Leveling Up With Skills - Chapter 294: The Iron Wall Protecting the World. Shaman (2)

Swords clashed.

The swinging greatsword tore through the air. Taesan’s twin swords moved deftly, deflecting the explosive strikes of the greatsword.

Clang!

Taesan pressed Shaman with his superior stats, while Shaman relied on the mastery he had built from countless battles to hold his ground.

“Grr.”

Minerva watched the ongoing battle with a sullen expression.

“There’s nothing I can do…”

Her power had no effect on Shaman. Occasionally, she attempted to hinder him, but Shaman didn’t even glance her way. Since she posed no threat, there was nothing for him to be cautious about.

“Is that what an adventurer of the labyrinth is like?”

She was astonished.

Although Shaman wasn’t yet in perfect form and was still somewhat rough, he was overwhelming her, the Spirit King.

And it was awe-inspiring. Both Taesan and Shaman.

Clang!

The swords clashed again. Their movements reached an extreme level of precision, leaving no gaps to exploit—almost perfect.

Minerva, as a Spirit King, believed the power of spirits to be the greatest in the world to some extent.

But even to her, the battle unfolding before her was breathtaking.

Clang!

The swords collided and rebounded. Taesan steadied his stance and charged at Shaman again. Shaman prepared to swing his greatsword in response but hesitated for a moment.

“Tsk.”

Clicking his tongue, Shaman pulled back his sword to block Taesan’s strike.

Taesan’s relentless attack broke through Shaman’s defense.

[Shaman takes 7,034 damage.]

“This is irritating.”

Taesan’s attack—his ‘Absolute Attack Nullification’—was what Shaman remained wary of.

Initially, Shaman believed the first ‘Attack Nullification’ was the end of it. Having multiple of such skills seemed impossible.

But then there was a second one. And there was no reason there couldn’t be a third.

Shaman resolved to confirm the presence of another ‘Attack Nullification’, while Taesan’s goal was simple:

To pressure Shaman as much as possible before he could figure it out.

[You activated Absolute Judgement.]

[You activated Frozen World.]

[You activated Magic Focus.]

Crack!

A wave of extreme cold surged forward. The power within it froze everything in its path. Shaman frowned as he brought his sword down.

[Shaman activated Crushing Strike.]

Boom!

A massive explosion shattered the frozen world, breaking apart the frosty landscape.

“So, magic works as well. Ridiculous.”

[You activated Precision.]

[You activated Absolute Judgement.]

[You activated Starlight Arrow.]

Taesan activated ‘Absolute Judgement’ once more and fired the ‘Starlight Arrow’. Shaman kicked off the ground to evade, but the arrow relentlessly pursued him, as if destined to hit its target.

Shaman’s pupils widened as he raised his sword to shield himself.

Just before the starlight struck, Taesan clenched his fist.

[You activated Magic Separation.]

The split starlight arrows bombarded Shaman’s entire body.

[Shaman takes 1,032 damage.]

[Shaman takes 932 damage.]

[Shaman takes 1,023 damage.]

“Ugh!”

Shaman staggered under the impact. Taesan didn’t miss the opening, activating Acceleration to close in. Shaman barely managed to swing his sword to block the descending blade.

Clang!

“Hmm!”

Shaman was pushed back, his stance faltering, revealing an opening. Just as Taesan prepared to strike—

[Shaman activated Reformation.]

[Shaman activated Mountain-Cleaving Strike.]

Shaman’s greatsword swung down.

The speed of his attack far exceeded anything he had shown so far. Taesan twisted his body to avoid the blow, narrowly escaping.

Shaman followed up, focusing on a defensive Taesan, slamming his sword down.

Clang!

Taesan was pushed back, but Shaman refrained from rushing in, quietly frowning.

The uncertainty of whether or not there was another ‘Attack Nullification’ prevented him from recklessly attacking.

“Wasteful, but it can’t be helped.”

Shaman muttered as he opened a spatial storage and retrieved a small arrow.

“Go.”

With a calm command, the arrow shot toward Taesan at supersonic speed.

[You activated Essence Identification.]

[Arrow of Precision.]

[This arrow will always hit its target.]

The description was simple, but the implication was not.

The arrow whistled through the air, aiming for all of Taesan’s weak points. Taesan focused his mind.

Boom!

Shaman didn’t stay idle, rushing to apply pressure on Taesan.

Ping!

The arrow homed in on Taesan.

