Ascension Through Skills

“Will you accept it?”

He glared intensely as he spoke. Taesan nodded.

“Yes.”

If Lee Taeyeon’s words were true, breaking through the 51st floor required first clearing the quests given by the Gremlin. Although there might be other methods, this was the standard route, so there was no reason to refuse.

[Subquest accepted.]

The Gremlin smirked.

“First, it’s about those damned fairy bastards. They’re very proud of their wings. Tear them off and bring them to me.”

“That’s brutal.”

“They boasted to me first. Called me a lowly creature that crawls on the ground without wings. Told me to get out of their territory. I wonder what they’ll say when their wings are torn off?”

The Gremlin chuckled and waved his hand.

“Go.”

“Is there nothing in it for me?”

Taesan inquired about items or skills for clearing the quest, but the Gremlin responded indifferently.

“Why should I give you anything? You should figure it out on your own.”

He pointed at himself.

“I gave you a quest because I want something from you.”

This time, his finger pointed at Taesan.

“The rest is up to you. Bring it, and you get rewarded; fail, and you don’t. Simple, right?”

“What if I want to give up on the quest and go back?”

“Then I’ll send you back.”

The Gremlin spoke without showing any emotion.

“I’m not forcing you. Whether you take my quest or leave the forest to go back, the choice is yours.”

The Gremlin didn’t particularly hold onto Taesan. His attitude was as if whatever choice Taesan made, he would have to bear the responsibility.

“You’ll send me back?”

“Yes. If you want, I can send you back to the village with a simple gesture. Will you do it?”

“No.”

Taesan shook his head, thinking.

‘So he’s giving me a choice.’

He found it strange. The difficulty of the 51st floor had suddenly increased, yet there was an unseen city. And that city was filled with those who had given up. It all seemed unnatural to him.

Having met the Gremlin personally, Taesan realized the reason.

The 51st floor was a unique layer because it acted as a sort of filter.

It determined whether one could proceed further or not.

The villagers probably didn’t give up right away. They kept receiving quests from the Gremlin, trying to break through the 51st floor.

But all those attempts must have failed.

And at some point, they must have realized that what lay ahead was not permitted for them, that no matter what, they couldn’t proceed. They couldn’t pass this filter.

Thus, those whose spirits were broken stayed in the village on the 51st floor, in the sanctuary created for them by a mage.

The reason only those with broken spirits were in the village was simple. Those who didn’t break had either died trying to surpass the 51st floor or had passed the filter to head to the 52nd floor.

Just like the hero, Quaned, and Lee Taeyeon did.

“Just tearing off the wings will do? Does it matter how many?”

“The more, the better, but for now, bringing just one is fine.”

Taesan left the forest.

He emerged from the monochromatic trees into a colorful forest, reminiscent of a rainbow garden. Then, the voices of the gold fairies were heard again.

[He's out.] [An interesting human has come out.] [Let's play.]

They giggled and scattered. Light flew towards him again. Taesan began to dodge.

Pa-ba-ba-bak!

The light pierced through the trees, and other trees started to take their places.

‘How did Lee Taeyeon do it?’

Fairies lost interest in attacking adventurers who survived their assaults and did not return for a long time.

Lee Taeyeon realized this through several experiences and chose to keep the fairies interested.

Like a clown, dancing and singing, expressing emotions vividly. Being an inherently emotional woman, her acting must have been convincing.

Fascinated by such behavior, the fairies watched her.

Perhaps because it was more amusing to watch than to play with, the fairies did not attack her. Thus, Lee Taeyeon continued her clown act.

The fairies’ wariness of Lee Taeyeon faded, and they gradually came closer.

This was the result of Lee Taeyeon acting like a clown for over a month.

Once they were close enough, Lee Taeyeon suddenly rushed in and twisted a fairy’s neck.

Perhaps her strategy was also one of the correct answers. However, Taesan had no intention of employing such a tactic.

Kiiing.

Having dodged all the light, Taesan clenched his fist.

[You have activated Marbas' Pitch-Black Wave.]

Kuuuuung!

A black wave surged, trampling over the entire forest. The attacking fairies were seen in the distance.

[Run away.] [Run away.]

The fairies screamed briefly as they began to flee.

They were too far away. A regular attack would not reach them.

If not a physical attack…

Then it must be done differently.

[You have activated acceleration.]

His body quickly soared towards the fairies. The screams of the fairies grew louder as they began to scatter.

Taesan targeted the closest fairy.

[You have activated emotional interference.] [Ah, ahh!]

The fleeing fairy suddenly clutched its head and twisted its body. Taesan quickly closed the distance to the fairy that couldn’t return to the forest fast enough.

The fairy tried to stagger into the forest to hide, but it was too late. Taesan’s sword pierced through the fairy.

Kihek!

The fairy’s face twisted.

Taesan slammed his sword into the ground. The fairy struggled a few times before finally slumping down.

[Doesn't it feel like you've become a villain?]

“A bit, yes.”

The fairy had a beautiful appearance, as if it belonged in a fairy tale.

Killing such a creature with a sword did feel strange.

Taesan tore off the fairy’s wings from the corpse. Having obtained what he wanted, he returned to the Gremlin’s territory.

The Gremlin, who was blowing on his tea, saw Taesan and was dumbfounded.

“Already? …Or did you give up?”

“Here.”

Taesan handed over the fairy’s wings.

The Gremlin, who received them absentmindedly, muttered,

“…Right. How did you manage to bring them here so quickly? Even the fastest guy took a week.”

He looked puzzled. However, he soon attached the fairy wings to his back, his smile brimming with laughter.

