Ascension Through Skills

Taesan stared pensively at the enemy in front of him.

“Ka-aaa!”

Its radiant red scales were shimmering.

The reptile’s eyes seemed to contain all of the cruelty in the world.

White flames were sometimes visible as it exhaled its breath.

The red dragon growled.

The king of dragons, Moebius’ lizard, which heralded the end of everything, the one who guarded the abyss.

It was a divine being that even gods could not easily deal with.

All Taesan had against such a monster was his shabby equipment.

The most basic suit of cloth armor and a rusty sword.

That was all.

“With this equipment, I’m supposed to fight a dragon alone. This difficulty level definitely lives up to its name.”

He wasn’t entirely alone.

He felt a gaze from above.

The light contained in that gaze was simple.

It was filled with endless expectations of him.

As well as admiration for miracles that would be shown in the future.

They wouldn’t interfere with the feast in front of them. They would always watch from a distance, as usual.

He was used to it now. He held the sword without hesitation.

“Krrr…”

The dragon moved its front claw and tried to cautiously back away as it looked at Taesan.

The cruelty reflected in those eyes began showing hints of fear.

“Why are you scared?”

“Ka-aaa!”

As if having come to a decision, the dragon roared and moved its feet. Its bulky body approached as the ground thumped under its weight.

Taesan looked behind him. The door through which he had entered was long gone.

There was no escape.

The battlefield, this time, was about the size of a sports field.

“Just like always.”

Kill or die.

As he took a step forward, the dragon roared threateningly.

“Ka-aaa!”

[The dragon's roar overwhelms you!] [Starting judgment.] [Stat reduction judgment in progress...] [Action restriction judgment in progress...] [Mental collapse judgment in progress...] [Surrender judgment in progress...] [Instant death judgment in progress...] [...] [All judgments succeeded!] [You endured with the Indomitable Spirit!]] [All stats have increased.] [Your actions will never stop. Acquired the special always-active skill, "Continuous Action".] [A spirit that does not succumb descends.] [A body that does not surrender manifests.] [Your opponent is an invincible enemy.] [Judgment unnecessary. Your heart did not break against an enemy who cannot be defeated!]] [Judgment unnecessary. Your fighting spirit rose against an enemy who cannot be defeated!] [Judgment unnecessary. Your willpower increased against an enemy who cannot be defeated!] [All stats have increased.] [You will never break during battle.] [You have gained an eye that discerns the opponent's weaknesses.] [The dragon was intimidated by you, who did not surrender.] [The dragon felt fear towards you, who did not falter.] [The dragon is filled with fear of defeat towards you, who is filled with confidence.]

“Clear it.”

Taesan cleared the system window and brandished his sword.

“Come at me quickly. This will be over soon.”

“Ka-aa!”

The dragon charged toward Taesan.

“Ah, annoying.”

Taesan grumbled as he walked through the devastated city.

“Why did that damn thing run all the way here and annoy people?”

Traces of alien shapes were visible in the collapsed streets. However, Taesan simply walked down the road with indifference.

“Is this Anyang?”

He could no longer find any traces of that city in these ruins.

What was left visible were only buildings and their foundations.

As well as the shattered asphalt.

In this scenery devoid of human scent, Taesan scrunched up his face.

“So bothersome…”

He strode forward. It didn’t take long to find what he had come for.

Grrr.

Grrrrr.

A monster appeared. It was completely black, resembling neither human nor animal.

Three such monsters were tearing apart a body.

That body was Taesan’s target.

However, it wasn’t dead but was still alive.

“Quite a spectacle.”

Grrrrr.

The monsters noticed Taesan. They finished consuming the rest of the body and moved slightly.

[Monster435 is glaring at you.] [Monster221 is glaring at you.] [Monster222 is glaring at you.]

“Really, can’t they have better names?”

Taesan grumbled. Every time he saw their names while fighting, he felt drained.

Grrrrrr!

The monsters rushed at him. While their speed was beyond human capabilities, Taesan simply looked at them with annoyance.

“Hey. Open the door.”

Taesan knocked heavily on the door in front of a giant wall. The vibration of his knock spread through the door, and it opened before long.

“Bro. You’re here?”

“Couldn’t you have asked someone else? This is so bothersome.”

“Haha. Knowing what’s out there, there was no one else but you, bro.”

Junggeun welcomed him upon his return. He looked beside Taesan and asked with a confused face.

“The escapee?”

“He’s dead. The monsters ate all of his body.”

“What?”

Junggeun was taken aback.

“He was a Hard Mode player, and he’s already dead?”

“Three A-grade monsters were cheerfully tearing him apart.”

“Ah……”

Junggeun closed his mouth. While Hard Mode players were strong, an A-grade monster was equal in strength to one.

