equipment I’ll be getting.”

[This is still equipment meant for the entrance to the deeper layers. Compared to the real gear, it’s a bit lacking, isn\'t it?]

Taesan laughed.

It was only now that he could acquire the equipment that Lee Taeyeon in his previous life, and the guides he had faced, had wielded.

Before heading deeper into the labyrinth, Taesan returned upward.

He met with Lilis and offered his tribute.

The magic orb given to him by the wizard who created the labyrinth held the value of an intermediate-level magic.

Thanks to it, Taesan was able to obtain an intermediate magic spell he had been seeking.

[Intermediate Magic: Limited Blink]

[Mana Cost: 200]

[Mastery: 1%]

[Allows teleportation to a certain distance. This skill cannot be used again for 10 minutes after activation.]

A skill for spatial movement.

Unlike random blink, Taesan could leap to any location he desired without marking it.

The distance limitation was about 1km, which was more than sufficient.

It was a satisfying spell.

Then Taesan handed the Cluster of Negativity to Hafran.

After briefly inspecting the material, Hapran said it wasn’t enough to create something exceptional.

If Taesan wanted something better, he would need to bring additional materials, and Taesan agreed.

Afterward, Taesan returned to the lower levels.

[Quest for the lower layers begins.]

[Break through the territory of the Starving Shadows.]

[Reward: Anklet from Myths.]

[Secret Reward: ???]

After passing through the room where he met Balbabamba, Taesan encountered the shopkeeper.

“You’ve arrived.”

The shopkeeper quietly welcomed Taesan.

“From here on, you’re entering the deeper layers. You know what that means, right?”

“The equipment you sell here must also be from the deeper layers, correct?”

“Exactly.”

The shopkeeper smirked, murmuring in admiration.

“I’ve seen many adventurers, but you’re the first one to descend without spending gold.”

Taesan had bought almost nothing except for a few materials needed for skills and recovery potions.

Other than a ring that increased all stats by percentage and the Witch’s Bracers, he hadn’t spent any money on equipment.

As a result, Taesan now possessed an enormous amount of gold.

The shopkeeper asked with curiosity in his voice.

“How much do you have?”

“Roughly… around 650,000 gold.”

“Hah.”

[You’ve saved that much?]

The shopkeeper chuckled, and even the ghost was astonished.

650,000 gold.

It was an amount of gold not easily obtainable, even in the deeper layers.

Taesan replied.

“I haven’t spent much gold since the 40th floor.”

The only thing he had really spent money on was the potions necessary to obtain Absolute Blessing.

All of that had been for this moment.

After selling off the Heavenly Sword, Taesan asked the shopkeeper.

“Could you show me your wares?”

“Of course.”

The shopkeeper cheerfully opened the space.

Swords, spears, bows, staves, grimoires, whips, armor, and more.

Countless and immensely valuable items fell out.

Taesan began inspecting them one by one.

[Red Whip Soaked in Divine Blood]

[+700 Attack Power]

[+20% Attack Power against opponents with Divine Blood, activates “Saint-Slayer” ability.]

[A whip used to torture saints with divine blood. The blood has soaked the whip all the way to its core.]

[600,000G]

Taesan stared at the whip in silence.

It had an attack power of 700. Moreover, it dealt an additional 20% damage against those with divine blood and came with a special skill.

This weapon was on an entirely different level compared to the ones Taesan had acquired thus far.

Next, Taesan examined a bow.

The bow was as large as a human torso and looked difficult to draw.

[Guardian Bow Made from the Roots of the World Tree]

[+600 Attack Power]

[The elves cut the roots of the World Tree and entwined its branches to create this bow to protect themselves. Though they claimed to be protecting the tree, no one believed them.]

[The stronger the bowstring is pulled, the greater the attack power and range, with no limit on the increase.]

[Can activate “Rooting” once a month.]

[720,000G]

The bow’s attack power and range increased the harder the bowstring was drawn, with no upper limit.

Though Taesan didn’t know what the “Rooting” ability entailed, the fact that its cooldown was one month indicated it was a powerful trump card.

Taesan looked around.

Over a hundred pieces of equipment lay scattered.

None of them were inferior compared to the two weapons Taesan had just inspected.