Leveling Up With Skills - Chapter 299: The Green Witch (4)

A week had passed.

For the witch, this was but a fleeting moment compared to the time she had lived. However, since becoming an immortal, she had been more diligent than ever. She sought to understand Taesan’s power and uncover clues to the path of transcendence.

Yet no answers revealed themselves.

The witch tousled her hair. She hadn’t slept at all during the past week. As an immortal, sleep was unnecessary, so her hair remained soft, and her skin flawless, but her expression betrayed undeniable fatigue.

“I don’t know.”

She muttered aloud.

The week yielded no results.

She knew it wouldn’t be easy, but she hadn’t expected answers to be so elusive.

‘The key lies in ‘Spiritual Ascent’.’

Both the gray aura and the power of Intent Projection originated from ‘Spiritual Ascent’. It was a power unattainable for mere mortals.

Perhaps it was the one and only power that Taesan possessed fully, a force entirely his own.

Experience, knowledge, ideology, values—everything a person had accumulated in their lifetime seemed to converge into this power.

But beyond that, she could discern nothing.

How he, as a mortal, had attained such power or what process had been involved—these questions remained unanswerable.

‘Just what…’

She clenched her fist.

She was an immortal.

Though she hadn’t reached transcendence, she had surpassed mortality.

Thus, she had confidence in her ability to analyze the power of Taesan, a mortal.

She aimed to uncover all the activation conditions for ‘Spiritual Ascent’, determine what was being seized, and analyze how the gray aura worked to extract its power.

But she failed.

She couldn’t comprehend any aspect of Taesan’s power.

One thing was clear: that power was perfect.

It was pure and absolute, impervious to interference or change.

‘…Is there really such a gap?’

Even with the answer before her, she couldn’t find the path. The road from immortality to transcendence was vast.

The witch gave a bitter smile.

She felt overwhelmed but not despairing.

She had faced despair countless times. Having come this far, she could not afford to falter now.

She couldn’t find the answer yet.

Then, how should she go about finding it?

After pondering, she rose from her seat.

Approaching Taesan, who was resting, the witch spoke.

“It’s over now.”

“Did you find what you were seeking?”

“No, I did not. But it seems meaningless to continue analyzing further.”

The witch shook her head. It was impossible to comprehend. Even if she continued experimenting on Taesan, she would gain nothing.

“However, the situation is much better than before.”

As a mortal, Taesan possessed a power that even an immortal like her couldn’t understand.

This implied that there was something different between what Taesan had built as a mortal and what she had built during her mortal years.

That difference likely created the divide between transcendents and immortals.

The witch resolved to confirm this.

“So, let’s form a contract, child.”

“A contract?”

“Yes, a contract of observation.”

The witch began to explain.

“You’ll continue descending the labyrinth, won’t you?”

Taesan nodded. His goal was to conquer the labyrinth. He had no intention of stopping.

“This is the nature of the contract. You will descend the labyrinth. And everything you see and experience there, I will observe from behind you.”

Through this, the witch would uncover the difference—what it was.

“And once I uncover the answer… let’s discuss again. About your power. And about the path to transcendence.”

“Is this an extension of the quest?”

“Yes. Right now, I cannot analyze your power.”

The witch pointed at Taesan with her finger.

“And you, too, don’t fully grasp the power you possess.”

Taesan did not deny it.

‘Spiritual Ascent’ and the gray aura.

Taesan also didn’t fully understand what these powers were or how they originated.

He had thought that the witch, as an immortal, might be able to figure it out, but it seemed even she could not.

“So, let’s postpone it. Until I can analyze your power better than I can now. And until you can understand the power you possess.”

The witch asked softly.

“Will you accept?”

“If you wish.”

Taesan nodded.

The gods were already observing his battles one by one. Having one more presence watching him wouldn’t make much of a difference.

The witch smiled with relief.

“Thank you. Then, let’s seal the contract.”

The witch raised her staff. Her power enveloped Taesan.

A link began to form between the two.

[Contract of Observation]

[The Green Witch, through her contract with you, can observe all your actions.]

“I accept.”

Taesan accepted the contract.

At that moment, a peculiar sensation overcame him.

It felt as if someone was watching him from behind.

It was a sensation he had felt multiple times before.

‘Is it the gaze of the gods?’

The feeling of transcendents watching as he explored the labyrinth—it turned out that this sensation was indeed the gaze of the transcendents.

“Now, I should give you something in return.”

The witch waved her staff. A torrent of immense power began to infuse into Taesan.

[The Green Witch’s Authority Manifests.]

[You have learned the magic of the Green Witch.]

The witch, who granted the power, seemed intrigued.

“I don’t know where you learned it, but you have alchemy, don’t you?”

“Yes.”

