Ascension Through Skills

Taesan's attack power increased by 500 compared to before.

And Bardray could now move on his own and attack enemies directly.

"If things get dicey, you could fight alone."

[It's possible, but… I'm still clumsy. If I were at my peak in life, I could manage without much trouble.]

Bardray wasn't fully proficient at handling his new sword body.

[Besides, if I act on my own, you can't use me as a weapon. That's a pretty big demerit.]

"Still, it's something I can fall back on if needed. I guess I'll need a spare weapon too."

He had already tested [Form Projection] earlier. Bardray could shift from a sword to a human form. Although it was limited to one hour a day, being able to assume human form was a huge advantage.

And Bardray was a growth-type weapon.

He'd need to test it to know the exact scaling, but even a moderate rate would be more than enough.

[Not bad, right?]

"Sorry to say this, but it's excellent."

Bardray had more than enough value as a weapon.

With the general checks done, Taesan went to find Koslun. The dwarf didn't appear—he was likely still resting. Taesan quietly waited.

A day later, Koslun returned, his face full of energy.

"Alright, alright. So, have you thought of anything you want to ask me for? As long as it's within my ability, I'll make it happen."

Koslun scanned Taesan's equipment. His eyes stopped on Taesan's finger.

"That ring."

Koslun's gaze fixed on the black-and-white ring Taesan wore. He let out a whistle.

"…That's impressive. Doesn't look like something from the labyrinth."

"Haphran made it for me."

"Haphran? He's got skills, sure, but I didn't know he could make something like this. Mind if I take a look?"

Taesan handed the ring over to Koslun. After thoroughly examining it, Koslun's eyes were filled with admiration.

"Incredible. But it could still be improved. Want me to modify it?"

"I already asked Haphran for something. No need to touch it for now."

Taesan had commissioned Haphran to fuse the black and white rings using rare and valuable materials.

It wouldn't be strange if that project was finished soon. He planned to check with Haphran before returning to Earth.

"I see. That's a shame."

Koslun clicked his tongue and handed the ring back.

"Then, anything else?"

"There is."

Taesan pulled out a handful of arrows.

[Arrows with Self-Will]

[Arrows that move on their own to protect their master. They possess self-awareness and move independently. Cannot stray beyond a certain range.]

[Current Master: Kang Taesan]

[Current Attack Power: 3421]

[Currently at their limit.]

These were self-willed arrows Taesan had acquired earlier.

They had some utility since they moved autonomously, but he eventually stopped using them.

The reason was simple. On their own, the arrows weren't that useful. They required his [Command] or will to be effective, which consumed a fair amount of mental strength.

And in most battles, the cost outweighed the benefit.

That was why he hadn't used them in a while.

Taesan now wanted to make those arrows truly useful.

"Oho."

Koslun examined the arrows with curiosity.

"Who made these? Equipment like this usually reflects the creator's intent, but I don't sense any of that. The craftsmanship is excellent, but… that's all."

"Can you work with them?"

"These? Definitely."

Koslun fiddled with the arrows.

"Give me a moment. I'll whip something up."

Koslun took the arrows and headed to his workshop.

And he didn't return for quite some time. Taesan waited calmly.

He had plenty to do as well. First, he needed to adapt to the changes in Bardray. He practiced with Bardray, refining his grasp of the Storm Scar Sword. Bardray also began adjusting to his own sword body.

About three days passed, and Koslun finally reappeared.

In his hand wasn't an arrow—but a spear.

[Spear Fused with Self-Will]

[A spear created by fusing self-willed arrows. Moves on its own to protect its master. Capable of moving across a wide range. Can self-repair. Syncs with its master to enhance its power and rank.]

[Current Master: Kang Taesan]

[Current Attack Power: Same as Kang Taesan's Attack Power] (T/N: WTF. Now its like fighting with 2 Taesans.)

[Inflicts various status effects upon impact.]

"Oho."

The weapon's attack power now matched his own. Koslun smiled with satisfaction.

"This was a much higher-quality piece than I expected. I'm curious who made it. Since it had clear limitations when used separately, I fused them into one. This should be pretty useful."

"It's more than enough."

Taesan threw the spear. It sliced through the air with a sharp whistle, drawing a clean arc.

The spear moved on its own, synchronized with Taesan without any need for will or commands. At this level, it was more than capable of dealing with the kinds of enemies Taesan would face.

It was a worthy investment of time and effort.

"Now I'm curious. Who made that thing?"

"No idea."

Taesan had obtained the self-willed arrows after defeating a Forgotten Apostle.

They were connected to a nameless goddess who had been forgotten by all. He hadn't encountered her again since the final altar, and he had completely forgotten about her.

'There must be more to it.'

There was no way the labyrinth would place an altar without meaning. Taesan had even received a quest related to the goddess.

