Leveling Up With Skills - Chapter 283: Amelia Aerin (5)

The gazes of the people were drawn to Taesan and Amelia. Those gazes held various emotions—admiration, curiosity, and doubt.

“This spot should do.”

Having reached the outskirts, Taesan unleashed his power.

[You have activated the Inner World.]

Taesan’s power and rank expanded into a domain. The onlookers, who had been watching with curiosity from a distance, were startled by the sudden appearance of the ashen domain.

“This is…”

“It’s my domain. This is my first time using it, but you won’t be able to see or hear what happens inside from the outside.”

Taesan leaned against the ashen wall.

“You must have started to realize it by now. The presence of the god who supported you has vanished.”

Amelia bit her lip.

It was as Taesan said. The gaze of the immense presence that had always descended upon her could no longer be felt.

This meant that the God of Fall had abandoned her.

“I…”

She barely managed to open her mouth.

Amelia had always believed herself to be the strongest, and the God of Fall had supported her in that belief.

But she was not the strongest.

As her confidence crumbled, the god who had always directed their gaze toward her disappeared as well.

Everything she had trusted was shattered by Taesan.

Amelia had been abandoned by her god.

“I…”

“What are you going to do now?” Taesan asked her.

“You’ve become weaker.”

The God of Fall had turned their gaze away.

Of course, the Guide of Sin would not dare to interfere with her. They were cowards, unsure of when the god might return their interest to her, so they wouldn’t dare touch Amelia.

But the god’s blessing was gone.

The skills bestowed upon her by the God of Fall had also vanished, and she could no longer receive any assistance while descending into the labyrinth.

It was now impossible for her to descend as she had before.

“I… I…”

Tears welled up in her eyes.

Faced with this, Taesan was slightly at a loss. The Amelia he knew was always confident, declaring herself the strongest and overflowing with self-assurance.

He had known that her confidence drove her to push herself to her limits, but he hadn’t known what lay beyond it.

Without her confidence, she was like a lost child. Taesan had never seen her this shaken.

Breaking her confidence had been necessary. It was the only way to sever the God of Fall’s interest and allow Amelia to properly descend into the labyrinth.

But now, the problem was how to help her recover.

As Taesan pondered this, a ghost approached him.

[Why don’t you try this?]

The ghost whispered to Taesan, who frowned slightly.

“That will work?”

[You’ve got nothing to lose. Give it a shot.]

“Hah.”

Amelia, consumed by her own turmoil, didn’t notice the conversation between Taesan and the ghost. In the end, Taesan made a decision.

“Amelia.”

“Yeah?”

She looked at him with tear-filled eyes, and Taesan drew his sword.

“What!”

As Taesan lunged at her, Amelia moved instinctively.

Clang!

She swung her sword, deflecting his and pushing his shoulder away.

Despite being in a mentally fragile state, Amelia reacted to Taesan’s movements. She twisted her body to dissipate the impact and moved her sword to counterattack.

Clang!

Their swords clashed and rebounded.

Amelia, having created some distance, stared at Taesan with cold eyes.

“…What are you doing all of a sudden?”

“You blocked my attack.”

Taesan sheathed his sword.

“Even under emotional distress, you easily blocked an attack that even Lee Taeyeon and Kang Jun-hyuk would struggle with.”

Of course, it hadn’t been his full power. But it wasn’t a half-hearted attack either. While it was something Amelia could block, any careless response would have left her vulnerable.

“You have talent.”

“…”

Amelia’s eyes wavered.

“You’re not as strong as me, but you’re next in line. Even without the God of Fall’s help, you have the strength to clear the labyrinth.”

Taesan spoke with certainty.

“I guarantee it. You are strong.”

“…Really?”

She asked, and Taesan nodded.

“I don’t lie.”

The light that had been extinguished in her dark eyes began to rekindle. Soon, just as when he first met her, confidence returned to her face.

“You don’t have to say it—I already know.”

She spoke with great self-assurance, her demeanor identical to when they first met.

“I am strong. Someday, I’ll definitely catch up to you.”

“Do your best.”

Taesan deactivated his Inner World. Amelia sprang forward.

“…Thank you.”

She said softly as she left.

Or rather, as she attempted to leave.

“Where are you going?”

“Ugh!”

Taesan grabbed her by the back of her neck. As Amelia looked at him in confusion, Taesan said,

“There’s still something I need to teach you. You’ve never learned proper swordsmanship, have you?”

“Uh, no…”

“Then this is perfect. Draw your sword.”

Taesan released her and drew his own sword.

Amelia’s face turned pale.

After a long bout of clashing swords, she learned the Ability Sword.

Only then did Taesan finally let her go. She trudged away, disappearing into the crowd.

*Ability Sword. A swordsmanship capable of reaching the pinnacle.*

With that skill, Amelia, who had lost the interest of the God of Fall, would see her strength significantly replenished. Perhaps she could even become stronger than before.

Taesan understood Amelia as a person. She was confident and firmly believed she was the strongest. Yet at her core, she was a good person, always acting to save lives.

That was why he had taught her numerous skills and the *Ability Sword*.

“So it was true,” he muttered.

The ghost’s advice to Taesan had been simple.