“How about this?”

“It looks bizarre.”

The shining fairy wings on the Gremlin’s green body indeed looked very odd.

“Hmm. Maybe it’s because the sizes are different? I wish I had many fairy wings.”

What the Gremlin said next was predictable.

“Bring me more fairy wings.”

“It would be difficult to bring more.”

The fairies had already been tricked by Taesan. It was likely they would be cautious and not show themselves.

“You don’t need to worry about that. I’ll take care of it.”

The Gremlin grinned.

“Fairy wings contain a special pheromone. It resonates with the pheromone of their kin, indicating each other’s locations.”

Bubbling.

Something was boiling in a pot. The Gremlin threw the fairy wings into it.

“And if I process these…”

He rummaged around and added various herbs and wood chips.

“And then add this.”

Finally, he put a black piece into the pot.

Hiss!

The boiling mixture suddenly cooled down. Soon, only small crystals remained.

The Gremlin pressed the crystals together.

“This should reveal the dwellings of the fairies.”

“Is that why you said even one would do?”

“Yes. Knowing the location requires only the wings of one fairy.”

[Mark made of Fairy Wings] [A mark created through advanced alchemy. It seems to be a guide to the fairies' resting place.]

“And since you’re now a target for them, take this as well.”

The Gremlin scraped the remaining crystals, mixed them with something, and sprinkled the finished product over Taesan’s entire body.

[You have obtained the Fairy's Cloak of Invisibility.] [Fairy's Cloak of Invisibility] [A cloak made of powder through advanced alchemy. It can erase your presence from the fairies' detection range for a certain period. The forest will also not recognize you as a mysterious being, preventing it from reacting.]

“With this, you can reach their dwelling without any issues.”

Taesan quietly read the effects.

Both were noted to be products of alchemy.

Interest sparked in Taesan’s eyes.

“Can you combine things like herbs with alchemy?”

“Yes, that’s possible. That’s how I was able to establish my territory here and live.”

The Gremlin said with a proud face.

“Advanced alchemy offers a power different from magic. It’s bothersome to prepare, but the effects are certain. The fact that I can endure persecution and live is also thanks to the power of alchemy. Just look at this forest; it’s my own territory created through alchemy.”

Indeed, upon entering the Gremlin’s forest, the environment stopped changing. It meant he used something to prevent external beings from entering.

“Those damn fairy bastards attacking with light from afar can’t be helped, but at least the threat of dying like when you first entered is gone, so I’m satisfied.”

“Creating a territory, huh?”

“Yes, I have other abilities, but that’s the main one. If handled well, I can make this entire forest my territory.”

The Gremlin boasted.

Taesan asked,

“Can I learn alchemy too?”

Alchemy.

He was interested. Lee Taeyeon had received a blessing powder made from fairy wings as a reward for clearing the 51st floor from the Gremlin.

Its effect was revolutionary: when sprinkled on the body, it allowed for indefinite use of mana without reduction for a certain period.

Although he had never seen it used, since she had exhausted it while breaking through the labyrinth, the effect would be significantly meaningful for Taesan if it were real. It meant he could use the Frozen World numerous times in a row.

Likely, that too was made through alchemy. Learning it would mean he could create such things not just as rewards but with his own power.

And the design of territories.

Its value might be ambiguous in the labyrinth, but on Earth, it was extremely high.

Acquiring it would be a great help.

“…You? Want to learn alchemy?”

Disgust surfaced on the Gremlin’s face, as if he were looking at someone trying to steal a treasure he had desperately guarded.

“This is something I’ve built over my lifetime. It’s my only hope, gathered to avoid living miserably with my kin. Thanks to it, I was able to come to the labyrinth and establish this place.”

The Gremlin spread his arms.

“Look at this forest! It’s nothing less than a treasure of alchemy. The scattered herbs are worth their weight in gold, and even a single tree root is something that appears once every few decades outside!”

His face, ecstatic as he shouted, suddenly contorted.

“I hated my kin. Lowly beings that crawl on the ground, barely surviving each day. That’s why I learned alchemy. By dedicating my life to it, I thought I had reached a position equal to theirs with the mystical power I gained, but nothing changed. To them, I was still just an ugly Gremlin.”

He chuckled.

“You want to learn alchemy?”

His eyes, filled with rage, turned to Taesan.

“Then kill them. And bring me what I desire. Depending on what you bring and what you do, my mind might change.”

“Fine.”

Taesan had his answer.

He turned to leave, and the Gremlin seemed surprised by the immediate acceptance.

“You’re accepting just like that?”

“Why would I refuse?”

He was in for a perfect reward. Otherwise, coming all this way would lose its meaning.

“Just need to bring the fairy wings, right?”

“Uh, yeah.”

The Gremlin stuttered his response.

Taesan ran quickly through the forest. Thanks to the cloak made of powder, even entering the rainbow-colored forest didn’t reveal the fairies.

Taesan took out a bead to read the power waves and their direction.

Swiftly, yet quietly, he approached the location. The forest didn’t follow Taesan, allowing him to reach his destination faster than expected.

There was a small lake.

Numerous fairies were playing, sprinkling water over it.

Among them, a fairy three times the size of the others was also present.

[The Fairy Queen has appeared.] [The Fairy Queen. It seems like they're out for a stroll, given the company.]

The ghost whispered softly.

[She's much stronger than the other fairies. Not a monster of the 51st floor.]

“This actually works out.”

The Gremlin had said his mind could change depending on what was brought.

The wings of the queen would likely meet his expectations.

Taesan quietly observed the fairies, beginning to devise a strategy for his approach.