Ascension Through Skills

Chapter 279: Amelia Aerin (1)

Taesan opened his mouth.

“You’ll find out soon.”

“…Yeah. I will find out soon.”

Amelia controlled her emotions. The ghost, curious, approached her.

[This is fascinating. Strong, but… something artificial. Should I say manufactured strength?]

“You?”

Amelia’s pupils shook as she saw the ghost.

“Why are you here?”

[Hmm? You know me?]

Amelia seemed to know the ghost. Seeing the ghost still sticking by Taesan, she looked flustered.

Seeing her reaction, Taesan realized something.

Amelia also received the ghost’s quest.

If one thought about it, it was only natural. The ghost wouldn’t have let go of Amelia, who possessed talents acknowledged by the gods. They must have given her the quest first.

But the fact that they parted ways on the 10th floor meant that Amelia hadn’t received the quests beyond that point.

Defeating the Ogre Sage, obtaining information, and confronting the Guides’ leadership were quests she missed.

The ghost seemed to realize this too and spoke in an amused voice.

[Oh. I roughly guessed it, but this is interesting. So, the me from that side parted ways at the 10th floor…]

[I understand the reason.]

The ghost smiled broadly.

[It seems the me from that side judged you couldn't reach the Guides’ leaders. So, they ended it there to avoid a meaningless death.]

“You.”

Amelia’s face twisted.

Ignoring her, the ghost flew to Taesan.

[Interesting. The aura of the gods is very strong. They support her in such a way?]

The ghost said that the other him judged Amelia couldn’t reach the leadership, but that probably wasn’t it. Amelia had enough talent to reach the depths.

More likely, the ghost, who knew the essence of the God of Descent, was wary because she was too close to that deity.

“…Fine.”

She turned her body. Her movement was like a cat throwing a tantrum.

“Let’s talk after the battle.”

She closed her eyes with sharp words.

Amelia had a very strong sense of pride.

But that pride wouldn’t be perfect. It looked solid but would crumble like a sandcastle. That’s why the God of Descent chose her.

Taesan planned to break that.

Oliver, who had been quietly listening, tilted his head.

“Why is Amelia talking to herself?”

He was in Hard Mode. He couldn’t see the ghost. To Oliver, it looked like Amelia was muttering to herself and then suddenly twisted her face.

“Don’t worry about it.”

“Solo Mode has many secrets. Anyway, nice to meet you. I’m Oliver Khan, the leader from the USA.”

He extended his hand for a handshake. Taesan reached out.

The grip was firm.

Oliver asked with a stern face.

“Do you think we’re cowards?”

Taesan understood what Oliver was asking.

The method of winning by overwhelming numbers with only Americans. It could certainly be seen as cowardly. But Taesan shook his head.

“Many might think that way. I don’t.”

Anyone would be desperate to survive. It was only natural for Oliver, the leader of America, to use methods advantageous for their survival.

Oliver’s face relaxed slightly at Taesan’s answer.

“That’s a relief. It’s really reassuring to hear one of the strongest humans say that.”

Hearing this, Amelia, who had been closing her eyes, opened them. She briefly looked at Oliver with a betrayed expression and then quickly turned her gaze when Taesan looked at her.

“Taesan.”

Oliver spoke calmly.

“You said we weren’t cowardly. So… you won’t think that way about what’s going to happen, right?”

“Whatever you do, I don’t care.”

It didn’t matter anyway.

Oliver smiled broadly at Taesan’s words.

“Good. I’m relieved to hear that answer. Amelia.”

“Do as you please. It doesn’t matter anyway.”

Amelia spoke bluntly.

Taesan looked at the remaining players. They were filled with vigilance and curiosity towards Taesan.

And among them, the only one with a yellow cloth on their arm was Amelia.

“There’s no other Solo Mode.”

“Not everyone is as strong as Amelia. Of course, they are stronger than most Hard Mode players… but they haven’t reached our level yet.”

The growth potential of Solo Mode was certainly great, but that was a story for after reaching a certain point. In the beginning, Hard Mode players who could collaborate and clear quickly had the upper hand.

While talking with Oliver, it became time. They all started to be summoned to the battlefield.

A vast plain. Taesan, summoned in the middle of it, sat on a rock.

One by one, presences began to gather from afar. Except for one presence, all of them gathered and surrounded Taesan.

Seeing the faces of the people who appeared, Taesan murmured.

“Amelia isn’t here.”

“She said she would rather withdraw than fight together. She’s a very proud woman. This isn’t the time to worry about such things.”

Oliver spoke bitterly. They were fighting for their survival. Pride had no value.

“Taesan. You said we weren’t cowardly.”

Oliver gave a signal with his eyes. Thirty players simultaneously took out a potion from their arms.

Clink!

And threw them to the ground. Thick poison began to spread.

[Oliver has been poisoned.]

System messages notifying of poison appeared in a row. Oliver, his face turning purple, drew his weapon.

“Considering how far you’ve come, you must be very strong. But you’ve surely exhausted a lot.”

Taesan was a Solo Mode player from Korea. He fought and came up against Lee Taeyeon and Kang Jun-hyeok.

It wasn’t clear exactly how strong they were. They were overshadowed by Taesan’s presence, so accurate information couldn’t be obtained.

But from the occasional information, it was clear they were far stronger than Hard Mode players.