The alchemy he had learned from the gremlins still remained within him. The witch smiled quietly.

“But you haven’t mastered it, have you?”

“It’s tricky.”

It wasn’t useless. On Earth, alchemy had saved lives.

But he had rarely used it within the labyrinth.

Setting up a domain required time, making it impractical to use in the labyrinth where immediate responses were necessary.

“This works well for you. My magic is quite similar, so you’ll find it easier to understand,” the witch said, clapping her hands. She raised her staff and pointed it at Taesan’s wrist guard.

“Come here.”

The roots wrapped around Taesan’s arm crawled toward the witch. She lightly tapped the roots with her staff.

“Alchemy creates a domain to form a favorable space for oneself. However, because it requires a foundation of materials, creating a domain takes significant time. So, I changed my approach.”

Crrrack.

The roots twisted, their color shifting from dark red to a pale, neutral tone. Various powers infused the roots.

“I infused the core of domain creation directly into my equipment.”

[The wrist guard imbued with malice has transformed into the World-Altering Wrist Guard.]

“This is the magic I created. Wherever I walk becomes my domain, my world—a unique magic that consumes the world,” the witch explained with a soft smile, handing the wrist guard back.

“Check it out.”

[World-Altering Wrist Guard.]

[A wrist guard crafted with the witch’s power. Using specific conditions and catalysts, it can alter the laws of the world around it.]

[Attack +50]

[Defense +400]

[If you have learned the Green Witch’s magic, you can use Partial World Alteration.]

Both attack and defense had increased significantly.

Moreover, the special skill Partial World Alteration had been added.

“That wrist guard is the catalyst for using my magic. The more mystical items it absorbs, the stronger its effects will become, and the more of my magic you’ll be able to wield. Even as you delve deeper, it should prove useful.”

“Thank you.”

It seemed like an indispensable piece of equipment to use until clearing the labyrinth. With its performance, there was no reason to complain.

The magic of an immortal, no less. Its value was undoubtedly immense.

Taesan accepted it with gratitude.

“What will you do next?” he asked.

“Normally… I would have stayed here to search for answers, but things are different now.”

The witch leisurely sat down.

“For now, I’ll observe you as you descend the labyrinth. I’ll also travel to various places. If I uncover the answer… I may negotiate again with the magician.”

She smiled faintly.

“Then, perhaps you might help me again.”

The world began to recede. The witch’s domain closed, and the labyrinth came back into focus.

“See you later, precious one.”

With those words, Taesan returned to the labyrinth.

He resumed his descent.

He could feel the witch’s gaze watching from behind him.

One more observer had joined the many who already watched. It didn’t make much difference to him.

For Taesan, it wasn’t a bad experience. Although he didn’t fully understand his power, he had gained new magic and, more importantly, had learned more about the power of Intent Projection.

The witch had offered various experiments and advice on Intent Projection, likely because it was the one power she could comprehend. Her counsel, as an immortal adept in its use, proved immensely valuable to Taesan.

While he still struggled with the gray aura, his proficiency with Intent Projection had improved significantly.

He had reached a point where it could be used effectively, even in battles against powerful opponents like the Guide.

Taesan opened his skill window to confirm exactly what the witch had given him.

[Green Witch’s Magic.]

[Proficiency: 1%]

[Magic developed and perfected by the Cursed Forest Witch during her mortal life, completed after she became an immortal. It concretizes a domain around a catalyst-bearing weapon, influencing the world itself.]

Domain materialization—indeed similar to alchemy.

[Partial World Alteration.]

[Proficiency: 1%]

[Continuous Mana Consumption: ???]

[This skill alters the laws of the world within a certain range. It can be used for both attack and domain purposes, but currently, it only allows physical interference.]

The details would only become clear with use. Taesan continued his descent into the labyrinth.

—

[Quest for the 66th Floor has begun.]

[Defeat the shadows of the 66th Floor and pass through.]

[Reward: Supreme Attack Boost Potion.]

[Secret Reward: ???]

“…You. That thing.”

As always, the shopkeeper was waiting at the entrance, his face contorted into a grimace.

His gaze landed on the wrist guard.

“Something’s different. Don’t tell me…”

“I met her.”

“What? She was in here? When?”

“Quite a long time ago, it seems.”

Reflecting on the conversation with the lake giant, it must have been at least 500 years.

“The power emanating from that wrist guard…”

The shopkeeper gave a bitter laugh.

“So, she’s become an immortal.”

His bloodshot eyes turned to Taesan.

“Where is she?”

“She’s on the 65th floor… but I doubt you’ll be able to reach her.”

Accessing the witch’s domain required mastery of Intent Projection. The shopkeeper didn’t seem powerful enough for that.

