Ascension Through Skills

Chapter 140

“It’s not a complicated story. You know that there are numerous gods in the labyrinth, right?”

Taesan nodded. He had already encountered more than five gods. As he went deeper, there would likely be dozens more.

“The gods who agreed with the wizard’s intentions entered the labyrinth. But conversely, the gods who did not agree with the wizard are still in the outside world.”

The God of Light born from the earth, Harmon, was like that, existing outside. That was already known.

Vargan wrinkled his nose.

“Foolishly and weakly, the gods who couldn’t enter the labyrinth are trying to assert their pride. They created their own battlefield, sending their slaves to fight there, wanting to claim that what you made, they can easily create too.”

Vargan scoffed.

“Don’t you think it’s foolish? Ignorant of the labyrinth’s greatness, just flaunting their pride.”

The only god he had seen outside was Harmon, the God of Light born from the earth.

But the disparity in power seemed clear. Harmon’s struggle was crushed under the light touch of the Demon God.

The gods in the labyrinth were of the highest caliber compared to the outside world as well.

As they talked about Harmon, Vargan vehemently agreed.

“Yet, the gods outside are acting out of line. Provoking the gods of the labyrinth, they’re saying, ‘If what you’re doing has any real meaning, prove it to us.’ Ignorant fools.”

“Why not just squash them?”

“I wish it were that simple.”

Vargan shook his head regretfully.

“Several gods from the outside combined their powers and turned their battlefield into their domain. Even for the gods of the labyrinth, there’s significant power loss. They probably don’t think it’s worth the risk.”

“I see.”

The Demon God came to mind.

As Vargan said, even gods had to endure power loss to destroy another god’s domain.

But the Demon God utterly destroyed Harmon’s world, where he massacred the demons.

That meant she thought enduring the power loss to crush Harmon was worth enduring, but the battlefield wasn’t worth it.

“I can’t stand it. The gods outside daring to mock the labyrinth.”

His words were filled with undeniable anger and pride for the labyrinth. Taesan nodded, thinking to himself.

‘A kind of pride battle.’

A battle of pride between the gods of the labyrinth and those outside. That was exactly what it was.

“If you’ve heard this much, you might guess.”

“That I should become the labyrinth’s representative?”

“Exactly.”

Vargan nodded emphatically. Taesan understood the flow of the conversation, but there was something he didn’t grasp.

“Then why don’t you go?”

Vargan was stronger than Taesan. But Vargan shook his head.

“I can’t.”

“I wouldn’t be able to go there anyway…”

Vargan explained calmly.

“Beings that are too powerful are blocked by the gods there. But we can’t send someone too weak, either. Someone strong enough to enter their world and powerful enough to defeat their slaves. You are just right for it.”

Vargan’s eyes were filled with intensity as he looked at Taesan.

“You can crush the arrogance of those insolent ones outside.”

Become the representative of the labyrinth and defeat those who follow the gods outside.

That was Vargan’s proposal.

Taesan stood still for a moment, lost in thought. Observing him, Vargan suddenly clapped his hands as if remembering something.

“Ah, I haven’t given you your reward yet. Here, take this.”

Vargan handed over a golden ring.

“It might be a bit much for an adventurer on this floor, but you have proven your strength sufficiently. You deserve this level of reward.”

[Golden Ring]

[Health + 200]

[Mana + 50]

[Strength + 20]

[Agility + 20]

[Intelligence + 20]

[Attack Power + 20]

[Defense + 20]

[The Golden Ring. Its value is indescribable.]

[What is this?]

The ghost let out a sound unintentionally. Taesan, having seen the effects, also paused.

“Is it okay to give away a ring like this?”

The effects were unbelievable.

Such abilities were not fitting for a mere ring. Even the most stat-boosting armor would be excessive for these effects, let alone a ring of which ten could be worn. The ghost chuckled disbelievingly.

[This is equipment that is hard to find even on the 50th floor, right?]

