Ascension Through Skills
chapter-99

“Do you not fight?”

“I have no intention of dying.”

Atria looked at Taesan with a face full of wonder.

“You’re a monster. Together, the four of us could topple a kingdom.”

Atria slowly laid down her weapon.

“Anyway, I still want to live. If you’re going to kill me, I’ll resist desperately, but I would really appreciate it if you showed mercy.”

“Then, stay still.”

Unlike other Swordmasters, Atria did not seriously target him. It meant he wasn’t the type to follow Harmon’s instructions.

He planned to spare him since he had something to ask anyway. If he begged for his life, he might obediently answer Taesan’s questions, which could be more beneficial for him.

Atria chuckled.

“Thank you for that. I will do as you command.”

“Let’s clean up this mess first.”

Taesan pointed at the corpses of the Swordmasters.

“Ah…”

Inside the cave, Annetsha opened her eyes.

She blankly looked at the ceiling and suddenly sprang up.

“Oh, no.”

She quickly got up and ran outside. Among the numerous scenes of destruction, there was no sign of Taesan.

“Ah, ahh…”

She shed tears.

He was dead, too.

He died because of her.

Self-loathing and regret, everything mixed together, ate away at her emotions.

All she brought to those around her, being alive, were death and suffering.

Wouldn’t it be better to just die?

Despair was swallowing her.

“What? You’re awake?”

She hastily lifted her head. Taesan was looking down at her.

He was alive.

“Where… where have you been?”

“I went to clean up some bodies.”

He threw the bodies of the three Swordmasters at the entrance of the forest. This would alert others as well. The Swordmasters were no match for Taesan.

Annetsha, who had been staring blankly at Taesan, suddenly got up.

“Huh?”

She embraced Taesan. Taesan raised his arms and looked down at her, feeling uneasy.

He wanted to tell her to let go, but it was difficult when she was shaking so much. Atria, who was watching, whistled.

“That looks nice.”

“Shut up.”

“Ah…”

Annetsha belatedly let go, her face red.

As a princess, this was the first time she had hugged someone outside her family.

Atria entered her line of sight as Annetsha blushed in embarrassment.

“…Atria?”

“It’s been a while, Princess.”

Annetsha startled, distancing herself. She reflexively grabbed a weapon.

Atria raised his hands.

“Don’t worry, I didn’t come to capture you. I am a loser.”

“Loser……?”

“You saw the four of us come together, didn’t you?”

Atria pointed to Taesan with his chin.

“Three of us were killed by this guy. I barely survived by begging for my life.”

“Ah……”

Annetsha understood.

The reason she thought Taesan would die was because the four Swordmasters had come to capture her.

In other words, the fact that Taesan was alive meant he had won against them.

Annetsha’s gaze deepened with admiration and dependence. Taesan ignored this and asked.

“Do you know each other?”

“Ah, yes. He used to visit occasionally when my father was alive. …… You came to capture me, too.”

“Well, I did. But I lost. As a loser, I don’t have any plans to fight again, so don’t worry.”

Atria shrugged his shoulders.

“I didn’t come seriously in the first place. I was curious about what kind of person the high-ranking one protecting the princess was.”

“You seem indifferent for someone who follows the command of God.”

“Harmon is indeed our Lord, but I don’t particularly believe in him.”

At this unexpected remark, Taesan looked at Atria. Atria spoke in a deep voice.

“A god who is not even a hundred years old massacred the demons we have lived together with for thousands of years. I mean those who have the Demon Lord as their supporter. Does that sound like a normal god to you?”

It seemed that Atria, a Swordmaster who had surpassed human limits, had all sorts of thoughts.

Atria grinned.

“So, there must be a reason you spared me. Can I ask? You didn’t save me just because I begged, right?”

“You seem to know well.”

Taesan opened his mouth.

“Aura. Explain about that.”

“Aren’t you sleeping?”

“It’s okay.”

Annetsha sat on a tree stump and blankly stared at Taesan.

It seemed that Taesan leaving her unconscious to fight had become a trauma for her, as she refused to take her eyes off him. Atria looked at her, chuckling.

“Well, what are you curious about? Feel free to ask. I have to pay the price for my life, after all.”

“As I said earlier, I want to know how to use Aura and how to obtain it.”

“Hmm.”

Atria stroked his chin.

“So you couldn’t obtain Aura, even at your level?”

“I come from a different place.”

“A different place.”

Atria’s eyes sparkled.

“Are you talking about the labyrinth that the Archmage created?”

“Do you know about it?”

“I’ve heard rumors. I had a particular interest, so I looked into it. So you came from that place created by the Archmage… It’s amazing. I didn’t think it was really there.”

After expressing his admiration for a moment, Atria nodded his head.

“So, you can’t use Aura.”

“Yes. There was no Aura in my world.”

“Hmm.”

Atria tapped his arm with a finger.

“I’ve heard stories too, but you probably won’t be able to learn it. I’m sorry.”

Upon hearing this unexpected answer, Taesan scowled.

“This is the power of our world. If I follow your words, you came from a world without Aura, right?”

Taesan nodded. Atria shook his head.

“Then you probably won’t be able to learn it.”

“Why?”

“Because there was no Aura in your world to begin with. You can’t learn what didn’t exist, even if you came to a different world. That’s the rule. At least, that’s what I know.”

