Ascension Through Skills

Chapter 315: The Fifth Return, Earth (11)

Kaang!

He dodged the monster’s attack and thrusted his sword. The monster roared fiercely and swung its arms wildly.

The monster was faster and stronger than Taesan. It was impossible to perfectly evade its attacks.

But it didn’t matter.

The moment his health dropped, it instantly recovered in a flash of golden light.

Taesan strengthened his stance and slashed with his dual swords. The monster was slightly pushed back by the impact.

[Dealt 3631 damage to the Twisted Being that is no longer alive.]

Ooooooh!

The monster howled.

Its entire body thrashed wildly as it swung its arms in all directions. Taesan, who had created some distance, began to gather his mana.

The Divinity restored not only mana but also magic.

Without the need to worry about the consumption of mana and magic, he could now use a method that was previously impossible.

[You have activated the Frozen World.]

A storm of frost swept over. The monster roared, shattering the cold with the power contained in its howl.

[You have activated the Frozen World.]

Taesan invoked the magic again.

[You have activated the Frozen World.]

He invoked it again and again, casting the Frozen World over a hundred times in an instant.

The entire collapsing world froze over.

At first, the monster shattered the cold, but it couldn’t withstand the continuous onslaught of the fierce cold and was pushed back.

The Frozen World was an intermediate magic. Even for Taesan, using it like this would quickly deplete his mana.

Taesan summoned his Divinity.

The depleted mana was restored once again.

Frost surged as light exploded.

A pitch-black wave engulfed the monster, and roots sprouted. The black tendrils tore through the earth, carving wounds into the monster’s body.

Mana and magic were quickly depleted and then replenished again.

[You have activated the Twisted Vegetation of Decarabia.]

The passage to the demon was opened.

Pouring all his magic, he summoned the roots of the demon to descend upon the world.

Ku-gu-gu-gu-gung!

The roots pierced through the earth, shooting up and towering into the sky.

Rather than roots, they resembled a single tower.

The monster, impaled by the roots, let out a roar. It then began advancing, crushing and smashing through the roots.

The debris from the roots exploded in all directions but was completely erased by Beatrice’s barrier.

“So damn tough.”

Taesan clicked his tongue and gathered his mana again.

“Oooooooh!”

And the people were watching.

Darkness, light, and cold surged together. At the same time, a bright golden light filled their vision.

People’s faith deepened. Even Beatrice watched with interest.

[Is this the divinity wielded by a mortal?]

The Spirit God was the god of spirits. Originally, it was a being that possessed divinity, not one formed by faith. Thus, the sight of a mortal wielding divinity, fueled by people’s faith, was intriguing to the Spirit God.

[But this is not all, is it?]

Beatrice knew about the power that Taesan possessed.

[Show me. Show me what only you possess.]

Ka-ga-gak!

He swung his sword, widening the distance. Taesan looked at the monster with the same unwavering gaze as before.

[Divinity proficiency has increased by 1%.]

Along with the proficiency window, his senses changed.

As he dodged the incoming attacks and checked the skill window, he saw that his Divinity proficiency had reached 80%.

“That’s fast.”

He thought it would only reach that level by the next return, but it was already at 80%.

The changed senses taught Taesan how to wield Divinity.

Taesan gathered his Divinity. The golden light that radiated from his entire body began to burn everything around like the sun.

Ooooooo!

The monster’s entire body ignited. The response was more intense than any reaction the monster had shown so far.

[Dealt 1631 damage to the Twisted Being that is no longer alive.]

[Dealt 2251 damage to the Twisted Being that is no longer alive.]

[Dealt 1978 damage to the Twisted Being that is no longer alive.]

The reaction was real, as the damage inflicted was considerable. The monster, writhing in pain, lunged at him. Taesan dodged the monster charging to crush him and swung his Divinity.

Chiiiiiik!

The monster reacted violently when it came into contact with the golden light.

Divinity was the power of a god. And the monster was a being that had received the power of an ancient god.

