Ascension Through Skills

He couldn’t help but smile at the sight of the lengthy system window.

The proof of his growing strength always boosted his mood.

Taesan meticulously checked everything.

The reward for defeating the boss was a 2-point increase in Agility and 3 point increase in Mana. The need to use skills would gradually increase, so a boost in Mana was always good news.

The reward for leveling up was even better.

Agility increased by 3 while Strength increased by 1 for a total of 4 stat points. The fact that his Strength stat, which had not increased so far, had finally gone up was great news.

“I was expecting this, but it’s satisfying.”

According to the level he was on, rewards took into account what he did and what stats were used while gaining experience. If a player mainly used Strength, then Strength would increase. If Agility was used mainly, then Agility would increase.

He had a fair amount of strength-based clashes against the Giant Rat, so this increase was expected. Although it was still in the single digits, dozens of stat points would come as his reward as he leveled up more.

He could accept it calmly as this was an expected part of the process. However, the case of Soul Ascension was slightly different.

“What kind of skill is this?”

Through Soul Ascension, his Agility had increased by 3 and his Strength by 2. This was more than the increase he got from leveling up. No matter how he racked his brains, this skill made no sense.

Simply put, it was far superior to skills like Endurance or Attack Power Enhancement. It could even be barely compared to Multiply.

“Yes, I deserve this kind of reward.”

He had defeated two S-class monsters as an Easy Mode Player. He deserved something in return. Taesan then checked his status window as he whistled.

[Kang Taesan]

[Level: 4]

[HP: 155/155]

[Mana: 15/15]

[Strength: 14]

[Intelligence: 16]

[Agility: 30]

[Attack Power + 2]

[Defense Power + 7]

[The subject is in peak condition]

“Sigh.”

He had to admire these stats. Breaking through the first floor and having a stat reach the 30s was impressive. All of those futile attempts to raise his stats in Easy Mode came flooding back to him.

Lost in thought, Kang Taesan began checking the rewards.

[Random Stat Boost Potion]

[Randomly increases one stat]

It was a potion with a straightforward effect. The value of stats was always constant. Even at a high level, it was a coveted item. There was no reason to hesitate, so Kang Taesan drank the potion.

[Strength permanently increases by 1]

“Yes.”

Kang Taesan clenched his fist lightly. The stat he needed most had been the one increased. Now, only one thing was left.

[You used ???]

[You received two Designated Stat Boost Potions]

“Oh.”

Kang Taesan, having checked the reward description, exclaimed in surprise.

[Designated Stat Boost Potion]

[Increases the designated stat by 1]

It was an item with a straightforward effect and was hard to get even at places above the 50th floor. The basic method of increasing stats was through leveling up. Other methods were either too difficult or involved too many variables, leaving it to luck.

And the stat increase from leveling up depended on what you did while accumulating experience.

In other words, the higher the stat, the easier it was to raise, and the lower the stat, the harder it was to raise.

You had to pass a minimum threshold to be able to balance the stats, and the Designated Stat Boost Potion was the best potion to achieve that.

These rewards were more than generous as Kang Taesan drank the potion.

[You have consumed the Designated Stat Boost Potion. You must designate one stat to increase.]

“Strength.”

Kang Taesan replied immediately. There was no reason to raise any other stat. He also consumed the remaining potion and raised his Strength again.

In a flash, his Strength had increased by 3. Kang Taesan checked his status window with a satisfied face. With these stats, he should be able to defeat the Giant Rat again without using arrows.

“I also learned a skill.”

Kang Taesan remembered.

[Special Activation Skill: Counter]

[Mana Consumption: 5]

[Proficiency: 1%]

[Retaliates against an enemy's attack, inflicting greater damage.]

“Counter? I got it faster than I thought.”

If the opponent’s attack was avoidable, it would trigger evasion without conditions and then a counter-attack. Counter-attacks were quite strong, dealing two to three times the usual damage.

This skill was on par with Holy Light, and they were good in different ways. The problem was its high mana consumption, but it was definitely worth it.

“Ugh.”

Kang Taesan stretched and sat down.

Rewards from leveling up could not alleviate mental fatigue. He planned to rest his brain a bit before entering the 2nd level. While resting, he thought about the Community.

“I wonder how it’s going.”

A few days ago, he posted a strategy for the first floor of Solo Mode in the Community. He had written the shortest route to the Fountain of Life.

However, the probability that people would believe his words was low. Someone was trapped in an unknown space and wrote a strategy guide? And that, too, after just a few days after being trapped? Even Taesan would initially doubt it.

Kang Taesan opened the Community page without high expectations.

“Huh?”

A surprised sound echoed from his mouth. Several posts had been made in the Community, most of them about Solo Mode.

[Park Chanwoong[Solo]: Anyone here can guide me to the Fountain of Life? I'm too anxious to go.]

[Moon Jaeseong[Solo]: We can't help being anxious. Everyone's location is different, so we have to follow the shop owner's words.]

[Lee Taeyeon[Solo]: Once you arrive, it becomes safe, so it would be best to grit your teeth and run. If you endure here for much longer, won't it be hard to move because of hunger?]

[Kim Taejin[Solo]: A life-risking race. This is indeed fun. Ha ha...]

[Kang Junhyuk[Solo]: Still, having a possibility is better than nothing.]

“Huh.”

This was very different from the Solo Mode Community he remembered.

In his past life, the Community was filled with despair.

Day by day, people hid themselves, and no one discussed strategies.

Later, nobody even spoke, as if they were all dead or their spirits were broken.

Only Lee Taeyeon vigorously made noise.

It was very different now.

[Lee Sang[Solo]: I've reached the Fountain of Life! Thank you for your support!]

[Kang Junhyuk[Solo]: Congratulations. From now on, as long as you're careful, there's no reason for you to die on the 1st level.]

