Leveling Up With Skills - Chapter 295: The Iron Wall Protecting the World. Shaman (3)

“Urgh!”

Shaman coughed up blood.

Taesan twisted his sword in place, driving Shaman down. Shaman crashed to the ground.

“Grrk!”

Even now, Shaman didn’t give up. He swung his greatsword desperately, activating his skills.

But the battle was already decided. The tide had shifted irreversibly. Taesan overpowered Shaman’s resistance, crushing him with sheer strength.

Clang!

With a forceful swing, Taesan knocked the greatsword out of Shaman’s hands, shattering his armor and crushing his helmet.

Crunch.

As if to end it all, Taesan’s sword pierced Shaman’s chest once more.

[Shaman has taken fatal damage. ‘Crafted Immortality’ has been activated. Immunity to all damage for 10 seconds, but death will follow immediately after.]

“…Ha.”

Shaman exhaled sharply.

“You… monstrous man…”

His gaze at Taesan was filled with disbelief and shock.

“It’s absurd. Someone who hasn’t even reached the Abyss defeated me…”

He laughed bitterly.

“This is truly absurd…”

He had been the Iron Wall that Protected the World.

In the outside world, no one had managed to break his defense. He alone had stood against entire armies.

Even within the labyrinth, this had not changed. Adventurers who arrived before him marveled at his defense. He earned their acknowledgment, became one of their allies, and descended further into the labyrinth. Since then, no one had easily penetrated his defenses.

He had thought only of the bright future ahead. He was aware that adventurers were climbing up the labyrinth, but he had believed none of them would be capable of challenging him.

When he broke through the previously impassable floor, he had been confident that he was on the path to reach the end of the labyrinth.

Yet here, in this place, he met his end.

It felt hollow. Pointless.

“But… I have lost.”

A loser had to accept their defeat. Suppressing his emotions, Shaman spoke.

“Congratulations. The victory is yours, enemy of ours.”

With those words, Shaman’s body crumbled.

The Abyss adventurer—who had resided in the labyrinth for countless years and possessed near-absolute power—perished here.

[You have defeated Shaman.]

[Your level has increased.]

[Your level has increased.]

[Your level has increased.]

[Your level has increased.]

[Your ‘Spiritual Ascent’ has been activated. Permanently increases health by 8,021, strength by 721, agility by 832, and intelligence by 843.]

[‘Craving for Victory’ has been activated. Permanently increases health by 1,023, strength by 322, agility by 310, and intelligence by 200.]

[‘Spiritual Ascent’ has been activated. Gained the special activation skill ‘Raging Gale Dash’.]

[‘Spiritual Ascent’ has been activated. Reconnaissance mastery increased by 5%, Acceleration mastery increased by 4%, Leap mastery increased by… ]

[‘Spiritual Ascent’ has been activated. Gained the special passive skill ‘Forced Health Drain’.]

[You have defeated an adventurer who reached the Abyss. Gained the special passive skill ‘Enemy of Those Who Tread the Deep’.]

“Phew.”

Taesan exhaled deeply.

He leaned against the wall.

The fight hadn’t been easy.

Even though he ignored Shaman’s greatest strength—his defense—there were still moments of danger.

The skills embedded in Shaman’s greatsword were inherently threatening, and his continuous regeneration felt more like fighting a monster than another adventurer.

Yet, Taesan had won.

He had overcome and stood victorious.

[You’ve finally made it this far.]

The ghost sounded impressed. It had known that Taesan could defeat Shaman. Even though Shaman was an Abyss adventurer, the overwhelming compatibility of Taesan’s abilities gave him a significant advantage.

But knowing it intellectually was different from witnessing it firsthand.

Taesan’s victory over Shaman signified one thing: his vengeance was now within reach.

[Well, it won’t be that easy.]

“This time, I had a significant advantage.”

Shaman prided himself on absolute defense, but Taesan had ‘Absolute Judgement’.

The other leaders, however, would be different. They wouldn’t have focused so heavily on defense like Shaman.

‘Not yet.’

There was still a slight gap between Taesan and the leadership of the Guides of Sin.

But it wouldn’t be long. With this victory, he had taken another step closer.

“Status window.”

[Kang Taesan]

[Level: 134]

[Shield: 5,909/5,909]

[Health: 71,320/71,920]

[Magi: 878/878]

[Strength: 12,239]

[Intelligence: 11,041]

[Agility: 12,995]

[Attack Power +4,158]

[Defense +2,882]

[The subject is in optimal condition.]

Taesan smiled.

In a single battle, all of his stats had increased by nearly 2,000.

He had now completely caught up with Lee Taeyeon in strength, agility, and intelligence stats.

This was despite not having reached the Abyss yet. His growth was monstrous.

It wasn’t just stats. He had also acquired new skills and equipment.

[‘Broken One: Baharam’s Helmet’]

[Attack Power +150]

[Defense +300]

[Action Speed +10%]

[A damaged and broken helmet once used by Baharam during his mortal days. Although worn and battered, its intrinsic value remains undiminished.]

And the perfect clear reward:

[‘The Hardest Armor in the World, Forged in the Deepest Abyss’]

[Strength +60]

[Defense +600]

[Magic Resistance +10]

[Armor forged by hundreds of smiths who sacrificed their lives in the deepest Abyss. Its value remains unmatched, even within the labyrinth where gods gather.]

Overall, the equipment boasted high stats. It was more than satisfactory.

Additionally, thanks to ‘Spiritual Ascent’, Taesan had gained Shaman’s skills after defeating him.