He was tasked with finding those who still worshiped the forgotten goddess and helping restore her faith.

But nothing had happened since then. He was already in the upper 80s, and there hadn't been the slightest sign.

Not knowing how to proceed, all he could do was wait.

With everything sorted, Taesan said his goodbyes to Koslun.

"Then I'll look forward to the day we meet again."

Koslun saw him off with a joyful expression.

Taesan moved on to the 87th floor.

[87th Floor Quest Start.]

[Conquer the Demonic Territory.]

[Reward: Statue of a Snake Nestled in Darkness.]

[Hidden Reward: ???]

The goal of the 87th floor quest was clear—conquest.

As he took a step forward, Balbamaba appeared.

[Before you enter the 87th floor, I'll place a restriction. I'll seal your immortal rank and reduce you to mortal level.]

"Go ahead."

At the level of an Immortal, he couldn't even get proper rewards—there was no reason to refuse. Balbamaba used the labyrinth's authority to lower Taesan's status.

"Weren't you supposed to raise the labyrinth's level, not lower mine?"

The magician had once said he'd create a labyrinth suited to Taesan.

[You're an Immortal now. You think it's easy to find floors suited for your level? Unless the gods intervene, it's practically impossible.]

There was heavy irritation in Balbamaba's voice.

[If you took longer to clear each floor, I'd have time to prepare. But you don't. So we have to use floors with imposed restrictions. I'm the one suffering for that magician's empty promises.]

"You're working hard."

[This floor won't be too difficult.]

Balbamaba explained.

[It's more like a filler floor—to buy time for preparing the next one.]

"Is it okay to tell me that?"

[Doesn't matter. It's not like anything will change if I do. But you won't clear this one quickly.]

"Still, after I clear this floor, there should be quite a bit of downtime."

[…Come to think of it, yeah.]

It had taken quite a while to clear each floor.

And by the time he cleared the 87th, it would nearly be time to return to Earth.

[From the 90th floor on, the magician and the gods will handle it. I just need to manage the remaining ones.]

With that, Balbamaba vanished again.

[This time on Earth, I hope you stay a while.]

"That's not really up to me."

Taesan stepped into the 87th floor.

Before him was a bright moon hanging in the sky.

And a vast battlefield.

Countless monsters were killing and being killed.

As Taesan stepped into the world, a knight in shattered armor rose from the ground and slashed at him with a broken sword.

Taesan swung his own sword. The knight was cleaved in half mid-strike.

Boom!

Before the knight even hit the ground, a massive hammer came flying. It was a one-eyed ogre the size of a house.

Taesan threw a punch.

CRASH!

The hammer shattered and flew off.

Taesan threw Bardray. Bardray pierced the ogre's chest and returned to him.

RUMBLE—

And it didn't stop there.

Through the fog came an uncountable number of monsters.

Broken knights, barbarians, beasts, monsters.

Watching them, Taesan raised his hand.

[You have activated Great Collapse.]

[You have activated Magic Explosion.]

A sphere that brought all things to ruin materialized and exploded.

RUMBLE—

The area was swept clean. When the dust settled, there was nothing left near Taesan.

But his sensing range still detected no end to the monsters.

Their numbers were truly incalculable.

"What is this place supposed to be?"

[You have activated Leraje's Domain Detection.]

Vmmmmmm—

A wave spread in all directions. The detection, filled with [Magi], extended without stopping.

And still, no end in sight.

Taesan clicked his tongue and canceled the detection.

This place was incomparably vast—even bigger than Earth.

And every inch of it was filled with monsters.

Just as Balbamaba said, it was a floor designed to drag out time.

"Will I even finish this before returning?"

Muttering, Taesan started walking.

—

Meanwhile, at the same time—

Lee Taeyeon bit her lip nervously.

"Maria's being so harsh. Isn't this too much for your favorite mortal?"

She grumbled, but then shook her head vigorously.

"No, I need to do this at least once. If not now, then when?"

She steadied herself and walked forward.

[72nd Floor Quest Start.]

[Overcome the Trial of the God.]

[Reward: Belt made by the Master of the Savage Realm.]

[Hidden Reward: ???]

After passing through the 72nd floor's gate, a large empty room awaited.

And there, someone was waiting.

A woman made of flame.

Lee Taeyeon smiled.

"You've been waiting, haven't you?"

[Spirit King of Fire, Vishnu has appeared.]

The Spirit King of Flame.

Vishnu stared at Lee Taeyeon with a hardened expression.

"You…"

She glared at Taeyeon with rage.

"How dare you betray us?"

"Betrayal? I was never on your side to begin with. You were the ones who forced obedience. That's not betrayal."

Taeyeon answered lightly and drew her sword.

With utmost confidence, she took her stance.

"No need for a long chat, right? Let's get started."