Ascension Through Skills

Taesan had grown stronger since facing the Spirit King. He continued to move, dodging and blocking the onslaught of magic.

[Shayan activated Magic Release.]

The condensed magic exploded, enveloping the surroundings. Taesan activated Naberius’ Golden Sword. He slashed diagonally, creating a hole in the wave of power, and thrust his body into it.

“Tsk.”

Shayan clicked his tongue. His expression wasn’t bright.

‘It wasn’t as effective as I thought.’

He had reviewed Taesan’s records and prepared counters for all his abilities. As a result, he was able to block Taesan’s movements and prevent him from even approaching.

Originally, he had planned to exhaust all three of Taesan’s attack nullifications here.

But what he had exhausted was just one attack nullification and the Greed of Destruction. Only two things in total.

It was because Taesan was faster and responded more quickly than he had expected.

‘The skills that guy is using must have a time limit… Apostle Transformation, King’s Vessel, Avatar of Nature.’

These were skills that momentarily amplified one’s rank and power. There was no way such skills could be used for long. In an hour or two, all of them would be deactivated.

But Shayan wasn’t much different either. The magic circle he had deployed here was immensely powerful, but its duration was also limited. Dragging things out wouldn’t benefit him.

It was time to make a decision.

Shayan swung his staff to pressure Taesan. Taesan barely blocked Shayan’s magic.

‘He’s not using Partial World Alteration.’

It was a skill that changed the world itself to summon advantageous laws for oneself, capable of countering the King’s Domain. Partial World Alteration.

Shayan was still wary of that skill.

But Taesan’s situation wasn’t favorable.

Although he was managing to block the attacks, he hadn’t even gotten close.

While Shayan’s mana was being perfectly restored by the magic circle, Taesan didn’t have such a luxury, putting him at a one-sided disadvantage.

Even in such a situation, there was no reason to hold back on Partial World Alteration.

Either the cooldown for Partial World Alteration hadn’t ended, or he hadn’t prepared the cost for it.

Shayan made his judgment.

Now, it was time to use the trump card he had prepared to counter Partial World Alteration and finish this.

Kiiiiing.

The equipment surrounding Shayan began to glow.

Since the attacks had stopped briefly, Taesan stood still, watching Shayan.

Shayan was a deep-level adventurer. He also had deep-level equipment.

“Behold the true power of magic.”

[Shayan activated Targeted Immutable Magic Circle.]

Boom!

The giant magic circle that had been quietly dormant began to operate with a roar.

Power flowed from the ring Shayan was wearing.

[Shayan activated the Five Shots of Doom.]

[The first shot has been loaded.]

At the tip of Shayan’s staff, a transparent arrow of light appeared.

The power within it distorted space, turning everything in its path to dust.

Even Taesan as he was now could be struck down by this force. Taesan realized this was Shayan’s trump card.

[Shayan activated Targeting.]

Power flowed from Shayan’s bracelet, designating Taesan as the target.

[Shayan activated Savage Space Compression.]

Power flowed from Shayan’s robe, encroaching on the space.

[Shayan activated Mana Acceleration.]

Shayan’s staff began to glow.

The power gathered from various deep-level equipment. Taesan gripped his sword quietly, mustering strength to respond.

Then, Shayan slammed his staff down.

[Shayan fired the first shot.]

It was at the moment Taesan saw the system window and moved to respond.

Suddenly, time for his body began to reverse. Taesan, momentarily startled, quickly realized.

[Your Second Attack Nullification has been activated.]

He had already been hit by the arrow. The attack nullification had been activated, rewinding time to before the hit occurred.

‘I didn’t even see it.’

[Shayan loaded the second shot.]

Kiiiiing.

Another transparent arrow was drawn on Shayan’s staff.

It was invisible. Impossible to block.

So, he observed.

Taesan made a swift decision.

[You have activated Mental Acceleration.]

[You have activated Essence Comprehension.]

[You have activated Reconnaissance.]

Trying to block an invisible attack was useless. Even if it cost him the last remaining attack nullification, he decided to figure out what kind of attack it was. 𝐑�

“Foolish.”

Shayan mocked Taesan and swung his staff.

[Shayan fired the second shot.]

Taesan focused all his will and rank on his vision.

For a moment, the world seemed to slow down.

And then Taesan could see it. As soon as the transparent arrow was fired, it bypassed space and appeared directly in front of him.

The arrow touched Taesan.

[Your Third Attack Nullification has been activated.]

