Leveling Up With Skills - Chapter 281: Amelia Aerin (3)

Taesan’s objective was clear: to completely destroy Amelia’s pride.

Amelia was a strong woman.

Her pride was the single pillar supporting her existence, and one defeat alone wouldn’t be enough to shake it.

So, he resolved to utterly shatter it—for her sake.

“…You?”

Amelia frowned, and Taesan opened his mouth to speak.

“Let’s go again. Honestly, that wasn’t satisfying for either of us, was it? Even now, you’re thinking it, aren’t you? That you didn’t lose because I was better.”

Amelia’s eyes wavered.

Taesan was right. She had lost to him—decisively.

But in her mind, it wasn’t because he was superior. She believed it was simply due to the disparity in their stats, as he had descended much further into the labyrinth.

He was strong, yes, but she was convinced that he was someone she could eventually surpass.

That was Amelia’s assessment.

Taesan, however, intended to crush that notion entirely.

“So, let’s settle it. Perfectly equal conditions. Let’s see who’s truly better.”

“The terms?”

“Your stats. Only basic skills like *Strong Strike* or *Parry*.”

“…You’ll regret this.”

—

[Amelia has accepted the duel.]

—

Amelia’s eyes lit up as she drew her sword.

The crowd around them stepped back, eager anticipation in their eyes.

Taesan and Amelia—two fighters acknowledged as the strongest across four nations. Even with restrictions, this match was bound to be a spectacle.

“Come at me.”

Taesan unsheathed his sword, and Amelia charged.

*Clang!*

Their swords clashed, and gasps erupted from the crowd. Their speed was so great that it left most unable to follow their movements.

As the blades collided, flames of determination burned fiercely in Amelia’s eyes.

‘At this level…’

Victory seemed possible.

With renewed confidence, she pressed forward, her strikes fierce and unrelenting, sparks flying with every clash.

Taesan, however, moved with ease, his expression calm.

*Clang!*

He deflected her downward strike effortlessly, lowered his stance, and closed the distance. As Amelia tried to retreat, he stepped on her foot.

“Ugh!”

A gasp escaped her lips, tinged with alarm. Taesan seized her wrist and twisted it.

Amelia attempted to strike his chin with her elbow, but he leaned back slightly, evading it with ease.

He tightened his grip, forcing her to release her sword. Then, he slashed her wrist, disabling her further.

“Argh!”

From that point onward, the fight was one-sided. Having lost control, Amelia succumbed to a slow but inevitable defeat.

—

[Duel Over.]

[Kang Taesan is the victor.]

—

Amelia sat on the ground, dazed.

Taesan raised his sword and issued another challenge.

—

[Kang Taesan has challenged Amelia Aerin to a duel. This duel will take place under perfectly equal conditions.]

—

“Again,” Amelia growled, clenching her teeth.

—

[Amelia has accepted the duel.]

—

The second fight began.

Having learned from her prior loss, Amelia adjusted her approach. She moved cautiously, wary of Taesan’s unconventional tactics, while preparing for counters.

She charged.

Taesan swung his sword, and she ducked, stepping on his foot to immobilize him.

Amelia possessed remarkable talent.

She remembered the techniques used against her and adapted them, making them her own.

But Taesan was no different.

As Amelia stepped on his foot, Taesan lunged forward instead of retreating. Amelia, expecting him to back away, momentarily faltered but quickly regained her composure.

*Clang!*

Their swords collided. Taesan, using his free foot, hooked Amelia’s leg, disrupting her balance. Focused on suppressing his movements, she hadn’t anticipated this.

“Ah!”

Her stance broke. As her balance faltered, she was exposed to a series of strikes. With her health depleted, recovery was impossible.

She lost again.

“When you step on my foot to pin me down, it means you’re also immobilized. From there, it’s a battle of positioning. Again.”

—

[Kang Taesan has challenged Amelia Aerin to a duel. This duel will take place under perfectly equal conditions.]

—

Amelia gripped her sword tightly, her face filled with resolve.

Their blades clashed. This time, Amelia focused on utilizing her skills, employing techniques like *Parry* and *Accelerate* to pressure Taesan.

It was the wrong decision.

No one surpassed Taesan in skill utilization.

Once again, she lost. Distracted by her reliance on skills, she failed to keep track of Taesan’s movements.

“Again.”

Taesan spoke with indifference.

Amelia picked up her sword once more.

Her hands were trembling.

She lost again.

“How…?”

“Because you’re weak. Again.”

The duel began anew.

And she lost again. This time, she couldn’t even understand why.

“This… This is…”

Her frustration mounted to the point of madness. By all accounts, they were fighting with perfectly equal stats. Their skills were identical.

In this situation, she firmly believed she shouldn’t be losing.

She had always thought her talent was unparalleled, greater than anyone else’s.

But here she was, unable to claim victory.

“Again.”

The calm voice rang out.

Amelia gritted her teeth and gripped her sword.

The audience, once awestruck and cheering, had grown silent.

She lost again.

And with each duel, the time it took for her to lose grew shorter.

That only made it harder for her to accept.

She had always prided herself on her ability to adapt and understand her opponent through repeated battles.

She believed that the more she fought, the more she could analyze her opponent’s movements, anticipate their habits, and find a way to triumph.

After countless battles, victory would surely be hers.

But it wasn’t Taesan whose patterns were being deciphered.

It was her.

Amelia’s confidence was fading.

Taesan’s relentless challenge to duel again echoed in the silence.

—

“Again.”

Amelia shuddered, finding the monotone command terrifying.

