Chapter 345

[Malakos activated Echo of the Earth.]

Rumble!

The ground rippled. As waves of earth surged toward him, Taesan pushed off the ground, evading the attack.

As he soared into the air, Malakos cast another spell at him.

Taesan swung his sword, deflecting the incoming magic before kicking off the air. Activating Leap, he shot toward Malakos.

Clang!

After a prolonged battle, Taesan finally brought Malakos down.

[The Decayed Lich, Malakos, has ressurected.]

Malakos resurrected once more, sneering at Taesan while chanting a spell.

Taesan gripped his sword and lunged forward.

The ghost silently observed the scene.

[I don’t get it.]

Taesan had been fighting Malakos non-stop for an entire day.

Clang!

He narrowly blocked Malakos’s attack, deliberately leaving himself open. Malakos, believing he had the advantage, grinned and pressed forward.

No matter how much he watched, the ghost couldn’t understand what Taesan was aiming for. Eventually, he gave up.

[Explain it to me. What are the conditions? How do you acquire it?]

“You don’t get it?”

[Not even a clue.]

The ghost was undeniably strong. He had the talent and skill to conquer labyrinths.

But his strength was concentrated in swordsmanship.

Unlike Taesan, he wasn’t adept at analyzing skill conditions. Taesan spoke.

“The opponent must have infinite resurrection.”

Clang!

He deflected an ice arrow and dodged a barrage of mana shards.

“And there must be no power loss upon resurrection.”

[I understand that much. But what else?]

“The opponent must have self-awareness. It doesn’t have to be perfect or exceptional, but they must be capable of making decisions and adapting in battle.”

[Self-awareness?]

“And they must retain their memories upon revival. Those are the four key conditions.”

There might be more conditions, but Taesan wasn’t certain. Ghost, still perplexed, asked again.

[You’re saying you can obtain Copy with those conditions? But how do you actually acquire it?]

“You have to defeat the opponent once. Then, when they revive, you must defeat them again in an identical battle.”

Taesan’s words made the ghost pause.

[…An identical battle?]

“Yes.”

Crunch.

Taesan struck Malakos down. His skeletal remains scattered across the ground, only to reassemble once again.

[Not just the final attack, but the entire battle must be identical?]

“Exactly.”

From start to finish. The fight had to be a perfect replica.

That was the condition for obtaining [Copy].

[That’s absurd.]

The ghost let out a hollow laugh.

[Is that even possible?]

Skills like [Addition], [Absolute Judgment], and [Absolute Blessing]—every skill Taesan had acquired so far had conditions that were nearly impossible to fulfill.

But Taesan had overcome the impossible and obtained them. The ghost had grown so accustomed to it that he was rarely surprised anymore.

Yet, the conditions for [Copy] were beyond comprehension even for him.

[A full battle replication? How is that even feasible?]

Taesan had managed to obtain his skills because he eliminated as many variables as possible.

With [Addition], his opponent barely moved. It was simply a matter of adjusting his strikes perfectly.

The fearful, blind aberration responded to specific damage thresholds with preset reactions. By precisely timing his attacks, he could fulfill the conditions for [Absolute Judgment].

[Absolute Blessing] had absurd conditions, but once identified, it was just a matter of using potions and waiting. The acquisition itself wasn’t difficult.

In all those cases, the variables were minimal or entirely within Taesan’s control.

But this was different.

Malakos had self-awareness.

During battle, he could react to Taesan’s actions in countless ways.

That was beyond Taesan’s control.

In fact, Malakos had already responded differently on multiple occasions, even when Taesan repeated the same moves.

[A one-hit kill wouldn’t work?]

“I’m not sure of the exact conditions, but I have to exchange a certain number of blows.”

[Hah.]

Hearing that he had to react to the opponent’s moves, Ghost scoffed.

[You can’t control the variables. Doesn’t that make it impossible?]

“Why would it?”

This skill was certainly more demanding than the others.

There were more variables.

But it wasn’t beyond his ability to control.

“I can obtain it.”

Taesan spoke calmly and moved. The ghost said nothing more.

By his own judgment, it was impossible.

But Taesan had acquired only the most improbable skills thus far.

In that case, the best course of action was to observe quietly. That was the ghost’s conclusion.

Time passed.

Taesan continued to defeat Malakos.

And with each cycle, he gradually adjusted his movements.

