Ascension Through Skills
chapter-7

[Lee Taeyeon[Solo]: Mr. Taesan, how do you plan to fight the Big Rat?] [Kang Taesan[Solo]: Observe its muscle movements and anticipate where to strike.] [Lee Taeyeon[Solo]: Isn't that telling me to respond to its movements?] [Kang Taesan[Solo]: No. I said anticipate, right?] [Lee Taeyeon[Solo]: …… How am I supposed to observe the muscles of a rat?]

“Squeak!”

The Big Rat squealed threateningly. Taesan quietly observed the Big Rat.

Responding to its movements was impossible.

But the Big Rat was a creature that breathed and used its muscles to move. Anyone would be able to confirm the body’s movements when it was about to do something.

Suddenly, the Big Rat’s legs contracted. Its vibrating chest puffed out.

This was the moment.

Taesan struck with his sword.

Clang!

“Squeak!”

The Big Rat, which was about to rush in, reflexively retreated.

This was the concept of anticipation.

Every creature had some sort of prelude when they were about to attack. If one paid close attention, blocking in advance wasn’t difficult.

It was the same as professional boxers who did not dodge punches by watching the fist but by observing the movements of the shoulder and moving in advance.

The opponent wasn’t human, but a rodent, yet the theory was the same.

Now, the real game began from here.

Taesan extended his arm that wasn’t holding the sword.

The Big Rat hesitated, then attempted to charge once more.

However, it was again thwarted by Taesan’s attack.

“Sque-squeak.”

[The Big Rat is intimidated by you.] [Its decision-making process is slowed.]

Uncertainty clouded the rat’s tiny red eyes, something that was visible even to Taesan. In the rat’s mind, the ankle had become a place it could no longer attack.

Then, it would aim for the next easiest place to attack.

His arm was extended quite invitingly.

Its decision was swift.

The Big Rat charged and threw itself to bite his arm.

“Squeak?”

Surprise flashed in the Big Rat’s eyes. The sensation of its bite was strange. It felt like it was biting something hard instead of flesh.

It attempted to flee belatedly, but the Big Rat’s body was suspended in mid-air. Its nimble movements were sealed.

“You’ve lost.”

Taesan smashed the arm that the Big Rat had bitten into the ground.

Thud!

“Squeeeeeak!”

Pinned by the arm, the Big Rat screamed. It squirmed as it tried to escape, but the basic difference in strength was significant.

Taesan did not miss the opportunity and stabbed his sword into its chest. An unpleasant sensation ran up his arm.

[You have attacked.] [The Big Rat is incapacitated. It takes more damage.] [The Big Rat takes 4 damage.] [The Big Rat takes 5 damage.]

“Squea…k…”

The vitality faded from those red eyes.

“Hoo!”

As the Big Rat’s movement ceased, Taesan finally relaxed his strength.

“That was rather tough.”

The rat, whose movements were too quick for human reflexes to counter, was merely the first monster.

But Taesan calmly summarized the situation.

He had won.

It was now time to receive the rewards.

[You have defeated the Big Rat.] [You have received a large amount of experience points.] [Your Health has been restored by 5.] [You have obtained 43 gold.] [You have obtained the Big Rat's hide.] [You have obtained the Big Rat's meat.]

Taesan brushed over these messages nonchalantly. He had no intention of fussing over those basic rewards.

[You have attacked.] [You have single-handedly defeated a challenging enemy.] [Your Agility has permanently increased by 1.]

“Ho.”

Taesan smiled in satisfaction. In the labyrinth, stats held an unchanging value. An increase was always a good thing.

But the system messages did not stop there.

[Your Heroic Blow has been activated. Your Agility permanently increases by 1.] [You have obtained the basic skill: Swordsmanship.] [You have seized victory in battle by utilizing a wide field of vision. You have obtained the special constant activation skill: Vision Enhancement.] [You have seized victory in battle by identifying the enemy's weakness. You have obtained the special constant activation skill: Insight.] [You faced your opponent without faltering in your first battle. You have obtained the special constant activation skill: Composure.]

“Huh?”

Taesan was taken aback. This was beyond his expectation.

But the system messages kept coming.

[You have won against a monster for the first time.] [You have obtained 100 gold.] [You have obtained the title: The Brave One.]

“They’re giving me so much just for defeating one small monster?”

They wouldn’t even give half this many rewards for defeating a boss monster in Easy Mode.

