Ascension Through Skills

Chapter 338

They had won.

They had overcome destruction.

The Empire held a party to celebrate the victory.

“We have won!”

“For the Hero!”

“For the immortality of the great Empire!”

People dressed in luxurious clothes enjoyed themselves, drinking and eating.

Taesan quietly spent his time among them.

“Oh! Our Hero is here.”

Bradley approached Taesan, his face flushed, seemingly from drinking a fair amount of alcohol.

“Once again, I offer my thanks! Thanks to you, our world has been saved!”

Bradley raised his glass. Others also cheered and raised their glasses in unison.

The excitement enveloped them all.

Taesan waited for the commotion to subside and then asked quietly.

“What do you plan to do now?”

“Well… I don’t know.”

Bradley furrowed his brow. Though they had clearly won, it was hard to be entirely joyful about the situation.

The damage had been significant. Many kingdoms had been destroyed, and countless knights and soldiers had died. It was certain that it would take a long time to recover from the losses.

“But still… we have overcome destruction.”

There was no need to worry about the future anymore.

Bradley leisurely sipped his drink.

“For now, let’s enjoy ourselves. We have plenty of time.”

The doors swung open. The Emperor and Empress appeared, and the people enjoying the party quickly bowed.

“You’re here.”

“Yes, my son.”

The Emperor looked at Bradley with immense pride on his face.

“Well done. There is no one more fitting than you to succeed me.”

“…Thank you.”

Bradley’s face was filled with emotion.

He was the Empire’s prince and its only legitimate heir. Having dealt with all his rivals by his own hand, the next imperial throne was practically his.

And now, with the Emperor directly proclaiming it in front of everyone gathered here, it was as good as officially declared.

The Emperor laughed heartily and patted Bradley on the shoulder.

“Enjoy yourself, my son. Only a bright future awaits us.”

With that, the Emperor joined the party.

Bradley smiled, satisfied.

“This is good.”

He looked truly happy.

“You have done much for us. You fulfilled the prophecy and personally stopped the Demon King.

From the Empire’s perspective, no amount of reward is enough for what you’ve done.“

Bradley looked at Taesan.

“If you wish, the Empire will prepare a position for you.”

“I’ll consider it,”

Taesan replied quietly. The party continued.

“Your Highness.”

“Oh, Levancia.”

Levancia approached Bradley, her face flushed with embarrassment as she opened her mouth.

“I have a confession to make to you, Your Highness.”

“A confession?”

Bradley looked at her, puzzled.

Levancia began to speak.

Upon hearing her words, Bradley’s eyes widened, and soon, joy began to spread across his face.

Bradley shouted something loudly and hugged Levancia, smiling with happiness.

And then the world began to distort.

Everything started to fade away.

When Taesan arrived, it was in a black world overflowing with a sticky, overwhelming force.

A place where the minds of those who touched the power would collapse, and their past would resurface—a distorted world.

Taesan lifted his gaze. There was a shapeless, distorted being in front of him.

Instinctively, Taesan knew what kind of entity it was.

“The God of Regret, Rigrit.”

The shapeless being emitted a faint aura as if confirming his guess.

With an emotion thick and heavy, Rigrit asked if Taesan had enjoyed it.

Taesan did not answer, but Rigrit’s emotions were spreading out all around.

He seemed immensely pleased.

[Rigrit’s sphere of interference has decreased.]

[Rigrit grants you a reward. You have received the [Robe of the Ruler].]

[You have cleared the enhanced trial. Additional rewards follow.]

[You have obtained the [Distorted Ring of Regret].]

Two rewards were given.

The trial had been cleared.

But Rigrit did not send Taesan back.

Instead, Rigrit looked not at Taesan, but at the ghost standing silently next to him.

Rigrit’s presence posed the ghost a question.

The silent ghost opened his mouth.

[What do you want from me?]

The ghost’s voice was stiff, filled with many emotions as he asked the God of Regret.

[What kind of answer are you looking for from me?]

Rigrit chuckled. As if this was where the real matter began, an immense power surged forth.

[Rigrit’s sphere of interference is decreasing.]

[Rigrit makes an offer to the warrior buried in the labyrinth.]

[1. The warrior returns to the labyrinth and proceeds with the quest contracted with Kang Taesan.]

[2. The warrior dwells in the body of his former self in the world of memories created by Rigrit. The contract with Kang Taesan is canceled, and after death, he returns to his grave in the labyrinth.]

The ghost’s body trembled as he slowly read the contents.

[...You have quite the bad taste. Truly.]

The ghost spoke gloomily. Taesan reviewed the contents one by one.

The first option was simple. The ghost would stay by Taesan’s side, continuing down the labyrinth and watching as the Guide of Sin was defeated.

But the second option was different.

The ghost could live again in his own world.

There, he could be with the people he loved, continue the Empire he had sought to protect, and watch his child’s birth and growth.

He could experience how they lived, what they did, and how they died.

Of course, it was fake.

The ghost’s world had already perished. What was being shown now was merely a place created by Rigrit based on his memories.

It wasn’t real. It was just a fabricated construct.

Even so, the ghost couldn’t make an easy decision.

Just once, he wanted to see his world, which hadn’t been destroyed.

He wanted a life where he lived with her and their child.

If he rejected it as fake, the ghost would never again have the chance to see his world. His wish for revenge in death would only be fulfilled by defeating the Guides of Sin.

