Ascension Through Skills
chapter-224

Hazzak confidently led the people toward the sphere, with the high-ranking spirit following him.

The spirit’s power made everyone marvel.

A subtle energy spread among them all. It was a power that commanded respect simply by existing.

They all thought that even if they attacked together, victory was not guaranteed against such an absolute being.

As they got closer to the sphere, greed appeared on Hazzak’s face.

“Ah…”

Even though they hadn’t arrived yet, a formidable power was felt. At least, the high-ranking spirit contracted with him could be considered such compared to the power within the sphere.

‘If I just swallow that!’

He could gain power.

Suppressing his excitement, he asked,

“Is the area prepared?”

“No. It might take a little more time.”

“Why is it taking so long?”

“I’m sorry. It needs a bit more tuning…”

Hazzak clicked his tongue.

This one and that one, none were useful. He planned to smash everything once he got the power.

They almost reached the sphere.

And Hazzak’s steps halted.

“What’s that?”

Hazzak frowned.

A human with black hair was leaning against the sphere, his eyes closed.

“What?”

“Who is that person by the sphere?”

People were confused. Then Akien gasped softly.

“Ah…”

\Beside the sphere stood Taesan. Marianne asked at her reaction.

“

Do you know who it is?“

“……No.”

Akien shook her head, closing her mouth and looking at Taesan with complex eyes.

“What’s that?”

Hazzak looked at Taesan with a crumpled face.

“……I don’t remember that face. Didn’t we set up a barrier to prevent outsiders from entering?”

“No, we definitely did.”

The man in charge of the barrier panicked.

The barrier was still functioning without any issues.

Clearly, no one except those permitted should have been able to enter, yet there was a man looking like an outsider right next to the sphere.

“Who is that?”

Hundreds of people murmured, looking at Taesan.

At that moment, Taesan opened his eyes.

The murmuring ceased as Taesan slowly rose to his feet.

“You! Who are you?”

Hazzak stepped forward, shouting, his face contorted with emotion.

“This is my place! Get lost! Or I’ll kill you!”

Taesan’s gaze shifted to Hazzak, who flinched momentarily.

It was an indifferent gaze, devoid of any value or emotion.

It was as if he saw Hazzak as nothing more than an inanimate object. Hazzak had never been looked at in such a way before.

[Master. This person is…]

The high-ranking spirit groaned.

[It's dangerous. It would be best to retreat for now.]

“Shut up!”

Hazzak shouted roughly, waving his hand in irritation.

“Wretched human! Get lost!”

“Sorry, but that’s not going to happen.”

Taesan responded. His voice was soft, yet it echoed in their ears as if amplified.

“From here on, you are not allowed. Turn back.”

“Ha!”

Hazzak sneered at Taesan.

“Do you think you’re the first of your kind? There have been many like you. ‘This is a sacred being. How dare a human touch it.’ They raved in front of the sphere.”

They all believed in their power and resisted Hazzak.

But none of them remained in this world.

“I don’t know how you broke through the barrier, but I have no time to talk to something as lowly as you.”

Hazzak signaled to the high-ranking spirit, which groaned again.

[Master……]

“Do it!”

[Damn.]

Finally, the spirit cursed and regarded Taesan with a serious gaze.

Power surged from the high-ranking spirit, leaving the onlookers in awe of its strength.

“Ah…”

“This is a high-ranking spirit…

They couldn’t fathom the magnitude of the power being gathered.

The amassed power was unleashed towards Taesan.

Everyone expected Taesan to be overwhelmed by the force. Those with weak constitutions looked away.

Taesan spoke.

“Barkaza.”

Kooong!

A golem materialized in front of Taesan.

The high-ranking spirit was taken aback.

[Lord Barkaza!]

Kaang!

The power clashed with the golem, unleashing a massive wave.

Not a single scratch appeared on Barkaza’s body.

[You've grown quite powerful. You've become useful.]

Barkaza laughed heartily. The high-ranking spirit swallowed.

[Why are you here……] [Why? Because I've made a contract.]

“Barkaza?”

“That Barkaza?”

“Could it be…”

The surrounding people whispered among themselves after hearing the conversation between the spirits. Hazzak shouted with a puzzled face.

“What!”

