Leveling Up With Skills - Chapter 331
“Uh, how…?”
The mages stammered. The magic circle, deployed by ancient mages whom they couldn’t even approach, had been completely shattered.
Bardray let out a hollow laugh and asked,
“Are you capable of using magic as well?”
“I have experience.”
“That doesn’t seem like something that can be explained so simply… Impressive. The barrier that the empire’s mages couldn’t dispel, you broke it in an instant…”
His face, as he looked at Taesan, was filled with admiration.
“You might truly be able to save this world.”
“May I proceed?”
“Yes. Go and earn the world’s recognition, Hero.”
Bardray smiled as he spoke. Taesan stepped beyond the magic circle.
Inside, there was an immense will. It brushed past him, as if testing and observing him.
Then, the ghost, who had remained silent until now, spoke.
[The will of the world will determine whether you truly have the resolve to defeat the Demon King and if you possess the rightful qualifications. It will try to reject you, but there should be no issue.]
As soon as the ghost finished speaking, the will that had been observing him took on an aggressive stance.
The gathered power pressed against Taesan, trying to push him out.
“Hm.”
Taesan looked at the hostility and rejection contained within the will.
There was only one message embedded within it.
You are not qualified.
That was the power behind it.
‘Qualification, huh.’
Taesan immediately grasped its meaning.
The Demon King was a mechanism designed to bring destruction upon the world. The prophecy dictated the conditions and trials necessary to defeat such a being.
And the one meant to defeat the Demon King was the Hero—who had to be a resident of this world.
Only those born of this land could receive the world’s recognition.
Taesan, who was born on Earth, was deemed unqualified.
However, he was not pushed back.
He let the world’s will flow past him, feeling no burden whatsoever.
“In comparison to Haphran’s world, this is laughably weak.”
[That was the collective will of an entire world. It essentially became something akin to the Demon King, so it’s not exactly fair to compare.]
At this level…
Taesan focused his mind.
He gathered his own will and, instead, surged it against the world’s will.
Boom!
With a ripple of power, the world’s will was distorted. Taesan steadily advanced forward. The world’s will erupted in defiance, but every force it exerted was blocked by Taesan’s own will.
“I will save this world on my own terms. You just need to grant me the qualification.”
As he pressed forward, a small sphere came into view.
It resembled the very essence of the world he had seen in Haphran’s world, yet the power contained within was pitifully weak.
Taesan forcefully pressed against the sphere. It trembled, slowly releasing its power.
[That’s quite forceful. How pitiful.]
The ghost murmured softly. From within the sphere, a single power began to drift toward Taesan.
This was one of the powers capable of opposing the Demon King.
[The relic of Kabert. Bring it out.]
Taesan drew his sword. The approaching power was slowly absorbed into Kabert’s relic.
[You have earned the world’s recognition and acquired the qualification to save it.]
There were a total of five trials. Passing them all would grant him new strength. The ghost spoke quietly.
[I failed to fulfill the prophecy… but you will be different. You will gain the power to defeat the Demon King.]
Taesan stepped outside. Bardray, who had been waiting, widened his eyes.
“You returned quickly. I thought it would take much longer.”
“It wasn’t difficult.”
“Was it supposed to be such an explosive and turbulent process? It looked as if you were in the middle of a battle. Fascinating.”
Taesan remained silent. Bardray smirked.
“Good. Then let’s discuss the next prophecy.”
Bardray led Taesan and began explaining.
“The second trial! Do you remember its contents?”
“It was about overcoming the trials of those who have reached the pinnacle at the center of the world.”
“At the center of this world, there are those who have reached the peak in either swordsmanship or magic. The moment they achieve such mastery, they are drawn into a small island at the heart of the world. There, they live in complete isolation from the outside world.”
Bardray took a sip of tea.
“Your second trial is to pass their trials. It won’t be easy. The island is completely cut off from external contact, making it difficult to gather proper information. In fact, a kingdom that once attempted to invade the island was utterly annihilated.”
“I understand.”
Taesan responded calmly. Bardray murmured as if somewhat regretful.
“When I aimed to become the Hero, this was the trial I looked forward to the most.”
Those who had reached the pinnacle and severed ties with the world.
As someone who pursued the sword, Bardray had always wanted to meet such beings at least once.
“I wonder just how strong they truly are. I’d love to go with you.”
“You cannot, Your Highness.”
A soft laughter echoed from behind Bardray. A woman with golden hair chuckled.
“The Hero’s trials must be faced alone. Besides, Your Highness has a duty to protect the empire, does he not?”
“Well, that’s true. Levantia.”
Bardray turned to look at Levantia with a slight smile.
His gaze toward her was filled with warmth.
Even without reading his thoughts, it was obvious what Bardray felt for Levantia.
“But still, it’s hard to suppress my curiosity. Isn’t there some way around it?”
“No, Your Highness. You must also protect me, remember?”
Levantia smiled gently.
[Stay by her side. Before what is obvious becomes no longer so.]
The ghost muttered darkly as he observed them. Though his voice wouldn’t reach them, he spoke as if he couldn’t hold back.
As the conversation ended, Taesan began heading toward the center of the world.
He asked as he moved,
“Did you love her?”
[Love, huh. Yes, I loved her.]
The ghost’s voice was low, heavy with sorrow.
[At first, it was a political marriage. She was beautiful, but I thought of her as nothing more than a partner for the sake of harmony. However, the more I met her, the more we talked, the more I started to see things I hadn’t noticed before. In the end, I came to love her.]
