Ascension Through Skills

The crystallized power materialized as a blue jewel before Taesan.

The jewel slowly descended into Taesan’s hand. With a cold sensation, the jewel settled in his palm.

[You have obtained Crystallized Divine Blood.]

“Divine Blood?”

[It is a fragment of my power. How you handle it is entirely up to you.]

Maria spoke leisurely.

[You can implant it into your body and control it, or you can use it as material to craft a weapon. However, at least for now, it will be impossible.]

Taesan gazed at the Crystallized Divine Blood.

The blue, jewel-like divine blood was stable but contained an overwhelmingly terrifying power.

[Crystallized Divine Blood cannot be found anywhere else in the world. It is a unique reward meant solely for you.]

“Thank you.”

Maria was right. Divine blood was a power that no one could obtain unless they were born with it.

The Emperor had sought to acquire divine blood in the form of sacrifices, but whether he truly succeeded was unknown.

He had obtained a power that could never be acquired through conventional means. That alone made it invaluable.

[This is both a reward and a kind of expectation. Become strong enough to wield it, and then you’ll truly understand its value.]

Maria chuckled softly.

[This is your reward for successfully passing my trial. You must have questions—feel free to ask.]

“Then, if I may…”

Taesan opened his inventory.

In his hand was a small flower-shaped ornament. Its seven petals shimmered in vibrant rainbow hues.

[Maria’s Gift]

[A gift bestowed upon a human favored by a god. Currently has no effect.]

“What is this used for?”

It was the reward Maria had given him when they first met—a long time ago. At the time, he was only on the 12th floor, weaker than both Lee Taeyeon and Kang Jun-hyeok in their current states. ŘäＮồΒΕṩ

Yet, even now, he had not figured out how to use Maria’s gift.

Whenever he thought about it, he activated Essence Perception or Focused Detection, but nothing was revealed.

[So that’s what you’re asking. Then I’ll answer.]

Maria spoke slowly.

[That is a gift that cannot be used on its own. It can only be activated when you meet someone with whom you are connected.]

“…Someone I’m connected to?”

Everyone he had connections with was dead.

He had turned back time.

And Maria also knew that.

When she first met Taesan, she had said so—that he had reversed time after making a fatal mistake while entangled with ancient gods.

Yet she mentioned someone he was connected to.

Taesan’s gaze darkened.

Maria smiled quietly.

[Let’s save that for a later surprise.]

With those words, Maria’s domain began to recede.

[I’ll be waiting for you in a deeper place. Come down quickly.]

With that soft voice as the last echo, Taesan returned to the labyrinth.

“A person I’m connected to…”

His mind was slightly muddled. Taesan fiddled with the flower ornament.

Some questions arose, but one thing was certain: he had cleared the 76th floor.

[Crystallized Divine Blood]

[Stabilized divine blood in crystallized form. If an unqualified individual attempts to control it, it will run amok.]

It was more a warning than an explanation, and Taesan felt the same. While it was a reward, he could not use it yet.

For now, he could only hold onto it, but considering its power, it was far from a trivial reward. Just as Maria had said, he needed to grow stronger before addressing it.

And then, there were the rewards for clearing the 76th floor.

[Armor Refined by Deep Darkness]

[Strength +900]

[Defense +900]

[Black Magic +30]

[Black Magic Resistance +1]

[An armor crafted as a hobby within the domain of the creator of Black Magic. Despite its playful origins, it contains immense power.]

If the creator of Black Magic was a demon, then this equipment seemed to be crafted by one. Appropriately, it enhanced both Black Magic and resistance to it.

[Rough-Cut Anklet of Raw Stone]

[Strength +500]

[Attack Power +400]

[Defense +500]

[A mysterious raw stone fell to a planet one day. Countless blacksmiths tried to refine it but died simply by striking the stone a few times, overwhelmed by its power. After uncountable lives were lost, it finally became an anklet.]

The default clear rewards, as always, did not disappoint.

And after defeating the Emperor, Soul Ascension activated.

[Your Soul Ascension has activated. Divine Power mastery has increased by 3%.]

The 3% increase in Divine Power seemed insignificant at first glance. However, to Taesan, who understood the value of Divine Power, it was a substantial improvement.

When Divine Power reached 81%, progress had halted entirely. Despite the considerable number of Earth’s players worshiping Taesan, there was no movement.

Once it reached 100%, he could potentially gain his own divinity, making the progress painfully slow.