Taesan fought against such people. Oliver assumed that Taesan must have used considerable power.

His assumption was based on the fact that Taesan appeared the latest. He thought Taesan must have exhausted some health or mana after fighting them for over an hour.

So, they used poison to deplete the little remaining health.

The poison they used wasn’t that strong, depleting 1 health every 5 seconds.

But right now, his health was fixed at 100. In such a situation, it was extremely threatening.

Poison Taesan and escape as much as possible. Slowly whittle away his health. And when his health reached zero due to the poison, or if he fought Amelia with barely any health left and lost, either way,

Amelia could win.

The poison touched Taesan. It was the moment Oliver was sure of his victory.

[Poison judgment in progress…]

[Judgment succeeded! Poison resistance activated.]

“What?”

Oliver’s pupils dilated.

Despite being buried in the poison, Taesan’s face didn’t turn purple.

“Is that how the judgment works? This is something new.”

Against continuous damage like poison, did absolute protection activate first, or did poison resistance activate first?

The answer was the latter. It seemed that resistance judgment was attempted first, and if it failed, absolute protection would activate.

‘Could be useful.’

Taesan stored the information in a corner of his mind.

“Let’s finish this quickly.”

“Wait!”

[You have activated Marbas' Pitch-Black Wave.]

The last remaining presence. Taesan walked toward it. Soon, Amelia’s figure came into view.

As she looked at Taesan, she opened her mouth.

“I’m strong.”

Amelia said.

“I’m the strongest. Even if you went deeper than me! My skills are superior!”

“Really?”

Taesan smiled.

“If that’s what you think, fine.”

Taesan took a step closer to Amelia.

At that moment, a tremendous force crushed the battlefield.

At the same time, the system window appeared crazily.

[Forced rules are added.]

[1. Kang Taesan's shield becomes 1.]

[2. Kang Taesan's health becomes 1.]

[3. Kang Taesan's mana becomes 1.]

[4. Kang Taesan's magic becomes 1.]

At that moment, the system window distorted. It felt like a clash and offsetting of great powers.

Taesan opened his status window. From health to magic, everything was 1.

But strength, agility, intelligence, and attack power were at their original values.

Taesan, who had been looking up at the sky for a moment, spoke briefly.

“Thank you.”

After leaving a word of thanks to the being who helped him from afar, Taesan approached Amelia again.

“Amelia Aerin. I declare here.”

Taesan said, as if stating an absolute truth, as if it would surely come true.

“I won’t use any skills. And I will defeat you in one strike.”

Amelia’s face crumpled.

She gritted her teeth and drew her sword.

“Try it!”

[Amelia has activated Rage.]

[Amelia has activated Honorable Duel.]

[Amelia has activated Higher than Anyone Else.]

[Amelia has activated the Weak God's Blessing.]

Numerous powers enveloped Amelia. Some of them were skills Taesan had not obtained.

Skills directly given to her by the God of Descent, skills only Amelia could receive.

Taesan nodded.

“Not bad.”

She was certainly much stronger than Lee Taeyeon and Kang Jun-hyeok.

But that was all.

Taesan took another step closer to Amelia. Amelia, raising her fighting spirit, tried to respond to Taesan’s movement.

She had confidence.

She was strong. Even if her opponent was stronger, she could respond and win.

In fact, the losers of the Labyrinth, called the Guides of Sin, couldn’t block her attacks despite being on higher floors.

Taesan was no different. He seemed to have gone deeper, but the difference wasn’t that big. She was strong enough to skip floors. She believed so.

And she had enough skills to support that belief.

[Amelia has activated the Path to Victory.]

The Path to Victory. A skill she obtained after passing the trials of the God of Descent.

This skill found possibilities of victory even in the most desperate situations.

Even in extreme situations where no one thought she could win, the Path to Victory always brought her triumph.

Amelia, who activated the skill, focused on Taesan.

And she realized.

Taesan was walking toward her in an ordinary manner. There were plenty of openings to attack.

But her mind warned her. Attacking those openings would lead to her own defeat, a near prophetic certainty.

Amelia’s eyes shook.

“Will you stay still?”

Step.

Taesan had already reached right in front of her.

Sweat trickled down her cheek.

No answer came.

Despite seeming leisurely and full of openings, she couldn’t exploit them. Taesan raised his fist.

“Block this.”

His fist moved. The movement was very slow. Even an ordinary person could easily dodge it.

[Amelia's Line of Death has activated.]

She had to dodge.

And counterattack to win. As she had always done.

But it was impossible.

The Path to Victory, which always brought her certainty, didn’t activate. As if, no matter what means she used, no matter how many times she fought, she couldn’t win.

Dozens of strategies flashed through Amelia’s mind. But all she could envision was their destruction.

‘…Move!’

Just before the fist touched her, Amelia barely moved. She shifted her entire body to roughly dodge the fist and lowered her posture to dive at Taesan like a wave.

The sword drew dozens of afterimages.

A movement above her own level, something she had never achieved. In an extreme situation, she surpassed her limits.

But Taesan casually adjusted the trajectory of his fist.

All the sword’s afterimages were destroyed by the approaching fist.

Amelia, shocked, raised her sword. The fist collided with the sword.

Crack.

The sword bent. The fist broke through her defense and touched Amelia’s face.

“Lie down for now.”

Her consciousness was cut off there.