Leveling Up With Skills - Chapter 214: Alchemy (1)
“Phew.”
With the level-up, all of his health was restored. The mental fatigue vanished completely, and his body returned to its optimal state.
“Is everything dead?”
[Could anything survive that?]
Taesan glanced around. He sensed no signs of life. Whether it was due to the aftermath of the battle, charging at the wolf and dying, or being unable to withstand the searing flames, everything and everyone had perished.
“What a waste.”
If Taesan had defeated them all himself, he could have gained a lot. But if he had tried to deal with them as well, he likely would have lost. It was too much greed.
And it wasn’t as if he gained nothing.
His level had increased significantly due to the people he had taken down before the wolf appeared.
“Status window.”
**[Kang Taesan]**
– **Level:** 113
– **Health:** 36,520 / 36,520
– **Mana:** 3,458 / 3,458
– **Stamina:** 582 / 582
– **Strength:** 6,851
– **Intellect:** 5,984
– **Agility:** 6,344
– **Attack Power:** +1,457
– **Defense Power:** +1,177
[The target is in optimal condition.]
His level had reached 113. As a result, his stats had also shown significant growth.
“At this rate…”
It wouldn’t be long before he could catch up to Lee Taeyeon’s stats.
Specifically, his health was almost on par. If nothing out of the ordinary happened and his level reached around 130, he would be at the same level as Lee Taeyeon.
Of course, she had given up a lot to get there, but more importantly, the spiritual force growth he possessed was the primary reason.
Spiritual Force Growth allowed him to steal the attributes of an opponent when he killed them, provided they were of a certain level.
It was practically the same as continuously receiving the effects of a level-up.
Although the amount of stat increase per level became greater as his level increased, making a simple comparison difficult, he still had stats far superior to other adventurers of the same level.
Of course, even if his stats approached Lee Taeyeon’s level, it didn’t mean he could match her strength.
Taesan remembered what equipment she used at the end.
A black wrist guard that reduced all incoming damage by 50%. Lee Taeyeon had nearly ten such items.
On top of that, there were skills she acquired while descending deeper into the labyrinth.
Taesan had also acquired quite a few skills—actually, far more than her—but there were certain skills only those who reached the deeper levels could obtain.
And there was the difference in simple attack and defense stats, among other factors. It was a long way off to be comparable in sheer power, not just stats.
But still.
He had the Spiritual Force Growth that only he could acquire, and the skills he gained from trials.
The day when he would catch up to Lee Taeyeon wasn’t far off.
Even the spirit couldn’t hide its admiration.
[Well… I expected you to win, but you actually did it. Even if it was just a fragment, you defeated the wolf that destroyed the world, an existence on par with the demon lord I couldn’t beat and had to flee from…]
“Is the demon lord really that strong? Considering the difference between the labyrinth and the outside, I didn’t think it would be that powerful.”
[It’s strong. Because when you’re up against beings like the demon lord or that wolf, it’s not just humans, but beings who’ve reached the level of ‘essence’ that participate in the fight.]
Beings like dragons that are overwhelmingly strong. Taesan still didn’t feel confident about defeating the dragon he encountered in Vequeseta.
[And during times of destruction, we receive blessings from the gods. We become three times stronger than before. And even with that, we still lost.]
If it was a blessing directly bestowed by a god, it wouldn’t be a small power. Dragons and blessed ones joined forces to fight, yet they still lost.
“The demon lord…”
The name of that existence, which he hadn’t been too concerned about, suddenly felt more unsettling.
[Don’t worry about it. It’s not like you’ll ever meet them anyway.]
“That’s not certain. The gods might intervene.”
[Ah…]
The spirit fell silent.
The Trial of the Gods.
He didn’t rule out the possibility that it could bring him face-to-face with the demon lord.
But as the spirit said, it wasn’t something that would happen right away. Taesan filed it away in a corner of his mind.
Rumble.
At that moment, the ground collapsed.