A 3% increase was monumental. It was more valuable than acquiring most skills.

And then, the newly obtained skill:

[Special Activation Skill: Law of Regulation]

[Consumption ??? : ???]

[Proficiency: 1%]

[Summons the Domain of Regulation and enforces its laws. However, the user currently lacks the rank and qualification to wield this power effectively.]

A soul-based skill. The description resembled that of the King of Machinery, making its nature clear.

This was an authority granted exclusively to the Apostle of the God of Regulation.

Through Soul Ascension, Taesan had acquired it.

[Even an apostle… it’s genuinely hard to accept.]

Soul Ascension disregarded the opponent’s nature—be it an immortal, an ancient god, or an apostle—and seized their power.

It was a skill that defied understanding.

It was a considerable reward. Although it couldn’t be used immediately, if Taesan gained the necessary qualifications, it meant he could wield a portion of divine authority. Its value was immense.

Perhaps because he had defeated an Apostle, his Apostle Transformation underwent changes. While the name remained the same, its effects had slightly strengthened.

With these rewards, it was time to proceed. Taesan ascended the floor. Hafran greeted him as though he had been waiting.

“You’re here. I’ve been wondering when you’d arrive.”

“Is everything ready?”

“Yes.”

Taesan had previously entrusted Hafran with the Pure Light Crystal obtained from the Spirit Realm. It seemed the crafting was complete.

Hafran handed Taesan a shimmering fragment of light.

“I struggled to decide what to create, but nothing seemed appropriate. So, I opted for something simple yet powerful.”

[Pure White Powder of Blessing]

[A powder of blessing. Can be applied to a weapon to imbue it with power.]

[Attack Power +200]

[Can activate Light of the World once per hour.]

[Light of the World]

[Summons the primordial light of radiance. Dispels darkness and repels unholy beings.]

“You can use it on the relic of Calvert that you have.”

“Not bad.”

The pure attack power was significantly high. While he didn’t know the exact effects of Light of the World, if it was similar to forced amplification, it would prove quite useful.

The powder more than compensated for the stats lost due to the release of the maddened spirit. Taesan sprinkled the powder onto his sword.

“Is that all you needed?”

“No. I have a question.”

Taesan displayed the black and white rings on his fingers.

“How exactly were these rings created?”

To use both rings together, he needed a thorough understanding of their creation. Hafran looked puzzled but answered.

“What do you want to know?”

“Was the crafting process of the rings designed as a pair from the beginning?”

“No, they weren’t.”

Hafran shook his head.

“Initially, I attempted to craft them as a single piece of equipment. However, the materials were so overwhelmingly powerful that they repelled and resisted each other. I almost died because of it.”

The materials contained within the rings were beyond even Hafran’s control.

After much contemplation on how to stabilize them, he reached a conclusion.

“I crafted two rings through identical processes. Although the materials differ, resulting in external variations, the crafting methods are perfectly equal. By making them resonate with each other, their power is amplified and stabilized. That’s how these rings were completed.”

“So the process was exactly the same?”

“Not a single deviation. Twins are, by definition, such creations.”

“I see.”

Rings crafted to be perfectly identical.

That made it possible. Not immediately, but the potential was there.

“That’s all I needed to know. Thank you.”

“You provided the materials and requested the equipment. It’s only natural I answer. Is that all?”

“There’s one more thing.”

Taesan showed Hafran the Crystallized Divine Blood.

“Can you refine this?”

Hafran examined the Divine Blood briefly before grimacing.

“You bring something that wouldn’t be obtainable even on the 90th floor. Do you think it’s possible?”

“Figured as much.”

Taesan hadn’t expected much to begin with and returned the Divine Blood to his inventory.

“I may be great, but I’m still mortal. I hope you understand that.”

Hafran grumbled. Taesan bid him farewell and descended the floor once more.

As he was heading toward the 77th floor, a flood of system windows suddenly obstructed his vision.

They were all related to the Community. Taesan opened the Community.

[Amelia Aerin [Solo]: …Why are you already back?]

[Lee Taeyeon [Solo]: Because we finished early.]

[Amelia Aerin [Solo]: What about China? Something definitely happened over there.]

[Kang Jun-hyeok [Solo]: Oh, that? Explaining it would take a while…]

[Oliver Khan [Hard]: Let’s hear it. We’ve got time to rest anyway.]

The Community was abuzz with conversation.

Taesan realized that players from other countries had finally completed their trials and returned to the labyrinth.

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