Ascension Through Skills
Chapter 424: 83rd Floor, Essence The God Of Descent (6)

They charged forward.

The first to attack wielded a sword.

Swords clashed against each other.

Kagagak!

Taesan tightened his grip. Unable to withstand the force, his opponent was flung backward.

However, they quickly regained their stance and rushed in again.

Taesan was undeniably stronger than them.

Yet, in terms of fundamental rank, they were on equal footing. He couldn’t simply ignore them.

Kakak!

He pushed his opponent away with his sword. But immediately, a spear thrust in from the opening.

Taesan didn’t counter with his sword.

Instead, he swiftly retrieved a spear from his inventory.

Spinning the spear, he deflected his opponent’s weapon and struck forward. His opponent didn’t retreat. Instead, they charged forward.

Their bodies moved naturally.

Dodging Taesan’s thrust, they grabbed the spear that had been knocked away and pulled it back.

A precise movement, yet devoid of their own will.

That was a counter skill.

Taesan responded in kind.

[You have activated Counter.]

Two identical skills activated simultaneously. In such cases, the winner was determined by base stats and skill proficiency.

“Urgh!”

His opponent staggered backward.

There was no time to rest.

Magic and dark magic came flying toward Taesan.

A bright arrow of light that obstructed his vision.

And a pitch-black wave that sought to devour everything.

The system window didn’t appear, but he knew what skills they were. Starlight Arrow and Marbas’ Pitch-Black Wave.

[You have activated Starlight Arrow.]

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

An identical arrow of light and pitch-black wave materialized.

Absorbing his opponent’s power, Taesan charged at them. His opponents, alarmed, hastily deployed defensive skills to block the attack.

“Ifrit!”

[This is unexpected. It seems I’ll be facing a famous one here.]

Flames flared up, and a handsome man appeared.

The power he wielded was considerable.

‘The Fire Spirit King.’

Then he should respond with a Spirit King of his own.

[You have summoned the Wind Spirit King, Minerva.]

Winds gathered, forming a beautiful woman.

“Haha. I never expected to fight another Spirit King.”

[We are merely manifestations of our contractors' will. Let us begin, young Spirit King. I shall show you the power of experience.]

“I don’t plan on losing!”

Wind and fire clashed.

Minerva relentlessly pressured Ifrit.

Ifrit counterattacked, but the overwhelming power of the wind extinguished him completely.

A Spirit King’s strength was proportional to their contractor’s power. Minerva was able to wield her full strength.

Moreover, having absorbed Vishnu’s Core, Minerva was far stronger than other Spirit Kings.

Kugugugung!

A battle of one versus five.

It unfolded as a one-sided fight in favor of the one.

The spear-wielding opponent failed to block Taesan’s spear and had their arm pierced through.

They quickly created distance and let out a bitter smile.

“…You’re monstrously strong. And yet, even someone like you was deceived by the God of Descent.”

“I don’t feel like explaining. Figure it out yourself.”

Taesan stored his spear and drew his sword.

Activating Strong Blow, he deflected an incoming attack.

And then, a Frozen World engulfed him.

Taesan responded by activating Frozen World as well.

Jjeojeojeojeok!

His opponent’s Frozen World was consumed and overridden.

Barely managing to retreat using Restricted Blink, his opponent grimaced.

“…What are you doing?”

“What?”

“Why are you only fighting in the same way as us?”

Taesan was mirroring his opponents’ fighting styles.

Against sword users, he used a sword.

Against spear users, he used a spear.

Against magic users, he used magic.

Against dark magic users, he used dark magic.

Against spirits, he used spirits.

He even used the exact same skills as his opponents.

There was something he was aiming for.

“I told you. I’m testing something.”

Taesan gave a simple reply and swung his sword.

His opponent barely managed to hold out, but the battle was completely one-sided.

The difference in proficiency and base stats was too great.

Even though Taesan was matching their skills, they began to fall one by one.

Kuuung!

Finally, the last opponent fell.

Taesan thrust his spear, piercing their heart.

His dying opponent’s face was oddly serene.

“I don’t know why someone like you ended up here. But… it doesn’t matter. This place is designed that way.”

“That’s not for you to decide. That’s my call to make.”

The last remaining opponent vanished.