Once that wish was fulfilled, the ghost would no longer be bound to the labyrinth, much like the spirits before him.

There was the possibility of renegotiating with the wizard to alter the terms, but there was no guarantee the wizard would accept, and there was no certainty that a contract to turn back time would be successful.

Moreover, the contract with Taesan would also be severed.

He would return to his grave at the entrance of the labyrinth, waiting endlessly for an adventurer who might fulfill his wish.

Rigrit was pleased with the ghost’s silence.

Taesan understood Rigrit’s intent.

‘What a twisted sense of pleasure.’

It didn’t matter to Rigrit what choice the ghost made.

If the ghost chose the first option, he would regret it. Even if it was fake, he would continue to think about not being able to watch over his world.

Choosing the second option wouldn’t be much different. He would be content with the life he lived, but at the same time, he would suffer. The happier he became, the more he would realize it was fake, and he would constantly wonder why he couldn’t achieve it.

After death, the ghost would return to his narrow grave.

No matter the choice, Rigrit would get the outcome he desired.

[I...]

The ghost’s voice was filled with pain. He looked to Taesan as if grasping at straws.

Taesan opened his mouth.

“I respect your choice.”

It was a short statement. That was all Taesan could say to the ghost.

In the end, it was the ghost’s decision.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

The trembling of the ghost’s body gradually began to subside.

The ghost spoke.

As Taesan returned to the labyrinth, the system window appeared.

[You have obtained the belt created by the master of the Savage Space.]

[You have obtained ???.]

“The secret reward comes naturally.”

Even though he hadn’t found the secret room, the secret clear reward appeared.

[From here on, there is no concept of secret rooms. Whether or not you receive the secret clear reward depends on how perfectly you fulfill the clear conditions.]

The ghost spoke in a calm but unwavering voice.

Taesan, having received the rewards, opened his mouth.

“Are you okay?”

[...I’m not sure.]

The ghost’s voice echoed, subdued.

[I had a lot of thoughts. I wanted to see my child’s face, hear their voice, listen to their laughter.]

His own child. His own bloodline. The fruit of his love.

That made it all the more painful for the ghost.

[But in the end, it’s fake. It’s not real.]

The ghost spoke as if spitting out the words.

[Choosing a fake and deceiving myself is an insult to my world and to myself.]

His answer was firm and resolute. He possessed both strength and talent. His spirit was unyielding and resistant to any temptation.

Even if it meant he would suffer as a result.

He was too noble to accept something fake. That’s why the ghost chose the first option.

[Besides, you still need my help. You’re still at the beginning of the deep levels, right? There’s quite a bit I can teach you.]

The ghost forced a cheerful tone. Taesan spoke.

“Thank you.”

[There’s no need to thank me. It’s the choice I made.]

In truth, Taesan’s presence played a significant role in the ghost’s decision.

He had watched Taesan ever since he entered the labyrinth and descended into the deeper levels.

While the time wasn’t long, much had happened during that period. As a result, the ghost developed considerable affection for Taesan.

‘We will part ways eventually, though.’

If it were real, it would be different, but compared to something fake, the ghost wanted to see how far Taesan would go. He wanted to watch over him.

For now, things had settled.

[You’ve gained a lot, haven’t you? Check them out.]

“You’re right.”

First, the Ability Sword and Airak Martial Technique, along with the related skills, had significantly improved in proficiency.

The effect of the title obtained on the 70th floor was substantial. The Airak Martial Technique, which had barely improved before, rose by 3% in a single battle.

While the skills themselves hadn’t changed, it was still a welcome improvement.

Additionally, defeating the Demon King had granted several new skills.

[Special Activation Skill: Call of Destruction.]

[Proficiency: 1%]

[Cost ???: ???]

[It calls forth destruction.]

It was an extremely simple description. The cost of using it was also unknown.

“What is this?”

He couldn’t tell if it was an offensive power or something that summoned a destructive force.

But one thing was clear.

It was immensely foreboding.

The power itself instilled a sense of reluctance to use it.

“I’ll have to test this later.”

He decided to test the skill in a more prepared state. That was Taesan’s conclusion.

[Special Passive Skill: Opponent of Destruction.]

[Proficiency: 1%]

[When facing an entity wielding the will of destruction, your rank and power are greatly enhanced.]

It was a skill that would help when facing enemies like the Demon King or the wolf that burned worlds. Given that such opponents would likely appear again in the future, it wasn’t a bad skill to have.

[Special Passive Skill: Stature of Will.]

[Proficiency: 1%]

[A soul that has reached a higher state. Your mind resists being easily corrupted by external forces and can overcome them with willpower.]

“Oh.”

Taesan’s eyes gleamed. It was a useful skill.

Currently, when trying to use divine or dark forces, his mind often became corrupted and consumed.

This skill would compensate for that. It would be a frequently used skill going forward, making it highly valuable.

The newly obtained Will of Destruction seemed like a material item, similar to the fragments of will he had acquired earlier. He thought about visiting Hafran to confirm this.

However, there was something Taesan wanted to check first.

Taesan gazed at the ring, which was radiating a dark aura.

It was the ring Rigrit had given him as a reward for clearing the enhanced trial. The power emanating from it was extraordinary.

[Distorted Ring of Regret.]

[Health +100]

[Mana +100]

[Attack Power +100]

[Defense +100]

[You can designate one skill with a cooldown and reset its cooldown. Skills with a cooldown of over a week cannot be reset. This effect has a monthly cooldown.]