His attack had been blocked.

It was something Hazzak had never imagined. Barkaza looked at Hazzak and smiled slyly.

[Are you the human who recently made a contract with a high-ranking spirit? You're quite violent and rude for that. You won't live long.]

“…Who are you!”

Hazzak shouted in denial. He had his suspicions, but he couldn’t believe it.

Barkaza dismissed his denial.

[I am Barkaza, the highest-ranking spirit with a multitude of colors.]

Barkaza unleashed the power he had been harboring.

People held their breaths.

An immeasurable force enveloped them.

Just the energy emanating from him made the high-ranking spirit look pitiful in comparison.

Barkaza stood in front of the sphere.

[Sorry, but this person is under my protection. I cannot allow any closer approach.]

People were astonished.

Hundreds of years ago, there was a human

He contracted with the highest-ranking spirit, which everyone believed was impossible. And with overwhelming power, he advanced towards the world, single-handedly subjugating it.

The name of the highest-ranking spirit he contracted with was Barkaza.

A great being that could only be seen in history books was before their eyes.

“If that’s the case.”

Spirits could only exist in the human world if they formed a contract. Meaning, someone had contracted with the highest-ranking spirit.

Naturally, their gaze turned towards Taesan.

“…Don’t make me laugh!”

Hazzak yelled out loud.

“A human contracted with the highest-ranking spirit? That’s just a legend!”

“But…”

The power they felt was self-evident. It truly was the highest-ranking spirit, incomparably stronger than any spirit they had previously contracted with.

“I don’t believe it. Attack!”

[Master!]

“Shut up and attack!”

[Sigh.]

The high-ranking spirit sighed and began to gather its power. Hazzak turned his head abruptly.

“You too! Quickly!”

“But…”

People hesitated. Hazzak’s face twisted in anger.

“Anyone who dawdles will be killed!”

Proving his threat was no bluff, the power of spirits swirled around Hazzak’s entire body. Reluctantly, people began summoning their spirits and amassing power.

Barkaza laughed heartily.

[Master. What shall we do?]

“If talking won’t suffice, we’ll have to teach them a lesson. This is perfect. I need to gauge your power anyway.”

Multiple spirits. And one high-ranking spirit.

It was the ideal scenario to assess the power of spirits.

“Go ahead and do as you wish.”

[That’s exactly what I wanted to hear.]

Barkaza clapped his hands in delight.

[Come at me, my kin. Try to bring me down with your power.]

“……Die!”

Hazzak shouted.

The power of the spirits was unleashed all at once.

[What a spectacle.]

Hundreds of lights filled the sky, a scene that demanded admiration.

Barkaza clapped his hands.

Kooong!

A massive barrier encased the area. It was one of Barkaza’s defensive powers.

Kukukukukung!

The spirits’ attacks collided with the barrier.

The barrier remained unyielding, effortlessly blocking all the attacks.

[My king has granted you mercy, thus I will not harm you.]

Barkaza clapped his hands. Just like the attack towards Taesan, beams of light began to rain down.

“Ah, ahhh!”

“Run away!”

They screamed.

The descending light precisely targeted the spirits. Unable to withstand the shock, the spirits began to revert one by one.

“Can he control every single beam of light?”

Taesan was impressed. If he could control hundreds of beams, no weak monster, no matter how numerous, could approach. It was a significant advantage, especially considering fights on Earth.

[Lord Barkaza!]

The high-ranking spirit screamed, gathering power to create a shield. However, as soon as a beam of light touched it, the shield shattered.

[Cough!]

“This, this…”

Hazzak stood agape.

Hundreds of beams of light were erasing the spirits.

Even though they were lower-ranking spirits, the hundreds that gathered couldn’t put up any proper resistance.

“…This is impossible!”

[...Lord Barkaza!]

The high-ranking spirit yelled out.

[This person is our enemy! He has killed our kin!] [So what?]

Barkaza replied nonchalantly.

[What do you want me to do about it? Hit my master on the back of his head?] [Why did you make a contract with such a person! And why is he here!]

The high-ranking spirit gnashed its teeth.

[...Don't tell me! You're aiming for the person behind you!] [That's somewhat close. Though many details are different.]