[‘Special Activation Skill: Raging Gale Dash’]

[Mastery: 1%]

[Mana Cost: 10]

[Charge forward like a storm, swinging your sword. Movement can be adjusted to some extent.]

This was the skill Shaman had used to pressure Taesan.

The skill wasn’t overly threatening due to Taesan’s stat advantage. However, if their stats had been closer, its potential would have been formidable.

[You activated ‘Raging Gale Dash.’]

Thud.

Taesan charged straight ahead, slashing like a storm and cutting through everything around him.

“Not bad.”

The skill increased his speed and strength beyond their usual levels. Though the boost wasn’t dramatic, it could provide an edge in prolonged battles.

[‘Passive Skill: Forced Health Drain’]

[Mastery: 1%]

[When dealing damage to an opponent, recover a fixed percentage of the damage dealt as health.]

“So that’s the kind of skill he had.”

Taesan wasn’t sure about the percentage of health recovered. But Shaman was an adventurer who had entered the labyrinth ages ago.

His mastery over this skill was likely at or near 100%. And based on Taesan’s experience, a skill’s performance changes dramatically upon reaching 100% mastery.

Recovering even 20% of the damage dealt wouldn’t have been surprising. Combined with over ten health regeneration skills, it made sense why Shaman’s endurance seemed so absurd.

[‘Passive Skill: Enemy of Those Who Tread the Deep’]

[Mastery: 1%]

[When facing adventurers from the Abyss, all stats increase. The deeper the opponent has descended, the greater the stat boost.]

This skill was designed to make battles against the leadership of the Guides of Sin much easier.

Additionally, Taesan noticed significant mastery increases across multiple skills—totaling several dozen percent across the board.

‘As expected.’

The Guides of Sin. The adventurers of the Abyss.

They were beings who had resided in the Abyss for centuries—perhaps longer. Defeating them would naturally yield tremendous rewards.

“Phew.”

Taesan caught his breath. He had won. It was time to descend further into the labyrinth.

[Quest for the 65th floor begins.]

[Uncover the secret of the Green Witch’s Domain and break through.]

[Reward: Staff of the Green Witch.]

[Secret reward: ???]

The 65th floor was covered entirely in green plants, filling the walls and floor.

The monsters that appeared were plant-based creatures. They swung their vines, attempting to ensnare Taesan.

However, with his significantly increased stats, Taesan dispatched the monsters with little effort.

As he cleared the floor, Taesan reflected.

‘The leadership of the Guides of Sin.’

How to counter them—and the source of their strength.

After facing one of them, he finally began to understand.

It wasn’t just about stats. At this point, Taesan’s stats exceeded those of Lee Taeyeon, who had cleared the Abyss.

Of course, Lee Taeyeon was an anomaly who had cleared the labyrinth using unorthodox methods and had missed out on many potential benefits. Even so, she was at a level comparable to the Guides of Sin on the 70th floor.

In reality, Taesan had overwhelmed Shaman in terms of stats.

Moreover, Taesan possessed powerful skills that Shaman did not.

Yet, Taesan hadn’t dominated Shaman.

Even though he hadn’t used ‘Last Opportunity’ or ‘Endurance’ and had refrained from utilizing the ‘Gray Force,’ the battle was far from easy.

‘Equipment.’

In their fight, the only meaningful piece of equipment Shaman used was his greatsword. The skill embedded in the sword, ‘Mountain-Cleaving Strike,’ had proven incredibly difficult for Taesan to counter, even with a stat advantage.

It was clear that stats could be mitigated by equipment.

And there was another factor.

‘Skill mastery.’

On reflection, it was obvious.

The Guides of Sin had been in the Abyss for a long time—even before the specter had entered the labyrinth.

Would they have spent all that time idly? Certainly not. They must have honed their strength through countless battles and sparring matches. In the process, they acquired numerous skills and perfected their mastery.

‘It’s so obvious.’

Yet, Taesan had overlooked it because the only other person he had fought was Lee Taeyeon, who had cleared in Solo Mode.

Her combat skills weren’t extraordinary.

Most of her combat skills were basic, and even with high mastery, their effectiveness wasn’t exceptional.

Additionally, Lee Taeyeon had focused more on finding non-combat solutions. She had numerous utility skills related to evasion rather than skills that enhanced direct combat.

While Taesan’s skill mastery was exceptionally high for his floor, the Guides of Sin likely had nearly all their skills perfected.

Shaman alone was proof of this.

He possessed over ten health regeneration skills.

Each of them had been acquired after countless years in the labyrinth. Their effects were on an entirely different level compared to basic skills like ‘Flowing Technique’ or ‘Strong Strike.’

Thanks to these skills, Shaman endured over 100,000 damage while continuing to pressure Taesan.

Would Taesan be capable of such near-limitless regeneration, even if he possessed those same skills?

The answer was no. Skills underwent clear changes as their mastery increased, and the higher the mastery, the greater the effects.

For example, at 1% mastery, ‘Forced Duel’ lasted 10 seconds. At 100%, it lasted 1 minute.

The difference was significant.

The rest of the Guides of Sin’s leadership would undoubtedly be just as formidable as Shaman.

No, they would likely be even stronger.

Shaman had fought without his core defensive skills.

Taesan needed to prepare for them.

Gripping his sword, he pressed onward, clearing the floor.

Shaman’s defeat. Taesan’s victory.

The news spread quickly to the Guides of Sin’s leadership.

They convened once more.