All the attack nullifications had been used. But he had gained valuable information.

‘The arrow jumps through space.’

Space had literally been compressed. The moment the arrow was fired, it arrived directly in front of Taesan, which is why he hadn’t seen it coming.

So, could he continue to move fast and dodge?

Taesan shook his head.

One of Shayan’s skills was a targeting skill. He didn’t know the exact effect, but it was likely a skill that designated Taesan as the target. No matter how he moved, the arrow would hit.

An arrow of sure hit.

There was only one way to counter it. Overwhelm it with force.

Taesan stepped back from Minerva and Barkaza.

[Shayan loaded the third shot.]

[Shayan fired the third shot.]

Taesan did nothing.

The arrow jumped through space and arrived in front of him. Taesan’s body moved.

[Your Last Chance has been activated.]

“What the!”

Shayan, watching, was astonished.

Ka-ga-ga-ga-gak!

Taesan’s sword blocked the arrow.

The intense clash of forces distorted the space. The power contained within the arrow surged through the sword.

Kak!

Taesan twisted the sword blade.

The trajectory of the arrow veered off and embedded itself into the wall.

Boom!

A thunderous sound echoed through the labyrinth wall. Taesan glanced at the wall and chuckled softly.

The labyrinth wall had cracked.

‘This is the power level we’re dealing with.’

Last Chance was a skill that blocked any attack that would result in death. In other words, this arrow contained enough power to deplete over 100,000 HP.

“Y-you…”

Shayan stared at Taesan with a shocked expression.

“How…”

The Five Shots of Doom.

For those who had reached the deep floors, the blacksmiths sold high-value equipment.

Among them, one ring had captivated Shayan.

It was a ring that sealed an ancient magic.

As a magician, Shayan could feel the terrifying strength of the magic contained in the ring. Even in its sealed state, it was far stronger than any magic he could wield.

Shayan was a magician. He was willing to sacrifice everything for a higher level of magic.

He decided to purchase the ring.

The price was exorbitant, far beyond that of any other equipment, but that didn’t matter. He spent all the gold he had earned from conquering the deep floors.

However, even after purchasing it, he couldn’t use it for a long time.

The reason was simple: he couldn’t break the seal on the ring.

No matter how much he tried to dispel the magic, or even with the help of other guides, the seal wouldn’t budge. It was as if the ring was telling them, “You are not yet worthy of this power.”

Shayan did not give up.

From the moment he purchased the ring, all of Shayan’s energy was focused on breaking the seal.

After attempting thousands of spells and using the floor’s clearing conditions to try to unlock it, after countless efforts over a seemingly endless period,

Shayan barely managed to break the ring’s seal.

Thus, he obtained the advanced magic, the Five Shots of Doom.

Shayan’s eyes widened in disbelief. Despite dedicating his entire life to magic, he had never surpassed intermediate-level magic. But now, advanced magic—power beyond mortal reach—was his. Overjoyed, he immediately used the spell.

And he almost died.

If the Spirit King of Fire hadn’t instinctively unfolded the King’s Domain beside him, he might truly have died then and there.

The power within the advanced magic was far too overwhelming for him to control.

However, Shayan somehow found a way to manage the ring. He spent years combining and utilizing various deep-level equipment. He even created a magic circle that locked his state into an immune status, investing a vast amount of time into it.

Decades passed, and he was finally able to barely wield the advanced magic sealed within the ring.

Even so, using it properly required days of preparation, designing the magic circle in a single spot, which was why he hadn’t been able to fully utilize it until now.

But its power was undeniable. The arrows contained power that transcended mortals.

And now, Taesan had blocked that arrow.

‘…No.’

Shayan quickly regained his composure.

The skill, Last Chance, had been triggered. It must be a skill that blocks attacks leading to death. He wouldn’t have many of those, so he shouldn’t be able to block any more arrows.

Believing that, Shayan loaded another arrow.

[Shayan fired the fourth shot.]

Taesan’s sword turned black.

Then it was engulfed in gold, and it began to turn gray.

For the three previous attacks, the arrow had flown straight toward Taesan’s chest. Seeing that there was no deviation, it seemed Shayan couldn’t adjust the position of the arrows.

Knowing the attack’s position made it easy to respond. He simply needed to swing his sword where the attack was heading.

Taesan swung the boundary line that his sword had created.

Kwaaaang!

The arrow collided with the boundary line, screaming as it began to shatter. The arrow of doom was being decisively pushed back.

Taesan put more strength into his sword and swung it.

Kugugugung!

