Ascension Through Skills

“Pain. Pain. Pain…”

“My arm!”

The screams and groans of people filled the space.

Lee Taeyeon clenched her fists with a hardened expression.

They had barely won against the monsters.

But it was a Pyrrhic victory. Nearly half of the players had died, and many of the survivors were gravely injured.

The sanctuary she and the others had desperately built was completely destroyed.

Lee Taeyeon suppressed the surge of emotions threatening to overwhelm her.

She had seen countless tragedies. She thought she was used to it by now, but that was her delusion. The stench of death and fear still carried an overwhelming intensity.

She retrieved the items she had and began purifying the toxic energy of the land, reorganizing their territory. She treated the injured and cleared out the remaining monsters.

After an exhausting effort, she barely managed to finish.

“What is this? What on earth…”

But the chaos had not subsided.

The people who had clung to hope through her existence fell into despair once more with the appearance of a monster she could barely fend off.

As Lee Taeyeon hesitated, unable to comfort them, Taesan spoke coldly.

“Get a grip. You’ve risked your lives to survive, and now you want to die in despair?”

His icy voice struck the ears of the survivors.

“Stand up. We are the last survivors of Earth. After overcoming so much death, are you really going to give up because of this?”

The people clenched their teeth. Despair and sorrow slowly began to subside.

Taesan stepped back.

“Your turn.”

“Ah, yes.”

Lee Taeyeon calmed the people down and began rebuilding once more.

They reconstructed the broken buildings and made the protective barriers stronger and wider than before, ensuring they could better withstand future monster attacks.

The methods to deal with monsters were also reassessed. Until now, if strong monsters appeared, they had left everything to Taesan and Lee Taeyeon.

However, against S-rank monsters, even the two of them could not guarantee victory. While they dealt with the monster, the others needed a way to hold their ground.

There were countless discussions.

“There was a Wave before I came, right?”

“Once. Many died that time too.”

“Then this is the second…”

Time continued to pass.

Players returned continuously from the labyrinth. As much time had passed, there were especially many who had survived Hard Mode.

They were much stronger than during the second Wave.

Thus, the third Wave began.

The monster invasion.

Hundreds of A-rank monsters and several S-rank ones attacked.

“AAAAAHHHHH!”

Lee Taeyeon let out a scream of rage.

“Die!”

She spared no effort, using all the precious items she had.

People and monsters killed each other.

In the end, they achieved another Pyrrhic victory.

“Damn it…”

Lee Taeyeon collapsed, spitting blood. This time, it had been far too close. Even with meticulous preparation, she had barely survived.

She forced herself to her feet, leaning on her trembling knees. The survivors struggled to cheer.

Despite losing so many and having their defenses shattered, they tried to celebrate their victory.

Crunch.

The space distorted.

Lee Taeyeon looked up at the crack in the sky with a pale face. From there, she could feel a presence.

“Ah…”

Lee Taeyeon’s body shuddered.

Goosebumps rose all over her.

A horrifyingly powerful force emanated from beyond the crack.

She was not the only one who felt it.

Easy and Normal Mode players collapsed, unable to withstand the gaze. Even Hard Mode players trembled uncontrollably.

Suddenly, the gaze vanished.

The people exhaled deeply, collapsing to the ground.

“What… was that?”

Taesan’s grim voice lingered in the air.

They barely managed to recover from the damages.

The territory was reorganized, and the buildings were repaired. Using their past battles as experience, they began even harsher training.

But no one smiled.

Most of those who had once looked at Lee Taeyeon with trusting eyes when she first returned were now dead.

The survivors held no hope of survival. They had resigned themselves to death, struggling against the inevitable.

“Ha-ha…”

Lee Taeyeon let out a hollow laugh.

After repelling the Wave, she remembered the gaze she had seen beyond the crack.

It would likely be the next monster to invade Earth. As someone who had cleared the labyrinth, she knew exactly what that monster was.

“An Apostle…”

An existence that surpassed mortality.

Even if she died and resurrected hundreds or thousands of times, it was an enemy she could never defeat.

The others may not have been as certain, but instinctively, they must have known. The power they felt beyond the crack was utterly unreachable.

There was no hope in sight.

Death loomed over everyone.

“What’s the point of this?”

Taesan frowned at the sight of the people.

“If you want to die, go outside the barrier and do it. Don’t drag down those desperately trying to survive.”

“But…”

“But what? Are you saying you want to give up just because you can’t win? Is that why you cleared the labyrinth?”

“Hyung, calm down.”

Junggeun hurriedly approached Taesan. Taesan spoke coldly.

“I have no intention of dying. I’ll do everything I can to win.”

Taesan’s voice was chilling.

But it wasn’t wrong.

They hadn’t conquered the labyrinth to die—they had done so to survive. Giving up now because of an unbeatable foe would be an insult to the lives they had risked.

Grinding their teeth, the people moved their bodies.

From a distance, Lee Taeyeon watched with a bitter smile.