“Don’t you know? As you descend deeper, equipment becomes worthless. The standards are different down there.”

[But that\'s a distant story, right? Right now, it seems like too much.]

“Really? I don’t think so.”

Vargan looked at Taesan and muttered.

“If so, you’ll reach the deeper layers soon enough. So, it’s not a big problem.”

[Well... that\'s true.]

The ghost closed its mouth. Taesan wore the ring.

It was a gain for him, so he planned to use it gratefully.

“So, what will you do?”

Vargan asked with eager anticipation.

Taesan continued to think.

A power struggle among gods. He would probably leave the labyrinth and head to the battlefield in the territory of the gods outside.

If it involved gods who disliked the labyrinth, there was a high possibility they would show animosity towards Taesan.

It was a quest not without risks.

Taesan asked.

“What’s the reward for the quest?”

“It will be more than enough.”

Vargan grinned.

“The gods of the labyrinth will generously reward you for removing the thorn in their side. I will as well.”

If the reward was certain, there was no reason to refuse. Taesan accepted.

“Let’s give it a try.”

[Subquest Accepted.]

Vargan’s smile deepened.

“Good. Very good.”

“How do I get to the battlefield?”

“Once you reach the 33rd floor, head to the room at the far left end. There’ll be a God’s Altar there. You can go through it.”

“Got it.”

The 33rd floor. It wasn’t far. Taesan would arrive there before long. Vargan, satisfied, sheathed his sword.

“Alright. I’ll excuse myself now. I’ll be preparing your reward in advance.”

Vargan left with a smile. Taesan, watching him leave, also gripped his sword.

Now, his plan was to continue exploring the labyrinth.

“You didn’t receive that quest, did you?”

[I regretted it a bit. Just a little more strength, and I would have made it, but it\'s too much for now. That\'s why I heard about it for the first time. The gods outside are thinking like that, huh?]

The ghost mumbled with interest.

[Does that make sense? From their perspective, the gods who entered the labyrinth must be irritating. They left their own worlds behind, after all.]

“Can ordinary gods not enter the labyrinth?”

[They can, but the risk is too high for them. Unless they\'re incredibly strong gods, they\'d have to sacrifice their domains, which could destroy their godly stature. Most gods in the labyrinth are of the highest order.]

The ghost trailed off as if suddenly remembering something.

[Ah, maybe not all.]

“Are there exceptions?”

[A few transcendent beings who shattered their stature just to enter here. They\'re not particularly benevolent gods… Just be careful, and it should be fine.]

“That doesn’t sound very reassuring.”

It felt like an incident waiting to happen.

As they talked, a monster from the 31st floor appeared.

[A White Knight who lost itself appeared.]

The knight, dressed in armor similar to Vargan’s but in white instead of gold, seemed inferior.

The knight rolled forward, charging at Taesan.

Taesan raised his sword.

Crack.

“Definitely stronger now.”

From the 30th floor, it was considered the middle layers, no longer the lower ones. The monsters’ strength had a clear difference from previous floors. While it wasn’t a big problem for Taesan, a regular adventurer would struggle to adapt at this level.

This thought made him think of the others.

“Come to think of it, I haven’t contacted them since I returned.”

He had been busy with various things since returning and hadn’t had the chance. Remembering this, he opened the community and sent a message.

[Kang Taesan invited Lee Taeyeon and Kang Junhyeok.]

[Kang Taesan[Solo]: You there?]

[Lee Taeyeon[Solo]: Oh?]

[Kang Junhyeok[Solo]: Brother. You were here. I thought you went somewhere like last time.]

Unlike before, there was a calm tone. It seemed they no longer thought Taesan was dead.

[Kang Taesan[Solo]: How are you doing?]

[Lee Taeyeon[Solo]: It\'s tough but manageable. Almost cleared the 10th floor.]

Taesan was slightly surprised at her response. She was progressing faster than he thought.

