Ascension Through Skills

“Whatever you plan to do, I have no intention of following, so let’s drop the pretense.”

Predictable anger.

Predictable pressure.

They flaunted their power to crush the weak. Others would have crumbled under them, succumbing to fear and death, obediently following.

It was highly likely Lee Taeyeon did the same, though the details were unclear. She never elaborated on her encounter with the Guides of Sin.

Maybe she found another way. That was her strength.

But Taesan knew. They could never kill him.

‘These people are nothing but cowards.’

Extremely powerful beings who delved deep in the labyrinth.

But at the same time, they were those who hit their limits and stopped.

Afraid that someone might surpass them, they oppressed new adventurers, trying to control them.

Hating death but unable to let go of their dreams. That contradiction within the Guides of Sin made them unable to kill Taesan.

“I’d appreciate a quick conclusion. I want to descend further.”

“…Fine. Enough.”

The expression of the Lion King turned blank. The subtle pressure felt till now completely vanished.

“Hero. You’ve found a decent puppet.”

[Is it useful?]

The Hero chuckled. The Lion King twisted his lips.

“A hero once greater than anyone, praised for potentially conquering the labyrinth and receiving the attention of all gods, now clings to a mere adventurer for a trivial reason like revenge. Aren’t you ashamed?”

[Seeing your pathetic state, this doesn't seem too bad.]

The Hero spoke with a suddenly humorless tone.

[Societ. Where is she?]

“She did not come, Hero.”

[Not interested in seeing my face? Fine. We'll meet soon enough.]

The Hero spoke softly, sending chills down their arms.

Taesan clicked his jaw in annoyance.

“Can we finish this quickly?”

A slight irritation appeared on the Lion King’s face. Things were not going as planned.

He thought Taesan was just a puppet of the ghost. Talented and lucky, but dependent on the ghost.

The plan was for the Spirit King to pressure him, and by providing protection, they intended to shift his reliance from the ghost to themselves.

A carrot and stick approach, but it didn’t work.

‘Not as expected.’

Taesan was not relying on the ghost. It seemed more like the opposite.

Ambracia, who had been silent till now, spoke up impatiently.

“I told you. This won’t work.”

Ambracia was the only one who opposed the carrot-and-stick plan. He saw that Taesan was someone who wouldn’t fall for such tactics.

“Let’s get to the point. We have one thing to confirm with you.”

“Confirm?”

“To verify if the gods really granted you their blessing, to see if they are indeed protecting you.”

Ambracia stated. Taesan, understanding the implication, nodded.

‘Such a cowardly choice.’

They could not suppress him. Because they feared the wrath of the gods. They could not overpower him. Because they feared the wrath of the gods. They could not kill him. Because they feared the wrath of the gods.

Thus, they would summon a god to verify if Taesan truly had the gods’ interest. To see if harming him would bring their wrath upon themselves.

“We have no choice. They are rightfully feared.”

Ambracia spoke bitterly. It was a decision they couldn’t ridicule or argue against.

They were undoubtedly strong. Among mortals, it was hard to find anyone stronger. They possessed the power to crush weaker worlds on their own.

But they were only mortals, after all. Compared to transcendental beings, they were like insects.

“So, we’ll call upon the Demon God.”

[Why call the Demon God? None of you are demons. Wouldn't Lakiratas be more convenient?]

The ghost asked in bewilderment. The Demon God was literally the god of demons and usually didn’t respond unless summoned by demons. In contrast, Lakiratas, being the God of Struggle and Death, was more responsive than other gods.

They remained silent. Realization dawned late on the ghost, who then sneered.

[Of course. Lakiratas hates you. You're scared he might kill you for no reason.]

Lakiratas, the God of Struggle and Death, was the antithesis of everything the Guides of Sin represented. For them, summoning Lakiratas was far too dangerous.

On the other hand, while the Demon God disliked them, it wasn’t an entity likely to attack them directly. It was the best choice for verification.

“Quiet.”

The Lion King, unable to hide his wounded pride, spoke harshly as he opened a portal. From it, he retrieved a jet-black gem.

“We’ll use this to call the Demon God.”

Summoning a god required a sacrifice. The gem he brought out, difficult to find even in the deeper layers, could contain all forms of energy. It was sufficient to attract the Demon God.

Crack.

The Lion King applied force and shattered the gem. The black mist within then dispersed towards the labyrinth’s ceiling.

“Come forth! Great being! We offer you a tribute!”

The Lion King bellowed.

Simultaneously, the darkness split apart.

A massive presence began to coalesce in front of them.

The Lion King’s pupils wavered.

“An immediate descent?”

The jet-black gem was a sufficient offering, but lofty gods typically didn’t descend so readily. He thought it would take two or three more offerings before a god would appear. This was beyond his expectations.

[This. This.]

A voice mixed with pleasure and irritation was heard.

The Lion King, regaining his senses, immediately prostrated himself. Ambracia and the Spirit King did the same.

Even the Fire Spirit, who existed since the birth of stars, and the Lion King, once the strongest and mightiest ruler, couldn’t raise their heads before a god.

Only Taesan remained upright.

[Should I be pleased to see you here, or should I mourn the sight of these losers? Hard to tell.]

The darkness parted to reveal the Demon God.

Jet-black hair like the night. A not-yet fully grown girl descended into the labyrinth.

Taesan responded calmly.

“Do as you wish, isn’t it?”

[Half and half. I'm annoyed.]

