Ascension Through Skills

Barmondor resisted.

He spat and cursed at Taesan. He called him a low-life descended from dirty bloodlines. He spat out all sorts of insults, saying the gods would punish him.

Taesan’s response was simple.

He activated his proof.

Barmondor shut his mouth and trembled, hitting his head.

“This is easy.”

Taesan calmly listened to Barmondor’s explanation. He confirmed each and every fact about magic, its manifestation, and what the magic tower was.

And he understood.

“It’s useless.”

In Vekveta, there existed a Magic Tower. It was a place revered by all magicians, and countless magical schools existed within it.

The magic used by these schools was diverse.

A school that used barriers.

A school that manipulated spaces.

A school that used the power of nature.

A school that materialized mana itself.

Each one had distinct and diverse characters. Many magicians chose schools that suited them and trained in them.

However, having a distinct character also meant that limitations were clear.

Taesan, although he might have difficulty in learning, was not restricted in the direction of a particular school of magic. As long as he overcame the constraints, he could learn ice, fire, and space magic. There was no problem learning these different magics.

But here, if you used cold magic, you could only use cold magic, and if you manipulated space, you could only use space magic, which was very limited.

First of all, it was a minus in that part.

“The imprisonment in the system here is also mandatory.”

The magic Taesan learned may have a slight delay in activation, but he didn’t have to chant anything. However, the magic here required verbal implementation for each one.

And the biggest problem was that the power itself was insignificant.

“The basic magic for understanding the surroundings can be used from the level of an intermediate magician, right?”

“Yes, yes……”

Basic detection. The effect of the basic magic that Taesan had allowed him to detect the location of objects.

It was very low-level magic and a complete downgrade from the simple class, so it was essentially discarded magic, but in Vekveta, it was impossible to do something similar unless you were a top-tier magician.

“And the Frost Orb and Frost Arrow are high-tier magic from the school that uses cold magic.”

If you were not the master of the school, even using that magic was impossible. That was Frost Arrow.

Other beginner magic was similar.

The usage of Blazing Orb was similar to Frost Arrow, and Invisibility was even higher in level. In the case of Invisibility, which hid not only the appearance but also the presence, it was even considered ancient magic.

Taesan looked down at Barmondor, who was shivering with a cold face.

“I expected it, but… there’s really nothing much.”

The magic he learned was the magic bestowed directly by the god of magic.

In contrast, the magic of the schools that existed in Vekveta was only human-made. No matter how outstanding, compared to the god of magic, there was as much difference as there was between a human and a bug.

He expected it to some extent, but he was still upset.

“There’s only Aura to learn.”

Barmondor, hitting his head, trembled as he listened to Taesan’s words.

Being able to use the magic of the top of each school, and even that of several schools at once. On top of that, his physical ability greatly exceeded even a top-tier swordsman.

And then he also wanted Aura on top of the quality and power he had. Barmondor’s will was broken.

Barmondor wanted to get out of here quickly. It didn’t matter in which direction as long as he could escape.

Even if it meant death.

“Then I’ll let you go.”

Taesan’s sword wavered.

Barmondor died with a smile.

[Your Soul Ascension has been activated. The difference between your spirit and the opponent's is too large. You gained nothing from your opponent.]

He closed the system window.

Annetsha, who had been waiting in the cave, peeked out.

“Is it over?”

“Yeah.”

Taesan nodded.

Annetsha, who examined the bodies, could not hide her wonder.

“You are really strong. Looking at the color of his robe, he was an above-average magician, even in the Tower of Magic. To defeat him so easily……”

“The level is too low.”

[It would be strange if it were high.]

The ghost said it as if it was obvious.

[If you could become strong easily outside, there would be no reason for adventurers to enter the labyrinth.]

The chosen ones, those who could be called heroes from each world, entered the labyrinth.

And even they died in droves before reaching even the 10th floor. Taesan had surpassed the 20th floor. In terms of skill, he was at the level of someone on the 30th floor.

The strength of Vekveta was average. It would be strange if there were people who could approach Taesan’s level.

“I know, but it’s disappointing.”

At Taesan’s words, Annetsha glanced over. Taesan waved his hand.

“It’s nothing. What’s for today?”

“Yes. It’s steamed fish. I tried adding various things, and it turned out pretty good.”

A pleasant smell wafted from the simple iron pot in the cave.

Taesan sat in front of the pot with a happy face. When he cut the fish and put it in his mouth, he could taste a variety of flavors.

“It’s delicious.”

Annetsha told Taesan that she was sorry, but at the very least, she wanted to be the one to cook.

There was nothing wrong with that for Taesan, so he agreed. He had planned to eat using food production if the taste was not good, but it was better than he had expected.

At some point, Taesan also started to look forward to meal times.

Even though he claimed not to care about eating, it was only a matter of efficiency. He also had taste buds; naturally, he would feel happy eating delicious food.

At Taesan’s review, Annetsha smiled faintly.

“Thank you. It’s been a long time since I cooked, but it’s still good.”

“When did a princess like you learn to cook?”

“It was my hobby. I was in charge of most of the cooking at parties. My father initially said it was dangerous, but at some point, he began to enjoy it.”

She muttered with a distant look in her eyes. However, the light of reminiscing quickly faded.

Eight years.

It was an incredibly long time. It was enough time for memories to turn grey.

While eating, Taesan glanced at Annetsha for a moment.

Perhaps because she had had enough baths and sleep, she looked better than when he first saw her. The black grime had decreased, and her matted hair had loosened a bit.

But due to her hardships, she looked thin overall, and her face was pale, probably from malnutrition.

Taesan reached into his inventory. Annetsha, who was eating the fish, was visibly surprised.

“Space magic?”

