Ascension Through Skills

It was strange. Flames that burned flames. At that rate, Taesan should have melted just from the residual heat.

But he only suffered burns. When he touched it, he felt a sense of discomfort, as if it was a foreign substance.

So, he thought it was a physical substance, and he was right.

Taesan raised his sword, and Jagan looked at him while swaying.

He had just realized the nature of Jagan’s magic after two spells. Taesan had perfectly figured out the countermeasures to his magic.

“It’s impossible!”

The magic of the demons was of their own creation. It was a perfect power that had been accumulated over a long period of time.

“And you, of all people!”

[Jagan has activated Decarabia's Distorted Vegetation.]

Dark figures burst out violently. The manifestation of the magic was exactly the same as the one Jagan had previously manifested.

Jagan was not so foolish as to fail from the 30th floor from here, but he did not forcibly change the manifestation of magic because it was the same as saying that his pride was wounded, as much as there were feelings of denial and contempt.

That was very good for Taesan.

[Kang Taesan has activated Mental Acceleration.]

Time subtly slowed down. A very small difference. But it provided enough time to think.

Black magic. A magic that was not intuitive and difficult to deal with. Something he had not seen in his previous life.

‘It only comes out in the darkness.’

The magic only manifested within the wavering darkness that manifested around Jagan.

Distorted vegetation was a spell that manifested countless tree roots to attack. If he looked at the darkness quietly, he could see the manifestation’s origin. The end of the roots stuck out jaggedly.

By looking at that, he could read the trajectory.

Taesan stepped forward. Three steps to the left. Then, two steps forward.

The magic manifested, and the roots whipped around the room.

And Taesan remained unscathed. It filled only the space around Taesan as if it was avoiding him.

Jagan opened his mouth, and Taesan raised his finger.

Blazing Orb.

The roots burned and disappeared, emptying the room. Taesan activated Acceleration. He swept past the flames and stabbed his sword into the chest of Jagan, who stood stunned.

Thud.

“Thi-this!”

Jagan hastily tried to create distance,

But Taesan clung to him. The most important thing when dealing with a magician was not to let the distance widen. He grabbed Jagan’s arm, pulled him closer, and moved his sword again.

‘As expected.’

The watching ghost couldn’t help but admire it.

Interception. Understanding the essence of objects or phenomena, inferring the most rational methods and solutions, and then drawing conclusions.

It was the most important skill anyone descending the labyrinth should have, and Taesan was more proficient in this ability than anyone else.

In the midst of battle, even upon seeing perhaps new magic, he deduced its activation method and means of destruction straight away. No one had ever succeeded or even attempted this. They were too busy avoiding it to think about a means of destruction instead.

Yes, the ghost hadn’t done it either.

‘Indeed, his greatest strength was this.’

If he hadn’t realized that the static state and the trajectory state in magic were separated, he wouldn’t have learned the beginner spells Blazing Orb and Frost Arrow, which he couldn’t have known about initially.

He had realized the properties of all skills, such as Heavy Attack, Flow, and Counter.

And his swordsmanship. He tried moving in a way to remove what he determined as rough movements in the Stormscar’s swordsmanship. In doing so, he obtained the second sword, Dance of the Swordsman.

Even if it was his first time seeing something, he grasped its core, inferred, and tried to move. It was a skill anyone could possess, but Taesan was outstanding.

‘Is it… talent?’

There were no signs of the light of talent. Only violence was visible.

Countless efforts. Efforts so abundant that they could be considered stubbornness and madness.

It all started from there.

While the ghost inwardly admired Taesan, the fight continued and was one-sided.

The reason Taesan was pushed back initially, unable to do anything, was because he knew nothing about black magic. But now, he has learned, to a certain extent, its activation and suppression methods.

From here on, it was simple.

All he had to do was block the magic and suppress it.

“Eek, eek!”

Jagan tried somehow to manifest magic but couldn’t. Whether blocked by magic, skills, or a sword attack, all means were blocked. In the meantime, he had already received over 1,000 damage points.

