Leveling Up With Skills - Chapter 282: Amelia Aerin (4)

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

Lee Taeyeon, surprised, asked Taesan.

“Are you going to tell this to others too?”

“Why? Don’t like it?”

“No, it’s just that…”

Lee Taeyeon cast an uneasy glance at Oliver. Oliver flinched and backed away slightly.

“At the very least, I can’t bring myself to trust that guy. Are you sure it’s fine?”

“It doesn’t matter. I’m not planning to share everything, anyway.”

To be honest, Taesan didn’t care about whatever schemes the United States had pulled in this quest. What mattered was survival.

“If conflicts arise, I’ll step in, but for now, I won’t. Our goal is not confrontation but survival.”

Survival. Staying alive and returning to Earth.

Hearing those words, their expressions turned serious. Lee Taeyeon, too, turned her gaze away from Oliver, as if convinced.

“Before we move forward, let me ask you first. Will you cooperate with us to deal with the monsters?”

“Yes.”

“Coming this far, I have no intention of refusing.”

“Working together is better than going it alone.”

Each gave their agreement. Taesan tapped the table with his fingertips.

“Then let’s make a contract before we proceed.”

[*Kang Taesan proposes a Contract of Silence to everyone present in the space.*]
[*Condition: Absolute confidentiality regarding specific information revealed here.*]
[*Options: Accept or Refuse.*]

The Contract of Silence was one of the rights available to players, much like a duel. Taesan spoke.

“What I’m about to say might cause some trouble if it gets out. So, let’s make this clear.”

It was about the gods. About the labyrinth.

One day, everyone would need to know, but not yet. At the very least, people needed to reach a stage where they could comprehend it before the information was revealed. Dropping the truth suddenly would only lead to chaos.

Oliver cautiously asked, “What happens if we break the contract?”

“Nothing much. I’ll just be notified. And when we return to Earth, you’ll face the consequences of breaking the contract.”

“…I see.”

Oliver swallowed nervously and said, “I’ll accept.”

“Me too.”

“Same here.”

Amelia, the last to nod quietly, also agreed.

Taesan began to speak.

“What do you think brought us into the labyrinth?”

About the gods. The ancient gods. And the labyrinth.

Taesan explained the information he had discovered to them.

These were people who risked their lives for others, survived until the end, or died before reaching it.

Everyone here had done their utmost to survive. Knowing the truth was their rightful due.

Of course, he didn’t reveal everything.

He didn’t explain why the labyrinth was divided or why its difficulty existed—it would only lower their morale.

But he shared most of the critical points.

By the end of his explanation, their faces were filled with shock.

“…I had vaguely suspected,” Daniel said with trembling eyes, “but for gods to actually be involved…”

“A sudden apocalypse. And the labyrinth. If such things weren’t caused by a transcendental being and were mere coincidences, that would be even scarier.”

“Amelia mentioned something about gods before, so I knew there was something, but… I thought it was just part of Solo Mode and didn’t think much about it. But to think it directly concerns us…”

Oliver murmured quietly. Everyone was in shock.

For Lee Taeyeon and Kang Jun-hyuk, who had faced the trials of gods in Solo Mode, the impact was less severe, but it wasn’t absent. Even they hadn’t known Earth was under invasion by ancient gods.

“The gods said they oppose the ancient gods. So, are they favorable towards us?” Eika asked.

“No.”

In response to Eika’s question, Taesan shook his head.

“They don’t care about each individual mortal. They only bestow their favor on those they personally like.”

Taesan glanced briefly at Amelia.

“The God of Fall doesn’t so much ‘bestow favor’ as they search for toys… They don’t even show that level of interest in other humans.”

At his words, Amelia shuddered slightly but didn’t argue or show anger. She merely remained silent, lost in thought.

“By now, you understand why Korea ended up like this, don’t you?”

Taesan, overwhelmingly powerful. And yet, very few people had survived in Korea.

Oliver spoke in a trembling voice.

“…Are the ancient gods trying to kill you?”

“That’s right. They’re giving me more attention than I’d like. I wish they’d just leave me alone.”

At Taesan’s grumbling, everyone’s eyes were filled with awe.