“In my world, there was no magic either, but I could learn magic.”

“Magic and Aura are different.”

Atria cut him off sharply.

“I was curious, so I looked it up. Gaining power similar to magic through wielding a sword. Isn’t it strange? At least, I found it strange. It’s not normal.”

Atria spoke with a gleeful face.

“It’s an old tale or a legend, but I found it. Aura is a power directly granted by the God of the Sword. He chose a world he liked and bestowed the power there. Conversely, it means that residents of a world not approved by the God of the Sword cannot learn it.”

It was a plausible explanation. The Ghost was surprised that there was no magic in Taesan’s world but did not mention anything about Aura. He also mentioned that he had not learned Aura.

There was a clear distinction between worlds where one could learn and those where one couldn’t.

‘The God of the Sword.’

The God of Magic was in the Maze.

The possibility of the existence of a God of the Sword was high.

Atria groaned with annoyance.

“Sorry about this.”

“No.”

Taesan glanced at the void.

“It might work.”

[Special Perpetual Activation Skill: Qualification: Proof of the Sword]

[You have been granted the Proof of the Sword.]

A mysterious skill gained by defeating a Swordmaster.

This must be the permission granted by the God of the Sword.

“Possible?”

“I’ve gained the qualification.”

“Oh? Is it a power you acquired in the labyrinth?”

It was an acquisition due to a rise in spirit, but Atria, unaware of this, shone his eyes even more.

“Does the God of the Sword exist in the Maze? That’s interesting. Very interesting…”

He murmured for a moment, then smiled broadly.

“Alright. Let’s talk after a brief explanation.”

Atria began to explain.

“What do you think Aura is?”

“I first found out by watching you guys. Are you asking me?”

“Is that so? I always ask before starting. It’s become a habit.”

Atria awkwardly drew his sword. A blue light arose on the sword.

“As you use the sword, those with talent will eventually gain Aura. It’s an elegant realm, but in essence, you end up with a much sharper, unbreakable sword. In and of itself, it’s not that great. But when you become a Swordmaster, the story changes.”

The Aura exploded out like a burst of energy. The Aura overlaid on Atria’s sword. It was incredibly large and massive.

“You can modify the Aura in this way to suit yourself. You’ve seen it, so you know what I mean.”

The Red-haired Swordmaster controlled several swords with Aura. The Blue-haired Swordmaster shot out like a sword aura, and the White-haired Swordmaster controlled the Aura like a creature.

They all surpassed the realm of swordsmanship using Aura in their own way.

“How you handle Aura depends on the individual. I just wanted a big sword. That’s how it was expressed in Aura.”

“Can’t you control the sword?”

“It’s not that I can’t. But I’m just not good at it.”

Atria threw his sword. The sword stopped in the air and started moving on its own.

“Do you think you can’t stop it?”

“I could probably catch it.”

The movement of the sword was very clumsy. It was at the level of a three-year-old child handling it.

“Just like this. It surpasses humanity, but the limit is clear. Very disappointing.”

Regret was written on Atria’s face.

It was roughly understandable. Aura changed according to the individual, and it could be used in a different way, but it was very clumsy.

Now, this was the main point.

“How do I learn it?”

“It’s very simple.”

Atria grinned.

“Just swing your sword.”

“……Is that all?”

“That’s all. Just swing and swing and swing again, then someday, you’ll reach it.”

Taesan stared blankly at Atria at the overly simple words. Atria waved his hand.

“It sounds like a joke, but it’s true. Some say you have to have an epiphany. Others say you have to meditate. Can it be? Training to reach the limit. That’s all it is.”

“There’s no difference from before. I feel like I’ve saved you for no reason.”

Taesan grumbled, picking up his sword. Now that he had earned his qualification, he could finally obtain the Aura.

Atria raised his hand.

“What should I do?”

“I’m done here. If you want to leave, leave.”

“…”

Atria scratched his cheek as he was cut off abruptly.

“If it’s okay with you, can I stay by your side?”

“I’m curious. Whether you can really learn Aura.”

There was deep interest in Atria’s eyes.

“If you’re worried I might harm the princess, I can swear. I won’t do anything here.”

Taesan glanced at Annetsha. She nodded.

“I’m okay with it, as long as Taesan agrees.”

“Then it’s okay. But let’s make a deal.”

[Taesan asked Atria for a contract. Atria can't make any threatening moves against Taesan and Annetsha.]

“Huh?”

Atria made a surprised face.

“I feel something in my heart.”

“It’s a temporary contract that you can’t harm us. Accept it, and we’ll let you stay.”

“Is that also the power of the labyrinth? There are so many things.”

Atria pressed his chest with an interested look on his face.

[The contract has been accepted.]

After that, it was free time.

Perhaps because three of the four Swordmasters were already dead…

No one came. It was so quiet that when Taesan asked Atria, he replied as if it were natural.

“There are eight Swordmasters in the world. Except for those who have circumstances or are hiding, all came. And they all died. So, where else would there be any madmen to come?”

No enemies came.

Until the demons came directly, Taesan could not move, so he calmly continued his training.

He took up his sword and swung it. He repeatedly used the Stormscar sword.

He swung his sword for 22 hours out of 24 in a day. He took a nap for two hours, then got up and swung his sword again.

Atria watched with an astonished face.

Such repetition continued, and then the demons came.