From there, a being made of bricks appeared. The administrator of the labyrinth. Balbabamba.
Balbabamba blinked its eyes.
[You again. I didn’t think I’d see you for a while.]
“Sorry about that.”
[Nothing to be sorry about. It was a conflict between labyrinth adventurers. Still, it’s quite the mess.]
Balbabamba clicked its tongue.
[The village I built for those fools has been wrecked.]
“So it was like that.”
The 51st floor.
The place created for those who couldn’t pass a certain checkpoint—the City of the Broken Spirit.
[I don’t think it was a good idea, but it was the magician’s decision, so I follow it.]
A wave of power emanated from Balbabamba. The ruined buildings were reconstructed, and the shattered roads flowed and settled back into place.
Within a few minutes, the village had returned to its original state.
The only difference was that no one was there.
“No one’s here.”
[It doesn’t matter. The history of the labyrinth is infinite.]
Balbabamba spoke indifferently.
[Someday, adventurers will reach here again. Among them, those whose spirits are broken will settle here. Thus, the village will be reformed.]
The number of adventurers who made it down to the 51st floor would be minimal. At most, one every few decades.
One person every few decades, gradually reforming the village.
This was a testament to how long the labyrinth had existed.
[Still, I’ll have to set up a temporary guide.]
Rumble.
A pillar rose at the entrance of the village as the ground collapsed.
[Well, I hope the next time we meet is much later.]
With those words, Balbabamba disappeared.
Taesan wandered around the restored village before sitting on a chair in the tavern.
He then began to check the skills he had obtained one by one.
***
**[Special Passive Skill: Opposer of Great Will]**
– **Proficiency:** 1%
– **Description:** You have defeated a being that brings destruction by opposing the will of those beyond mortality. All your stats and spiritual force increase when facing a being imbued with great will.
***
“Oh?”
It was similar to the stat bonus skills he had acquired so far for facing difficult enemies, but there was a difference.
The skill increased his spiritual force.
“This is good.”
In previous battles, his lack of spiritual force was always a problem. He couldn’t properly block the enemy’s attacks or land effective hits, forcing him to desperately find openings and weaknesses.
If his spiritual force increased in such situations, it would be highly advantageous. It was far better than most attack-boosting skills.
***
**[Special Active Skill: Ember of Catastrophe]**
– **Mana Cost:** 50
– **Proficiency:** 1%
– **Description:** Summons the ember of catastrophe that burns everything in the world. If the user’s spiritual force is low or if they lack the qualifications, it will be uncontrollable.
***
A skill acquired through Spiritual Force Growth.
It seemed to summon the flames that the wolf itself wielded.
Just reading the description made it seem like an inherently dangerous skill. A small mistake could result in Taesan’s entire body being engulfed in flames.
“Well, let’s give it a try.”
[You have activated Ember of Catastrophe.]
Fwoosh.
A small flame appeared at Taesan’s fingertips.
And then it exploded, expanding rapidly, stirring as if it was about to engulf the entire village.
Taesan quickly clenched his fist. The ember was immediately extinguished.
[Can’t control it?]
“It’s difficult.”
The flames flared up instantaneously. It seemed like he could control the direction, but adjusting the power was challenging.
[But its power is no joke. Even those just below the deepest floors would choose evasion over defense against that.]
He had learned a skill that was unstable but powerful. That’s how it seemed.
Since he had mainly used Frozen World and Frost Arrows, he thought it was about time to learn a flame-based offensive skill, and he checked the other skills.
***
**[Conceptual Skill: ??? Force]**
– **Proficiency:** 45%
– **Description:** The power of ??? descends. By synchronizing, you can see and feel the will of all things and adjust your own will. And in the world, ???. You have gained ???.
***
The proficiency of his conceptual skill increased when he defeated the wolf. Upon closer inspection, the content of the latter sentence had changed.
“The phrase ‘in the world’ was added.”
[Still don’t know what it is.]