The Demon God narrowed her eyes, looking at the prostrate Lion King.

[I won't bother you. Enough. Raise your heads.]

“…Thank you.”

They cautiously lifted their heads, looked at the Demon God and Taesan, and swallowed hard.

Facing a god without prostrating and speaking one’s mind without inciting the god’s anger.

It was certain that the Demon God viewed Taesan favorably.

“O Demon God, I have a question! May I, in my lowliness, dare to ask?”

[I have an idea what it is, but speak. I'll listen.]

“The one before you claimed to have learned black magic with your permission.”

The Lion King spoke cautiously.

“I wish to verify if he is lying. O Demon God.”

This was precisely why they summoned the Demon God.

They couldn’t just leave Taesan be. If they did, he would surely descend further down the floors, killing the Guides of Sin on his way. And if he confronted them after becoming stronger, they would be in danger.

Thus, they summoned a god for early verification. If the god said no, they could kill Taesan; if yes, they had to form an alliance to prevent interference.

And the Demon God had read all their thoughts.

[Despicable beings.]

The Demon God sneered.

[You all are rotting this place. We, the magician and I, created this place for adventure and challenge, not to watch complacent worms. How did it come to this?]

The Lion King swallowed hard while Ambracia forced a smile.

[Since we promised to minimize interference... I can't help it. I'll give you an answer. Yes, he did complete my quest. I gave him the power my beings can possess as a fitting reward. He is one of my most favored beings.]

“Is that so…”

The Lion King barely managed to respond, concealing his shock.

It was true. The Demon God had bestowed her power on a human, not a demon.

‘We have to form an alliance.’

The Lion King quickly concluded. Messing with a god’s favorite was too risky.

They had to pull Taesan to their side. That was the only solution. The ghost was present, but a deceased being couldn’t interfere beyond a certain point with the living. With the right reward, Taesan might join them.

He was desperately thinking, but Taesan had no such intentions.

Taesan addressed the Demon God.

“O Demon God, could you officiate something for me?”

[Tell me. What do you want?]

“A duel between them and me.”

[...Ah?]

The Demon God laughed, revealing her white teeth.

[I like you. Yes, that's it. We came here for that. We never wanted beings who only seek safety.]

The Demon God laughed heartily, turning around gleefully.

[Tell me, child from Earth. What do you desire?]

“I have no intention of getting along with them.”

The Guides of Sin were his enemies.

Combining the information from the ghost, they were entities that had to be killed eventually.

It wasn’t a prediction.

It was a certainty.

“But the gap between them and me is quite large.”

Despite prostrating before the Demon God, they were still very strong beings.

“So, I want to create a rule. Only duels that are either equal or where neither side can be certain of victory should be allowed.”

[You want to establish a minimum standard?]

“I don’t want to die without being able to do anything. But I can’t avoid fighting them either.”

Battles with the Guides of Sin offered Taesan much to gain.

Not just stats and skills but experience in combat was also important. And the most gains could only be achieved when one desperately sought victory and risked their lives in battle.

[Not bad. I had no intention of interfering in such fights anyway…]

Hearing the Demon God’s murmur, Taesan became certain.

The leaders were strong.

Beings that were so powerful that their mere emotions could kill Taesan.

The Demon God would intervene if an enemy of the leaders’ level, someone Taesan absolutely couldn’t handle, attacked him.

However, for a fair fight with an opponent of equal standing, it seemed she had no intention of interfering.

This was natural. The gods of the labyrinth weren’t there to protect anyone. They wouldn’t react to a legitimate fight.

So, Taesan planned to get a clear answer now.

To ensure only the most legitimate fights occurred.

To get rules that would benefit him the most.

The Demon God, who seemed to be in thought, turned her gaze.

[I'll set the rules. Losers.]

“Yes.”

The Lion King nodded, swallowing hard.

[You can oppose him. But those too strong can't come up. Only losers who can have a fair fight with him, or several losers who together might defeat him. Only under such rules will I permit fights with him.]

“If… the line is not respected, what will you do?”

[You must seek my permission before you act. If you breach that and act on your own… I won't need to restrain myself, right?]

The Demon God smiled slyly, a different cold smile than the one she showed to Taesan.

The Lion King prostrated himself.

“Understood. We’ll act as you wish.”

[You're now on the 30th floor but have far surpassed it. So, as it stands… Several adventurers from the 40th floor, or maybe one from the 50th floor, should be a match for you. If that line is kept, I won't intervene. Actually, there would be no reason to intervene.]

The Demon God murmured, extending her hand.

[This contract is sealed in my name.]

A darkness-like twilight enveloped the room.

[Those who break it will face darkness. Break the contract if you wish for that.]

The Demon God chuckled. As the darkness deepened, the girl’s figure slowly faded.

[I like you, Kang Taesan.]

The god spoke a mortal’s name.

The Guides of Sin couldn’t hide their shock at this. The disappearing Demon God’s eyes gleamed darkly.

[This is a bonus for making a very satisfying choice.] [You have received the Demon God's blessing [Victor According to the Rules].]

“Thank you.”

It was the reward he aimed for.

The Demon God had a liking for him and wanted to give him something. So, he thought if he made a choice that pleased her, she would give him something.

His prediction was accurate. The Demon God smiled.

[I'll be waiting for the day you come to where I am.]

With those meaningful words, the Demon God disappeared.

The darkness vanished without a trace.

Taesan clapped his hands.

“Is it over now?”