A gray light sliced through the air. Shayan twisted his body hastily.

“…You’re destroying it with brute force?”

Shayan mumbled in disbelief, and Taesan swung his sword again.

“This is as far as you go.”

With this attack, Taesan confirmed something. He had learned that even an attack that transcended mortal power could be blocked without risk by the boundary line.

Even a single blow, like the one sent by the Will of the Destroyed World from Halfran, could now be perfectly blocked.

It would take a fair amount of time to use it again, but the fact that he could stably wield it was a huge advantage.

“Not bad.”

A worthy opponent was necessary to test these limits. Shayan had served that purpose perfectly.

“No, no!”

Shayan mumbled, disbelief filling his eyes.

“No! You can’t block this power!”

Shayan furiously raised his staff.

The ring that he barely managed to control after pouring everything he had into it when he reached the deep floors—this ring was as much his pride as anything else.

And now Taesan had shattered it.

Shayan couldn’t accept this.

Once again, a transparent arrow began to form at the end of Shayan’s staff.

Taesan drew his sword.

He still had stamina to spare. He could charge in and endure physically if necessary.

But there was something he wanted to test first.

He had confirmed that he could block the arrows with the boundary line.

Now, could he block them with his own power, without relying on the boundary?

He had gauged the strength of the arrows when blocking them with Last Chance and the boundary line.

It seemed possible.

“Assist me.”

“As you command.”

[Understood.]

Taesan touched his wrist guard. He didn’t have enough materials to create a full-scale Partial World Alteration, but he had enough to momentarily amplify his power for a few seconds.

[You activated Partial World Alteration.]

For a brief moment, Taesan’s and the spirit’s power swelled.

Shayan’s bloodshot eyes glared.

“Die.”

[Shayan fired the fifth shot.]

As the system window appeared, Taesan swung his sword.

Ka-ga-ga-ga-gak!

Power clashed. With a deafening roar, space began to collapse.

An intense pressure of power descended on Taesan.

Shayan gritted his teeth.

“You can’t block it! It’s impossible!”

“Damn it!”

Minerva gritted her teeth and summoned more strength.

Minerva was the Spirit King. Her power was further amplified as she infused the essence of nature.

Barkaza also assisted.

The power of nature was maximized, pushing back against the strength contained in the arrow, refusing to retreat.

[You activated Naberius’ Golden Sword.]

[You activated Star Arrow.]

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

Taesan unleashed consecutive spells and black magic. Thanks to the continuous chanting effect, the power of his attacks continued to grow.

“Gather.”

[You activated Declaration of Focus.]

Taesan concentrated all his will, channeling every ounce of power into his sword.

The arrow began to slowly twist.

The power that transcended mortals was being pushed back by a mortal.

“This can’t be…”

Shayan mumbled helplessly. Taesan put more strength into his sword, stepping forward and swinging his arm.

[You activated Blade of Will.]

Kuooooooong!

A tremendous roar echoed. The explosion scattered in all directions, and the force engulfed Taesan.

[You took 53,432 damage.]

Taesan’s arm trembled. Minerva and Barkaza had been unsummoned, unable to withstand the force.

But he had won.

Taesan pulled out a potion and drank it. It was a moment that left him vulnerable, but Shayan did nothing.

Kiiiiing.

With a rumble, the Immutable Magic Circle collapsed.

“What…”

He mumbled blankly.

Advanced magic,

A power that was out of his reach, an absolute force.

That advanced magic had just been destroyed.

“This… This is impossible! This is advanced magic! It’s power beyond your reach!”

Taesan sneered at Shayan’s frantic denial.

“You set your own limits. You’re not worthy of the title of Archmage.”

He had convinced himself he could never reach the highest level.

He had decided that his limit was intermediate.

Shayan had settled on that conclusion.

Now fully recovered in health and mana, Taesan unleashed his power. Mana began to condense.

“Akisha. You know that name, right?”

At Taesan’s words, Shayan flinched.

“So it’s true. I thought it might be someone else with a different name.”

Taesan had received a quest for revenge from an NPC named Akisha on the 45th floor. The target’s name was Manteyak.

But now, the person he was facing was Shayan.

To erase his wretched past and be reborn, Manteyak had changed his name to Shayan.

“But your essence hasn’t changed.”

Shayan was a wretched betrayer, a man who, unable to overcome his inferiority, had made the wrong choices. That was his essence.

“This is a gift from Akisha. Manteyak.”

[You activated Unilateral Mana Barrier.]