Leveling Up With Skills - Chapter 278: Colosseum (3)

The God of Despair favors a single adventurer with talent, showering them with blessings.

Though Taesan didn’t know the exact details, if a god appeared directly, the support would undoubtedly be substantial.

It was possible that the chosen adventurer received rewards comparable to what Taesan himself had.

And once that supported adventurer reached Taesan, the god would reveal their true colors.

The god would make the adventurer believe they were the strongest, only to shatter their expectations completely.

It was a god well-suited to the domain of despair.

And such a god would likely choose an adventurer not only based on talent but also on personality.

Someone who believed wholeheartedly in their own strength.
Someone arrogant.

Amelia likely fit the criteria perfectly.

Thus, Taesan decided to first destroy Amelia’s belief in herself.

—

“Americans are really overdoing it. Couldn’t they tone it down a little?”

“Well, they’re desperate too. They can’t guarantee their survival after the next return.”

Kang Junhyuk responded to Lee Taeyeon’s grumbling.

Their conversation broke Taesan’s train of thought.

“It’s not really a problem. There’s no rule against working together,” Taesan said.

He didn’t think the American strategy was inherently wrong.

In a situation where survival the next day wasn’t guaranteed, prioritizing their own people over others was only natural.

“Ah, but this means it’s going to be nothing but Americans next time… This is going to be tough.”

“Stop whining,” Kang Junhyuk said with a laugh at Lee Taeyeon’s despondent expression.

Soon after, they were summoned to another battlefield. Lee Taeyeon arrived on a vast, empty plain, her face gloomy as she trudged along.

“Hmm?”

She spotted a group of players walking across the plain.

They had prominent noses and sunken eye sockets—Americans. The three of them froze when they saw her.

“…I don’t remember any hard-mode players who look like you. Are you from another country?”

Lee Taeyeon nodded, and the Americans began whispering among themselves.

“What the hell? Didn’t we eliminate everyone?”

“Maybe they got lucky and survived? If they were hiding with stealth, they’d be hard to find.”

“Or… could it be that guy? Kang Taesan?”

“That guy’s supposed to be a man. Does she look like a man to you?”

“Hey, I can hear you,” Lee Taeyeon grumbled, and the Americans’ expressions turned grim.

“…Should we take her out now?”

“We were told to wait until everyone gathered.”

“She’s just one person. As long as she’s not Kang Taesan, do you think the three of us would lose?”

“Well… that’s true.”

The Americans drew their weapons, and Lee Taeyeon sighed as she pulled out her sword.

One of the Americans chuckled.

“Tough luck, huh?”

They lunged at her, one aiming for her head, another for her stomach, and the last for her legs.

Lee Taeyeon, looking annoyed, moved her sword.

*Clang.*

The sword aimed at her head was deflected. The spear targeting her stomach was knocked away, and the twin blades going for her legs were pinned down by her foot, driven into the ground.

Lee Taeyeon swung her sword, and one of the hard-mode players disappeared instantly.

“W-what!”

The remaining Americans were stunned.

Even though they had worked together to eliminate players from other countries, the final victor was always determined purely by skill.

The three of them were among the strongest hard-mode players. If all three attacked at once, even someone like Oliver would have been forced onto the defensive.

But not only had she blocked all their attacks, she had counterattacked flawlessly. They hadn’t even seen her moves.

While the two hesitated in shock, Lee Taeyeon slipped between them. The Americans hurriedly tried to respond, but she didn’t allow them any opportunity.

[Lee Taeyeon activated Deflection.]

The trajectory of the American player’s sword veered off course. Lee Taeyeon slipped past them, and they collapsed.

“This wasn’t in the plan…”

“That’s enough! Has everyone forgotten about Junhyuk and me?”

Lee Taeyeon grumbled at their final words of disbelief.

She and Kang Junhyuk had reached the mid-20th floors, and their strength was now beyond what hard-mode players could even compare to.

At her current level, Lee Taeyeon could take on a hundred hard-mode players and emerge victorious.

But because of Kang Taesan’s presence, she had garnered relatively little attention. Despite checking the community repeatedly, there was barely any mention of her.

Ironically, in her past life, she had been burdened by the attention she received.

But now, with Taesan overshadowing everyone, public expectations had shifted entirely onto him.

This had led Lee Taeyeon to long for recognition more than in her previous life.

“Maybe if I make it to the end, people will start to know my name.”

She murmured to herself. She was confident that, as long as she didn’t encounter Amelia or Taesan, she could defeat anyone.

With that thought, she moved, planning to take down the remaining players one by one before they could group together.

But then she froze. Her pupils trembled as she stared ahead.

“…Taesan?”

“Hello.”

Taesan waved leisurely.

“Unlucky,” Lee Taeyeon muttered despondently after assessing the situation.

“Of all the 1,600 players, I had to run into you. What is this…”

“Don’t worry. You’re not the only one.”

“Oh… Junhyuk. Nice to see you.”

“…You’re here too?”

Lee Taeyeon let out a hollow laugh.

“This is beyond bad luck.”

Her earlier confidence about winning had entirely vanished.

“Amelia isn’t here too, is she?”

“Probably not,” Taesan replied.

According to his Domain Detection, there were a total of 50 players in the space. Out of the 1,600 remaining, 50 had been chosen—including Kang Taesan, Lee Taeyeon, and Kang Junhyuk.

While this might have been sheer bad luck, Taesan didn’t think so.

‘Crude, but deliberate.’

The allocation had never been truly random. The system had explicitly stated that players were “arbitrarily assigned.” This meant the God of Despair could divide the spaces however they wished.

And Lee Taeyeon and Kang Junhyuk were both individuals who could potentially challenge Amelia.

The difference in levels—more than 10 floors—made this nearly impossible, but with the current situation of 100 health and no defense, there was a slim chance of success.

