Ascension Through Skills

Chapter 264: Special Activation Skill. Absolute Judgment (1)

Taesan was surprised.

“Are you giving me two?”

Of course, Taesan had accomplished quite a lot.

He had directly faced and defeated a High God, so receiving a substantial reward was only natural.

However, the value of mid-level black magic was enormous, even considering his achievements. Even Zelbando, the God of Magic, who had given him a reward for saving the Giant’s world, had only given one.

In addition to this, he received the transformation of the Apostle and the evolution of the ring as rewards for defeating the High God. He never expected to receive one more reward here.

[I was planning to give you only one. But didn't I tell you? They interfered.]

Demons.

Beings that used black magic itself.

The Demon God spoke with a displeased expression.

[They want to form a direct relationship with you, not through me. They want to hand over their power to you.]

“So, this is what you meant when you said it’s not bad right now.”

Whatever the case, he had obtained two mid-level black magics. This was a clear gain. The Demon God nodded.

[One is given by me. The other is a reward directly given to you by the demons. These two black magics are among the top mid-level black magics, so there will be no disappointment.]

“Thank you.”

Taesan expressed his gratitude. He was satisfied. But the Demon God had an ambiguous expression.

[They will show interest in you. Someday they might approach you. I've given a warning, so they won't show hostility... but they will want to test your strength.]

The Demon God leaned back on her throne.

[Do as you please. You can show your strength or reject their approach.]

“Understood.”

It was ultimately Taesan’s choice. Therefore, there was nothing to worry about. He could do as he wished.

[Then, it's time for you to go down, right?]

“Yes. Recently, the progress of the labyrinth conquest has been quite slow.”

There had been many instances of coming and going due to the trials of the gods or returns. As a result, the progress in conquering the labyrinth itself had been quite slow.

[Before that, let me tell you two things.]

The Demon God slowly opened her mouth.

[60th floor. They will be waiting there.]

“You mean the Guides.”

[Yes. As always, you just need to win.]

Taesan nodded. The Demon God continued.

[Soon, there will be interference in the labyrinth. You will meet each other.] “The God of Descent, Essence?”

The Demon God’s eyebrows twitched at Taesan’s words.

[How do you know... No, you wouldn't be unaware, would you?]

The Demon God knew that Taesan had returned from the future. Therefore, everything that had happened in the labyrinth was something Taesan had experienced.

[Yes. A party will start for the child he favors. I don't like such meetings, but... that guy is extremely persistent.]

The Demon God grumbled. She didn’t seem to like the God of Descent very much.

[It will be communicated soon, but I'm telling you in advance.]

“Thank you.”

The Demon God stared at Taesan.

[It's good to make it clear.]

She said.

[If Essence tries to approach you and do something. You can use my name.]

“…I will remember that.”

[Then my business is over. It's time for you to move forward for your purpose, Taesan.]

The Demon God smiled and waved her fingers.

[I look forward to our next meeting.]

As the space flipped, Taesan returned to the labyrinth.

“It’s been a while here too.”

A small space surrounded by bricks that now felt as comfortable as home.

Taesan sat on the floor.

It was time to organize what he had obtained. He first looked at the ring.

[Engulfed in blackness mixed with grandeur]

[Attack Power +750]

[A ring made by mixing Dragon’s Claw and Spirit King's Ember. It is simply strong. Each great energy collides with the other to create one ego. The ego is not whole, is violent, and does not acknowledge anything other than its twin. The one who perfectly tames this will gain another power.]

Attack power increased by 250.

It was a decent reward, which was definitely helpful. The value of 250 was still significant even now.

Next, Taesan opened the skill window.

The proficiency of Twisted Spirit Tuning was 58%. 60% was just around the corner.

Because he often fought beings related to the High God, its growth rate was overwhelmingly fast compared to other skills.

Besides that, the proficiency of several skills, such as Ability Sword, Small Ember, and Disaster’s Ember, had significantly increased.