The contract between the spirit god and Taesan was something even Barkaza didn’t know about. Naturally, the high-ranking spirit wouldn’t know either. It misunderstood that Taesan was targeting their king.

[Why would you!] [Be quiet.]

Barkaza said indifferently.

[I was defeated by my master. That's why I accepted him as my master. If you have a problem with that, try to defeat me with your strength.] [...Lord Barkaza!]

The high-ranking spirit’s power surged.

Hazzak gnashed his teeth.

“The domain! What about the domain!”

“It, it’s ready! But!”

“Just do it!”

“Yes, yes!”

Wooong!

The domain created around the high-ranking spirit activated. The power of the lower-ranking spirits, desperately fleeing, was sucked towards the high-ranking spirit.

[Master, Master!] [It hurts!]

The lower-ranking spirits struggled, but they couldn’t escape the domain’s power. Eventually, all spirits not yet recalled were forcibly summoned back, and their power was gathered into the high-ranking spirit.

[Ohhh...]

The power of the high-ranking spirit noticeably increased.

[From now on, it won't be easy. For our king, I will defeat you.] [This will be interesting. Give it a try.]

Kooong!

The powers of the spirits collided. The high-ranking spirit did not get pushed back, as it had said.

“Are the spirits gathering their power and amplifying it? Interesting,”

Taesan muttered.

But that was it.

Barkaza clapped his hands. Hundreds of beams of light poured towards the high-ranking spirit.

The high-ranking spirit gathered power and exploded it.

The beams of light scattered in all directions.

However, the scattered beams of light gathered again and poured down.

Kukukukung!

[Ugh!]

“The difference in class is clear.”

No matter how much the high-ranking spirit gathered and intensified its power, it remained a high-ranking spirit. There was an insurmountable gap between it and the highest class.

Barkaza said to the struggling high-ranking spirit.

[Don't worry too much. It's not what you think. Quite the opposite, actually.]

“This is impossible!”

Hazzak exclaimed vehemently.

“I am, I am the most powerful man in the world!”

His firmly believed absolute truth was crumbling.

“I am the man destined for the labyrinth! The man who will become stronger than anyone there and become a god!”

“You, of all people?”

Taesan scoffed.

Hazzak was indeed strong. That was undeniable.

If he descended into the labyrinth, he could probably reach the 20th floor without issues.

But that was it.

Others with more talent and experience couldn’t survive or broke mentally in the labyrinth.

“Your dream is grand.”

Then, it was time to show him reality.

“Step aside.”

[Master?]

Taesan commanded Barkaza, who stepped back in confusion.

[Human...]

The high-ranking spirit staggered to its feet.

“Come at me.”

“…Ha!”

Hazzak laughed.

Challenging a spirit with a human body was impossible. Hazzak thought Taesan had gone mad from the power of spirits.

“Kill him!”

[...Our enemy!]

The high-ranking spirit charged fiercely.

Powered by hundreds of lower-ranking spirits, the high-ranking spirit’s class might be unknown, but its power had almost reached that of the highest-ranking spirits.

Its power slammed into Taesan’s entire body.

Taesan lightly raised his fist.

By the time one could see that the fist had moved, the high-ranking spirit’s body had already burst apart.

“…What?”

[I, Human!]

The high-ranking spirit got up, repairing its lost body, and charged again.

Taesan waved his hand lightly, disrupting the spirit’s power.

[Grgh!]

A light gesture.

A light punch.

Each of these had the high-ranking spirit trembling as if it would dissipate at any moment.

Hazzak couldn’t believe what was happening before his eyes.

“How, how can a human…”

The power of spirits was supposed to be beyond human reach.

Even lower-ranking spirits, let alone high-ranking ones, had the power to calm floodwaters and temporarily stop landslides.

Yet, such a spirit was being pushed back by a seemingly ordinary human.

“Your so-called absolute power of a high-ranking spirit means nothing in the labyrinth.”

“…Could it be!”

Hazzak’s pupils dilated at Taesan’s words.

Taesan clenched his fist.

Sensing the ominousness, the high-ranking spirit surrounded itself with a sturdy barrier, a defense covering its entire being.

The fist moved.

The defense shattered, sending the high-ranking spirit to being forcibly summoned back.