Ascension Through Skills

Chapter 301: Side Story - The 100th Floor, Lee Taeyeon

[Lee Taeyeon [Solo]]: Excuse me.

[Lee Taeyeon [Solo]]: Is anyone there?

[Lee Taeyeon [Solo]]: Heyyyyy. There was no response.

Lee Taeyeon, who kept shouting without receiving an echo, let out a deep sigh.

[Lee Taeyeon [Solo]]: Excuse me. I know there's someone alive here. Can you answer me?

But still, no response. She turned off the community.

She heard a chuckle from behind her.

[Are you seeking understanding and comfort from others? You don't seem like an adventurer who has come this far.]

“Don’t remind me of what I already know. Can you just be quiet?”

Lee Taeyeon let out a groan and sat down on the floor.

“Don’t you have anything better to do? Sticking around with someone like me. It’s been over ten years, hasn’t it?”

She didn’t know who the owner of the voice was. It was just a presence that had stuck to her since long ago, talking about various things.

She guessed it was a divine being, but the voice never revealed its true identity.

At first, it was confusing, but now she had gotten used to it. Since it didn’t interfere beyond talking, there was nothing to worry about.

[For beings like me, time is abundant. Just like you.]

“Of course.”

She grumbled as she looked up at the labyrinth’s ceiling.

A gray labyrinth. A small space.

She had spent so much time here that she knew every little flaw in this corner.

[What do you plan to do, child?]

“I don’t know...”

Lee Taeyeon mumbled absentmindedly.

“What should I do?”

She kept mumbling words that had become second nature to her now.

She stared at the ceiling. An hour, two hours, and then a day.

And then a week.

After spending a week in a daze, she stood up.

[What do you plan to do?]

“I can’t just stay idle, so I should give it another try.”

She started walking. Beyond the passage, an endless maze appeared.

She stepped into the maze.

It was a maze of despair that even the most skilled explorers couldn’t fully map out after centuries.

Lee Taeyeon walked through the maze very skillfully.

As if she had repeated it thousands, tens of thousands of times, she walked toward the passage without hesitation.

It seemed more like a nuisance to her.

“Can we shorten this already? I’m tired of walking.”

A quiet laugh was heard at her grumbling.

After walking for a while, she reached the end of the maze. There was a dark-colored door.

And the gatekeeper was guarding it.

Lee Taeyeon smiled and raised her hand.

“Hello?”

[...Again?]

The gatekeeper’s voice was filled with irritation.

“Don’t be like that. Aren’t you fond of me by now?”

Lee Taeyeon grinned.

“Balbabamba. How about welcoming an adventurer for once?”

[If it were a new face, maybe. But I have no interest in you.]

Balbabamba moved its brick-like body in annoyance.

[You came here to clear it, right?]

Lee Taeyeon nodded. After a moment of silence, Balbabamba asked,

[Do you remember how many attempts this is?]

“I don’t know?”

Lee Taeyeon looked blankly at the air.

“How many times? Do you remember?”

[I don't. I don't plan to remember such a uselessly large number.]

“Then why did you ask?”

Lee Taeyeon tilted her head. Balbabamba spoke.

[It's about your sanity.]

“Ah, I see.”

Lee Taeyeon shook her head.

“It’s fine. A very bright future awaits me, so just open the floor.”

[I don't think so, but if you insist.]

Kugugung!

The door opened.

Lee Taeyeon took a deep breath and entered.

How many times has it been? Just like she said to Balbabamba, she doesn’t remember. She has been here for so long that it’s impossible to remember.

But every experience was terrifying.

Her breath trembled, and cold sweat flowed.

The possibility that everything up to now could disappear became a fear that overwhelmed her.

Death.

But she gritted her teeth.

She endured the fear and stepped inside.

Seeing her, the presence watching her was satisfied.

[Hang in there.]

With a small voice, the door closed.

[100th Floor Quest Start]

The lights turned on. The inside of the floor was revealed.

Countless weapons.

Spears, swords, shields, halberds, bows.

Thousands, tens of thousands of weapons were embedded in the ground.

“Alright. Let’s do this again.”

[You activated the Breath of the Hidden Rat.]

[You activated the Hidden Story that No One Knows.]

[You activated the Invisible Shadow.]

Her presence disappeared.

Breathing, small movements, the sound of her clothes brushing.

None of it could be heard.

In this place, Lee Taeyeon’s presence had literally disappeared.

[You activated Ten Thousand Possibilities.]

Lee Taeyeon began to move slowly.

[Quest Failed]

Kugugung...

The door opened. Lee Taeyeon appeared in a tattered state.

Balbabamba asked, as if accustomed to it by now.

[Failed again, huh.]

“Don’t ask if you already know...”

