Ascension Through Skills

In his past life, Taesan played on Easy Mode.

Due to the limitations of his natural stats, surviving until the very end was virtually impossible.

The only power capable of solving this problem was skills.

That’s why Taesan made an effort for the sake of acquiring skills.

He devoted his entire life, to the point of losing even his sense of self.

He once invested several years to obtain a single skill. For a week, he didn’t sleep and repeated the same actions, risking his life as if placing it on a knife’s edge.

He also sought ways to block continuous damage attacks, also known as DoT (Damage over Time).

To overcome the sole real flaw of attack nullification, Taesan did his utmost.

First, he tried to think of a way to avoid receiving any continuous damage at all.

The simplest method was to use blocking skills. Not taking damage below a certain threshold was the most suitable condition for blocking weak DoT attacks.

However, merely blocking continuous damage with a blocking skill wouldn’t yield any new skills. Even if it did, those skills obtained so easily wouldn’t be very effective.

So, he conducted various experiments.

First, he attempted to block continuous damage that couldn’t be prevented with blocking skills.

The 95th floor of Easy Mode was filled with a variety of monsters. Beasts, plants, insects, etc., would attack all at once, making it the final challenge of Easy Mode.

Among them, there was a monster that sprayed poison.

The DoT damage from this monster exceeded Taesan’s blocking limit by 6.

To reduce this gap of 6, Taesan tried various experiments.

First, he experimented with physical methods. He covered most of his body, leaving only a small part exposed to see if it would reduce the damage. He also half-killed the monster itself to reduce its damage.

But nothing worked. Even if he exposed only part of his body, the damage remained the same. Half-killing the monster did reduce the DoT damage, but it didn’t yield anything useful.

After several experiments, Taesan realized one thing:

He needed to block the continuous damage without affecting the monster.

This realization was more instinctual than theoretical.

Taesan raided the store, buying and combining hundreds of potions, experimenting with various methods.

Gold wasn’t an issue. His relentless pursuit of skills had earned him so much gold that he couldn’t spend it all in Easy Mode. Plus, there was almost nothing to buy in Easy Mode except for potions.

He spent over a month just experimenting with potions.

As a result, he discovered that he could block DoT (Damage over Time) damage with the Potions of Protection, Blessing, and Designated Protection.

There might have been other methods, but these three were the most reliable according to his research.

Taesan blocked DoT damage that couldn’t be prevented by blocking skills.

And he got nothing out of it.

Taesan calmly prepared for the next step. Even though he had wasted hundreds of thousands of gold and a month of effort, he cleaned up quickly.

Taesan moved on to obtain other skills.

During this time, he decided to keep using potions. They weren’t overly expensive, and he thought they might still be useful in some situations.

Taesan continued his potion experiments for a year.

He nearly forgot the meaning of using potions, and by the time he used them almost unconsciously, he encountered a monster that used invisible attacks.

This monster, in the form of a white cube, shot invisible blades whenever its body parts rotated.

Taesan attempted to block those attacks.

Blocking intangible attacks was something he had tried several times before, but he hadn’t gained anything. However, the cube-shaped monster was one he’d never seen before.

It was worth trying that one out.

Taesan grasped the patterns of all the monster’s attacks and the shape of its blades. This took two months.

Then he began to block the attacks.

About ten minutes later, suddenly, the poison-spraying monster appeared. Taesan ignored it and blocked the cube-shaped monster’s attacks since it couldn’t inflict any damage while he was using the potions.

And seven minutes later, he obtained Absolute Protection.

Effort, experimentation, and luck.

Everything combined to yield a skill. That was Absolute Protection.

Paang!

Taesan’s sword trembled. He twisted the trajectory of the poisonous spray and blocked it.

And seven minutes passed.

[You successfully blocked attacks that inflict continuous damage and invisible attacks at the same time. You've obtained the special continuous-action skill [Absolute Protection].]

Kwa-jik!

Along with the system window announcing the skill acquisition, Taesan took down the Rafflesia.

The ghost muttered in a stunned voice.

[...It really exists. What kind of skill is this?]

The ghost had perished while descending the labyrinth, but it wasn’t due to a lack of ability.

He had some confidence in himself. He believed he had understood much about the labyrinth and knew enough.

However, as he spent more time with Taesan, that confidence was completely shattered.

[I'm speechless. I can see why the wizard said that.]

The ghost groaned.

[Can you show us quickly? I'm curious.]

[I'm also curious. Although I know the labyrinth's system, I've never seen someone obtain it like this.]

The ghost and Barkaza urged Taesan, who opened the skill window.

[Special Continuous Action Skill: Absolute Protection]

[Proficiency: 1%]

[An invisible energy surrounds the user, automatically defending against continuous damage and invisible attacks. This intangible energy becomes stronger in proportion to the defense, attack, health, mana, and strength stats.]

[Automatic defense skill…]

The ghost chuckled dryly.

There were many defense skills in the labyrinth.

Some were activation skills, and some were in buff form. Although rare, there were even defense skills that could block a dragon’s attack.

These skills consumed a lot of resources, yet they were highly effective.

Generally, the labyrinth’s skills demanded significant costs for greater achievements. The more potent the skill, the higher its mana consumption or the more severe its restrictions.

