Monopolizing Skills to the 666th Floor - Chapter 5

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Skill Devouring to the 666th Floor Episode 005

5. Skill Copy

[Very Weak Essence of Penetration is granted as a reward for clearing the 9th Floor normally.]

Blue energy is absorbed into my body.

[You have absorbed Very Weak Essence of Penetration.]

[Penetration increases by 1.]

Penetration is a stat that pierces through an opponent’s defense.

It helps with attacks.

[You have cleared Labyrinth Underground 9th Floor for the first time!]

[Weapon Selection Ticket (F) is granted as a first clear reward for the 9th Floor.]

[Acquired items are stored in your inventory.]

I also achieved the first clear.

If this had been a timed floor, it would have been the fastest record.

[Would you like to descend to the next floor? Y/N]

[Selecting N will allow you to return to Earth.]

Now I’m going to Earth.

‘I need to get what I’m supposed to receive from the Three Gods.’

From the 10th Floor onward, it’ll be difficult to clear without skills.

[You have selected N.]

[Returning to Earth.]

The God of Time, the God of the Underworld, the God of Balance.

The three focused their attention on Lee Tae Seong’s progress.

He was a human they had never seen anywhere before.

[To clear the Labyrinth with no skills or items. Impressive.]

[So what? His arrogance pierces the heavens.]

[Still, we have to acknowledge it. He not only set a new record on the 1st Floor but also quickly cleared up to the 8th Floor.]

Kairos, Orcus, and Harmonion spoke in turn.

The more they watched, the more admirable this human became.

[He’ll clear the 9th Floor soon too.]

As soon as those words ended, the human completely destroyed the Doppelganger with just two strikes.

Watching him, Kairos, the God of Time, smiled with satisfaction.

[This proves his worth.]

[Tch. I don’t like him.]

[For an ordinary person to clear up to Underground 9th Floor… He’s worthy enough to inherit all our powers.]

Originally, only one Apostle can be designated.

That’s the rule of the Labyrinth system.

To break that rule, proof of the Apostle’s worth is required.

The human they were watching had just sufficiently proven his worth.

[Then as promised, we have no choice but to designate him as all our Apostle.]

[Ah. I really don’t like this human…]

[It breaks the balance, but it can’t be helped. We need to use that human to deal with Amon to restore the world’s balance.]

Since they had made a promise, they couldn’t back down.

The human had cleared the 9th Floor as if to show off and earned the right to inherit all three gods’ powers.

[Making him our Apostle is certain, but I’m wondering what skill to give him.]

[What’s there to think about? Just give him something decent.]

[He’s the talented human we’ve been searching for so long. We should give him whatever we can.]

[Harmonion is right. We should choose and give him the best skill possible…]

[Ah… Something feels off.]

[He has talent reaching the highest level among ordinary people. He might be able to stop Amon.]

The three gods’ opinions soon converged into one.

[We should give him the secret skill we created.]

[Give him that…? To a human whose ideology hasn’t even been verified?]

[What’s there to verify? Just clearing the Labyrinth up to the 9th Floor is more than enough qualification.]

[Do you agree to pass that skill to him?]

[Ugh… I don’t like this human’s attitude…]

[I’m in favor. We won’t find a better candidate than this.]

There was opposition, but there were more votes in favor.

[Then it’s decided.]

Originally, they planned to give it to the most outstanding among the Twelve Apostles, but the Three Gods decided.

To make Lee Tae Seong the Supreme Apostle and support him.

[We’ll give him ‘Skill Copy’.]

The darkness lifted and light arrived.

Squinting at the sunlight was only momentary.

I could confirm I was standing in front of the Sinkhole.

It was the place where the thugs had been buried.

‘It was night when I entered… but it’s already dawn?’

Well, I did conquer almost up to the 9th Floor without rest, so that makes sense.

‘I should go home and wash up.’

I started walking and checked my mobile phone.

Dozens of missed calls and text messages were visible.

‘Most of the missed calls are from the Boss, and the texts are…’

[Boss: Why didn’t you come to work? Are you crazy?]

[Lee Hwi Yong: Hey. Did you also get the Transcendent Spirit message?]

Just texts from useless trash that won’t help.

“Haa.”

I can only sigh at my shallow connections.

“First, I should go and receive my reward.”

While walking, I also checked internet articles.

[Currently conquered Labyrinth is Underground 9th Floor!]

[Conquered up to 9th Floor in one day! Who could it be?]

[Time remaining until destruction is 119 days! We bought time but it’s still not enough…]

[Labyrinth Underground 1st Floor, shortest record 47 minutes 47 seconds. No one has cleared it so far…]

└Shortest record 47 minutes? How do you clear this?