Their soul drifted toward the village.

Then, a system window appeared.

[Your Soul Ascension has activated. Counter proficiency has increased by 1%.]

[You have fought against multiple opponents, matching their skills precisely, and emerged victorious. You have acquired the special passive skill Perfect Supremacy.]

“It worked.”

Skills could not be acquired if the gap between oneself and the opponent was too great.

Then, could he forcibly lower his own rank to obtain skills?

The experiment was a success.

[Special Passive Skill: Perfect Supremacy]

[Proficiency: 1%]

[When countering an opponent’s skill with the exact same skill, its power and speed are increased.]

It was a skill that could only be obtained by fighting adventurers of the Labyrinth.

The conditions were strict.

He had to battle at least five opponents simultaneously, each wielding different abilities, and defeat them by mirroring their skills.

Not only that, but his opponents had to use skills that matched the ones he already possessed, and he still had to win despite using the same abilities.

Unlike those who hid in the shadows, this skill could not be acquired if the difference in power was too vast.

“This opens up new possibilities.”

The skills he had obtained in his past life but had yet to acquire in this one.

Those skills might now be inaccessible due to his current strength.

Reaching an immortal state had made skill acquisition more difficult.

He had been pondering how to overcome this problem, and now he had found a solution.

By sealing his own rank and power, he could still acquire new skills.

But sealing his rank wasn’t easy.

At least, it was impossible for him to do it on his own.

It would require a contract with a transcendent being.

And no god would willingly seal his power without reason.

Even those transcendent beings who favored him wouldn’t grant such a shortcut.

“But at least there’s a chance.”

That alone was enough.

Now, all that remained was to figure out how to meet the conditions.

After confirming everything, Taesan continued to collect points.

And in less than two days, he had gathered 100 points.

Taesan arrived at the pillar.

“God of Descent, I have met the conditions.”

Kugugugung!

The pillar activated.

He could feel the gaze of the God of Descent.

“I make my request here. A Colosseum for liberation.”

The God of Descent responded with a smile.

---

The Colosseum Opened Once More.

The news spread throughout the Model Garden.

No one expected it to reopen so quickly, and they gathered at the Colosseum with both anticipation and apprehension.

“Sir Taesan, what do you plan to do?”

“I’ll check things out first.”

In response to Diana’s question, Taesan answered calmly.

As the spectator stands filled, the space split open, and the Apostle appeared.

“So this is why it opened so quickly. It was you.”

The Apostle bared his teeth at Taesan.

“A lowly being who dares defy Lord Essence. You’re finished. I’ll teach you proper respect.”

“You? Teaching me?”

Taesan spoke indifferently.

The Apostle’s power was at Diana’s level.

He had no chance of winning. And yet, his face brimmed with confidence.

“I know I am weaker than you. But here, in this place—I can defeat you!”

The Apostle clenched his fist and charged.

Taesan swung his sword.

Khwajik!

Fist met blade, and the Apostle’s body was crushed instantly.

Taesan tightened his grip.

The Apostle was sent flying, crashing into the Colosseum’s wall. The impact sent a cloud of dust billowing into the air.

“Oh! Ooooh!”

After a brief silence, a deafening cheer erupted from the audience.

Never before had they seen an Apostle so utterly overwhelmed.

Hope glimmered in their eyes.

The Apostle staggered to his feet.

For someone at his level, it should have been impossible to block Taesan’s attack without injury.

And yet, his body bore no serious wounds.

“You’ve probably already figured out all of my power.”

This was the God of Descent’s domain.

That meant they likely understood the majority of Taesan’s strength.

There was no reason to hold back.

[You have activated Great Collapse.]

Jjejeojeok!

The force of destruction that crumbled all things took shape.

The spectators gasped unconsciously.

Some, likely mages, widened their eyes in shock.

“Advanced magic!”

Taesan swung Great Collapse without hesitation.

The Apostle didn’t retreat.

Raising his fist, he swung directly at the oncoming destruction.

Jjejeojeok!

But advanced magic interfered with concepts themselves.

The Apostle’s counterattack was meaningless.

The Great Collapse swallowed him whole.

“Uwoooooh!”

The Apostle roared, releasing his energy.

His power condensed and condensed further.

And then, Taesan saw it.

