Ascension Through Skills
chapter-275

[Special Attack Power Increase Potion] [Permanently increases attack power by 200.] [Special Defense Power Increase Potion] [Permanently increases defense power by 400.]

Taesan’s lips curled into a smile.

The increase in attack and defense was overwhelmingly high. For Taesan, with his Airak weapon technique, the effect was slightly diminished, but for other adventurers, the attack power increase would be significant.

Even for Taesan, although the effect was slightly reduced, the potion was still far superior to most equipment.

Other equipment needed to be replaced over time, but this potion’s effect was permanent. Once used, it required no further attention.

And then there was the ring. Taesan caressed the steel ring inlaid with a blue gem.

[Singing Gem and Echoing Steel Ring] [Health + 300] [Mana + 300] [Strength + 100] [Agility + 100] [Intelligence + 100] [Magic + 30] [Attack Power + 80] [Defense Power + 80] [The gem sings, and the steel echoes. The harmony between the gem and the steel amplifies and strengthens each other.] [When using basic or beginner magic, there is a 50% chance of activating it twice consecutively.]

Taesan’s expression grew even more satisfied.

Rings could be worn on ten fingers. Therefore, the abilities of each ring were relatively lower than other equipment.

While there were excellent rings, most were specialized in enhancing only one attribute.

The pair of rings created by Hafran was an exception. They could be used even beyond the depths.

In contrast, this ring excelled in all attributes. It was on par with equipment from other parts.

Additionally, the special effect of having a 50% chance to activate beginner magic twice was included.

Although Taesan now used intermediate magic for attacks, it was different for auxiliary magic.

Since there were no restrictions on magic, it was possible to use mobility spells like Random Blink or Air Leap consecutively. This was a significant advantage.

“You can use this for quite a while, even in the deeper levels. I used it up to the 85th floor myself.”

Veldencia said. Since rings were changed slowly, such performance could be useful until then.

[You have obtained the Wizard's Music Box.] [A music box made with the emotions of a wizard who couldn't save a princess.] [It now contains the song of a destroyed world. It brings peace to the soul.]

Simple explanation. Taesan looked at Veldencia, who opened his mouth with a bitter expression.

“I made it. The princess is probably not in her right mind, so if you meet her, play it for her.”

“Understood.”

Taesan used the potion. He wore the ring and stored the music box.

Veldencia looked at Taesan with a wistful face.

“You’re leaving now. Please, don’t die and go down the labyrinth… and help the princess.”

“No.”

But Taesan denied it. Veldencia’s face hardened for a moment.

“What?”

“I’m not saying I won’t save the princess; I’m saying I have no intention of leaving immediately.”

This place was extremely beneficial.

The monsters in the labyrinth were no longer a match for Taesan. The labyrinth’s system required opponents to be somewhat equal for proficiency to rise smoothly. Naturally, Taesan’s proficiency growth had slightly stalled.

But the 61st floor was different. The ten stages of trials were not something Taesan could take lightly.

In other words, it was optimized for increasing proficiency.

“You can challenge the trials multiple times. That’s what it said.”

“Yeah, that’s true, but there are restrictions too.”

“You said some overstepping was possible, didn’t you?”

“Well, that’s true.”

Realizing what Taesan wanted, Veldencia stammered. Taesan spoke.

“I’ll be in your care for a bit longer.”

Taesan continued to challenge the trials every day. Since he focused on raising proficiency rather than defeating them, it took quite some time, but he gained a lot as well.

First, he began by increasing his magic proficiency. Using all kinds of magic, he passed the trials.

After investing about three days, his magic proficiency reached 60%.

[Magic] [Proficiency: 60%] [You can handle magic confidently. You can control fire, ice, and wind, and adjust their power to achieve the desired result.]

“It’s finally increased.”

It had been stuck in the high 50s for a while, but it finally reached 60%. Veldencia couldn’t hide his amazement.

“You’re not even a mage who focuses on magic, and you’ve already reached 60%? That’s impossible…”

“I had several opportunities to increase my proficiency.”

Returning to Earth. The points gained there were usable.

During the first return, he invested many points in magic. Although he didn’t invest much after proficiency increased because of the low trade ratio, it helped significantly initially.

As soon as it reached 60%, the manifestation of magic became freer. The implementation speed became faster, and the power noticeably increased.

[You have activated Frost Arrow.]

Crack.

The manifested Frost Arrow flew towards the lich. The lich, staggering from the barrage of magic, couldn’t block the Frost Arrow.

Crack!

[1332 damage to the lich.]

The damage increased by about 30% compared to before. The speed was also remarkably faster.

Considering Taesan could deal tens of thousands of damage at once, it was relatively modest, but the advantage of Frost Arrow was its low consumption and fast implementation speed.

If dozens were created and fired simultaneously, it would be difficult for the opponent to counter.

And with proficiency at 60%, he gained new magic-related skills.

[Magic Separation] [Proficiency: 1%] [You can separate magic.] [Magic Concentration] [Proficiency: 1%] [You can focus magic that affects a wide area in a specific direction.]

The Magic Separation skill was similar to what Veldencia had used. Taesan activated Star Arrow and then Magic Separation.

The arrows split into dozens of fragments. While not as diverse as Veldencia’s, there were plenty.

Boom!

The split arrows were fired simultaneously.

Although the lich deployed a magical barrier, it shattered instantly.

The power of the magic weakened due to the separation. However, it covered a wide range, giving an advantage in terms of spatial control.

The effects of consecutive magic were very simple.

[You have activated Frozen World.] [You have activated Magic Concentration.]

Frozen World was activated. The cold spread forward.

Crack!