Taesan made a sarcastic thought, but considering the characteristics of the labyrinth, it was a perfectly reasonable occurrence.

The labyrinth didn’t just consider the result of victory.

It took into account how the process went, how perfectly victory was achieved, and the method used to achieve the result.

Taesan’s battle was close to perfect. Moreover, he was a Solo player. The labyrinth was merely giving him the rewards he deserved.

But Taesan, who didn’t know this, was both delighted and bewildered.

Still, a reward is a reward.

“Skill window.”

[Basic Skill: Swordsmanship] [Proficiency: 1%] [You seem to be able to swing a sword.]

It was the most basic skill. For Taesan, who had been pushing the edge with his skills, it was a skill he hadn’t needed to use until the end.

Taesan brushed it off and checked the next skill.

[Special Constant Activation Skill: Vision Enhancement] [Proficiency: 5%] [You can obtain a wide field of vision, but it still falls within the range of human vision.]

Vision Enhancement. A good skill. The human vision would blur outside of its focus area. Still, with Vision Enhancement, one would be able to see countless things simultaneously.

This was quite an advantage. During battles, one’s field of vision tended to narrow. Therefore, it became hard to react when unexpected variables came into play. If this skill was available, the occurrence of that would decrease significantly.

It was a skill he had acquired only after passing through the 20th floor on Easy Mode.

And the next skill.

[Special Constant Activation Skill: Composure] [Proficiency: 12%] [A calm mind that doesn't get flustered. You won't get flustered as long as no entity that surpasses human cognition appears. You gain a correction on judgment.]

Composure was also a highly useful skill that allowed resistance against all sorts of judgments.

[Special Constant Activation Skill: Insight] [Proficiency: 5%] [You can perceive many things. It seems like, for now, you can only discern the weaknesses of creatures.]

“I’m getting this already.”

Insight. It was a succinct explanation, but it was a skill that Taesan had used until the end.

When proficiency reached 100%, the skill evolved. When Insight evolved through several stages, it would become a skill that allowed total discernment of everything around him. It would become Total Reconnaissance.

Taesan had obtained Insight only after reaching the 40th floor. Even that was quick. Hard Mode players had barely been able to acquire Insight by the 50th floor.

He got all of these on just the 1st floor.

“Damn, what a disparity.”

He knew there would be differences, but he didn’t expect them to be this big. He clicked his tongue for a moment and then checked the skill again.

[Soul Skill: Soul Strike Increase] [Proficiency: 100%] [Your soul has seen a world a step higher. Your high-dimensional soul takes away the power of the opponent each time you win.]

“What’s this?”

It certainly wasn’t a skill he had acquired in this world. As Taesan paused to remember, it came to him.

“…When I was fighting with the S-class.”

It was when he had cleanly reduced 1.25 million hit points.

At that last moment, a system window appeared. He had casually dismissed the system window because he was too tired.

‘It definitely appeared then.’

[You have entered a state of mindless immersion. Your body and mind become one.] [A miracle-like power is engraved on your soul. You have gained the Soul Skill [Soul Strike Increase].] [You are in a state of having left the labyrinth, so you couldn't acquire the skill. [Soul Strike Increase] has been sealed.]

Yes, it was sealed. This skill could only be obtained within the labyrinth.

Now that he had entered the labyrinth, the seal had been released.

‘So the skill remains even if time is rewound?’

Perhaps because it’s a Soul Skill, it was a skill that was engraved onto the soul itself. After briefly pondering it, Taesan shook his head.

“Let’s not think too deeply about it.”

It wasn’t a problem he could immediately solve anyway. He had obtained a good skill. That was enough.

To take something away each time he killed an opponent. It was practically the same as saying he could become infinitely powerful depending on the conditions. It would be hard to find a better skill than this.

Taesan closed the skill window with a satisfied expression.

“As for the title… nothing special.”

[Title: The Brave One] [You have proven that you have courage, not recklessness.] [NPCs feel favorably towards you.]

Another favorability title. Without a word, Taesan closed the title window.

The shop owner had told him to come back alive, and he had survived. He should then open the shop for him.

There was one thing he wanted to sell. Taesan turned back and headed towards the shop while holding the skin and meat.

The dwarf, seeing Taesan’s return, dropped his pipe.

“…You survived?”

“Did you wish for my death?”

