Ascension Through Skills

“Isn’t that pretty? I brought it back from the art museum this time.”

At the tip of her finger was an enormous portrait.

A portrait four times the size of a human torso.

Taesan sighed.

“Why is a woman like you the strongest human?”

Lee Taeyeon smirked.

“In situations like this, obsession with something is important. Why don’t you pick up a hobby like me? I used to think art was meaningless in the old world, but now I see it has its own charm. For instance, this portrait I brought back this time—”

“Let’s hear about it later when we have time.”

Taesan cut her off.

She pretended to be calm, but her mouth was dry.

The words she just spoke were blurted out without much thought or planning.

Trying to mask her discomfort, she continued speaking.

“The kid in Hard Mode. You trained him?”

“No one else could, so I did.”

“Really, a Hard Mode player being by trained by an Easy Mode Player. No matter how you hear it, it sounds absurd.”

Lee Taeyeon glanced at Taesan before speaking.

“Status window.”

Lee Taeyeon’s status window appeared.

[Lee Taeyeon]

[Level: 258]

[Health: 45,810/45,810]

[Mana: 7,020/7,020]

[Strength: 10,152]

[Intelligence: 9,899]

[Agility: 13,254]

[Attack Power + 5,421]

[Defense + 8,456]

[Target is in a frightened state.]

Anyone seeing these stats would be in awe. Even her lightest attack could rival the full force of a Hard Mode player.

But Taesan, upon seeing the stats, looked unimpressed.

“What, showing off?”

“Just checking. Taesan, show me your status window too.”

“Showing off, huh? Must be tough being an Easy Mode Player.”

Grumbling, Taesan opened his status window.

[Kang Taesan]

[Level: 57]

[Health: 1,021/1,021]

[Mana: 820/820]

[Strength: 105]

[Intelligence: 100]

[Agility: 98]

[Attack Power + 49]

[Defense + 58]

[Target is in optimal condition.]

Lee Taeyeon nodded.

“Yeah, you’re disgustingly weak.”

Taesan scowled.

“Are you picking a fight?”

“I’m just checking, I swear. But honestly, that’s not bad. Most Easy Players have far worse stats than you. Your mana reserve, for example, is in the upper ranks even among Normal Players.”

Taesan was incredibly weak yet also immensely strong—all thanks to his skills.

After some conversation, Lee Taeyeon raised her fist while looking at Taesan.

“Stay still.”

[Lee Taeyeon activates Strengthen. Half of her base attack power is added.]

[Lee Taeyeon activates Addition. Her current attack power is doubled.]

[Lee Taeyeon activates Sure Hit. The next attack is guaranteed to hit.]

[Lee Taeyeon attacks.]

The damage was enough to kill Taesan more than ten times over.

[Kang Taesan's First Attack Nullification activates.]

[0 damage dealt to Kang Taesan.]

Only a brief system message appeared. Taesan hadn’t even bothered to assume a defensive stance.

“What are you doing?”

“…Nothing, really.”

Lee Taeyeon forced a bitter smile.

The strongest accuracy skill, Sure Hit.

It was one of her top five skills, yet before Taesan, it was utterly useless.

“First Attack Nullification. Absolute Judgement. Multiply, Multiple Overlay Attack, Copy, Temporary Time Stop… You really have some ridiculous skills.”

Any one of those would make someone a top-tier player.

Taesan had over two hundred such skills. Despite his meager stats, he had survived and overwhelmed everyone else.

“You said you got those skills by playing through the elements of the Tower?”

“Not the Tower, the Labyrinth. Why would something descending be called a tower?”

“Whatever. Most people call it the Tower anyway. Just answer the question.”

“Yeah. You can get skills regardless of difficulty.”

Lee Taeyeon lowered her head and reflected.

“We should have properly explored the Tower like you did. Instead of obsessing over clearing it, we should have pushed ourselves to the limit and grown stronger…”

But they hadn’t.

Terrified, they had focused solely on clearing the Labyrinth as quickly as possible, missing out on most of the opportunities to grow. Lee Taeyeon realized this simple truth too late.

‘Or maybe…’

Even if she hadn’t been obsessed with clearing it and had sought other means, would it have been possible?

No. It was impossible. She was not the kind of person who could do that. She couldn’t even bring herself to clear the Labyrinth again now.

“Well.”

Taesan seemed to share her thoughts, his attitude indifferent.

“What’s done is done.”

“That’s not necessarily true.”

Lee Taeyeon disagreed with Taesan’s words. He gave her a puzzled look, but instead of answering, she changed the subject.

“Anyway, you’re amazing. If you’d played Solo Mode, we might have won.”

Indeed.

If Taesan had cleared Solo Mode instead of Easy Mode…

They might have been able to defeat the Apostle.