As he blocked Shaman’s attacks, Taesan activated his black magic.

[You activated Absolute Judgement.]

[You activated Mephisto’s Black Lightning.]

Boom!

Lightning pierced through Shaman’s body. Though its precision and speed were immense, Shaman briefly hesitated. Taesan swung his sword at the incoming arrow.

Just as his sword was about to split the arrow, the arrow shifted through space.

It bypassed the blade and pierced Taesan’s shoulder.

[Your Third Absolute Attack Nullification has been activated.]

The arrow, having completed its task, disappeared. Taesan clicked his tongue.

“Precision, huh.”

It was unavoidable. An arrow that would always hit its target. Even such tools existed in the Abyss.

And Shaman let out a bitter laugh.

“Ridiculous. So, there’s yet another one.”

If there was a third, there could very well be more. Shaman couldn’t help but think so.

Clang!

As the battle continued, Taesan remained wary of another ‘Arrow of Precision’. However, Shaman didn’t use another.

He had no reason not to. The most important thing for Shaman was to confirm whether more ‘Attack Nullifications’ existed. Yet, he refrained from using another arrow, suggesting there weren’t any left.

What Taesan didn’t know was that the ‘Arrow of Precision’ was a one-time-use reward from the Abyss. Since acquiring it, Shaman had never used it, saving it until now.

Taesan, no longer concerned about the ‘Arrow of Precision’, resumed pressuring Shaman.

[You activated Absolute Judgement.]

Clang!

The swords collided once more.

Each strike was paired with ‘Absolute Judgement’. The mana cost was merely 10, making it a skill Taesan could use endlessly.

Crack!

The greatsword twisted, scraping against Taesan’s swords as it veered off course.

Shaman allowed a strike to land.

[Shaman takes 6,943 damage.]

[Shaman activated Mountain-Cleaving Strike.]

The greatsword came crashing down, and Taesan raised his swords to block.

Boom!

A tremendous force pressed down on Taesan, causing his knees to bend slightly.

‘That’s troublesome.’

Shaman swung his greatsword with incredible power and speed, far exceeding his base stats. It appeared to be a skill embedded in the Abyss gear, much like the Spirit King’s shield, and it had a short cooldown, allowing frequent use. As a result, Taesan couldn’t gain much of an advantage.

“Ridiculous.”

Shaman found the situation absurd.

None of the Guides of Sin’s leadership had ever easily broken through his defenses. While he hadn’t managed to defeat them either, he had never lost a battle.

His defense was absolute.

As he descended the labyrinth, ordinary monsters couldn’t damage him. Bosses were no exception. The only times he sustained damage were during trials from the gods.

He had full confidence in his defense.

Because of this, he focused everything on bolstering his defenses, equipping gear and honing skills that prioritized survival.

And now, it was all meaningless.

“Truly absurd.”

Everything he had built up was being dismantled by a single skill. He couldn’t help but laugh bitterly.

Most of Shaman’s equipment, aside from his sword, was focused on health and defense. Compared to other Guides, his health was far superior.

Even so, he had nearly died in a single strike.

Without his ‘Unyielding Survivor’ skill, he would have fallen.

Facing an opponent against whom defense was useless, he had no choice but to abandon his greatest trump card.

Yet, Shaman was an adventurer who had reached the Abyss.

He calmly assessed his chances of victory.

‘In terms of skill mastery, I have the upper hand.’

And the situation wasn’t entirely hopeless.

He still had cards he could play.

[Shaman activated Infinite Regenerative Wind.]

[Shaman activated Whisper of the Verdant Glow.]

[Shaman activated Guardian’s Conversion to Regeneration.]

Clang!

Their swords clashed. Unlike before, when Shaman cautiously fought defensively while considering ‘Attack Nullification’, he now charged aggressively at Taesan.

[Shaman activated Mountain-Cleaving Strike.]

Taesan matched him, swinging his sword and activating ‘Ability Sword’.

[You activated Flowing Technique.]

Flowing Technique allowed Taesan to redirect incoming attacks. However, Shaman’s sheer strength broke through it, forcing Taesan to twist his body and evade.

Boom!

The greatsword struck the ground, leaving an opening, but Shaman’s stance immediately corrected itself.

[Shaman activated Reformation.]

‘That’s annoying.’

Reformation allowed Shaman to fix his stance in any situation. While ‘Mountain-Cleaving Strike’ created openings due to its immense power, ‘Reformation’ erased them entirely.