In the end, Jagan gave up. He spat out with a grim face.

“I admit it. But it’s not over yet!”

Jagan gathered his magic power. The magic power welled up, trying to envelop Jagan’s body.

[Jagan activated Descent.]

A unique skill of the demon tribe that converted magic power and mana into stats. With a high conversion rate, a stat that can overwhelm Taesan would be completed once activated.

Of course, Taesan won’t just stand and watch.

He stepped on Jagan’s foot and struck his chin. As concentration was released, the activation of Descent was canceled.

“How, how?”

“Why are you so foolishly trying to activate it openly?”

Taesan sent a look of contempt.

Black magic could be canceled at any time due to external stimuli during the casting process. Surely, Taesan, who had blocked countless magic from Jagan, would not just watch idly.

Jagan, belatedly realizing this fact, struggled to create distance. But the difference in physical ability between them is clear.

The stats did not differ much, but it went without saying which side had the upper hand between the magician Jagan and the swordsman-like Taesan.

Thud.

“Kuhuk.”

Finally, the sword pierced through Jagan, bringing him to the brink of death. Taesan thrusts his dagger at the collapsed Jagan.

“Stay still if you don’t want to die.”

“Me, by a human like this……”

Jagan looked up with a desolate face. The ghost released the admiration it had held back.

[Impressive. Despite being a crude kid, I didn't think he would win so easily.]

“Even if it’s complex, there’s only about ten spells. It would be different if there were skills that could vary it, but if there aren’t any, it’s simple.”

For example, Magic Acceleration or Magic Explosion.

If there were skills that could change the activation and implementation, Taesan would also have had a hard time. However, only raw magic was activated, possibly due to a lack of proficiency.

[Really?]

The ghost smirked.

Typically, magicians on the 30th or 40th floors only used about ten spells. And most of them couldn’t use a variety of magic.

It was not that they were weak. Magic was a kind of number game. Up to the 30th floor, ten moves were enough.

But in Taesan’s eyes, all of them would look like novices. Essentially, unless they went further deep down, magicians at the same level or similar to Taesan couldn’t win against him.

[I'm curious about the proficiency of your Detection.]

For example, Taesan had learned the Complete Renaissance skill, the final evolution of Detection, and the ghost didn’t. That difference was huge.

“If this bastard hadn’t acted foolishly, it wouldn’t have been this easy.”

Jagan was a pure magician who didn’t use his body. He should have manifested many spells to keep Taesan from approaching, but he didn’t because of his complacency. The moment he gave up distance, the outcome might as well have been decided.

“Then.”

Taesan poked Jagan’s throat with the tip of his sword. Blood flowed out.

“How can I learn black magic?”

Black Magic. A type of magic that was completely different from normal magic.

Jagan’s display of black magic was extremely difficult and, at the same time, appealing. Even though Taesan did not know much about magic, he would have to learn a lot of magic to have such a range and variety.

It would be a valuable card to play if he could learn it.

Jagan answered Taesan’s question with a curse. How dare a human covet the magic of the Demon race? He showered Taesan with all sorts of curses, wishing the curse of the Demon Lord upon him.

Taesan’s response to this was simple. If he did not answer, Taesan would offer his soul as a sacrifice to the gods.

This sentence was extremely effective, so Jagan shut his mouth quietly. With a scared face, he started answering Taesan’s questions.

He tried to mix lies in between, but the ghost cut them off in advance. Because he had descended deep down, he had a rough idea about black magic, so the conversation was easy.

Finally, the story was sorted out.

“So, can I learn it?”

“Yes.”

Jagan nodded his tired face.

“Black magic is a magic that is operated with mana and magic power. Since the mana is fulfilled, all you need is magic power.”

“Isn’t magic power something only your race has?”

It was a kind of energy that the demon race naturally acquired from birth. The ghost explained that no matter how hard other races tried, they could not obtain it.