And the Apostle Transformation that had evolved as a reward.

[Special Activation Skill: Apostle Transformation [Darkness and Chaos]]

[The first power bestowed by the God of Struggle and Death since his birth. Mixed with the power of darkness, only chaos and blackness remain. For 2 hours, you gain a portion of the power possessed by the Apostles of the God. Your magic energy greatly increases, and you gain partial control over black magic. This skill cannot be used again for one day after activation.]

The most noticeable change was the duration.

Originally, it had been one hour, but now it was two hours. This meant he could use the Apostle Transformation with more leeway in timing.

And perhaps because it was mixed with the Demon God’s power, there was a note that his total magic energy increased, and he gained partial control over black magic.

“Not bad.”

Through this quest, he had learned the proper use of black magic. On top of that, he had acquired two more mid-level black magics.

Considering the power of black magic, it would be of great help in battles.

Moreover, the power of Apostle Transformation itself would have increased as a divine rank had been added. It wasn’t bad at all.

And then, Double Casting, obtained by defeating the old demon god’s apostle.

[Special Continuous Activation Skill: Double Casting]

[Proficiency: 1%]

[When using mana, magic energy, or another distinct energy, you can use two skills simultaneously. However, the speed of manifestation is significantly delayed.]

Double Casting. It was once used by a magic-type S-rank opponent he faced in his previous life.

He and Lee Taeyeon had barely managed to defeat it together, but even Taesan had braced himself for death against the unceasingly erupting power of the High God.

The separate energy mentioned in the description would refer to the High God’s power.

Taesan tried it out.

[You activated Frozen World.]

[You activated Starlight Arrow.]

Clang!

Zzzing!

Cold air surged, and Starlight Arrow materialized in Taesan’s hand. The manifestations were almost simultaneous but clearly slower than usual.

Up until now, magic had been realized instantly upon activation, but this time there was about a second of manifestation time. At Taesan’s current level, a second was a considerable difference.

“I can’t use it like this. Then…”

[You activated Decarabia’s Twisted Vegetation.]

A passage began to form, ready to release its power. Before the black magic was fully realized, Taesan activated spells in quick succession.

[You activated Starlight Arrow.]

[You activated Frost Arrow.]

[You activated Grain Diffusion.]

Numerous spells were manifested. And Taesan drew power from the passage. Roots harshly tore through the labyrinth.

[This is ambiguous.]

“It feels like neither here nor there.”

While it was possible to use magic while manifesting black magic, the speed of realization was significantly delayed. For now, it was no better than using two powers consecutively.

[It’s a matter of proficiency.]

It seemed to be a skill that was useless at low proficiency. In other words, if he raised the proficiency, it might be possible to use two skills simultaneously at the usual speed.

And the opportunity to raise proficiency would come soon.

Until then, he planned to seal it temporarily.

[Mid-Level Black Magic: Naberious’s Golden Sword]

[Mana Cost: 300]

[Base Magic Energy Cost: 150]

[Proficiency: 1%]

[Summons the Golden Sword that guards Naberious’s body. The summoned sword disappears after one use.]

The description was short. It wasn’t strange.

Frozen World and Starlight Arrow were the same. The more powerful the skill, the shorter the description often was.

“The magic energy cost is no joke.”

Taesan’s current magic energy was around 600. If he opened a passage to use it, it would be exhausted in one go.

But it would have that much power.

Mid-level black magic.

With expectations of its power, Taesan descended further into the labyrinth. The best way to understand its exact power was to use it directly on monsters.

[Quest for the 59th floor begins.]

[Defeat the boss on the 59th floor and pass through.]

[Reward: Echo of the Progressor.]

[Secret Reward: ???]

The monster on the 59th floor was humanoid but had a bizarre atmosphere, covering its eyes with hands longer than its body. Furthermore, its entire body was covered with something that looked like hard chitin.

[The Timid Aberration that Hides Its Eyes has appeared.]

As soon as Taesan saw the monster, he swung his sword.

