Ascension Through Skills
Chapter 421: 83rd Floor, Essence The God Of Descent (3)

They did not answer Taesan’s words and instead rushed at him once more.

Kiiing!

Light enveloped them. Taesan easily recognized what it was.

It was a skill from the Labyrinth.

Each of them activated their skills and pressed Taesan. He responded in kind.

[You have activated Baal’s Surging Abyss.]

Szzzt.

The space darkened.

The man who had been charging forward froze in fear. The spreading darkness rapidly engulfed them.

The pitch-black space surged in all directions.

It crushed the space, obliterating everything in its path. Those who rushed at Taesan attempted to block it with defensive skills—

—but it was useless.

They were swallowed by the space itself.

Kugugugung…

As the extending darkness dissipated, only one man remained—the one they had called their leader.

“…Huff!”

The man exhaled sharply and collapsed. His body bore no visible wounds. Taesan was slightly surprised.

“You blocked it perfectly.”

Baal’s Surging Abyss wasn’t as powerful as Grand Collapse, but it far exceeded mid-tier magic in power. For a mortal to block it was nearly impossible.

Yet the man before him had done so, albeit completely exhausted.

Realizing that he was the only one left, the man let out a hollow laugh.

“A monster of a rookie has entered.”

“So, you’re adventurers of the Labyrinth.”

He had suspected as much from their familiar equipment, but after seeing their skills in action, he was sure. Though no activation window had appeared, they were undoubtedly using Labyrinth skills.

The man nodded.

“Not all of us, but most are.”

“What are you doing in this place?”

“…That’s not something I want to say myself.”

“Why?”

“Because it’s a disgraceful thing.”

With trembling arms, the man raised his sword.

“You’ll find out soon enough. A meddler will appear before long.”

The man charged at Taesan.

Taesan raised his sword.

Kwaajik.

Taesan easily blocked and pierced the man’s chest.

Though dying, the man’s expression showed no fear or pain.

“I didn’t expect to die to a rookie.”

With those last words, the man vanished.

Taesan watched as his soul drifted somewhere into the Model Garden.

After gazing in that direction for a moment, Taesan resumed walking.

No matter how far he walked, the plains seemed endless. It was as if the scenery was copied and repeated infinitely.

“There’s no death here, they said.”

Death was not the end in this place.

It likely meant they could be resurrected. Since they were all souls bound to Essence, it wasn’t surprising.

But every action had a purpose.

This place was the Model Garden—a space where the souls captured by the God of Descent were trapped.

Why had the God of Descent created this place? That remained unknown.

“This is probably related.”

Taesan lifted his gaze and looked above him. There, a white window hovered.

[Points: 5]

When he first arrived, it had been zero.

After defeating five, the number had risen to five.

It seemed he earned a point for each opponent he defeated.

There was no way these points existed without reason.

As he continued pondering, Taesan sensed the presence of eight figures approaching him.

“Good timing.”

He could ask them for answers. Taesan stopped walking.

“A rookie, huh? Sorry about this, but it’s not necessarily bad news for you.”

The approaching figures were no different from those he had first encountered.

They wore similar equipment to Labyrinth adventurers, but there was no hostility or greed in their eyes toward Taesan—only weariness.

“You’ll answer my questions, won’t you?”

Just as Taesan reached for his sword—

“Stop!!”

“Urgh!”

“Gah!”

A booming voice echoed.

The sound seemed to directly stimulate their brains, causing them to clutch their heads. The man who had first spoken to Taesan grimaced.

“So soon?”

“I have arrived!”

The owner of the voice approached swiftly, kicking off the ground and landing gracefully between Taesan and the others.

Golden hair swayed as her radiant golden eyes shone like jewels.

“Hah. That was exhausting.”

She had come from quite a distance—

Her breathing was slightly labored, but she carried an undeniable dignity.

A natural-born nobility exuded from her presence.

The man spoke gruffly.

“Here to interfere again? Golden Princess.”

Taesan silently admired her.

‘She’s strong.’

Of all the adventurers he had met in the Model Garden, she was the strongest. Even if Taesan fought seriously now, he wouldn’t be able to take her down easily.

She was one step away from the realm of the Immortals.

The woman called the Golden Princess nodded confidently.

“He must be a rookie, correct? I will take charge of his education for a while.”

“You always meddle too much. He would naturally learn after experiencing it a few times.”

“But if someone tells him, he won’t have to suffer to find out.”

The Golden Princess spoke gently.

“You’re an annoying woman.”

The man clicked his tongue.

“That old man who always follows you around—where is he?”

“I’m right here.”

A slow-moving elderly man approached, carrying a long spear in his hand.

“Our princess always acts before she speaks. It’s hard to keep up.”

“My apologies.”

“You’ve said that so many times now. I’ve given up, so it doesn’t matter anymore.”

The old man, who appeared to be the Golden Princess’s companion, was not as strong as her but was certainly stronger than the others.

“With him here too, there’s no chance of victory.”

The man spoke calmly, yet they did not back down. All eight of them drew their weapons.

“Just to confirm—how many are left?”

“If we take you down, it should be enough.”

“Perfect.”

The man grinned, revealing his teeth.

The battle began.

“Hello?”

The Golden Princess smiled brightly at Taesan.

“What is your name?”

“I am Kang Taesan.”

“Kang Taesan! What a unique name. I am Diana!”

“I am Reynald.”

The old man behind her introduced himself.

The battle had ended in an instant.

The Golden Princess had reached the threshold of a higher realm.

Her opponents had not. The gap in power was immense.

Yet, those who had fallen did not wear expressions of despair.

She was smiling, as if satisfied.

Diana handed Taesan a piece of dried jerky.

“Would you like some? It’s a precious delicacy here. While hunger does not exist in this place, simply putting something in your mouth carries its own significance.”