└Is this really a record made by a human? No matter how fast, it usually takes 1 hour 40 minutes?

└How did they do it exactly?

└Don’t know. It’s a monster bastard. Really.

└The person who broke through to Labyrinth 9th Floor now must be this same person, right?

└Yeah probably so.

└But what’s good about holding the shortest record? I’m not an Apostle so I don’t know well.

└They say if you set the shortest record, you get an Achievement. It has some effect…

└If you can’t claim the record within 10 days, the current record holder gets the Achievement permanently. We need to stop them quickly.

└It’s like a title defense match in boxing?

└But why is everyone only talking about 1st Floor? You can set records on other floors.

└As far as I know, you can only set records on 1st Floor.

└Yeah I went to 2nd Floor, but there wasn’t any.

└I’ve completed conquest up to 3rd Floor.

└Show off.

└Anyone who conquered 4th Floor? Please tell us the strategy in advance.

Everyone uses terms like Labyrinth, conquest, and Apostle as if it’s nothing.

‘They’ve adapted to reality. Anyone can see this isn’t some viral marketing.’

To understand this global phenomenon, they have no choice but to believe Specter’s words.

As people who actually entered and exited the Labyrinth and those using skills were confirmed, they’re accepting it as reality.

‘It would be good to share strategies for places I’ve already conquered with people, right? Except for 1st Floor, of course.’

I resolved to live only for myself in this life, but that doesn’t mean I wish for humanity’s destruction.

I hope as many people as possible survive.

I want to live too.

‘In a few hours, a community accessible only to Apostles will open. I should write the strategies then.’

Before that, let me go home and wash up.

Beep beep beep beep— Beep!

Entering my shabby studio apartment, I threw off my clothes first.

The monster’s stench is numbing my nose.

‘Let me wash first.’

After washing off all the monster fluids in the shower, I checked the internet reactions.

Even though some time had passed, no one had appeared claiming to have conquered 4th Floor.

Naturally, there was no message about anyone entering the currently opened 10th Floor either.

‘It’ll take some time for them to catch up to me.’

Perhaps because I conquered so quickly, the followers are slow.

It seems I have time to spare.

‘It won’t be too late to enter 10th Floor after the entry message appears. I’m confident I can conquer it faster than anyone.’

I plan to definitely claim the first clear and record rewards for each floor.

Since the message will announce it, there’s no worry about it being stolen.

“Now I’d like you to give me the promised reward.”

As if they were watching, a message from the Three Gods arrived just then.

[The Three Gods of All Things have proposed that you become an Apostle.]

[Will you become an Apostle of the Three Gods of All Things? Y/N]

The Three Gods of All Things refers to the God of Time, God of the Underworld, and God of Balance.

Pressing Y means I can contract with all three gods simultaneously.

Click.

[You have selected Y.]

[Contracting with the Three Gods of All Things.]

[You have become the second apostle of ‘Kairos’, God of Time.]

[You have become the second apostle of ‘Orcus’, God of the Underworld.]

[You have become the second apostle of ‘Harmonion’, God of Balance.]

I became an Apostle of the Three Gods.

Not just one, but all three.

Achieving on the 9th Floor what I once accomplished on the 180th Floor feels somewhat moving.

‘They must have already chosen their first apostles. Seeing as I’m the second.’

I have a guess who it might be, but it doesn’t matter anyway.

Order isn’t important.

[Status Window opens according to the contract.]

[You can now open your Inventory.]

‘Status Window.’

As I spoke the command, a Status Window that only I could see appeared.

《Name: Lee Tae Seong》

《Race: Human》

《Patron Deities: God of Time, God of the Underworld, God of Balance》

《Cleared Floors: Labyrinth Underground 9th Floor》

《Credits Owned: 0》

【Achievement】

▶Labyrinth Hunter (F)

【Exclusive Skills】

▷None

【Acquired Skills】

▷None

【Stats】

●Strength: 7 / Penetration: 7

●Durability: 7 / Agility: 7

●Vitality: 7 / Magic Power: 7

●Regeneration: 7 / Resistance: 6

‘My stats are mostly aligned at 7.’

The original base stats are 5.

Right now, I’ve reached 7 through general rewards and first-time rewards.

‘It looks shabby with no skills, but I haven’t received everything yet.’

There are things you receive as commemoration for becoming an apostle.

The first among them is.

[In commemoration of becoming an apostle of ‘Kairos’, God of Time, all stats increase by 1.]

[In commemoration of becoming an apostle of ‘Orcus’, God of the Underworld, all stats increase by 1.]

[In commemoration of becoming an apostle of ‘Harmonion’, God of Balance, all stats increase by 1.]