A wave of ice surged, filling the area in front with ice. Taesan confirmed the effect and concluded.

‘It’s good.’

Frozen World was a spell that spread in all directions. While that wasn’t bad, it was difficult to see significant effects in a one-on-one situation.

The skill somewhat resolved that drawback. The cold concentrated in the front was noticeably stronger than before.

Not only did his overall magic proficiency rise, but the proficiency of each individual magic also increased significantly. There was a noticeable change of about 3 to 4%, and considering how difficult it was to raise the proficiency of magic-related skills, it was no small amount.

And Veldencia watched that scene with a peculiar look.

‘This is what makes him different from me.’

If it were him, would he have tried to raise his proficiency repeatedly like this?

No. To him, the labyrinth was just something to break through. As a wizard, he tried to analyze and understand it to some extent, but he had never gone this far.

Whether one saw it merely as a place to conquer or analyzed and understood the whole thing, aiming to gain everything one could, the difference was clear even to Veldencia.

“Then.”

Taesan wrapped things up. He drank a potion to replenish all the mana he had consumed.

“Will you go now?”

“Can I do more than this?”

“No. You can’t.”

Veldencia shook his head firmly.

“Allowing more trials to raise your magic proficiency was already an overstep. This is the last favor I can do because I am a wizard. I can’t allow any more.”

“I see.”

He had hoped to raise his proficiency in black magic or swordsmanship as well, but that didn’t seem possible.

He expected as much. If it were possible, he could continue raising the proficiency of all his skills on the 61st floor.

“It’s time to go down. But before that, I need to leave the labyrinth.”

“Leave? Is it a trial?”

“Something similar.”

Taesan looked into the air.

The community was extremely noisy. Expectation, anxiety, excitement, and other emotions mixed, and posts were rapidly increasing.

A week ago, they announced that a colosseum would be opened.

And a week had passed.

“I’ll be away for a while.”

The space split open, creating a passage.

Taesan stepped into it.

What he saw was a vast space. It wasn’t outside, as it was enclosed by enormous walls and a ceiling, but it was incredibly wide and high. An ordinary person wouldn’t be able to see the end.

The height of the ceiling was immense, considering it had to accommodate tens of thousands of people.

Taesan looked around. Others started appearing one by one.

“Whoa, whoa.”

“It’s the first time I’m in a place other than the labyrinth and Earth. Where is this?”

They began to gather and murmur. Some recognized Taesan and brightened up.

“Taesan!”

As they hurried to bow their heads, Taesan stopped them.

The call drew people’s attention to Taesan.

“Whoa…”

“It’s Taesan!”

They gazed at Taesan with awe and reverence. But unlike before, they didn’t try to grab or rush at him.

Although the attention was burdensome, it was more comfortable than before.

[Your proficiency in Divine Power has increased by 1%.]

He brushed off the proficiency increase and moved. Before long, he spotted Kim Hwiyeon.

“Ah, Taesan.”

“People are less aggressive now. Did you say something?”

“Yes. I told them it would be a nuisance to Taesan if they were too aggressive. I didn’t expect them to follow so well, though.”

Though overshadowed by Taesan, she fought for her life, and thanks to her leadership, many people survived, earning her a lot of respect.

“Taesan, do you have any idea how this will proceed?”

“I don’t know. Since it’s a colosseum, it will probably involve duels. How did the nations decide to meet?”

“France, Japan, the USA, and us. Other countries ignored it or met among themselves.”

As soon as Kim Hwiyeon finished speaking, a system window appeared.

[The quest will begin in one hour.]

“I’ve always wondered, can’t they fix this informal tone? It annoys me every time I see it. When we return to Earth, it’s in formal language, but why is it like this here?”

Kim Hwiyeon grumbled as she began gathering people. Taesan moved to find Lee Taeyeon and Kang Jun-hyeok.

“Hyung. You’re here?”

“Yes.”

Taesan nodded and asked.

“How far have you gone down?”

“We’re around the 23rd floor.”

“You progressed quickly.”

“Since the colosseum was opening, we put in some effort beforehand. Which floor are you on, Hyung?”

“61st floor.”

They were at a loss for words.

“…You’re almost clearing it.”

“I doubt it.”

It might take longer to clear the deeper levels than reaching the 70th floor. Lee Taeyeon experienced that herself.

From afar, Kim Hwiyeon, who was distributing something to people, approached them.

“Taesan, please tie this around your arm. You too.”

She handed them yellow cloths.

“What is this?”

“To distinguish levels by difficulty since we don’t know what will happen. Green is easy, blue is normal, red is hard, and yellow is solo. Honestly, Taesan doesn’t need this…

There was no one who didn’t know Taesan. At least in Korea.

“But we might meet people from other countries. I’ve already talked to the representatives of each country about pre-tying the cloths by mode.”

Taesan took the cloth.

She resumed distributing the cloths. An hour later, a system window appeared.

[Special Quest Start] [This is the Colosseum. Prove your abilities and show your strength.] [Various quests will be carried out here.] [Points are awarded for clearing quests, with the amount varying based on performance.]

Points. Everyone’s eyes lit up at the word. Points to increase stats and proficiency were extremely valuable.

[First Quest Start] [Participating Countries: USA, France, Japan, Korea.] [During this quest, if your health reaches 0, you will become incapacitated instead of dying.] [Players from all countries are randomly separated into specific spaces.] [A certain number of players are assigned to each space.] [The assigned space shrinks at regular intervals until a final winner emerges.] [The more enemies you defeat and the longer you survive, the more points you receive.] [The final winners will be assigned to new spaces to determine the ultimate winner.] [This quest repeats until a certain number of players remain.]