Originally, this should have been her role. She was the only player who had cleared Solo Mode, the leader responsible for guiding people. Yet, this role was now being filled by Taesan, an Easy Mode player.

‘The person who truly fits as a leader is…’

Not her, but Taesan.

But Taesan could never be their leader. He was just an Easy Mode player.

Lee Taeyeon bit her lip.

Time continued to pass.

They restored the damage and worked with players returning from the labyrinth to expand their territory.

But the monsters scattered across the world grew stronger. Surviving without being a Hard Mode player became increasingly difficult.

As a result, the number of people continued to dwindle.

“Ugh.”

Lee Taeyeon glanced at the crack in the sky with a grim expression.

It had been some time since the third Wave. The fourth Wave might begin soon.

“Guess I’ll go.”

Lee Taeyeon leaped gracefully into the air.

“Junggeun, I’m heading out for some reconnaissance. Taesan’s off chasing that runaway Hard Mode player, right?”

“Yes. He’ll probably come back alone as usual.”

Geum Junggeun replied with a bitter smile. Lee Taeyeon shook her head.

“I’ll be back.”

“Ah, safe travels.”

Lee Taeyeon concealed herself completely and exited the barrier.

She looked at the massive wall protecting the people with a bitter expression.

Massive though it was, it was small enough to fit entirely within her sight. Humanity had dwindled so much that a single barrier could protect everyone who remained.

Suppressing her emotions, she propelled herself forward.

As before, she arrived beneath the crack in the sky. Thanks to her experience, she could estimate when the next Wave would begin based on the energy emanating from the crack.

“Huh?”

As she quietly examined the energy, her eyes wavered.

The energy from the crack was fluctuating uneasily.

“Ah…”

Her legs trembled momentarily.

She recognized this fluctuation.

It was a sign that the Wave would begin in less than a week.

Suddenly, she felt a gaze from beyond the crack.

Lee Taeyeon’s breath caught. Even with all her stealth skills activated—skills so advanced that not even a single-digit S-rank monster could detect her at close range—the gaze beyond the crack was clearly fixed on her.

The gaze lingered briefly before vanishing.

“…Ha. Haha.”

After a long time, she let out a laugh. It was a hollow, despair-filled laugh.

Staggering, she returned to the shelter.

The people waiting for her cheered at her return.

“Oh! Taeyeon! You’re back?”

“How was it this time?”

Looking at them briefly, Lee Taeyeon spoke.

“…Where is Taesan?”

“Taesan? He’s probably training the newly returned Hard Mode players.”

“…I see.”

She passed by slowly. The man who had answered her called out in confusion.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.”

After some hesitation, Lee Taeyeon spoke.

“Tell Taesan to come see me tomorrow.”

The ticking of a desk clock echoed in the room.

With hollow eyes, she stared at her room.

It was filled with all sorts of decorations and paintings—tools she had prepared to mask her emotions.

They were meaningless now. It was all coming to an end anyway.

‘I can’t win.’

There was no chance of victory. She knew this, yet she activated her skill.

[You have activated Ten Thousand Possibilities.]

Was there a possibility of defeating the Apostle?

The possibilities were sought.

Every result ended with her death.

[You have activated Ten Thousand Exclusions.]

[You have activated Ten Thousand Possibilities.]

[You have...]

She continued to use the skill. Over and over, she tried to find an answer through hundreds, thousands of deaths.

But none came.

Even after exhausting all her mana and being unable to activate the skill any longer, the only result was death.

Her trembling hand pressed against her chest.

In a week, she would die.

Her breathing grew ragged. The fear she had been suppressing overwhelmed her.

“Haha…”

She reached into her pocket and touched something hard.

The Ouroboros Relic.

It could turn back time once.

Using it would allow her to survive, for now.

But she couldn’t bring herself to use the relic.

To go through that labyrinth again? That hellish place?

If time were reversed, all her powers would reset. She would return to her weak, fragile self.

There was no guarantee she could clear it again. Barely scraping through the first time had required luck and miracles.

Even if she cleared it, she would eventually return to Earth. She couldn’t abandon the survivors and live in the labyrinth alone.

But she didn’t want to die here either.

She couldn’t decide.

Time continued to pass, and she remained in place, trapped in endless deliberation.

Should she meet her end here?

Or return to the labyrinth?

Her thoughts were tangled. Neither option seemed viable.

While she was lost in thought, she sensed someone approaching.

Lee Taeyeon realized the presence belonged to Taesan.

“Huh, didn’t I say to come tomorrow?”

She hurriedly checked the time and realized she had spent an entire day deliberating.

‘No!’

She couldn’t meet Taesan in her current state.

Quickly, she composed herself.

Creak.

The door opened, and an exasperated voice rang out.

“Seriously? Still haven’t fixed that weird habit of yours?”

“I don’t need to hear your opinions about my hobbies.”

Her mouth moved instinctively.

Through her years of acting, she had become a skilled performer. Though she hadn’t reached a decision, her outward appearance perfectly masked her turmoil as she greeted Taesan.

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