Entities capable of crushing entire planets. Beings that far surpassed the limits of human comprehension—immortal transcendents.

And a human who had captured their attention.

They were reminded once again of how extraordinary Kang Taesan was.

“This… definitely isn’t something we can talk about openly,” Kim Hwiyeon sighed. It was too massive a secret. Revealing it now would undoubtedly lead to uncontrollable chaos.

“Anyway, we should prepare. Earth’s quests have expanded from nations to the entire world, and now the ancient gods will also take an interest globally.”

Everyone nodded with determined faces.

Taesan clapped his hands.

“That’s it for the information you can’t share. From now on, I’ll tell you information you can freely disclose—about skills.”

The heavy atmosphere lightened at those words. Everyone waited eagerly for Taesan to speak.

No one underestimated the importance of skills. A person’s skills could determine their very survival.

Taesan, Earth’s strongest player, was about to reveal such knowledge. Every word he said had to be etched into their minds.

Taesan began his explanation.

“Unyielding Will, Counter, Critical Strike, Breathless Attack, Continuous Strike, Damage Mitigation…”

First, he explained skills that anyone could acquire with effort. Those who already had them but didn’t know how they had obtained them marveled, while those who hadn’t acquired them yet listened intently, their eyes shining as they committed the information to memory.

“Breathless… That sounds really useful. How long do you have to endure?”

“Until just before death.”

Just because the method was revealed didn’t mean everyone could obtain it. While anyone could acquire it through effort, that effort was no trivial matter.

However, as more players learned about it, some would inevitably succeed, inspiring others to attempt it as well.

Gradually, the people would grow stronger.

That was what Taesan hoped for.

“It sounds challenging, but it’s definitely worth the effort. How did you figure all this out?”

“I’m amazed too. You told us this right after entering the labyrinth.”

“…Right after entering?”

Amelia murmured softly. Her voice was too quiet for anyone but Taesan to hear.

Ignoring her, Taesan continued.

“Next up are Leap and Landing. The effects? You can jump higher and land from any height without taking damage.”

“And how do you obtain them?”

“Land safely from a height that would otherwise be fatal.”

Everyone fell silent.

Taesan spoke.

“This is as far as the skills that anyone can obtain go.”

At his words, Oliver appeared flustered.

“Anyone can obtain them? These already seem like something only a very few could achieve.”

“Anyone can get them—with enough effort.”

From this point forward, the skills he was about to reveal weren’t ones just anyone could acquire.

Taesan gestured.

“Lee Taeyeon, Kang Jun-hyuk, and Amelia—stay.”

“…Me too?”

“Yes.”

Taesan nodded.

“The rest of you, please leave. The skills I’m about to discuss aren’t suitable for everyone to know.”

He had once considered sharing techniques like *Damage Nullification* or *Endurance*, intending to aid as many people as possible.

Taesan’s goal wasn’t personal power—it was ensuring the survival of as many people as possible. He had no reason to hoard skills.

But he didn’t fully trust individuals.

Skills like *Forced Duel* or *Absolute Judgement* were dangerous if learned by someone with a malicious disposition; they could lead to chaos.

Taesan remembered. Upon returning to Earth, there had been players who murdered others to fulfill their selfish desires.

It was nearly impossible for such individuals to acquire these skills, though. In his past life, even when the methods were shared in the community, only Lee Taeyeon had successfully obtained them—and even then, only *Addition* and *Guaranteed Strike*.

Still, there was always a chance. There was no need to leave room for potential chaos.

Moreover, the acquisition conditions were deadly. Sharing the methods might result in many dying just trying to obtain them. The risks outweighed the benefits.

*‘On top of that…’*

Unlike in his past life, many Solo Mode players were still alive.

If they learned *Endurance* and encountered the *Guides*, what would happen?

At the very least, the result wouldn’t be good. They might betray Taesan by sharing the skills with the Guides, or worse, be captured, tortured, and killed for their abilities.

Power beyond one’s capacity to wield was poison.

Even though the zones were separated, it was uncertain how they might be influenced. Taesan planned to reveal such critical skills later, under stricter conditions.

“Ah, understood.”
“Got it.”

As they left, they bowed deeply to Taesan.

“Thank you so much.”