“Normally, yes. But this place is the labyrinth. All kinds of strange and distorting powers are summarized as skills. If the conditions are met… it is not impossible to obtain magic power.”

In fact, he had seen a few who had obtained it. Jagan added.

“That is the way to go to your god.”

“……Just like the God of magic, our God also settled here. He abandoned all of us.”

Jagan spat out with a twisted face. His face contained both reverence and betrayal.

“He is a being who loves those with abilities. If you are liked by him and pass his trials…… you may receive the privilege that only we have been allowed. Although it is a thing infinitely close to impossible.”

Jagan twisted the corners of his mouth. The God of the Demons had never allowed humans to have magic power, not even once. For Taesan, there was nothing more for him to give. That was his thought.

“That’s not for you to decide.”

He had to find the God of the Demons. That was the goal. Taesan asked the ghost.

“Do you know the location?”

[I barely remember... but it shouldn't be too far. Just a little further down.]

He felt like he could learn quicker than expected. Given this situation, there was something he was curious about.

“What is the relationship between the God of Magic and the God of the Demons?”

He was learning magic from the God of Magic. It was possible because the God of Magic had goodwill towards him.

If the relationship between the two was not good, he might have to give up one. The ghost paused for a moment.

[Uh... I'm not sure about that. There are often bad relationships among transcendent beings. Maybe you should check it out yourself?]

Relieved that there was no immediate confirmation of a bad relationship, Taesan organized his thoughts.

With this, he had obtained all the information he could from Jagan. Taesan immediately stabbed him with a sword. Jagan disappeared, his life fading with a gloomy face.

The power he had accumulated was now instilled in Taesan.

[Your Soul Ascension has been activated. Your strength permanently increases by 26. Agility permanently increases by 27. Intelligence permanently increases by 34. Stamina permanently increases by 50. Mana permanently increases by 70.] [Your Soul Ascension has been activated. You have obtained the novice black magic [False Flame of Marchosias].] [Your level has increased.] [Your level has increased.]

The increase was substantial, probably due to him being an adventurer of the 30th floor, even though the activation of Soul Ascension was not fully functioning due to the level increase.

He didn’t get any equipment, but he didn’t mind. Hoping for equipment from the 30th floor was too much to ask for.

[Novice Black Magic: False Flame of Marchochias] [Mana Consumption: 13] [Basic Magic Power Consumption: 5] [Proficiency: 1%] [Summons a material in the form of the flame that the demon, Marchochias, manipulates. The temperature, hot enough to melt the sun, seems like it could cool things like ice.]

“It was indeed a physical substance.”

There was a part for the consumption of magic power. Until he acquired magic power, he couldn’t use it.

Then…

Taesan opened his mouth.

“Don’t hide, come out.”

However, there was no movement from the shadows. Taesan lazily flicked his hand.

“Shall I pull each of you out and kill you? If you can run, try to.”

“…We apologize.”

Quiet voices came forth, and the figures appeared. One. Two. Three. A total of ten.

They were the second-rank adventurers.

The young man clenched his teeth and bowed his head. Following him, the others also bowed their heads, trembling.

“It’s like I’m tormenting you.”

[Isn't it similar in reality?]

“What do you mean? I took the first hit.”

Taesan grumbled.

“Even if I kill all of these people, you’d have nothing to say.”

At those words, they shook even more. The young man bit his lip.

‘No……’

They couldn’t. The 13th-floor adventurer before them was a monster. An entity they absolutely couldn’t resist.

A 30th-floor adventurer has perished. Although Jagan focused on tormenting them and didn’t cultivate his power for a long time, still, he was someone of the 30th floor. Even over ten people on the 20th floor couldn’t dare to touch such a powerful being.

And that being was killed by someone from the 13th floor.

Moreover, it seemed like he didn’t have a hard time, and he was overwhelmingly powerful.

They shouldn’t resist. The young man calmed himself down and asked cautiously.

“What do you want from us?”