The opposing forces burned the monster’s body.

[So, I can use Divinity not just for recovery, but for attacks as well?]

“Something like that. It’s not just that.”

As Taesan learned to wield Divinity more intricately and diversely, fighting the monster became easier.

But the monster still showed no signs of falling.

Even though its entire body was burning, the monster’s movements didn’t slow down at all.

‘It’s not that I can’t break through.’

The ever-increasing Divinity was also gradually consuming Taesan.

As if to say that no more was allowed, as if to say that this was the limit a mortal could handle, it slowly began to swallow Taesan’s consciousness.

It was powerful, but the limitations were clear. He had to finish this before the Divinity completely consumed him.

Then.

Taesan focused his power.

He began to gather the power of the ancient god. A deep, dark force that consumed everything began to flow out from Taesan.

Ooooo…….

The monster, which had been charging with a roar, hesitated.

The black force contained a power that could instill fear even in the mindless monster.

At the same time, Taesan gathered his Divinity.

Until now, he had only been able to use the combined power of Divinity and the black force in a limited manner.

In reality, it was like a self-destruct device, a double-edged sword that could put Taesan himself in danger.

But now, Taesan had learned to wield Divinity properly.

Divinity enveloped the black force that had surged out. The mixed forces turned ashen and began to explode.

Taesan gathered even more Divinity.

The Divinity was consumed and replenished repeatedly.

The overlapping golden light radiated so brightly that it was hard to keep one’s eyes open.

Balancing the overwhelming Divinity with the surging gray force, he imbued it into his sword.

The sword, accepting the unbearable power, let out a scream.

Taesan stomped his foot. The monster, realizing it too late, let out a roar and charged.

Taesan’s sword moved.

A diagonal slash cleaved through the heavens and earth, and the monster’s entire body was crushed.

[Dealt #@ damage to the Twisted Being that is no longer alive.]

Ooooooh!

A howl filled with pain erupted. Taesan gripped his sword and charged again.

“Whoa… What is that…?”

Minerva gasped. Taesan was wielding an incredibly alien power as if it were an extension of his own body.

[Is that it?]

Beatrice quietly analyzed the power that Taesan was handling.

[Divinity.]

The power of a god. A force that existed within the laws.

[And the black force.]

The power of a high god. A force that existed beyond the laws.

The two forces were mixing to create something new. Even Beatrice, who had existed since the dawn of time, had never seen this gray light before. It possessed a power capable of breaking boundaries.

[Remarkable.]

While Beatrice quietly marveled, Taesan continued to wield the gray light.

Kwa-deuk.

Each time the gray light struck, the monster let out a painful groan.

Kaaang!

He slammed his sword down. The monster’s arm was severed.

Despite its strength that rivaled a single-digit entity, the monster was being trampled without putting up much of a fight.

The gray light that Taesan wielded now held that much power.

However, Taesan’s expression wasn’t bright either.

‘This…’

He was continuously consuming Divinity to keep the gray light infused into his sword.

But despite the amount of Divinity, the gray light continued to waver.

Like a flame that consumed everything, it was devouring the Divinity and growing in size.

If the battle dragged on, the uncontrolled gray light would go on a rampage.

And when that happened, whether it was the gray light or Divinity, the power would consume Taesan.

He had to end it before that happened. Taesan stomped his foot. Once again, the gray power violently struck the monster.

Ooooooo!

The monster rose. It shook its entire body violently, trying to crush Taesan with its arms.

Taesan swung his sword. It was different from before. Although the monster possessed overwhelming strength compared to Taesan, it was repelled the moment it collided with the sword.

From the moment the gray light infused into Taesan’s sword, there was nothing the monster could do.

Oooooooooh!

A roar erupted.

The power within the monster surged and began to mutate again.

Now, it had grown as large as a small mountain.

Ooooo.

With a scream-like sound, the monster raised its arm.

Ooooo.

The twisted arm was filled with the monster’s full strength.

Dodging was impossible. The giant creature seemed ready to crush the entire area protected by Beatrice.