He deliberately slowed down, allowing Malakos enough time to react. He left openings that were obvious enough for Malakos to exploit.

Malakos, unaware, eagerly took the bait.

Days passed this way.

Finally, Taesan drove his sword into Malakos’s chest once again, ending the fight.

He examined his body.

His mind remained steady. His muscles showed no signs of fatigue. His stamina was intact.

Even after four days of continuous battle, his endurance hadn’t been depleted.

“Well then.”

After four days, he had fully analyzed Malakos.

It was time.

Taesan kicked off the ground, charging straight at Malakos.

An obvious move.

A predictable response.

The correct choice was to block and assess the situation.

[Malakos activated Scorching Sphere.]

A blazing orb shot toward Taesan’s head.

He lowered his stance, pressing his body to the ground as he dashed forward.

[Malakos activated Echo of the Earth.]

The ground rippled violently.

Taesan pushed off with his feet, leaping into the air.

As he soared, Malakos cast—

[Frozen World.]

Crackle!

[You activated Leap.]

Taesan evaded Frozen World by leaping even higher into the air.

[You activated Landing.]

Taesan’s body shot downward, aiming for Malakos.

[Malakos activated Guardian’s Iron Wall.]
[Malakos activated Wave of Liberation.]

Clang!

Taesan’s sword struck the barrier surrounding Malakos.

The resulting shockwave pushed him back.

As Taesan was sent airborne, Malakos swung his staff.

[Malakos activated Mana Crystal Surge.]

[You activated Frozen World.]

Taesan cast Frozen World.

Malakos did the same, blocking the residual effects with Guardian’s Iron Wall.

Clang!

The battle continued, both combatants narrowly exploiting openings in each other’s defenses.

Tap tap tap.

Malakos clenched his jaw, clicking his teeth together excitedly.

The battle was unfolding exactly as he had planned.

Even in his lifetime, he had never experienced such a sensation.

It was as if he was stepping into a higher realm.

Clang!

Yet, despite his exhilaration, Malakos fell once more.

He had failed to block the Frozen World Taesan cast after retreating with Restricted Blink.

Taesan leaped backward, increasing the distance.

[The Decayed Lich, Malakos, has ressurected.]

Tap tap tap.

Malakos, resurrected, grinned with anticipation.

He was certain of his victory.

The adventurer before him was strong, but he had not figured out where his Life Vessel was hidden.

And the more battles he fought, the stronger he became.

He was responding to every attack flawlessly and delivering optimal counterattacks.

This time, victory was within reach.

Or so he believed.

Taesan thought the same.

“Let’s go.”

Taking a deep breath, Taesan kicked off the ground.

His path mirrored his movements in the previous battle.

Malakos raised his staff.

[Malakos activated Scorching Sphere.]

The flaming orb shot toward Taesan, who dodged by lowering his stance.

Malakos sneered.

His opponent was approaching in the exact same manner as before.

The last battle had been close.

If he fought just a bit more efficiently, he could win.

There was no need to change his strategy.

He would fight the same way and only alter his actions when the crucial moment arrived.

[Malakos activated Echo of the Earth.]

The ground rippled violently.

Taesan leaped away, avoiding the quaking earth.

As he soared into the air, Malakos quickly calculated his next move.

Neither Frost Arrow nor Mana Crystal Surge would be effective.

His opponent had Leap.

He had to force Taesan into using it.

Frozen World was the best option.

[Malakos activated Frozen World.]

[You activated Leap.]

Taesan rose into the air.

Previously, Malakos had countered with Guardian’s Iron Wall and Wave of Liberation.

This time, he planned to use Frost Arrow to pierce through his opponent.

[You activated Landing.]

But Taesan accelerated downward.

Malakos realized it too late.

Taesan’s falling speed—

It was astonishingly fast.

In their previous battles, Malakos had responded instinctively and hadn’t noticed.

At this velocity, countering with an attack spell was impossible.

And he had learned through experience—Taesan’s sword could not be blocked by magic alone.

Defense was his only option.

[Malakos activated Guardian’s Iron Wall.]
[Malakos activated Wave of Liberation.]

Two spells activated simultaneously.

Taesan’s sword shattered the barrier, but the resulting shockwave knocked him back.

Malakos swiftly assessed his options.

What was the best way to subdue an airborne opponent?