It was clear that the conceptual skill was gradually evolving. What he knew so far was that he could perceive the opponent’s will and adjust his own with his spiritual force.
However, what lay at the end of this evolution was still unknown to Taesan.
***
**[Special Passive Skill: Burn Resistance]**
– **Proficiency:** 23%
– **Description:** Resistance to burns. You are unlikely to suffer burns from low-level flames.
***
Even though it was a newly acquired skill, its proficiency was over 20%. This clearly indicated what kind of flame the wolf possessed.
***
**[Special Active Skill: Wolf’s Kin]**
– **Mana Cost:** 100
– **Proficiency:** 1%
– **Description:** Consumes mana and spiritual force to summon a kin of the wolf that destroyed the world. Cannot be summoned if the user’s spiritual force is low.
***
“A skill that consumes spiritual force.”
As an active skill, it was the first of its kind to have such a cost.
[You have activated Wolf’s Kin.]
Suddenly, a wave of exhaustion washed over him. It felt similar to when he used Apostle Transformation and infused skills with spiritual force.
But it wasn’t severe. It was just a light dizziness, which was easy to endure if he wanted to.
The spiritual force that flowed out soon materialized into a translucent wolf.
[Whine.]
The wolf whimpered softly, rubbing its head against Taesan’s arm. When Taesan petted it, it panted happily.
“A pet?”
[Seems like it.]
He couldn’t keep it summoned for long. His spiritual force was continually being drained right after summoning it.
He would probably need to use Apostle Transformation for it to be used effectively. Considering the strength he sensed from the wolf, it seemed like a useful skill.
“The Werewolf skill… I obtained it as well.”
The legacy skill obtained by defeating the Guides. Werewolf.
Perhaps because he consumed the wolf’s true blood, he could use the skill.
He had read the description, but it didn’t seem to offer much merit, so he planned to check it out slowly.
That was all for the skills. If there was a minor change that wasn’t noticeable, it was that the proficiency of the Ability Sword had reached 39%. Soon, it would reach 40%, and its content would change.
And finally, what remained was the ash-colored energy lingering on Taesan’s hand.
***
**[Will of Destruction]**
– **Description:** A great will embodying the destruction of the world.
***
That was it. There was no mention of how to use it or what kind of power it contained.
If he held onto it, he would probably use it someday.
“Whew.”
Now everything was done. His business on the 51st floor was over.
It was time to descend to the 52nd floor, to go even deeper.
Taesan took a step and entered the forest.
The forest was quiet. There were no fairies hindering his way any longer. Thus, Taesan could find the path without any interruptions.
[Come to think of it, what happened to that guy?]
“The Gremlin?”
[Yeah. The last time I saw him, he seemed pretty dangerous.]
Taesan paused.
Lee Taeyeon had said she had heard the news that the Gremlin had made a wrong choice after descending several floors.
However, unlike her, Taesan had given him many materials at once—enough for the Gremlin to achieve his goal.
“I need to check on him.”
Under normal circumstances, there wouldn’t be a need to act immediately. But Taesan’s way of clearing quests was entirely different from Lee Taeyeon’s. The Gremlin’s decision could have been accelerated.
Taesan kicked off the ground. With a significantly faster speed than before, he reached the Gremlin’s house.
There, he sensed no signs of life.
Taesan swung the door open.
The interior was a mess.
It had always been messy, but there had been some order to it. Not anymore.
It looked like a place where someone didn’t care what happened to them, in a state of complete disarray.
“Tsk.”
Taesan clicked his tongue and stepped outside.
He quickly kicked off the ground and spread his wings.
He flew around the area rapidly, searching for the Gremlin.
Boom!
The air exploded as the trees were pushed away. Bushes were trampled, and branches shattered and scattered.
The spirit was puzzled.
[Why are you searching so desperately? Can’t you just come back later?]
“I can’t do that.”
Taesan had heard from Lee Taeyeon what the Gremlin desired.
And he also knew what choice the Gremlin had made in the end.