If it were Taesan, it might just be possible.

Taesan waved his hand irritably.

“Can we stop talking about this? Just get to the point. Didn’t you go on reconnaissance?”

“Yes.”

Lee Taeyeon’s face turned serious.

“The next wave is about to start.”

Taesan frowned.

“How many?”

“Two S-Class. Dozens of A-Class. Hundreds of B-Class. And an Apostle.”

Lee Taeyeon spoke calmly. Taesan nodded.

“It’s over.”

S-Class monsters were creatures that even Lee Taeyeon could barely handle. And there were two of them.

On top of that, there were dozens of A-Class monsters. There weren’t even 20 Hard Mode players capable of handling A-Class monsters right now.

And the Apostle.

An existence that surpassed S-Class, something alien and incomprehensible.

Defeat was practically guaranteed.

“But we still have to put up a fight. Taesan, handle the two S-Class monsters.”

“What?”

Taesan let out a dry laugh.

“You’re telling me to go die?”

“There’s no one else who can handle the S-Class. I’ll be busy just trying to deal with the Apostle. You know that.”

“You’re unbelievable.”

Taesan grumbled but didn’t refuse. He turned away.

“You’re going to inform the others?”

“At the very least, they should prepare themselves. Should we let them die without knowing anything?”

“They might be happier that way.”

“I don’t think so.”

Taesan walked outside. Left alone, Lee Taeyeon muttered to herself.

“Taesan, you’re strong. If it’s you, you might be able to lead us to victory.”

She smiled bitterly.

“But I’m just a coward.”

In her hand was a dark, rough stone.

In the end, she couldn’t say it.

Even after meeting with Taesan, she couldn’t make up her mind.

“Hahaha. Hahahahaha…”

She let out a dark, hollow laugh filled with despair and self-loathing.

“…I need to get ready.”

After staring blankly for a long while, she stood up.

She said her goodbyes to the others and headed far away from the city, near the rift.

The Apostle was far stronger than her. Just the aftermath of their battle would kill everyone nearby. She would have to fight alone.

The power emanating from the rift grew stronger.

She knew it wouldn’t be long before monsters poured out.

[You have activated Ten Thousand Possibilities.]

Escaping from reality, she activated the skill again. But, as always, there was no clear answer.

“What is it that I really want?”

She muttered quietly.

Even she didn’t know.

She was still postponing her decision.

Lee Taeyeon stared blankly at the rift.

If Taesan could go back to before he entered the Labyrinth using Ouroboros’ Stone of Power, he would choose Solo Mode. He would descend the Labyrinth at the risk of his life, becoming stronger.

If he did that, he might be able to defeat the Apostle on his own.

But consumable items like the Stone of Power couldn’t be handed over to someone else. They could only be transferred upon the holder’s death.

Suddenly, a shiver ran down her spine.

If she died, she could pass the Stone of Power to Taesan.

“Why… why didn’t I think of something so simple until now?”

It wasn’t hard to figure out why.

She had consciously erased the thought from her mind.

Giving the Stone of Power to Taesan would mean her own death. Fear of death had caused her to block out the possibility entirely.

But now, that realization had surfaced.

[You have activated Ten Thousand Possibilities.]

Once again, she activated the skill. This time, it wasn’t to simulate her battle with the Apostle.

The skill analyzed whether Taesan could obtain the Stone of Power after her death.

“Ah.”

The skill’s activation ended. She didn’t need to run it ten thousand times.

The answer was yes.

If a few conditions were met, it was possible to pass the Stone of Power to Taesan.

“I am…”

Boom!

Her thoughts were interrupted. The rift’s power erupted, and countless monsters began descending to the surface.

“Ah, ah…”

And amidst them was a writhing, shapeless monstrosity.

The Apostle.

It was clearly looking directly at Lee Taeyeon.

Squirm.

The Apostle approached her. Lee Taeyeon cleared all thoughts from her mind, shifting every part of her body into a state ready for battle.

The other monsters all headed toward the city.

Now, only the Apostle and Lee Taeyeon remained.

As Lee Taeyeon tensed her entire body, the Apostle’s form began to shift.

Its shapeless body expanded, threatening to engulf the world.

She stomped her foot and charged, pulling out every card she had as she rushed toward the Apostle.

Boom!

She gave it her all.

She poured everything into pressuring the Apostle.

As a result, the formless Apostle was slowly being pushed back by her.

Even though she was gaining the upper hand in the battle, Lee Taeyeon’s expression remained grim. Having seen the possibilities through her skill, she knew this process was meaningless.

Squirm.

The Apostle’s form twisted.

It transformed into the shape of a robed human.

It wielded a massive scythe.

The Apostle, now in human form, swung its scythe.

Lee Taeyeon instinctively knew that if she stayed still, she would die.