Stats.

My single-digit stats have grown to double digits.

This is the good thing about becoming an apostle of all Three Gods.

I receive three of what others get just one of.

‘And the second is…’

[In commemoration of becoming an apostle of ‘Kairos’, God of Time, you receive the skill ‘Time Stop (SSS)’.]

[In commemoration of becoming an apostle of ‘Orcus’, God of the Underworld, you receive the skill ‘Soul Strike (S)’.]

[In commemoration of becoming an apostle of ‘Harmonion’, God of Balance, you receive the skill ‘Immovable Mind (SS)’.]

Receiving Apostle Exclusive Skills.

But these aren’t the skills I wanted.

The secret skill that the Three Gods have been hiding.

I intend to demand that.

‘Having cleared the 9th Floor with an ordinary person’s body, I deserve to make such a demand, don’t I?’

But then…

[The Three Gods of All Things additionally sponsor a skill.]

[You receive ‘Skill Copy (EX)’.]

The Three Gods took care of it without me even asking.

‘Jackpot!’

Each skill has its own grade.

A total of 10 levels from EX, SSS, SS, S, A, B, C, D, E, to F.

Among these, EX grade is exceptionally strong.

It’s equally difficult to obtain.

‘And I got it in less than a day.’

The one skill sponsored only to the greatest among the Twelve Apostles.

That was ‘Skill Copy’.

That’s why I couldn’t obtain it in the past…

‘This time I got it quickly.’

I didn’t expect the Three Gods to give it so readily.

Is it because I’m the first apostle to contract with all Three Gods simultaneously?

‘The Three Gods will choose 11 more apostles besides me.’

Once they fill the Twelve Apostles?

They’ll definitely intervene to form a proper raid party to face the destruction god Amon.

And they’ll force sacrifices too.

‘Raid party my ass. Forget colleagues and all that—I need to grow strong alone.’

I need to become as strong as possible before the Three Gods interfere. To control the other Apostles.

Fortunately, I received many good skills, so there shouldn’t be any problem getting stronger.

▷Time Stop (SSS)

―Effect: Stops time for 1 second with a 5-minute cooldown. The caster is unaffected by time.

A skill given by the god of time as an awakening commemoration.

As you can tell from the grade, it’s quite overpowered.

‘The cooldown is also relatively short at 5 minutes.’

When I received this skill before my regression, I didn’t understand it.

Just stopping time for 1 second is SSS-grade?

But after using it myself, it was an efficient skill in many ways.

‘I can avoid moments of death or precisely target enemy weak points.’

One second was enough time to do more than I thought.

Of course, I wasn’t the first to receive this skill.

There was a predecessor who used it before me.

Though they died before I did.

‘Having such an overpowered skill and still dying early. I don’t understand it.’

Unlike Transcendent Spirits who can share the same skill among multiple people, the Three Gods’ skills can only be passed to one person each.

What if they want to sponsor another Apostle?

That Apostle must die first before sponsorship becomes possible again.

‘But Skill Copy was impossible to pass to a successor.’

That’s why I’d only heard about it but never used it myself.

‘In contrast, the skill given by the god of the Underworld is…’

▷Soul Strike (S)

―Effect: Consumes one’s own life force to strike the opponent’s soul.

‘Trash.’

It’s not complete trash as I said.

Soul strikes are effective against opponents immune to physical attacks.

However…

‘The problem is consuming life force.’

When using the skill, it drains the caster’s life force, not someone else’s.

A skill with pros and cons like a double-edged sword.

In my previous life, I nearly died because of this skill.

‘This is better instead. Immovable Mind given by the god of balance.’

▷Immovable Mind (SS)

―Effect: Maintains an unshakeable mind at all times.

In combat, panic is directly linked to death.

In that regard, this skill provides immunity to all mental attacks.

‘Fear, terror, auditory hallucinations, visual hallucinations, etc. It’s an efficient skill that frees you from mental problems.’

But it’s also a skill I don’t need since I’ve already built strong mental fortitude.

Instead, I know how to obtain a skill worth having.

“Thank you for the good skills, Three Gods. They look overpowered at first glance. But is it impossible to change skills?”

I deliberately asked while pretending not to know.

Then.

[Kairos, god of time, asks if there are any skills you don’t like.]

“Yes. There are two.”

[Orcus, god of the Underworld, is dumbfounded, asking if you’re trying to bargain when you should just accept what’s given.]

[Harmonion, god of balance, says only one can be changed and asks you to specify which one.]

“Only one? Hmm…”

I knew only one was possible, but I acted like I didn’t know.

I also pretended to consider what to choose.

“I…”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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