Thus, the god had orchestrated for Taesan to eliminate them.

As Taesan finished his thoughts, multiple presences approached. Dozens of American hard-mode players had gathered.

“What the… There are three of them? Didn’t we eliminate everyone but Kang Taesan?”

“Sorry, but I don’t have time to play with you.”

Taesan raised his hand.

[You activated Star Arrow.]
[You activated Magic Separation.]

Arrows of light split apart, raining down on the hard-mode players. They panicked and tried to flee, but the arrows moved faster than they could escape.

*Koo-goo-goo-goo-goong!*

“Ugh!”

Lee Taeyeon gasped, wrapping her arms around herself.

Each arrow of light that exploded carried a force beyond her imagination.

When the light dissipated, no one remained. Dozens of hard-mode players had been wiped out in a single strike.

“Well, this is perfect. For once, you two actually have a chance to beat me,” Taesan said with a sly smile, drawing his sword.

“Come at me—both of you.”

“Ah…”

“No matter how you look at it, we don’t stand a chance,” Lee Taeyeon grumbled, but determination filled her face. Both she and Kang Junhyuk began to focus, thinking seriously about how to win.

Taesan looked at them with satisfaction.

Facing an overwhelming opponent, believing victory was impossible, yet still refusing to give up—this was the mindset essential to solo mode.

‘They meet the standard.’

Taesan began walking toward Lee Taeyeon. She crouched low, then charged directly at him.

[Lee Taeyeon activated Acceleration.]

Kang Junhyuk didn’t stay idle either. He moved quickly, positioning himself behind Taesan.

One attacked from the front, the other from behind, seeking any gaps in his defense. It was textbook strategy.

As Lee Taeyeon charged, Taesan raised his sword. She gritted her teeth, preparing to block.

[Lee Taeyeon activated Deflection.]

Her sword met his, and Taesan’s blade wavered slightly under the effect of her skill.

She seized the moment to press her advantage, while Kang Junhyuk lunged from behind.

Taesan tightened his grip on his sword.

The trajectory, which had started to bend under the effect of Deflection, was forcibly straightened by Taesan’s sheer strength. Lee Taeyeon flinched and rolled to the ground to avoid the strike.

Taesan swung his sword backward, meeting Kang Junhyuk’s attack. Kang barely managed to block it with his own sword.

*Crack.*

The impact shocked Kang Junhyuk.

Although he had successfully defended himself, his hands trembled. If they clashed swords a few more times, he might lose his grip entirely.

And Taesan wasn’t even going all out. His movements were slow and deliberate.

“Deflection from the Ability Sword is certainly strong, but it’s not invincible. If your opponent is overwhelmingly stronger, it can be countered.”

Taesan raised his sword again.

“Come at me again.”

He taught Lee Taeyeon and Kang Junhyuk firsthand how to face an overwhelmingly powerful opponent. Although they were utterly outmatched, their expressions were bright.

“Well then, Taesan. We’ll leave the rest to you.”

“Bro, teach those jerks a lesson for us. I’m too pissed to let this go.”

Taesan waved them off with a casual gesture, ending their training session.

—

[Quest Complete.]

[You are the winner.]

[Calculating…]

[You have earned 760 points.]

[Proceeding to the final location.]

—

The new location was unlike the others. Taesan was summoned to a room bathed in shades of blue.

It wasn’t large—barely the size of a single sports field.

He surveyed the area and then turned his gaze.

There, a group of Americans had gathered.

[All winners have been determined. Moving to the next battlefield in one hour.]

It had taken Taesan a significant amount of time to train Lee Taeyeon and Kang Junhyuk. As a result, he was the last to arrive.

Counting the remaining players, he found a total of 31, making it 32 including himself.

A blond man stepped forward to greet him.

“Hmm… Nice to meet you.”

“Hello,” Taesan replied.

The man’s appearance stirred a memory.

Blond hair, blue eyes—the epitome of a Western stereotype.

He always exuded confidence and composure. Taesan remembered the moment when Kim Hwiyeon had died, and this man had gathered and led the Korean players, guiding them until the end.

Oliver Khan. Leader of America. Leader of the world.

Oliver spoke.

“Your name must be Kang Taesan, right?”

Taesan nodded. Oliver let out a faint groan.

“…I’d heard the rumors, but you really are strong. Though it seems you took your time getting here.”

“There were two particularly tough ones in my group.”

“…You must mean the Korean solo-mode players.”

Oliver’s eyes gleamed. While he appeared to misunderstand something, it wasn’t important to Taesan.

What mattered was the sharp gaze fixed on him.

Taesan shifted his focus.

Blue hair came into view.

A pair of brown eyes stared at him, unblinking.

A strikingly beautiful woman, reminiscent of a fierce cat, gazed at Taesan with a piercing look.

She said nothing, but her entire aura radiated a single declaration:

“I am the strongest.”

“No one can surpass me.”

Her presence screamed this claim.

Amelia Aerin.

The strongest solo-mode player. The adventurer likely buried in the labyrinth by the God of Despair.

Taesan smiled as he turned to her.

“Hello.”

Her gaze carried a storm of emotions.

As she continued to stare, she finally spoke.

“Is it true?”

“What?”

“That you’ve cleared beyond the 50th floor.”

Taesan smiled.

“What do you think?”

His non-answer made Amelia’s face twist with anger.

Her emotions manifested as an intense pressure. Oliver’s expression hardened at the oppressive energy emanating from her.

Amelia’s presence had reached the level where she could control others simply through the force of her emotions.

But that was all.

Taesan couldn’t help but laugh at the pressure aimed at him.

Amelia Aerin. The strongest solo-mode player. The player he once thought was an unattainable peak.

But not anymore.