But she also knew that moving recklessly to dodge would lead to the same result.

As her ring gleamed, Lee Taeyeon’s body moved backward.

The space where she had just been was sliced apart.

“…Ha.”

It was pure luck that she managed to avoid the attack. She couldn’t guarantee she’d dodge it again.

This was the Apostle’s true power.

The scythe swung once more, slicing through dozens of spaces at once. Lee Taeyeon threw herself to the side, barely evading it.

She resisted desperately.

She faced an overwhelming opponent, refusing to give in and striving for victory. It was undeniably a noble effort.

But even so, impossibility remained just that—impossible.

“Kyahhh!”

The scythe struck, cutting through Lee Taeyeon’s body. At that moment, her body leaped through space.

Crash.

At the same time, her ring shattered. Lee Taeyeon clenched her fist tightly, her face pale.

Most of her equipment was gone. Even the cherished items she had saved were all used during the previous wave.

Victory seemed unattainable, yet she fought on with all her might.

The Apostle mocked her struggle, shifting its form into that of a woman wielding a bow, drawing its string.

An arrow pierced the air. Lee Taeyeon raised her shield.

Crack.

“Ugh…”

Her shield shattered, and she rolled across the ground. She tried to stand on trembling legs, but her body wouldn’t obey.

She couldn’t win.

She had to run.

With shaking hands, she opened her inventory.

[You have activated Designated Movement.]

Lee Taeyeon’s body was teleported to the center of the ruined city.

“Sorry. I couldn’t win. The Apostle will be here soon, so everyone should evacuate—”

She opened her mouth to warn them but couldn’t finish her sentence.

There was no one there. Only destroyed buildings and scattered corpses surrounded her.

Lee Taeyeon quickly scanned her surroundings and realized it.

Everyone was dead.

She was the sole survivor.

“…Maybe not.”

Lee Taeyeon lifted her gaze.

Far away, beyond her sight, she sensed one remaining life and an immense monster.

It was Taesan. She could tell.

But Taesan wasn’t in good shape either. Even if he managed to defeat the monster he was facing, he would undoubtedly be gravely injured.

“Hahaha…”

A hollow, bitter laugh escaped her lips.

She and Taesan were the last survivors on Earth.

Humanity was extinct.

“What are you…?”

A deep, dark emotion welled up inside her. Resonating with her feelings, an invisible force crushed and destroyed the objects around her.

She clenched her fists.

She wanted revenge.

She wanted to bite their necks, grab their ankles, and ruin their plans.

But she was too weak. She lacked the power and the resolve.

Lee Taeyeon raised her head.

The battle was still raging in the distance.

Kang Taesan.

He was still alive against two single-digit S-Class monsters. He had even managed to bring one down. He was accomplishing the impossible.

She couldn’t do it.

But Taesan was different.

[You have activated Ten Thousand Possibilities.]

Could Taesan discover the Stone of Power she held after her death?

The first attempt.

Success.

The answer came on the very first try among ten thousand attempts.

What she needed now was her resolve.

“…I’m sorry, Taesan. For leaving this to you.”

She muttered quietly. The Apostle’s ominous presence arrived before her.

Facing its attack, she swung her sword.

Until the very end, Lee Taeyeon didn’t give up.

She rolled across the ground, swallowing dust, striving for victory.

But it didn’t take long for her to collapse.

“Kyahhhh!”

She was slammed into the ground, blood spurting from her mouth.

There was no means left for survival. She had used every skill and item she had.

The Apostle slowly approached her.

Terrified, she fumbled for the Stone of Power.

The Apostle, now resembling a grim reaper wielding a scythe, smirked and raised its weapon.

The moment that scythe struck, she would die.

Fear consumed her.

She didn’t want to die.

She wanted to survive.

And the means to do so were in her hands.

If she used the Stone of Power, she could live. She could escape immediately, abandoning everyone and finding her own peace.

Her survival instinct, the same drive that had allowed her to clear the Labyrinth, urged her to use the Stone of Power.

“Shut up…”

But she resisted. Tears streamed down her face, her entire body trembling, as she suppressed her instincts.

The scythe carved through the air.

She closed her eyes.

[You receive @#!!!!# damage.]

[You have died.]

And so, she died.

[A certain orb holding something has activated.]

[...Power is manifesting. As a price, …’s interference area decreases.]

Her consciousness began to rise.

“Huh?”

Lee Taeyeon opened her eyes in shock.

The place she found herself was a black space.

It was deep, cold, yet somehow soothing. A gentle warmth enveloped her like a mother’s embrace.

“Wh-what?”

She looked down at her arms and legs. She could feel her body.

“…Why?”

Crash.

The sound of something shattering echoed. She quickly looked down at her hands.