“You have talent,” Taesan remarked, his sword cutting through the air as he pressed her into a purely defensive stance.

Amelia had undeniable talent. If she hadn’t, *The God of Fall — Essence* would never have approached her in the first place.

“But your talent isn’t exceptional,” Taesan continued coldly. “If we’re being honest, you’re on the same level as *Lee Taeyeon* and *Kang Junhyuk*.”

*Clang!*

Amelia, however, lived under a misconception—a belief instilled by *The God of Fall — Essence*—that she was the best in the world.

“Again,” Taesan said, his tone calm and unwavering.

—

Amelia felt herself unraveling.

Even so, she couldn’t let go of her sword. The pride holding her up wouldn’t allow it.

“Again.”

Taesan’s calm demand reverberated as she tightened her grip.

But the string of defeats was beginning to shake the pillar of her pride.

Ten duels had passed.

And Amelia had lost every single one.

By the last duel, she could do little more than flail helplessly, offering no real resistance. It was evident her spirit was crumbling under the strain.

—

[Kang Taesan has challenged Amelia Aerin to a duel. Kang Taesan will use only one skill.]

—

[Kang Taesan has activated *Proof of Limits*.]

—

An oppressive force swept over the battlefield.

Spectators gasped and dropped to their knees, their heads pressed against the ground by the sheer weight of Taesan’s power. His accomplishments emanated from him, exerting physical and spiritual pressure.

Even from a distance, *Lee Taeyeon* was stunned.

“This… What is this?”

What Taesan unleashed was no ordinary strength but a concentrated manifestation of his achievements. The magnitude of it was incomprehensible.

For Amelia, standing directly within its epicenter, it was devastating. Her pale face betrayed the collapse of her fighting spirit.

—

[Duel Over.]

[Kang Taesan is the victor.]

—

As her will broke, the duel ended automatically.

Taesan issued yet another challenge.

“Again.”

“…Please…”

Amelia barely managed to form words, her voice cracking.

“Stop… Please.”

“Why?” Taesan asked, genuinely puzzled.

“You believe that if you keep trying, you can beat me, don’t you? Then why give up? Keep going. You can do it.”

“I’ve lost,” she whispered hoarsely, her words like a confession.

“Just… stop.”

Tears welled in her eyes, threatening to spill.

—

[Amelia’s skill *Higher Than Anyone Else* has failed to meet its conditions and has been removed.]

—

The system notification chimed, announcing the demise of one of her key abilities.

The conditions for *Higher Than Anyone Else*, a skill granted by *The God of Fall — Essence*, had clearly included an unshakable belief in her own superiority and an unwavering faith in her talent.

For the skill to vanish, it meant that her self-confidence had been utterly broken.

Taesan sheathed his sword.

The fight was over.

But the echoes of Taesan’s unleashed *Proof of Limits* still reverberated through the crowd. Everyone had felt the overwhelming display of power firsthand.

—

The atmosphere was electrified with awe.

The Korean players cheered fervently.

“We told you! His strength is real! He’s the modern god we must worship!”

No one refuted their claims. Taesan’s strength was undeniable, beyond anything they had ever witnessed.

—

The strongest representatives and leaders from the four nations gathered in the aftermath.

“This is… unexpected,” murmured Daniel Darmont of France, his face pale.

“Honestly… I’m speechless.”

The power Taesan displayed was excessive. If all of France’s players had combined their efforts to fight him, they would have been obliterated.

“What kind of strength is this?”

Taesan replied simply, “With effort and skill.”

He turned his gaze toward the corner of the room, where Amelia sat, trembling slightly whenever she caught his eye.

—

“This is a good thing,” Daniel eventually said, forcing a smile. “With someone this strong, our survival rate increases exponentially.”

“But…” muttered Ichijo Eika of Japan, her voice cautious. “How is it that Korea has lost so many players?”

Korea’s player base was small—just a few tens of thousands, far fewer than other countries. Many had dismissed Taesan’s presence for this very reason, believing that if Korea truly had someone so strong, they wouldn’t have suffered such significant losses.

—

The comment made *Kim Hwiyeon* fall silent.

“I… I’m not entirely sure,” she admitted.

She, too, was perplexed. From Korea’s perspective, it was clear that without Taesan, they wouldn’t have survived.

But other countries, despite being weaker overall, had managed to keep more of their players alive.

—

“That’s what I called you here to explain,” Taesan interjected.

“I can’t tell you everything, but I’ll explain the essentials.”

About the gods.

And about the labyrinth.

The situation was vastly different from what it had been in his past life. The *Old Gods* would continue interfering directly with Earth. It was vital for others to understand this.

“And about skills,” Taesan added.

He couldn’t shoulder everything alone. These leaders needed to become stronger.

‘The timing is perfect,’ Taesan thought.

The gods were concentrating their hostility on Korea, giving other nations some reprieve.

This meant that if these leaders grew stronger, they could help ensure the survival of many more people.

“Skills…?” Ichijo Eika asked, puzzled.

“You’ve acquired various skills by now, haven’t you?” Taesan asked, scanning the crowd. “How do you think skills are obtained?”

A brief silence followed before *Lee Taeyeon* spoke up.

“If we accomplish something specific, we receive a skill that matches our actions. You’ve mentioned this before, Taesan.”

“Exactly. Most of you probably have skills like *Parry*, *Addition*, *Silent Movement*, or *Continuous Strike* by now.”

Taesan leaned in slightly, his voice steady.

“What I’m about to tell you… goes beyond that.”