They understood. The information Taesan had shared was priceless—something that couldn’t be bought even with gold. It would’ve been perfectly normal for him to keep it to himself.

Yet he had provided it freely, without demanding anything in return. They all knew how extraordinary this was, regardless of how difficult the skills were to obtain.

Taesan responded.
“If you’re grateful, survive to the end. That’s the best way you can repay me.”

“…Guess we really can’t afford to die now.”

They left. Taesan turned to the three remaining individuals.
“First, *Endurance*. Lee Taeyeon and Kang Jun-hyuk should know about it.”

“Ah…”
“Yes, we know of it. But we haven’t managed to obtain it.”

The two replied reluctantly. Taesan addressed Amelia.
“The effect is immunity to all damage for a short time when suffering a fatal blow.”

“…That kind of skill really exists?”

A skill that granted another chance upon death—it was incomprehensibly valuable.

Taesan explained.
“You need to perfectly block an opponent’s attacks multiple times in a situation where even one hit would kill you.”

“…What?”

“And next, *Damage Nullification*. The effect is erasing an attack entirely at the moment it hits. To obtain it, you must take no damage in a situation where damage is inevitable, without wearing any armor.”

“Can you use defensive skills?”
“No. You have to avoid the attack purely through movement, reducing the damage as much as possible. The only thing you can use is *Blessing Powder*, which boosts luck.”

By evading attacks and minimizing damage, the remainder could be nullified using the *Blessing Powder*.

Using a shield would make it easier to obtain, but that was a method available only to Taesan, who had passed enhanced trials. The others didn’t have that option.

The spirit watching silently grumbled.

[“What ridiculously lucky people. Just one of these skills would make countless others willing to give up everything, yet they’re being handed this for free.”]

Labyrinth skills were absolute. *Damage Nullification* would work regardless of the attacker’s strength, and *Forced Duel* was a skill even the Spirit King couldn’t interfere with.

If the upper ranks of the Guides heard about *Damage Nullification*, they’d do whatever it took to acquire it.

The skills Taesan was revealing were that valuable.

Receiving such information for free was truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

“Even hearing it again, these sound like impossible skills to acquire,” Kang Jun-hyuk said.

“Is it really possible? The conditions make it seem unattainable.”

Both Lee Taeyeon and Kang Jun-hyuk looked skeptical. They trusted Taesan, but the conditions he described were absurd.

Amelia, however, was looking at Taesan with a face full of shock—and a growing intensity in her eyes.

Noticing her expression, Taesan spoke.

“I’m not forcing you to learn these. But at least remember the conditions. Knowing them can make all the difference.”

He continued explaining.

*Addition*, *Absolute Judgement*, *Forced Duel*, *Guaranteed Strike*—each one was a skill with the value of a main ability.

He shared the details.

“Ugh… My head hurts…”
Even as she clutched her head, Lee Taeyeon focused on committing the information to memory. Amelia, meanwhile, stared at Taesan with a troubled gaze.

“The last one is *Blade of Determination*. Its effect is tripling damage dealt, with a cooldown of one hour.”

“That’s just ridiculous…”

“The condition is to survive a life-and-death battle against an unbeatable opponent.”

Hearing that, Lee Taeyeon exclaimed in surprise.

“Then doesn’t that apply to me and Jun-hyuk? We fought against you!”

“Did you get it?”
“No. Jun-hyuk, what about you?”
“I didn’t either.”

Hearing their answers, Taesan turned to Amelia.
“And you?”
“…I didn’t get it either.”

She replied quietly. After a moment of thought, Taesan explained.
“The battle wasn’t a proper one. In the God of Fall’s trial, failure only results in incapacitation, not death. The prerequisite of risking your life wasn’t fulfilled.”

“What about when we fought for *Ability Sword*?”
“Back then, you weren’t fighting for victory.”

“Ah…” Lee Taeyeon muttered blankly.
“Skills really are hard to obtain…”

“Did you think it would be easy? Still, knowing the conditions gives you a chance as you descend further into the labyrinth.”

Taesan stood up.
“That’s all I have to share. Talk among yourselves for the rest. Amelia—”

“…Me?”
“Follow me. I have something to discuss with you.”