For Taesan, it was a feeling far removed from his own experiences. At least, ever since he had descended into the labyrinth, he had never felt anything even close to that.
[I believed I would spend my whole life with her, that we would grow old and die together without a doubt. But…]
“The Demon King appeared at that moment, didn’t he?”
[Yes.]
The ghost spoke quietly and then fell silent again.
Taesan looked at him for a moment but said nothing. Instead, he simply took a step forward.
Before long, Taesan arrived at the center of the world.
A small island lay within a lake.
Taesan crossed the water and arrived at the island. As if they had been waiting for him, several elderly figures clad in black robes turned to face him.
“…Are you the Hero who has received the world’s recognition?”
Taesan nodded.
The elder at the forefront momentarily furrowed his brow.
“Weak.”
He continued in a tone filled with disappointment.
“I don’t sense any power from you. Did the world truly recognize someone like this?”
Clicking his tongue, the elder turned his body.
“Since you’ve passed the first trial, we must follow the prophecy as well. Come with us.”
The elders began walking into the depths of the forest.
As Taesan followed behind them, he asked,
“Have you all reached the pinnacle in your respective fields?”
“We have reached the end.”
One of the elders answered in a sharp voice.
A sword was held in his hand.
“There is nowhere else to go. The mundane world is nothing but a hindrance. That is why we have settled here.”
The elder glanced at Taesan.
“Even if you fail to defeat the Demon King, it does not matter. If we step in, that mere construct will be nothing.”
He exuded a confidence that only someone who had never once considered the possibility of defeat could possess.
Taesan followed them silently.
They stopped in front of a magic circle. Surrounding it, they pushed Taesan inside.
“Step in.”
They began to exert their power.
As their strength amplified and overlapped, it started to bear down on Taesan.
Rumble!
A powerful force sought to crush his mind and subjugate his body.
The elder spoke indifferently.
“Give up. I don’t know how you managed to pass the first prophecy, but without any power, you cannot overcome this trial. It would have been better if the Imperial Prince had come instead.”
He clicked his tongue in disapproval. To them, Taesan appeared far too weak.
Even a slight application of pressure would be enough to break him.
They were certain that he could not withstand their trial.
And in that moment—
They noticed something strange.
Taesan stood there, unfazed. There was no change in his expression as he withstood their pressure.
No—“withstood” was the wrong word.
Their power never even reached him in the first place.
Their strength was being erased by an overwhelming difference in caliber.
“…Huh?”
“You call this reaching the end?”
Taesan muttered. He had expected to gain something from this, but there was not even a discernible gap in strength. It was utterly disappointing.
[You have activated the Proof of Limits.]
The accumulation of Taesan’s strength materialized, exerting its influence on the world.
The elders’ power shattered. Their faces turned pale.
“A-Ah…”
Even though Taesan had held back considerably, they could not endure it.
He slowly withdrew his power.
[You have gained the recognition of those who have reached the pinnacle at the world’s center.]
His qualification was complete.
Taesan ignored the elders, who sat in stunned silence.
“If you have the time, I suggest you search for a place called the Labyrinth.”
This world was one constructed from the ghost’s memories. It had no real meaning.
Still, Taesan left them with those words.
He immediately set out to fulfill the third prophecy.
“This isn’t much.”
[If even a labyrinth adventurer would struggle with this level of trial, fulfilling the prophecy would be completely impossible.]
The ghost’s words were true. The prophecy was not all that difficult. At Bardray’s current level, he could easily accomplish it.
And yet, the ghost had failed. He had been unable to protect the world.
Taesan’s steps took him into a deep ravine.
Upon entering, he sensed the presence of a being with immense power.
[A guest has arrived.]
A soft voice echoed.
A massive figure revealed itself from within the valley—reptilian scales and enormous wings unfolding into the world.
[You have encountered the Blue Dragon, Kareista.]
It was a being akin to the golden dragon he had seen in Vekeseta.
Back then, Taesan had felt an overwhelming difference in power, an undeniable certainty that he could never win.
But now, things were different.
‘This might be manageable.’
Taesan quietly observed the dragon.
The dragon, too, examined Taesan and let out a quiet sigh of admiration.
[You are strong. There is no way someone of your caliber could be unknown to me.]
The dragon’s gaze shifted toward the ghost.
Then, as if realizing something, it nodded.
[I see. This world was manifested by the gods. That means this world was destroyed by the Demon King.]
The dragon grasped the situation and sighed regretfully.
[Imperial Prince, you failed to save this world. That is why you descended into the labyrinth and met your death.]
[…Yes.]
[That is unfortunate. With the power I sense from you now… no, even if you had possessed just half of it, you could have saved this world.]
[You’re wrong.]
The ghost rejected the dragon’s words.
[Even without such power, even with just this kingdom, it could have been enough. We could have won.]
[Yet you failed.]
[That’s because of them!]
The ghost’s voice rose in anger.
[Those wretched, foolish fools ruined everything!]
The dragon smiled quietly.
[I understand. It is unfair and frustrating. But overcoming such irrationality is part of the trial. A true Hero must be able to rise above it.]
[I refuse to accept that.]
The ghost growled.
The dragon acknowledged his anger.
[I understand. But this is the reality. There is nothing to be done. Time cannot be turned back.]
[No.]
The ghost murmured softly.
[That is not necessarily true.]