In her palms lay a broken orb, now devoid of light.

“This is…”

After briefly retracing her memories, she realized.

This orb had been given to her by a mysterious voice before she left the Labyrinth.

As she was piecing the situation together, a voice rang out.

[Have you regained your senses?]

She hurriedly turned her head.

There, something immense stood.

“Ah.”

She was overwhelmed in an instant.

A presence far more powerful, dense, and exalted than anything she had ever encountered.

“…My God.”

[Yes, child. It is I who called you.]

The god chuckled. The voice carried genuine joy, as if truly delighted.

“You are… a god?”

The mysterious voice that had been watching her in the Labyrinth was none other than a transcendent being.

Having somewhat expected this, she quickly composed herself.

[I observed you through that orb, right up to your final moments.]

“…Ah.”

She had definitely died.

She vividly remembered the cold grip of death engulfing her.

For a moment, chills ran down her spine, and she shrank into herself. The god let her be, watching her in silence.

[Have you calmed down?]

“Y-Yes…”

She slowly lifted her gaze.

“Did you save me?”

[It is not saving, per se. Your body remains dead in that place, a world ruined by a high god. Even we find it hard to interfere there. However... with some preparations, it is possible to retrieve a soul that has lost its body.]

“…Why?”

Lee Taeyeon asked the god.

Why had her soul been saved? Her voice carried a somber tone.

“I’m nothing. I was lucky enough to clear the Labyrinth, but in the end, I was just a coward who passed the final choice onto someone else.”

Indeed, the gods had disliked her, condemning her as a coward and ignoring her entirely.

The god laughed.

[True, but that was fortunate for me. Thanks to it, I was able to acquire someone as precious as you without any competition.]

“Acquire me?”

[Flames that burn brightly, as if to set the world ablaze, are certainly beautiful. The sight of them consuming themselves to shine is captivating. But I am not interested in such things.]

The god’s voice carried a sense of exhilaration and rapture.

[Even a fading ember, struggling to grow and avoid being extinguished, has its way of resisting. Tainted by mud, ignored by all, it burns quietly, illuminating the world. And that small ember... can pass its flame to others, becoming the spark that sets the world ablaze.]

With those words, a space opened before her. Lee Taeyeon’s eyes widened.

Beyond the space, she could see Taesan and the Apostle.

Taesan was fighting desperately.

[He will become that flame—a singular, radiant blaze unlike any other.]

The god looked at Lee Taeyeon.

[But that is only possible because of your choice. While other gods may have no interest in you, I see things differently.]

[You are... truly an enthralling being.]

The voice carried admiration and awe.

[You struggled deeply—between yourself and others. You couldn’t choose either and wanted to flee, yet you didn’t. You tried harder than anyone to help others and live alongside them. And in the end, you gave up on yourself to choose others. I know all your anguish and emotions. You worked hard, child.]

“…Hah.”

The words of a transcendent being, greater than anything mortal, recognizing and understanding her. Acknowledging the self she had always despised and suffered for.

Lee Taeyeon quietly began to sob.

The god spoke gently.

[Child, would you like to become my Apostle?]

“W-What?”

[Not just any Apostle. I want you by my side. Someone like you deserves that.]

An Apostle.

A position beside the god.

This was something Lee Taeyeon could never have imagined. Her tears stopped as she blinked in confusion. But then the god’s following words made her pause.

[If you become my Apostle... you may see him again. And you could also witness the results of your sacrifice.]

“See… the results?”

[I am a god, unbound by the flow of time. If you form a pact with me, you, too, will be somewhat freed from it.]

“Does that mean… I can go back to the past?”

For a moment, fear flickered across Lee Taeyeon’s face.

The thought of facing the Labyrinth again terrified her, even after death.

The god spoke softly.

[Not quite, but similar. You won’t remember anything, and you will lose all your powers. You have yet to claim your own domain, after all.]

“Then… what would be the point?”

[It’s different. Even if time rewinds, a pact with me remains unbroken. And with the right trigger... you might regain your memories.]

Lee Taeyeon closed her mouth, her mind in turmoil.

She turned her gaze beyond the space.

Taesan, overwhelmed by the Apostle, was slammed to the ground.

Facing the Apostle advancing toward him, Taesan activated Temporary Time Stop.

[You can find peace now. You’ve earned it. But if you have any lingering regrets... you can confirm the results of your sacrifice. The choice is yours.]

Lee Taeyeon stared blankly at the god.

“Who… are you?”

The god smiled and answered. Upon hearing the response, Lee Taeyeon lowered her head.

Time passed.

Taesan, crawling toward Lee Taeyeon’s corpse, grabbed the Stone of Power.

At that moment, Lee Taeyeon opened her mouth.

The god smiled warmly. Their power enveloped Lee Taeyeon.