“No, not that.”

The dwarf hastily picked up his pipe while looking at Taesan with a peculiar gaze.

“Don’t tell me you didn’t encounter any monsters?”

“I did encounter them.”

“Ah… then you must have run away. It would’ve been hard to even flee from a rat. Wonder how you managed.”

When you turned your back, a Big Rat would even chase you to the safe zone to kill you. However, since the monster’s base damage wasn’t too high, there was a chance of survival if you ran away quickly.

The dwarf thought that Taesan had made such a decision. He was scrutinizing Taesan’s face, and his eyebrows twitched.

“Don’t you have fear?”

“Pardon?”

“No, never mind.”

Despite a situation full of despair, Taesan didn’t waver. He was barely worth becoming a trading partner at this point.

Taesan opened his inventory and said.

“I caught it.”

The dwarf dropped his pipe again.

“…You caught it?”

Taesan pulled out the Big Rat’s skin and meat from his inventory.

“You buy things in your shop, right? How much can you give me for these?”

“Mister?”

The dwarf, stunned, opened his mouth.

“You really caught it?”

“Would it be fake?”

“…How?”

The dwarf was noticeably flustered. Taesan looked at him with a face that said the dwarf was surprised over nothing.

“If you catch it, you catch it. What’s there to be so surprised about?”

“You…”

The dwarf lost his words. He barely managed to regain his composure and hesitantly reached out his hand.

“Le-let me see.”

Taesan calmly handed over the skin and meat.

[Big Rat's Meat] [Quality: 96%] [It's the meat of a Big Rat. You can eat it if you want.] [Big Rat's Skin] [Quality: 95%] [It's the skin of a Big Rat. It seems reasonably warm.]

The dwarf’s pupils dilated.

It was real. And of the highest quality. It meant it had been perfectly caught without causing any mess.

“How…”

The Big Rat was strong. Even his proud soldiers couldn’t catch it easily due to its fast speed. It was not a monster that a newcomer to the labyrinth would be able to catch.

However, the item did not lie. The dwarf looked at Taesan with disbelieving eyes and then belatedly regained his composure.

“…Alright. Since you have met my condition, I’ll open the shop.”

His role was to be a shop owner. If the other party had passed his condition, it was time to perform his role.

“What do you need?”

“What do you sell?”

“I sell everything. Just tell me.”

In that case, what Taesan needed to buy was decided.

“Do you have a Tower Shield?”

“A Tower Shield? The big one?”

“Yes. Something of a size that you would have to hold with both hands.”

“Why do you want to buy it?”

“I’m planning to smack it down. Completely.”

“… That’s the correct answer.”

The dwarf let out a sigh of admiration. After looking at Taesan with a look of wonder for a moment, he reached into thin air.

“Golden Gate.”

Rustle.

The dwarf, rummaging through the split space, pulled out a Tower Shield. It was large enough to cover a person’s body and seemed quite sturdy.

“How about this?”

Taesan took the shield and checked it.

[Heavy Tower Shield] [Attack +1] [Defense + 5] [It seems quite sturdy and should be able to block many attacks.]

Taesan was surprised. It was not just at a decent level. This kind of equipment could only be obtained on the 7th floor of Easy Mode.

“How much is it?”

“500 gold.”

It was a reasonable price. Taesan quickly checked his gold. With only 243 gold, he was short half the value.

‘I’ll have to come back later.’

The increase in stats would make catching Big Rats much easier. He only needed to catch about seven more.

As Taesan was about to leave the shield behind, the dwarf stopped him.

“Where are you going?”

“I don’t have enough gold.”

“Don’t worry about that. I’ll give it to you for free.”

Taesan, who was headed towards the labyrinth, paused.

“For free?”

“Yes.”

As if to prove it wasn’t a lie, the dwarf tossed the shield.

[You’ve received a Heavy Tower Shield.]

‘He’s giving it for free?’

This was not like a shopkeeper. But the dwarf didn’t stop there.

“You have about 250 gold right now, right? There should be something you can buy with that. Wait.”

The dwarf kept pulling out something from his space. Taesan was taken aback.

‘What’s happening?’

Lee Taeyeon had always said that the dwarf was always cranky and never spread out his goods for display. He seemed extremely reluctant to give her anything. It was as if he was giving her something that didn’t fit her class.

But right now, the dwarf was showering him with items as if he was an easy mark.