Still, it wasn’t insurmountable.

Taesan moved in close.

[You activated Strong Strike.]

Clang!

Their swords collided, and the effect of ‘Strong Strike’ forced Shaman back.

Off-balance, Shaman allowed another strike to land.

[Shaman takes 8,343 damage.]

Initially, Shaman was overwhelmed by Taesan’s increased sword power. However, after taking a few hits, Shaman discerned the timing of Taesan’s attacks, disrupting ‘Strong Strike’ and resetting its effects.

An adventurer of Shaman’s caliber could counter ‘Ability Sword’. Taesan confirmed this through their exchange.

Clash!

The battle transitioned into close combat. Shaman’s greatsword moved fluidly.

His wrist twisted, and the sword moved as if it were weightless, displaying extraordinary finesse.

This was the pinnacle of swordsmanship mastery—a miraculous sight achievable only by those who had complete control over their blade.

Thud.

Both Taesan’s and Shaman’s swords pierced each other’s shoulders.

[Shaman takes 7,543 damage.]

[You take 2,043 damage.]

Both inflicted damage on each other. After more than ten exchanged blows, they finally landed hits. Shaman gritted his teeth.

“There’s nothing left.”

He lunged forward.

[Shaman activated Raging Gale Dash.]

His sword struck like a storm. Taesan activated ‘Flowing Technique’ to redirect the attacks, but ‘Reformation’ rendered it ineffective.

Crack.

Their swords pierced each other simultaneously.

[You activated Frozen World.]

[You activated Starlight Arrow.]

Two spells surged at once. Shaman swung his sword.

[Shaman activated Crushing Suppression.]

Boom!

An oppressive force crushed Taesan. The frosty wave and light arrows shattered under the pressure. Taesan steadied his mind, pushing through the force.

“Come forth.”

Flick!

A flurry of arrows materialized, guided by his will, and targeted Shaman’s entire body.

Shaman made a quick decision. He couldn’t block everything while continuing to fight Taesan. He chose to ignore them.

Thwack!

The arrows pierced Shaman’s body. Each individual hit wasn’t devastating, but the cumulative damage was significant.

Despite being in a seemingly advantageous position, Taesan frowned.

The damage he had inflicted on Shaman exceeded 100,000.

Any normal adventurer would have fallen long ago.

Even for an adventurer of the Abyss, this was unusual. Shaman’s vitality was extraordinary—nearly double that of other adventurers. Even Lee Taeyeon, whose stamina was exceptional, couldn’t match Shaman.

There hadn’t been an opportunity for Shaman to use potions. It was unlikely his health naturally exceeded 100,000.

Moreover, Shaman’s fighting style had changed.

He no longer fully blocked Taesan’s attacks. It was as if he believed he could take multiple hits as long as his ‘Mountain-Cleaving Strike’ landed even once.

And in truth, ‘Mountain-Cleaving Strike’ was a troublesome move. With his greatsword and skill combined, even Taesan found it difficult to counter.

‘A health regeneration skill.’

It was either a skill that recovered health proportional to the damage taken or one that restored health as the battle progressed.

The possibilities were clear. Shaman had activated multiple skills early in the fight with Taesan.

Among them, there appeared to be skills related to regeneration.

[Shaman activated Crisis Regeneration.]

[Shaman activated Forced Damage Conversion.]

[Shaman activated Twisted Blessing of Regeneration.]

While the exact effects were unknown, they were undoubtedly recovery skills. He likely also possessed passive regeneration abilities.

It was entirely plausible that Shaman had more than ten different health regeneration skills.

One of the active skills used earlier in the fight—’Guardian’s Conversion to Regeneration’—stood out.

Judging by its name, it likely converted defensive power or its effects into health regeneration.

It was nearly impossible to whittle down Shaman’s health through conventional means.

Exchanging damage with him was not a viable strategy. Taesan would have to pour everything into a swift and decisive strike.

As he made his decision, Taesan began gathering ‘Magi’.

[You activated Wolf’s Familiar.]

A wolf formed of spiritual energy materialized. Shaman swung his sword to ward it off, but the wolf sank its fangs into him persistently.

[You activated Embers of Calamity.]

Flames imbued with calamity erupted. Shaman pushed back the wolf and swung his sword in a proper stance, slicing through the flames.

The brief opening allowed Taesan to channel his power through the gap.