[Kang Junhyeok[Solo]: The Divine Blessing? Because of that, it\'s gotten easier. I heard from others in different modes that they\'re descending faster than before.]

[Kang Taesan[Solo]: That\'s good.]

The Divine Blessing given by Lakiratas enhanced the talents for struggle. He, too, had grown stronger thanks to it, and others without a foundation would undoubtedly benefit even more.

It seemed that other Solo Mode players and even those in Hard Mode were making faster progress.

It was good news. This meant more people would survive to the end.

[Lee Taeyeon[Solo]: The Trial of Self-Proof was just as you said, Taesan. It\'s a bit tougher than my current floor. Got stuck there.]

[Kang Junhyeok[Solo]: I finished similarly. Thanks to that, I got stronger and managed to push through.]

[Kang Taesan[Solo]: That\'s great. You\'ll gain various things once you clear the 10th floor, making it easier.]

Each theme that was cleared granted them various titles. Taesan himself had grown significantly stronger after clearing the 10th floor, so for them, with lower base stats, the improvement would be more noticeable.

[Kang Taesan[Solo]: Let me know if you need anything. I\'ll at least give you the basic information.]

Information like secret rooms or bosses was fine to share.

Towards the end of the conversation, Lee Taeyeon seemed to remember something and wrote a message.

[Lee Taeyeon[Solo]: Oh. Taesan, did you check the community? The Easy and Normal Modes, I mean.]

[Kang Taesan[Solo]: Haven\'t looked. I haven\'t even had time to check yours.]

[Lee Taeyeon[Solo]: Right. Um...]

[Kang Taesan[Solo]: What\'s up?]

[Lee Taeyeon[Solo]: It\'s nothing major. Not bad news. It\'s a bit lengthy, so you can check it out later.]

It seemed like a complex issue to explain.

Taesan, not particularly interested in the Easy or Normal Modes, exchanged a few more words and then exited the community.

Taesan resumed his journey through the labyrinth.

And when he had cleared about half of the 31st floor, Ambracia appeared with an awkward expression.

“Hello?”

Taesan tensed his grip on the sword without a word. Ambracia hurriedly waved her hands.

“Don’t attack, I’m not here to fight.”

“Then why are you here?”

“Did I want to come? Those damned ones kept whining about not wanting to go. Sending a fourth-tier wouldn’t work either as it might start a fight.”

Ambracia sighed deeply. Thinking about it, he seemed more mild-mannered than other Guides of Sin and often got pushed around.

“So, what is it?”

“I came to explain the rules between you and us.”

Ambracia began to explain.

“After reviewing the Demon King’s rules, we decided to act when you reach the brink of the fourth tier.”

“That’s later than I expected.”

“Only then can we pour everything into it.”

Taesan would have to approach the 40th floor before the fourth-tier adventurers could mobilize against him. They planned to complete their preparations by then, thinking this approach would have the highest chance of success.

“Well… I don’t quite agree.”

As they prepared, Taesan would also grow incomparably stronger by the time he reached the 40th floor. Ambracia shrugged.

“Regardless, that’s our plan.”

Taesan nodded. Ambracia’s words implied that the Guides of Sin wouldn’t interfere until he reached the 40th floor.

Although he had finished relaying his message, Ambracia didn’t leave immediately but kept staring at Taesan.

“What?”

“Just, it’s fleeting.”

Ambracia gave a bitter smile.

“Looking at you brings various thoughts. See you later.”

Leaving a cryptic comment, Ambracia departed.

The ghost commented.

[They must have mixed feelings about you.]

“Why?”

[Because you remind them of their past selves. They tried to conquer the labyrinth but ultimately failed and gave up. But you keep going, gaining the gods\' recognition. Successful versus failed. They must be thinking about this every time they see you.]

“I see.”

It was a matter of little interest to Taesan.

He would not be deterred. Having witnessed destruction and returned from death, he had no intention of backing down.

He simply moved forward to conquer, to win.

Taesan gripped his sword firmly.