“I’ll figure that out myself. I have some questions for her,” he muttered. Clearly, he had business with the witch, but it wasn’t of concern to Taesan.

Taesan passed the shopkeeper and proceeded to the 66th floor.

A monster appeared.

It was a shadow.

A shadow that mirrored Taesan’s appearance was waiting for him.

Taesan drew his sword, and the shadow did the same.

Taesan observed it closely, then swung his sword sharply, dozens of afterimages forming in the air.

The shadow mirrored the movement exactly.

Its stance was strikingly similar to Taesan’s.

“A mimic?”

A monster that stole the power of adventurers and imitated them.

[A Shadow Eater has appeared.]

[Shadow Eater: A monster residing in deep forests, it steals the power of intruders and mimics their form.]

That shadow devours its host and mimics them as if it were the real thing.

The spirit spoke.

[Normally, a skilled warrior could defeat it, but it seems a magician has significantly strengthened it. For it to appear as a monster here…]

Taesan gazed at the shadow before him. A monster imitating him. If that was the case, how far could the imitation go?

‘Tap.’

Taesan stomped the ground.

‘Clang, clang, clang!’

He swung his sword ferociously, and the shadow mirrored every slash.

With a spin, he twisted the trajectory of his sword, activating his skill to deflect and follow through with a precise strike while casting a spell.

The shadow moved to counter him.

However, its movements were slightly delayed. The difference wasn’t significant but enough to give Taesan the upper hand. Slowly but surely, the shadow began to be pushed back.

‘A monster that mimics degraded movements.’

The strategy was to overpower it with extreme skill and force. While this might pose a challenge for other adventurers, it wasn’t for Taesan.

He had roughly figured out how to handle it. Now it was time to test his newly acquired skill.

The description of Partial World Alteration indicated it could be used in two modes: attack and domain.

He decided to start with its attack function.

[You have activated Partial World Alteration.]

‘Crack.’

With a scraping noise, the roots of his wrist guard began to tremble violently.

‘Boom!’

The roots shot out across the room, ravaging everything in their path.

It was, quite literally, the roots of destruction. They crushed and obliterated anything that stood in their way.

Initially, the shadow tried to respond, but it couldn’t withstand the onslaught for long. It was shattered and obliterated in an instant.

“This is…”

It was more powerful than intermediate magic.

Though it didn’t seem as versatile as the magic of the God of Magic, in sheer destructive power, it surpassed it.

However, it wasn’t without drawbacks.

Taesan opened his status window.

[Mana: 6130/6560]

The skill had been active for less than ten seconds, yet it consumed 400 mana.

The power exceeded that of intermediate magic, but the mana cost was enormous.

‘I can’t use this for long.’

It seemed best suited for short bursts of overwhelming force or as a trump card.

Still, being able to unleash such a powerful ability without any delay was a distinct advantage. Considering how black magic, despite its power, often required time to open a pathway, this skill had plenty of applications.

Next, he tested its domain functionality. Using catalysts he had brought from the witch’s domain, he created a makeshift domain.

The domain he crafted was designed to block enemy approaches.

[You have activated Partial World Alteration.]

‘Whirr.’

A colorless domain formed around Taesan.

As he moved, the domain followed, just as the witch had explained—the wrist guard was the anchor of the domain.

Taesan crossed the room and encountered the next shadow.

He approached the shadow. The shadow tried to counter, moving toward him, but it was stopped by the domain.

The shadow swung its sword.

‘Clang!’

Even though its movements were degraded, it had still borrowed Taesan’s stats. Yet, the domain didn’t break under its assault. Its defense was formidable.

The transformation of alchemy into something more practical made it significantly more useful within the labyrinth.

Furthermore, the mana consumption for the domain function wasn’t particularly high, allowing for sustained use.

“Not bad.”

The test was complete.

Taesan deactivated the domain.

As he raised his sword, the shadow mirrored him, drawing its blade. Their swords clashed as Taesan assessed its movements.

‘Degraded mimicry.’

Yet, it still managed to keep up. Unless he exerted his full power, it seemed impossible to shake it off.

In other words, Taesan could fight it for days if he wished.

‘Could this work?’

Taesan had regained numerous skills he had learned in his previous life.

Addition. Nullification of attacks. Absolute Judgment. Endurance, and so on. Most of the essential skills had been reclaimed.

However, there were still a few he had yet to recover.

Most of them remained locked because the conditions for acquisition had not yet been met. He was waiting for those conditions to align as he descended further into the labyrinth.

But that wasn’t all.

Balbamaba had explained that the labyrinth’s skill acquisition system was designed to create skills when a related achievement was unlocked.

In other words, there were undoubtedly skills he couldn’t acquire in his previous life but could gain here.

Skills he had tried and failed to obtain before.

Now, Taesan was determined to claim them all.