The Community was lively. Though there were some signs of despair and fear, it was not completely dead. There was hope of survival visible in the posts.

[Lee Taeyeon[Solo]: By the way, that person, Kang Taesan, right? Where did he go? I haven't seen him since he posted that.]

[Lee Sang[Solo]: I've been checking the Community every day without missing a day, and I haven't seen him.]

[Kang Junhyuk[Solo]: Did he die?]

[Kim Taejin[Solo]: A life-risking race. This is indeed fun. Ha ha...]

[Lee Taeyeon[Solo]: Ah, come on. Would someone who reached that far in just a few days die? He must be descending now.]

“What’s this?”

Taesan had descended to the 2nd level. There, a dwarf was waiting for him.

“Did you catch it?”

“That’s why I’m here.”

The dwarf, who examined Taesan, smiled happily.

“You look good. As expected, you should be at that level. Are you going to use the shop?”

“Of course.”

He had to prepare before entering the 2nd level. The dwarf puffed his pipe.

“Buy what you need to buy, sell what you need to sell. By now, you should have something to sell, right?”

“You seem to know things well.”

“I’ve seen enough. Do you have something to sell?”

“Yes.”

Taesan took out the meat of a Big Rat from his inventory.

“I want to sell this meat.”

Meat rots over time. Food with lower quality wasn’t covered by disease resistance, so it’s better to sell it right away. Until the 10th floor, most enemies were living creatures, so there was no reason to hesitate. The dwarf checked the meat and priced it.

“This should be worth about 500 gold. Aren’t you going to sell the skin? If you’ve caught a Giant Rat, you should have gotten its teeth, which should be quite valuable?”

“I’m not selling them.”

The monster’s skin and teeth were useful. The dwarf grinned upon realizing what Taesan was aiming for.

“You’re looking for a blacksmith.”

“Yes.”

“You can find one if you go a bit further down. Usually, people die before they get there, but I guess you don’t need to worry.”

Since he had broken through the first level, there was now a stronger sense of trust on the dwarf’s face than before. Since he had a rough guess of who they were, Taesan wasn’t taken aback.

When he encountered the dwarf, a system window appeared.

[You've encountered the Lost King.]

The Lost Dwarf King. A being drawn into the labyrinth from his ruined kingdom.

That must be the dwarf’s identity.

“So, what are you going to buy? Shall I show you what I have?”

“I would appreciate that.”

He had plenty of money. Adding the amount he got from selling, he had twelve hundred gold. It wasn’t an amount you could accumulate on the first floor. Even if the items were from a higher level, he should be able to afford them without any pressure.

The dwarf, seemingly catching on to Taesan’s thoughts, raised a finger.

“Let me tell you one thing. I only sell certain things. Even if you’ve gathered more money than needed, I won’t sell things that you could buy on the 4th or 5th floor. If you’re expecting otherwise, it’s best to drop that thought.”

“Understood.”

The dwarf was similar to Ainzhar. Although he extended certain benefits, he wouldn’t allow you to grow complacent while enjoying those benefits. He seemed to uphold a certain line.

“Alright, here you go. If you need anything else, let me know.”

The dwarf laid out the items, and Taesan checked each one.

He passed on the potions again. Although he couldn’t use the Fountain of Life after leaving the first floor, there was still no reason to use potions. It was more profitable to save the money for potions and buy other items to conserve his health.

Taesan checked the arrows. He had more than enough basic arrows. What he needed were different types of arrows.

[Paralysis Arrow]

[Attack Power + 2]

[Makes the target paralyzed. The success may vary depending on level and stats.]

[30G]

The dwarf, who was watching, asked.

“Are you buying that?”

“I’ll buy thirty.”

“Buying a lot, aren’t you?”

“Because I need them.”

If the information Taesan received from Lee Taeyeon about the second floor was true, he would need at least this much. The dwarf passed him the arrows with another satisfied expression.

“Here you go. Now, you’ve got three hundred gold left. What else will you buy? Personally, I recommend equipment. Going to the second floor with your current equipment will be a bit tough.”

He had no armor, and his additional attack power was barely at plus two. He couldn’t rely on the Tower Shield’s defense forever. Whether it was weapons or armor, he needed to buy something.

Conveniently, the dwarf had several spears, shields, and pieces of armor among the items he showed. All could be purchased for under 300 gold.

‘What a waste.’

But Taesan was in a dilemma. Monsters dropped what they had. Big Rats dropped leather and meat, and enemies with equipment dropped their equipment.

The enemies on the second floor used weapons and armor, which meant he could get both. It felt like a bit of a loss to buy them in advance.

While pondering and looking around the goods, a pair of gloves caught Taesan’s eye.

[Brawler's Gloves]

[Attack Power + 1]

[Protects the hands. Seems like it can cause a bit of pain to the enemy.]

[300G]

Brawler’s Gloves. He wouldn’t have given them a second glance before. Gloves only dealt damage when you punched with them.

But now it was different. Taesan picked up the gloves.

“I’ll take these.”

“Brawler’s Gloves? Are you going to use your fists? Why buy those?”

“Because I can use them.”

The dwarf looked at Taesan in confusion for a moment before realizing suddenly.

“Ah, that old geezer taught you Airak martial arts, didn’t he? Yeah, I figured you’d be to that madman’s liking. But I didn’t expect he’d even give you the martial arts.”

“Do you know him?”

“We’re rotting together in this place, so of course, I know him. Not that I particularly like it.”

“You don’t like him?”

“Who would like a fanatic running around crazy trying to find a god?”

The dwarf made a disgusted face. From his repulsed expression, Taesan realized one thing.

The NPCs in the labyrinth were aware of each other, but they weren’t friendly. They seemed rather hostile.