There would have been no way to deal with three of them.

“Where are those monsters?”

If there were three A-grade monsters nearby, they needed to be dealt with quickly.

Taesan calmly responded to Junggeun’s serious question.

“I killed them all.”

Junggeun then felt drained and muttered.

“I see.”

“Enough, I’m hungry. Let’s go to a restaurant.”

“Yes.”

There were several buildings within the walls. They all seemed old and on the verge of collapsing, but single-family homes that maintained their shapes could still be seen.

While walking, Junggeun asked Taesan.

“Bro. Be honest. You’re not an Easy Mode player, are you?”

“What nonsense is this now?”

Taesan frowned.

“How many have come through the labyrinth with me? Ask them.”

“All the Easy players other than you are dead, you know? Even those who pop up occasionally die within a couple of days.”

“……Was it like that?”

“Honestly, how can an easy player survive in the current situation? Even Normal players are barely managing. You’re the strange one, bro.”

An Easy player who laughed at Hard Mode. That was Taesan.

“Why are you so strong? I’m a Hard player, but I’m nothing compared to you.”

“You guys just cleared too hastily.”

“You’re saying that again.”

“So, what do you want me to do?”

The other players rushed to clear the labyrinth while Taesan had grasped every aspect. That was the single point of difference in Taesan’s view.

“Since we can’t go back to the labyrinth anyway, let’s stop the pointless talk and eat.”

“Yes, yes.”

They entered an old tent, and Taesan sat at the dining table.

“What’s for dinner today?”

“Potatoes.”

Taesan’s face distorted.

“Potatoes again? Can’t you cultivate something else? There’s sweet potato or corn.”

“But potatoes are the most efficient, so what can we do? There’s a limit to the quantity in simple cultivation.”

It was a skill that allowed a player to cultivate something from nothing, anywhere. Thanks to this skill that a few people possessed, humanity has survived until now.

“Didn’t you learn it, bro?”

“Why would an Easy Mode player learn such a thing? There’s food everywhere, no matter where you go.”

“That’s also true.”

Junggeun nodded his head.

Junggeun brought out the potatoes after a few moments. The two ate in silence without any conversation.

From a distance, there was a commotion. They were voices mixed with cheers and sighs, as well as shouts that denied reality.

“Looks like another one who cleared has come.”

“It seems so.”

A player who cleared the labyrinth and returned to Earth caused a disturbance because he couldn’t accept reality. It was a common occurrence.

Neither Taesan nor Junggeun moved. It was a habit now for those players to be subdued by those around him. Eventually, they would listen to the explanations without causing a fuss.

But this time, unlike usual, the noise did not easily subside.

“Uh……Brother. He seems to be a Hard player.”

“Damn.”

Taesan’s face distorted.

Validating Junggeun’s words, a man ran inside in a hurry.

“Taesan. Come quickly. It’s a total mess right now.”

“Why me? There are a lot of Hard players. Can’t they handle it?”

“Oh, come on. You know as well as I do why. Just come quickly.”

Taesan stood up with a grimace. Junggeun leisurely took Taesan’s potato.

“Please go and come back.”

“If you eat that, I’ll kill you.”

Junggeun quietly put the potato back.

Taesan followed the man with a sigh.

“What kind of guy is this one?”

“He’s a Hard Mode clearer, claiming that we’re all lying and is causing a commotion.”

“Are there not enough Hard players here to subdue him? Is he quite strong?”

“Fucking hell.”

The man clicked his tongue.

“He’s got some decent skills, so someone might die if we try to subdue him. That’s why we need your help, Taesan.”

“What about Taeyeon?”

“Taeyeon is currently out on external reconnaissance. You knew that, right?”

“Huff.”

Sighing, Taesan headed toward the center of the commotion. There, a young man was shouting with a red face.

“Don’t joke with me! How is this Earth! This is a hidden camera! Stop fooling around!”

“Young friend, this really is Earth. The world has changed a lot while you were in the labyrinth…”

“Don’t joke with me!”

The man swung his fist roughly. The middle-aged man who had been trying to calm him down stepped back with a groan.

“He’s about to get rough.”

“Taesan, I’m counting on you!”

The man who brought Taesan cheered him on.

“Aren’t you ashamed to depend on an Easy player like me?”

“This is a time where we can’t survive with shame.”

“Ugh.”

Taesan clicked his tongue and walked towards the man. In the square, only the man and Taesan remained.

“Young man, what’s your name?”

“…Lee Changchun.”

“I see. Changchun. Sadly, this really is Earth. We’re in the process of being annihilated.”

“Don’t joke with me!”

“Is that your catchphrase or something?”

“There’s no way this is Earth! There are so many players, yet they can’t stop these monsters?! You’re all lying to me!”

Changchun roared in rage.