Thwack.

[1324 damage to the Timid Aberration that Hides Its Eyes.]

“Hmm?”

Taesan’s eyebrows moved.

It was tough.

Even without using the Addition skill, he had dealt less than half the usual damage. This monster was special.

[The Timid Aberration that Hides Its Eyes. A unique monster.]

The ghost mumbled. Taesan recalled his memory.

‘Come to think of it.’

Lee Taeyeon had mentioned this monster before.

What did she say about it?

Taesan recalled her words and smiled.

“Good. I didn’t expect to obtain it right away.”

[Obtain? What?]

“I’ll explain later.”

First, it was a test.

[You activated Naberious’s Golden Sword.]

Without opening the passage, he used the black magic. The Golden Sword materialized above Taesan’s grasp, overlaying the sword he was already holding.

Taesan’s eyebrows twitched.

The power felt from the sword was immense.

The amount of power used in Starlight Arrow was condensed into a single sword.

Taesan swung the Golden Sword.

A sharp golden sword energy was unleashed.

Slash!

The labyrinth wall was roughly scratched. With a loud noise, the Aberration slowly fell.

[9324 damage to the Timid Aberration that Hides Its Eyes.]

“Ho?”

Taesan’s eyes sparkled.

He used only the basic magic energy without opening the passage, but the damage was enormous.

“A black magic that concentrates mid-level power into a single sword strike.”

It wasn’t suitable for dealing with multiple enemies, but it was enough to create variables in one-on-one situations.

‘Moreover, with sword strikes.’

Taesan summoned the Golden Sword again and swung it at the monster that was barely rising.

[You activated Strong Blow.]

[12547 damage to the Timid Aberration that Hides Its Eyes.]

Crack!

The Aberration, which was barely standing, completely collapsed.

[You have defeated the Timid Aberration that Hides Its Eyes.]

The damage had significantly increased. Taesan’s lips curled into a satisfied smile.

The Golden Sword allowed attacks to be made in the form of sword strikes.

In other words, it could be used in conjunction with the Ability Sword.

That meant he could unleash a deadly strike in situations where the opponent couldn’t respond.

“It lives up to its mid-level name.”

Taesan, satisfied, checked another black magic.

[Mid-Level Black Magic: Amon’s Pitch-Black Spike]

[Mana Cost: 400]

[Basic Magic Energy Cost: 170]

[Proficiency: 1%]

[Summons a pitch-black spike made of Amon’s power. The power of the spike, which can shatter continents, seems to have been degraded to a strong explosion.]

From the description alone, it was hard to understand its effect. Taesan moved to the next room, focusing entirely on the Aberration that appeared.

[You activated Amon’s Pitch-Black Spike.]

A black spike materialized above Taesan’s hand.

Taesan rushed at the Aberration. Dodging its attacks, he stabbed the spike into its chest.

Boom!

The spike exploded.

The Aberration’s chest shattered into pieces and crashed into the wall. The Aberration, which was trying to stagger up, continued to collapse.

[9924 damage to the Timid Aberration that Hides Its Eyes.]

“A spike that explodes upon contact.”

It rendered one hand unusable while it was materialized, but the power was considerable even considering that.

Moreover, the fact that it exploded upon contact was an advantage. With this level of power, it could break through and pierce the opponent’s defense. If used through the passage, its power would increase further.

The two black magics obtained this time were both advantageous in dealing with single targets rather than multiple ones. This was beneficial to Taesan. The magic and black magic he had acquired so far were all based on dealing with multiple targets.

And lastly.

[Lemegeton]

[A contract made with a demon. If you wish and they desire, you can make a direct contract to handle black magic. It is currently just a right and has no effect.]

The Demon God’s mention of the demons’ interest seemed to refer to this.

After examining the skills for a moment, Taesan closed the system window. He wasn’t planning to deal with demons yet.

“Then, now.”

It was time to obtain what he rightfully deserved.

Taesan organized the remaining Aberrations and broke through the room.