The ghost was shocked by Taesan’s learned skills mainly for that reason. The penalty was minimal compared to their effects.

And Absolute Protection was at the pinnacle in that regard.

It didn’t consume any resources.

Furthermore, it was an automatic activation skill, requiring no conscious effort.

If such a level of effect could be achieved with low proficiency, it might evolve to automatically defend against all attacks as proficiency increased.

“There was a similar spell.”

Likely a mid-tier spell, and one of the more potent ones.

With a mana consumption of 500 per minute, it wasn’t an easy spell to use, even for a seasoned labyrinth wizard.

Barkaza chuckled softly.

[This is quite amusing.]

The ghost appeared to share a similar sentiment and spoke with a hint of discomfort.

[Is this something that can be obtained through the system? I've seen my master use skills several times, but… Even upon seeing it again, it's still strange. I can't accept it.]

Taesan gazed thoughtfully at the skill.

Absolute Protection.

It was undeniably a valuable skill. In his past life, he had shouted with joy upon acquiring it.

But he couldn’t fully utilize the skill.

The reason was straightforward.

It was because he was in Easy Mode.

The effect of Absolute Protection was an invisible energy swirling around him. That energy was proportional to the user’s stats.

In Easy Mode, the stats are exceptionally weak. In his past life, the Absolute Protection he wielded was barely more effective than simple blocking.

But now, things were different.

In Solo Mode, he could wield Absolute Protection in its truest form.

Thinking this way felt odd.

In Easy Mode, he had deemed Absolute Protection to be a useless skill.

He thought he couldn’t replace it with his abilities and that it was worthless.

But now, after overcoming what he lacked in his past life, he could fully use the skill.

That fact was somewhat amusing.

Taesan advanced through the rooms.

Waiting for him, a Rafflesia attacked. An invisible tendril sprayed poison.

At the moment the poison tried to reach Taesan, the invisible energy surrounding him moved.

It blocked the poison and scattered it away. Without doing anything, Taesan blocked Rafflesia’s attack.

“Guess this isn’t an issue.”

His overwhelming stats allowed him to block the attack of the 57th-floor monster.

The invisible energy remained steady, showing no signs of depletion.

With this level of strength, Absolute Protection wouldn’t be wasted unnecessarily. Satisfied, Taesan continued down the labyrinth.

[Your level has increased.]

[You have obtained a brilliant golden necklace.]

[You have acquired Woo??.]

Clearing the 57th floor raised his level to 117. His stats also increased significantly.

He acquired good equipment as well.

[Anklet of the One who Walked with the Wind]

[Agility +130]

[Defense +150]

[Movement Speed +4%]

[An anklet used by a being who lived a free life alongside the wind, imbued with the will of freedom.]

Aside from helmets and boots, equipment rarely increased movement speed. This item broke that general rule.

Its agility was high, and its defense wasn’t low either. On top of that, it had a valuable movement speed boost, making it an excellent piece of equipment.

[Brilliant Golden Necklace] [A necklace made entirely of gold that shines brighter than anything in the world. Even a sage who has transcended material value would covet it. Its worth is immeasurable.]

It was a shop item. Equipment granted only upon reaching the 57th floor, worth well over ten thousand gold.

[You have used Woo??.]

[A leather armor made from the horn of a mystical deer and filled with ground giant's leather.]

[Strength +200]

[Defense +200]

[Magic Resistance +5]

[Made from the leather of a giant, renowned for its unparalleled durability, and blended with the horns of a deer residing in a deep spring, it boasts formidable defensive power but lacks in magic resistance.]

“Magic resistance?”

It was a stat Taesan had never encountered before.

The Ghost clarified.

[It's exactly what it sounds like—resistance to magic. Just think of it as a magic-related stat that's added to equipment, and you'll understand.]

“That’s quite beneficial.”

It effectively reduced magic damage by 5%.

The journey through the 50th floors was nearing its end.

This was clear from the quality of the equipment, which surpassed anything encountered previously.

Pleased, Taesan made his way to the 58th floor. The Ghost, as if just realizing something, remarked,

[Now that I think about it, we're almost through the 50th floors. I had lost track amidst everything happening.]

Returning to Earth.

And acquiring the seemingly trivial skill, Absolute Protection.

The Ghost had lost sight of the current state of the labyrinth.

‘I shouldn’t be like this.’

The Ghost regained its focus.

It had been an adventurer who had delved into the deeper floors, strong and with a real chance of conquering the labyrinth.

Taesan’s abilities were indeed remarkable.

The origins of all his skills and how he acquired them were mysteries to the Ghost.

Nevertheless, the Ghost took pride in itself.

It couldn’t afford to be constantly astonished. He needed to maintain his composure and stay by Taesan’s side.

Taesan stepped onto the 58th floor.

[Quest Start for the 58th Floor.] [Defeat the boss on the 58th floor and proceed.] [Reward: Sword that Guards the Border of Life and Death.] [Hidden Reward: ???]

Before moving on to the 58th floor, Taesan checked the community.

The previously intense atmosphere had noticeably settled.

Though posts were still being made rapidly, the conversations had become more orderly.

“Now we can finally have a bit of a chat.”

Taesan browsed through the community.

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