It’s common for those who returned from the labyrinth to lose their minds after being unable to accept reality. And he showed no signs of accepting it easily.

In such cases, there was only one solution.

Taesan clenched his fist.

“If he gets hit, he’ll understand.”

[Duel Request.]

Changchun was taken aback by the prompt on the screen.

“…Duel? Who are you?”

“Kang Taesan.”

“Kang Taesan?”

Changchun chewed on his name and smirked.

“The Easy player who always had a big mouth?”

“You know me? Must be a frequent Community user.”

“What a joke! An Easy player like you wants to challenge a Hard player?”

Changchun scoffed at Taesan.

The gap in strength between players from the different difficulties was immense.

Even if a hundred Easy players gathered, it would be difficult to even deal damage to a Hard player.

But Taesan simply waved his hand with an annoyed look on his face.

“Shut up and come at me. If you can beat me, I’ll show you the ‘real world’ you want so badly.”

“… Don’t regret it!”

“The one who’s going to regret it is you.”

[Duel Established.] [Lee Changchun and Kang Taesan may begin the duel.]

The onlookers made space around them.

Changchun, who had been confidently standing, began to waver slightly.

The people around them were beginning to make bets as if the outcome wasn’t even worth watching.

“Who are you betting on?”

“One potato on Kang Taesan.”

“Five potatoes on Kang Taesan.”

“Three potatoes on Kang Taesan.”

“Isn’t anyone betting on the young man? He might just win, you know?”

There was no reply to that. No one here thought Changchun would be able to win.

They actually believed that an Easy player could defeat a Hard player.

Taesan crossed his arms nonchalantly.

“I’ll let you attack first.”

“You…”

Changchun gritted his teeth. The duel had begun, regardless, so there was no backing out now.

[Lee Changchun activated Increase. His basic attack power has increased by 50%.] [Lee Changchun activated Concentration. The next attack has a high probability of hitting.] [Lee Changchun activated Strong Strike. The next attack will deal significant damage.]

“Wow.”

“Adding ‘Increase’ and ‘Strong Strike’? That’s a powerful combo.”

People around him marveled at the sight, but that was it. They calmly waited for the outcome as Changchun gritted his teeth.

“I don’t care anymore.”

He charged towards Taesan.

[Lee Changchun's Attack.] [Kang Taesan's 'First Attack Immunity' is activated.] [0 Damage to Kang Taesan.]

“Huh?”

“Are you done?”

Changchun checked his system window in disbelief. ‘First Attack Immunity’ skill? What was that? He had never seen anything like it while playing in hard mode.

“Now it’s my turn, right?”

Taesan raised his fist. Changchun quickly snapped out of shock and raised his arms to protect himself.

[Kang Taesan's Attack.] [Lee Changchun activated 'Solid'. The damage received is reduced by half.] [Kang Taesan activated 'Absolute Judgment'. The opponent's defense skills and defense are ignored.] [49 Damage to Lee Changchun.]

“Huh?”

Changchun was baffled again.

It was too weak. His health points were well over a thousand. This kind of attack was nothing more than a tickle.

‘R-right.’

Changchun steadied his nerves. His opponent was an Easy player. The absolute gap in stats and level couldn’t be easily bridged.

But Taesan raised his fist again.

“Your health exceeds one thousand, right?”

[Kang Taesan activated 'Addition'. Current attack power is doubled.] [Kang Taesan activated 'Multiply'. Current attack power is squared.] [Kang Taesan activated 'Absolute Judgment'. The opponent's defense skills and defense are ignored.]

Changchun’s body stiffened.

“Take this.”

“Wai-wait.”

[Kang Taesan's attack.] [9,604 damage to Lee Changchun.]

Wha-

“Mr. Taesan, isn’t that too harsh?”

“He didn’t die, did he? How much kinder do you want me to be here?”

Taesan grumbled. Changchun was sprawled out on the ground, twitching.

“Uh…”

“Young man, do you understand now? This is the real Earth. We are the failures who managed to clear that miserable labyrinth but couldn’t protect Earth.”

“Don’t… don’t joke…”

Tears dripped from Changchun’s eyes.

“Why… why is the world like this… It would’ve been better if we didn’t clear the labyrinth…”

Silence followed his words. The man who had been comforting Changchun smiled bitterly.

“But we’ve all come out. What can we do? We should try to save this insane world anyway.”

Back when this world was still their world.

The sky had split open, and monsters poured out of it.

Choices then appeared before humanity.

Easy Mode.

Normal Mode.

Hard Mode.

And Solo Mode.

The players chose different levels of difficulty and entered the labyrinth. Those who cleared it then returned to Earth.

To an Earth overrun with monsters and on the brink of destruction.

They were those people.

And Taesan was a player who chose Easy Mode.

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