“Something like that.”

Taesan took out a potion and threw it to her.

“Try drinking this.”

“Red potion? What is it?”

“It’s good for the body.”

Taesan said briefly.

Annetsha, who was curiously examining the bottle, opened the cap and swallowed its contents.

Then, her pupils dilated.

“Huh?”

Her thin cheeks filled out. A rosy glow came to her pale face.

The body that had become thin from years of hardship recovered.

“Ta, Taesan? What is this?”

“Health recovery potion. It works as expected.”

The recovery potion healed even if your arm was cut off or your stomach was torn.

There was no reason it wouldn’t recover a body weakened by malnutrition.

Looking at the empty bottle, Annetsha’s face turned pale.

“I, I took such a precious thing…”

“It’s not that precious. Or maybe. By your standards, it might be expensive?”

The price of a recovery potion was 200G. Annetsha’s worth was 1000G. She was consuming 1/5th of it, but whether they held the same value was unclear.

“Don’t worry about it. It’s not important to me.”

There were more than ten health potions in his inventory.

“Th, thank you…”

Annetsha bowed her head so much it nearly touched the ground. Only gratitude was visible in her eyes.

Not only had he repelled powerful knights and superior wizards, but he also gave her such a precious thing that could recover her health. Her feelings of gratitude towards Taesan grew enormously.

“Where did you get such a precious thing…”

“I told you, it’s not precious. I got it from the labyrinth.”

Annetsha asked in a small voice.

“Perhaps, is it made by a magician…”

“Do you know about it?”

“Yes, there are oral traditions. My father occasionally talked about it before bed when I was a child.”

Annetsha spoke as if she was reciting a fairy tale.

“Once upon a time, there was a great Archmage.”

“He was so great that he lost interest in the ordinary world.”

“He desired a world that would rekindle his emotions. He went to the transcendents and proposed to them. He proposed to create a huge world where great warriors, magicians, and heroes would come to fight for their lives.”

“The transcendents gladly accepted.”

“That’s how the legendary labyrinth was created.”

Hearing Annetsha’s words, Taesan was surprised.

‘Does she know about the labyrinth?’

The ghost spoke softly as if guessing Taesan’s thoughts.

[It is passed down as an old story to those with noble lineage. I also learned that way and went into the labyrinth.]

Well, thinking about it, it was obvious. No matter how deep and inhabited by transcendents the labyrinth was, no one would come if it was not known. So, the outstanding ones would know to some extent.

Annetsha was also surprised in her own way.

“Really… you came from there.”

Annetsha loved the stories of the magician and the labyrinth. Great people risked their lives and challenged it endlessly under the gaze of the gods. It was a story enough to fill a child’s dream.

But she thought it was an exaggeration, like any other legend.

But now, Taesan, who was in front of her, was saying that he came from there.

The character of the story she liked since she was a child appeared in reality and was protecting her.

Knowing this, Annetsha was surprised and very pleased. She managed to compose herself and asked.

“So that’s why you’re learning Aura.”

“In my world, there was no Aura. I wanted to learn it because it was something new to me.”

“There’s no Aura?”

“Technically, there was no swordsmanship either. Nor was there magic.”

“Heh……”

Annetsha’s eyes sparkled.

Seeing her eyes, as innocent as a child’s, Taesan realized.

Annetsha said she had been on the run for eight years. She probably started running when her age was in the single digits.

Not meeting anyone and desperately trying to survive on her own. She could have dried up in reality, but it would have been hard to grow mentally during that time.

Annetsha asked cautiously.

“Um, if it’s okay, can I ask about your world, Taesan?”

“Hm? You’re curious about my world?”

“Yes… Ah, if it’s a bother, you don’t have to.”

She was startled and flapped her hands. Taesan chuckled.

“It’s no problem.”

Annetsha’s face lit up brightly.

From then on, another task was added. After clearing out the pursuers and eating, instead of going straight to sleep, Taesan shared conversations with Annetsha.

It wasn’t a long time, and since the method of obtaining Aura was still unknown, Taesan had nothing to rush and obliged.

She seemed very curious and asked Taesan various questions. If there were demons in his world, what did they use? If there was no magic, what did people do?

Taesan answered each question.

He told her that there were no demons, only humans. There was no magic, but they used a technology called electricity. People worked more by sitting still than by physical labor.

She was surprised, her eyes shining, and she asked another question.

Taesan didn’t feel bad, either. It felt like he was taking care of a small child. He thought it would be a boring time, but it was enough to pass the time.

And Taesan also asked Annetsha various things. What kind of place was Vekveta? What were the demons like?

And what kind of gods were Lucifer and Harmon?

“Harmon is a god who hasn’t been around for even a hundred years?”

“Yes. Originally, there were no native gods in our world. Everyone believed in different gods and lived. Then, a god was born in our world. That was Harmon.”

Annetsha laughed bitterly.

“If we get down to it… He is our world’s main god.”

The demons believed in Lucifer. But Lucifer was not a being limited to Vekveta. The only being that could be called a god of Vekveta was Harmon.

That god then destroyed her and the demons. She barely swallowed the emotions that were about to surge up.

Taesan comforted her. Annetsha, who quickly found her calm, soon fell asleep.

“She’s relying on me more these days.”

[There's no one else to believe in. It's understandable. Hmm. A god who hasn't been around for a hundred years...]

“Do you have any guesses?”

The ghost, who had been pondering for a moment, opened its mouth.

[Did I not tell you before? All those who were gods from the beginning have disappeared. All the existing gods are the ones who have transcended from the destroyed.]

“You did. You also said that they are the main suspects for the invasion of my world.”

Who were the ones who trampled on Earth? If he cleared Lucifer’s quest, he could find out who they were.