“I’m fine.”

“Oh. I see.”

Diana tossed the jerky into her mouth. Her movement was casual, yet every motion still carried an air of grace.

“Then, let me ask to confirm. Are you, by any chance, an adventurer descending the Labyrinth?”

Taesan nodded. Diana’s eyes glimmered.

“Then, perhaps…”

She was about to ask Taesan something.

However, she didn’t continue. After a long moment of contemplation, she closed her mouth with a bitter smile.

“No, never mind. There’s no need to check so soon. I’ll save the fun for later.”

She came to a conclusion on her own.

Taesan observed her for a moment before speaking.

“Why did you save me?”

“To provide you with information about this place. I don’t care, but the princess can’t bring herself to abandon people like you.”

“It’s just in my nature. Well, you can think of it as self-satisfaction.”

Diana spoke softly.

“The fact that you’re here means that you, too, have been used by the God of Descent. That is unfortunate. Since we’ve all been deceived by him, I sympathize with you.”

Taesan had come here of his own will, but he silently listened to Diana’s words.

“As you might have guessed, this place is where those used by the God of Descent are gathered. It is a Model Garden created for his amusement.”

Diana raised a finger.

“First of all, the concept of death does not exist here. If someone perishes and vanishes, they will resurrect at a designated location after a day.”

“There’s no way to die at all?”

“No. Some even tried reducing their entire body to dust as a test, but they revived after experiencing excruciating pain.”

They could not die. They were destined to live here forever.

The princess raised her finger and pointed to the horizon.

There was nothing but a vast, empty plain.

“As you can see, there is nothing in this Model Garden. Some engineers tried to invent something— but everything simply turned to ashes and disappeared.”

Change was not permitted.

“The only amusement here is fighting one another. However, according to the God of Descent’s rules, once a battle begins, both sides must fight to the death. And yet, the pain upon resurrection is no small matter.”

“What a twisted god.”

Reynald clicked his tongue.

Taesan asked them,

“How long have you been here?”

“I don’t know. I lost count ages ago.”

“I’m not sure either. It feels like it’s been hundreds of years, but beyond that, I have no idea.”

They spoke with indifference.

A static world where nothing was permitted.

They could not die. Change was forbidden. Even battles were dictated by another’s will.

This place was a vast prison.

“That explains why you weren’t hostile toward me.”

“No one here fights because they want to. Since we are in the same situation, there’s no point in resentment or rage.”

They were all victims.

There was only one enemy—the God of Descent.

However, something about their story did not add up.

“Then why did they try to defeat me?”

According to Diana, combat here was nothing more than entertainment. There was no reason to target a newcomer like Taesan.

“And you don’t seem particularly despairing.”

This place was horrifying. Nothing changed, nothing was permitted, and they could not escape through death.

Yet, considering that, the people Taesan had met were surprisingly stable.

They looked tired and exhausted, but they retained clear rationality. They did not seem like people who had suffered for hundreds or thousands of years.

“The reason is simple. Whether it’s just a whim or because he finds it more entertaining for us to maintain our sanity, the God of Descent has provided us with a few conveniences.”

Diana let out a bitter smile.

“I mentioned that the dead revive at a designated place, correct? That location is a massive village. A place the God of Descent created. There, people can eat meager meals and sleep on hard beds. There are even some simple amusements.”

At least some minimal living conditions existed.

“More importantly, there’s a point system. You’ve probably noticed the system window displaying a point count above our heads. Every time you kill someone, you gain one point. And these points have several uses.”

The purpose of the points—it was not difficult to guess.

“To temporarily improve the facilities.”

“Correct.”

Diana nodded.

“If you use one point for a meal, the plain soup turns into a delicious steak. If you use it for lodging, you can spend the night in a room with a cotton bed and a shower instead of a pile of straw. The more points you spend at once, the better the facilities become.”

“So that’s why they tried to kill me.”

They wanted points to enjoy food and a comfortable bed.

“It’s a blatantly obvious trick, but it works. Most people rely on it to maintain their sanity.”

“What a disgusting game.”

“It really is.”

Talented mortals—those who had surpassed the deep layers and had a chance at clearing the Labyrinth— now slaughtered each other for food and sleep.

And they clung to that just to stay sane.

It was clear why the God of Descent had created this place.

“But that’s not all, is it?”

This system ensured they retained some level of mental stability, but that was its limit.

There was no hope.

Yet, the people Taesan had met—including Diana—had something beyond that.

Hope.

Hope that they could leave this place.

Diana smirked.

“You’re lucky. You haven’t been here long, yet you already have a chance to return to the world.”

“Return?”

“It’ll be easier to show you. Let’s go, Reynald.”

“Right now? Aren’t we going to practice first?”

“No need. I’ve rehearsed this moment thousands of times.”

Diana’s eyes blazed as she gripped her sword.

“Follow me. I will set you free.”

Taesan followed behind her.

They walked across the plains. Along the way, more people appeared, blocking Diana’s path.

Diana simply said one thing to them.

“I’ve gathered everyone.”

“…Ho.”

That single statement made the blockers lower their weapons.

And they, too, followed behind Diana.

The group grew and grew until, before long, it had formed a crowd of hundreds.

Standing at the front, Diana walked forward with confidence.

“I told you there are multiple ways to use points. This is one of them.”

Then she arrived at the center of the plains.

There stood a single pillar.

Facing the pillar, Diana called out.

“Oh, God of Descent! I am the Princess of a Destroyed World! Deceived and abandoned by you, I have come to this place!”

Kugugugung!

The pillar began to activate.

The gaze of the God of Descent descended.

Diana, her eyes burning with resolve, opened her mouth.

“I have fulfilled your conditions! So I make my request— The Colosseum of Liberation!”

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