Attack Amelia just enough and then acknowledge her talent with words.

At first, Taesan doubted if that alone would be sufficient, but Amelia had visibly changed.

[There’s a type of person like that. Someone with talent but who lacks self-assurance, always seeking validation from others to prove their worth.]

The ghost continued, [With the God of Fall directly supporting her, she must have been brimming with confidence. After all, an overwhelming being like a god recognized her. But when you destroyed that support, and the god’s attention disappeared, she completely broke down. To put it another way… people like her place immense importance on the one who crushes their confidence.]

“So she reacts strongly to my words?”

[Something like that. To her, you’re probably close to an absolute existence. You acknowledged her. That’s enough to help her rebuild her shattered confidence.]

“You seem to know her type well.”

[I told you, I know someone like that.]

The ghost’s voice grew somber.

[She was pushed into the labyrinth by others. She seemed fragile and insecure. Because we shared the same noble bloodline, I felt a sense of kinship and helped her a lot, bolstering her confidence.]

It wasn’t hard to guess who the ghost was talking about.

“Sociét.”

The woman who carried the cursed bloodline of a ruined kingdom. The Ashen Woman. Sociét Gardentia.

She was once deeply connected to the ghost, a leader among the Guides, but she had betrayed him.

[I thought we had a decent relationship… I guess not? I want to hear why she betrayed me. And now, the time is almost here.]

The ghost’s voice was thick with emotion.

[Still, you don’t need to worry about that woman. While they’re similar in disposition, they’re fundamentally different. Amelia will grow and develop, becoming a great help to you.]

“That’s likely.”

To break Amelia’s confidence, Taesan had compared her to Lee Taeyeon and Kang Jun-hyuk, saying there wasn’t much difference. But that wasn’t true.

Amelia’s skill far surpassed that of Kang Jun-hyuk and Lee Taeyeon.

She genuinely possessed the potential to become the second strongest after Taesan.

The foundation for her growth was now in place. The rest was up to her.

Taesan moved on.

He had his own tasks to address. The Demon God had granted Taesan the qualifications to spread *Black Magic*. However, he had found it impossible to teach this to players from other nations.

Whenever he attempted to pass on magi, an immense force persistently obstructed him. Taesan easily guessed the reason.

This place was the God of Fall’s territory, created by him. Likely, this interference was his way of retaliating against the Demon God.

“So petty.”

It wasn’t a significant issue, so Taesan didn’t mind. He could always teach them directly later when they met.

Taesan approached the leaders of various nations who had gathered.

“Ah, Taesan,” Kim Hwiyeon greeted him.

Taesan asked, “Have you decided on a representative?”

Each nation trusted its own leader and followed their commands. However, a unified representative was necessary to coordinate efforts.

Kim Hwiyeon nodded. “Yes. I was chosen.”

Her answer surprised Taesan slightly.

“You?”

“Yes. Is there something wrong with that?”

“Not really.”

In the previous life, Oliver had been the representative. Taesan had naturally assumed it would be the same this time.

‘But now that I think about it, that wouldn’t make sense.’

In the previous life’s trial of the God of Fall, Amelia had monopolized the lead, and Oliver had mostly played the role of restraining her.

Managing Amelia had aged Oliver significantly, leading the leaders of other nations to willingly concede the representative role to him.

But this time was different. Amelia wasn’t at the forefront, and special rules had been added. Oliver had proactively united the American players.

Overall, there was significant resentment toward America. If Oliver became the representative, many would object.

Thus, having Kim Hwiyeon, the leader of Korea where Taesan resided, take the position was a logical choice.

“Oliver, you understand, right? The next time you return, the U.S. has a lot to make up for.”

“Sigh… It’s our fault, so I can’t argue. I’ll do my best.”

Much had changed from the previous life.

And even greater changes were bound to come. Taesan intended to ensure that.

One day remained.

During that time, Taesan trained Lee Taeyeon and Kang Jun-hyuk. He also dragged Amelia over from where she had been watching from a distance, forcing her into combat.

The three grew even stronger as they fought against an overwhelming opponent.

Finally, the time came.

[The trial is over.]

[Final victor: Kang Taesan.]

[The nation with the most players remaining in the final battleground: United States.]

[Reward for the final victor: Acquired the “Necklace of Ugly Depravity.” Special skill “Forced Fall” activated.]

[Reward for the nation with the most players remaining in the final battleground: 100 points.]

[Acquired 2,410 points.]

[Acquired the “Necklace of Ugly Depravity.”]

[Acquired the special skill “Forced Fall.”]

[Returning to the labyrinth.]

“Oh, you’re back?”

Beldenkia greeted Taesan.

“This is fascinating. You literally disappeared from the labyrinth. Where did you go?”

“I cleared a trial of the gods.”

“A trial of the gods?”

Beldenkia’s eyes sparkled with curiosity as he looked at Taesan.

“Not at an altar or within a domain, but you underwent a trial of the gods right here? What kind of trial?”

“The trial of the God of Fall. The Essence Trial.”

Beldenkia’s face stiffened at Taesan’s response.

Taesan spoke to him.

“During the trial, I found what seems to be the princess’s soul.”