A new power awakening within the Apostle.

“Aaaaaaaah!”

The Apostle gathered every ounce of his strength.

With nothing left to spare, he unleashed it all against the Great Collapse.

Kuuuuung!

The spell exploded. Debris obscured their vision.

“Is it over?”

There was no way the Apostle could withstand the Great Collapse.

Hope flickered in everyone’s eyes.

As the dust settled, the Apostle came into view.

“Hah… Hahaha!”

The Apostle was covered in wounds.

His entire body was drenched in blood.

But he did not fall.

He stood tall, glaring at Taesan with pride.

“I… will never lose!”

Taesan overwhelmed the Apostle.

The Apostle barely managed to block the Great Collapse, suffering severe injuries.

He could not properly defend himself against Taesan’s continued attacks and sustained additional wounds.

But he refused to fall.

With a roar, he continued to draw upon his power, barely fending off the attacks.

The spectators believed Taesan would win.

It certainly looked that way.

But Taesan’s expression remained cold.

[You have activated Baal’s Surging Abyss.]

A space dyed in pitch black surged forth.

It contained the power of a Great Demon—Baal’s power.

The Apostle, already cornered, had no way to block it.

“Grrraaaah!”

And yet, he did not fall.

Even as he teetered on the brink of death, he awakened another power, barely managing to fend off Surging Abyss.

It was the same as when he blocked the Great Collapse.

A sigh of frustration rippled through the audience.

“I told you! I will not lose!”

The Apostle laughed and charged at Taesan.

Taesan swung his sword.

Kagagak!

The Apostle didn’t get pushed back.

Unlike before, he adapted to Taesan’s movements, responding with his fists.

To an outsider, it might have seemed like he was reading Taesan’s attacks.

But Taesan, facing him directly, understood the truth.

The Apostle was being forcefully adjusted to match Taesan’s level.

This was the typical unwinnable boss fight found in games.

Even if his HP dropped to 1, it would infinitely regenerate.

His power and speed would keep increasing.

The battle was rigged—designed to be unwinnable.

The Apostle was playing along to give a glimmer of hope.

But in the end, he was an unbeatable boss.

Black and gold hues began to intertwine on Taesan’s blade.

It was the Boundary Line.

The spectators instinctively backed away.

A foreboding aura gathered into the blade.

Even though his immortal rank had fallen, this much power was still within his control.

Taesan swung the Boundary Line.

“Ooooooooh!”

The Apostle did not retreat.

“My god!”

Within the Boundary Line was a force that defied all laws.

The Apostle could not survive it.

But Taesan saw something.

The Apostle wielded a power beyond his understanding—a higher-dimensional force.

“Grant me your strength! Cast down those who dare defy you into the abyss!”

And divine authority engulfed Taesan.

It began affecting all of his power.

The Boundary Line collapsed.

Like falling into an endless void, the strength and rank contained within it drained away.

Ashen energy flickered.

Slowly, black and gold began to reemerge.

The Apostle clenched his fist.

He swung at the incoming Boundary Line.

Kugugugugung!

Ashen energy exploded, splitting into black and gold.

Taesan watched the Apostle without a change in expression.

“Hahahahahaha!”

The Apostle let out a manic laugh.

His body was in tatters.

One arm was missing.

His upper body was a mess of torn flesh.

Yet, he did not fall.

Instead, he roared at Taesan.

His wounds healed instantly.

“Your power is strong! But surely, you don’t think it’s absolute?”

The High Gods existed beyond laws, entities that corrupted the world.

But in the end, they were defeated.

Overwhelmed by Transcendents, they were banished beyond reality.

That meant that Transcendent-tier power could counter even the Boundary Line.

“You will never defeat me! You will never escape this place!”

With unwavering certainty, the Apostle declared victory.

He grinned.

Taesan muttered.

“Interesting.”

“…What?”

“Not erasing, blocking, or nullifying power—but forcing it to descend and fail. That’s an intriguing ability.”

“You…?”

The Apostle forced Taesan to waste his trump card.

It should have been devastating.

But Taesan’s expression didn’t change.

No—he seemed pleased.

“Why aren’t you panicking?”

“Why should I? I should be enjoying this.”

Taesan spoke casually.

“After all, it’s power that I’ll be taking for myself.”

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