Several skills flashed through his mind.

Frost Arrow and Scorching Sphere weren’t efficient choices.

Echo of the Earth was useless against a target in the air.

And Frozen World—based on their previous battles—was not ideal in this situation.

The answer was clear.

[Malakos activated Mana Crystal Surge.]

And then—Malakos finally understood.

The battle was unfolding in the exact same pattern as before.

[…Ah.]

The ghost also realized it.

Throughout their fights, Taesan had subtly left openings.

He had narrowly dodged Malakos’s attacks, creating deliberate gaps in his defense.

[So it was all to guide him.]

Malakos had self-awareness. He remembered his previous battles.

Thus, when countering, he subconsciously relied on his past experiences to determine the best response.

In other words, Taesan had structured each battle, gradually engraving a pattern into Malakos’s instincts.

This allowed him to manipulate Malakos into reacting exactly as planned.

[This is… incredible.]

The ghost had not paid much attention to the hundreds, perhaps thousands, of battles fought over the past four days.

But now, he understood—

Taesan had been analyzing every one of Malakos’s responses, deconstructing them, and meticulously constructing a fight that would fulfill the conditions for [Copy].

These four days had all led to this moment.

Malakos, too, realized it.

Every battle Taesan had fought had been to set this up.

Malakos made a swift decision.

If that were the case, he simply needed to act differently.

He was an adventurer who had reached the depths.

Though he was now a pile of bones, his talent and instincts remained.

Malakos watched as Taesan countered Mana Crystal Surge.

In their last fight, Taesan had responded with Frozen World.

And now, he was doing the same.

As if he had been waiting for it, Taesan activated Frozen World.

Determined to break free from the cycle, Malakos raised his staff.

But—

He realized something.

There were no other spells left.

Scorching Sphere, Frost Arrow, and Mana Crystal Surge could not counter Taesan’s Frozen World.

The only viable response was Frozen World.

And Taesan’s Frozen World was stronger than Malakos’s.

To withstand it, Malakos had to activate Frozen World and then reinforce it with Guardian’s Iron Wall.

Only then could he maintain the advantage.

A magician with the talent to reach the depths, Malakos knew this.

There was no better option. No way to add or subtract from this perfect action.

[You activated Frozen World.]
[Malakos activated Frozen World.]
[Malakos activated Guardian’s Iron Wall.]

The battle unfolded exactly as before.

Malakos was horrified.

In the previous fight, he had been ecstatic.

He had believed that everything was proceeding according to his own design. That he was seeing a higher realm.

His defeat had been razor-thin, so he had thought that by making slight adjustments, he could secure victory.

How foolish.

The only reason things had played out as they did was because his every alternative had been sealed off.

He only had one choice in every situation.

Yet, he had deluded himself into believing he had control.

It had all been within Taesan’s grasp.

In truth, it was Malakos who had been analyzed.

Taesan had identified what skills he used in which scenarios, how he made decisions, and what he deemed advantageous.

Malakos’s grip on his staff loosened.

But his body moved regardless.

He was a dungeon monster.

Until he fell, he had to fight.

Taesan dashed in, pressing himself against the wall.

In their previous fight, Malakos had used Echo of the Earth here.

Malakos desperately wanted to cast something else.

But he couldn’t.

This exact sequence had played out countless times over the past four days.

Every spell he had tried in this scenario had failed.

The only spell that had ever given him an edge was Echo of the Earth.

Taesan was forcing the battle to be identical.

To break the pattern, Malakos had to use a spell other than Echo of the Earth.

But even though he had become a lich, in life, he had been a magician who had reached the depths.

He had always chosen the right answer.

Now, at the final moment, he couldn’t bring himself to choose the wrong one.

[Malakos activated Echo of the Earth.]

Taesan had been waiting for it.

The battle continued.

And with no deviations from the previous fight, the conclusion approached.

[You activated Starlight Arrow.]

A luminous arrow shot toward Malakos.

There was no time for anything else.

Even knowing the outcome, Malakos reflexively cast Frozen World and Guardian’s Iron Wall.

The defensive wall shattered under the force.

[You activated Restricted Blink.]

Taesan appeared behind Malakos.

Malakos desperately wanted to counter.

He twisted his body and raised his staff.

That motion—

It was identical to the last fight.

[You activated Frozen World.]

The chilling cold engulfed Malakos.