[You activated Naberius’s Golden Sword.]

“Minerva.”

“Got it. If it’s the last move, I’ll give it everything!”

Minerva concentrated her remaining power, gathering the wind into a condensed orb.

The orb, containing all the energy Minerva had left, glowed brightly. Shaman shifted into a defensive posture to counter it.

“As a Spirit King, I won’t go quietly.”

With a grin, Minerva’s form disappeared. Taesan launched himself at Shaman.

Shaman’s pupils dilated.

Instinctively, he swung his greatsword behind him.

“Ugh!”

The blade pierced Minerva’s chest.

But she didn’t vanish.

Enduring the pain, Minerva smiled.

“Impressive. But… my master will win.”

She unleashed the wind in her grasp upon Shaman.

A hurricane enveloped Shaman, throwing him violently. The gale, imbued with all of Minerva’s remaining power, smashed through everything in its path, even forcing Shaman to crash into Taesan.

Taesan swung Naberius’s Golden Sword at the airborne Shaman.

[Shaman takes 24,103 damage.]

The cooldown on ‘Blade of Determination’ and ‘Transformation’ resulted in relatively lower damage, but it was enough. Shaman’s body wavered from the impact.

“Guh!”

[Shaman activated Reformation.]

Enduring the pain, Shaman activated ‘Reformation’ to regain his combat stance and launched a counterattack at Taesan.

Boom!

But the wind that surrounded Shaman exploded again.

Shaman hadn’t anticipated a second blast and failed to react.

Taesan’s twin swords pierced Shaman’s chest once more.

Crunch.

[Shaman takes 9,103 damage.]

Taesan didn’t back off.

He closed in further and began slashing relentlessly.

Shaman’s expression hardened.

In an instant, he had taken nearly 30,000 damage. His total health was 45,000, and two-thirds of it had been wiped out.

This was a dangerous situation. While his health regeneration was remarkably fast, it still required some time.

Taesan realized from Shaman’s urgent reaction that he had found the right approach.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

Taesan maintained relentless pressure, dodging Shaman’s swings and pressing a hand against Shaman’s armor.

[You activated Branch of Despair.]

For a moment, Shaman’s mind was overwhelmed by despair. Though he quickly activated ‘Adventurer’s Will’ to resist, he still took another hit.

Shaman’s desperation grew.

To push Taesan back, he charged.

[Shaman activated Raging Gale Dash.]

He stormed forward like a hurricane, shoving Taesan away.

But Taesan didn’t retreat even a single step.

Instead, he closed the distance further, forcing another exchange of blows.

[Shaman takes 8,534 damage.]

[You take 1,532 damage.]

Until now, Shaman had gladly accepted these exchanges of damage. After all, he regenerated quickly, unlike Taesan.

But now the situation had changed. Taesan gave him no time to recover.

Shaman swung his greatsword violently.

[Shaman activated Mountain-Cleaving Strike.]

[You activated Amon’s Jet-Black Spike.]

Boom!

The sword and spike collided, sending both reeling. Shaman hadn’t expected his strike to be countered and hastily activated ‘Reformation’ but still took another hit.

[You activated Frozen World.]

[You activated Starlight Arrow.]

A frozen storm and light arrows exploded in unison.

Shaman staggered under the chain of spells. Realizing he couldn’t endure any longer, he tried to create space by kicking Taesan away. Taesan leapt into the air.

[You activated Landing.]

Crash!

Taesan’s sword came down harder than ever, breaking Shaman’s stance.

Landing gracefully, Taesan struck upward, slashing Shaman.

Crunch.

[You activated Leap.]

Shaman’s body was hurled into the air. Taesan unleashed ‘Magi’, calling forth Marbas’s Pitch-Black Wave. A torrent of black energy engulfed the battlefield.

Although Shaman’s vision was obscured, it didn’t matter. As an Abyss adventurer, he could sense his opponent’s movements even with his eyes closed.

[You activated Stealth.]

But all traces of Taesan’s presence vanished.

Shaman quickly realized he had lost track of Taesan.

‘Even so…’

He was an adventurer of the Abyss.

There had been times when he relied solely on instinct to overcome trials. Even if he couldn’t sense his opponent, his instincts would guide him.

Shutting his eyes, he swung his greatsword, trusting his intuition.

The greatsword sliced futilely through empty air.

Crunch.

Taesan’s sword pierced through Shaman’s back, emerging from his chest.