If that’s the case, he’ll crush it with power.

Taesan stomped his foot. The arm came crashing down. Taesan did not dodge. Instead, he held his sword and drove it deep into the arm.

Kwa-deuk-deuk-deuk.

The massive pressure pressed down on Taesan.

[Dealt 213024 damage to you.]

[Your Endurance has activated.]

Endurance, the ability to block a fatal attack once.

Taesan unleashed the Divinity stored in the sword deeply embedded in the giant’s arm. The suppressed gray light found an exit and began to explode.

The gray light exploded, distorting the very space itself.

Taesan slashed with his sword.

“Aaaaah!”

People covered their ears and collapsed. The exploding gray power collided with the barrier that Beatrice had erected. The barrier, created by a transcendent being, trembled violently and began to crack.

Beatrice activated her power. The cracking barrier returned to its original form.

The explosive power trapped inside began to slowly subside.

When people finally managed to lift their gaze, half of the monster had disappeared.

The ghost was shocked.

[What kind of power is this…?]

“If Beatrice hadn’t set up the barrier, we might have been caught up in it too.”

Thanks to Beatrice’s barrier, the people who had barely survived were saved from a meaningless death.

A system window appeared, announcing the victory.

[Your Soul Ascension has activated. The proficiency of Twisted Soul Coordination has increased by 5%.]

[Your Soul Ascension has activated. You have obtained the special continuous activation skill [Life Devourer].]

[The special continuous activation skill [Life Devourer] has evolved due to Soul Ascension. You have learned the special continuous activation skill [Seed of Life].]

[The proficiency of the black force has increased by 1%.]

[The proficiency of ??? has increased by 3%.]

[The proficiency of Boundary has increased by ©!#©!%]

Taesan looked at the Heavenly Sword, which had held the gray power.

The blade of the Heavenly Sword was cracked, and the edge was twisted.

The labyrinth equipment, which had never been damaged or broken before, was now ruined to the point where it couldn’t be used anymore.

“I’ll have to get a new sword.”

Taesan sheathed his sword and landed on the ground. He felt the gazes of many people staring blankly at him.

“Ooooooooh!”

They began to unleash the roar they had been holding back.

They started to revere Taesan and shout his name.

Their faith gathered around Taesan, pressing down on him.

[Divinity proficiency has increased by 1%.]

People shouted Taesan’s name with all their might. Many were crying and bowing their heads.

“Ta, Taesan…”

Kim Hwiyeon murmured with a blank expression. Even she, who had not worshipped Taesan, had a hint of reverence in her eyes.

[Interesting.]

Beatrice murmured towards Taesan.

[Now I see why the high gods coveted you. This is getting intriguing.]

Her eyes sparkled with curiosity.

But rather than capturing Taesan to satisfy her curiosity, she prioritized her duties.

[Before satisfying my curiosity, I must do what needs to be done. You have won. Here is your reward.]

[Manifestation of God's Power.]

[The blessing descends.]

[You have obtained the divine blessing [Affinity with Nature].]

The blessing descended upon everyone. Those who had been crying out to Taesan were startled by the sudden surge of power.

“Huh?”

“What, what is this?”

The people looked at their bodies, bewildered by the sudden new sensations.

[And this is the reward you deserve for your achievement.]

The divine blessing was given to all humans.

A power meant only for Taesan began to descend.

[You have obtained the special continuous activation skill [Direct Contract].]

[You have obtained the special continuous activation skill [Grace of the Spirit God].]

[You have obtained the Stone of Evolution imbued with the power of nature.]

“Huh?”

The first to notice the change was Minerva. She widened her eyes and looked around at her body.

“Mother?”

[You can check the rest yourself. It was somewhat enjoyable.]

With a final voice tinged with laughter, the Spirit God disappeared.

At the same time, a system window appeared, signaling the end.

[Special quest completed.]

[Rewards will be given based on your achievements during the quest.]

[You will return to the labyrinth after one day.]