[But today took the longest. You lasted two whole days. Congratulations.]

“Shut up.”

Lee Taeyeon grumbled as she returned to her bed.

Her expression wasn’t bad. Perhaps because she had changed one piece of equipment, she lasted longer than before.

At this rate, she would surely clear it one day.

She heard laughter.

[The gods and wizards dislike you very much. What they want is not a clear like yours.]

What the gods and wizards wanted was a challenge from a great person, a fight for life and steps towards becoming stronger.

But Lee Taeyeon was not like that.

She only sought safe methods.

[They want to use the labyrinth's system to gain power beyond their calculations. But... you are different.]

The laughter grew thicker.

[You find loopholes in quest conditions through countless attempts and discover errors in the floors. Child, you are a parasite in the labyrinth's system.]

A parasite in the system.

If there was one word to describe Lee Taeyeon, that would be it. Lee Taeyeon showed no signs of denial.

“I don’t deny it. But it’s frustrating for me too, you know? They should have made it so people couldn’t exploit the system.”

[That’s not wrong either.]

With a voice mixed with laughter, it said.

[The gods judge you as a parasite and dislike you very much... but I am different. I like you. Rather, I judge them to be foolish.]

Lee Taeyeon lay in bed, listening calmly.

[You are incredible.]

The voice was filled with undisguised admiration.

[This place was created by gods, wizards, and transcendent beings. No adventurer who found this place ever found loopholes and reached the 100th floor by parasitizing the system.]

There were some who cleared the labyrinth.

But Lee Taeyeon was the only one who reached the 100th floor in such a way.

[You are the only one with the potential to clear it with an abnormal method. From my perspective, you are much more valuable than a clumsy adventurer.]

“What does it matter? No one recognizes me.”

She grumbled. The voice laughed.

She kept repeating.

Challenging the 100th floor, changing equipment she thought was insufficient.

Hundreds of attempts turned into thousands. Her equipment became perfect with no room for improvement.

So she began to purchase countless consumable items.

She bought potions and items in such large quantities that even the shop owner couldn’t keep track.

After repeating and moving forward countless times.

Boom!

[100th Floor Clear.]

[A reward is given.]

She reached the end.

[...This is absurd.]

Balbabamba chuckled.

[To think someone like you, not another adventurer, really cleared the 100th floor. It's almost respectable.]

“Shut up.”

Lee Taeyeon panted heavily and collapsed to the floor.

Her whole body was in tatters, and she was so exhausted she could barely speak.

But she had won.

She had cleared the labyrinth.

She grinned.

“I met the conditions. You know what that means, right?”

[Ha. The fact that I can't deny that is sad. Congratulations, mortal adventurer.]

Balbabamba declared.

[You have cleared the labyrinth and earned the right to meet the wizard. Wait here. I will bring him.]

With those words, Balbabamba left.

Lying down to recover her strength, she grinned.

“I did it.”

She did it.

She cleared this hellish labyrinth.

Now she could return to Earth.

Now she could live a happy life with everyone, including Taesan and Junggeun.

Lee Taeyeon grinned and opened the community.

[Lee Taeyeon [Solo]]: I’m going first.

Too much time had passed. She didn’t know if anyone was still left.

She hadn’t used the community since the 100th floor clear was in sight.

But if anyone was still there, knowing that she cleared it might boost their morale.

[Congratulations, child.]

“Thank you.”

Lee Taeyeon was so happy. Her gratitude even extended to the voice.

“Thank you for everything.”

The voice had spoken to her. Without it, she might have truly gone mad.

[What. I had a pleasant experience too. Now, you will return to Earth.]

“Yes.”

She said energetically.

A happy life awaited her.

She was full of hope, and the voice asked her.

[But I am curious, child. Do you desire death?]

“Of course not.”

Lee Taeyeon shook her head.

She didn’t want to die. That’s why she endured countless years, the desire to give up hundreds of times, and arrived here.

[Then, child. Do you want to clear the labyrinth again from the beginning?]

“Why would you ask such a question?”

Lee Taeyeon replied with a tired face.

“Of course not.”

Even now, she risked her life. She had exploited loopholes in the system but still faced death multiple times.

She barely cleared it by a stroke of luck and coincidence. She wouldn’t be able to do it again.

To clear such a place again?

She had no intention of doing that.

The voice chuckled.

[Then what will you choose?]

“What are you talking about?”

[It’s a question for the future. Whatever it is, I will respect your choice.]

She tilted her head. She couldn’t understand the voice’s words.

The voice often said cryptic things.

She thought this time was no different.

She laughed joyfully.

Soon, the wizard would appear. And he would ask her wish.

What would she say? She continued to dream happily.

Return to Earth.

And live with everyone.

She was full of hope.

She realized the meaning behind the voice’s words not long after.