Ascension Through Skills
chapter-225

“Ah…”

Hazzak blankly watched the fading remnants of the spirit.

The high-ranking spirit he had contracted with.

His absolute power.

The world’s strongest power that no one could deny.

It had now been shattered to pieces.

“…Impossible!”

Hazzak exclaimed involuntarily.

“No matter! No matter! Even if it’s a being from the labyrinth! You can’t easily eliminate a high-ranking spirit like this!”

“That’s not for you to judge. It’s for me to decide.”

Taesan leisurely approached and grabbed Hazzak’s head.

Hazzak glared at Taesan with bloodshot eyes.

“You’re a cheater! I don’t know what trick you used, but to reverse summon my spirit. Know your place!”

“Nice try.”

It seemed there was something in the labyrinth capable of reverse summoning spirits, and Taesan had utilized it.

[Is this a denial of reality due to shock? It happens from time to time, but it's rare for it to be this severe.] [Such an ugly human.]

Hazzak continued to spew insults, denying what Taesan had accomplished. Taesan, holding his head, quietly looked down at him.

Killing him wouldn’t be a problem.

But the King of Spirits said they were beings she must protect. To scold them moderately.

“Will this make you come to your senses?”

Power gathered in Taesan’s body.

Those watching from a distance opened their mouths in shock.

He activated three proofs.

He gathered soul energy through Twisted Soul Tuning.

And then concentrated his will with a conceptual skill to unleash it.

Taesan’s presence overwhelmed them.

“Ah.”

The faces of the people turned pale.

They started to suffocate. The power emanating from Taesan pressed down on them all. It wasn’t just the pressure of power. Its dignity was also elevated.

An overwhelming existence they could not approach.

“Ah, aaaaaah…”

They bowed their heads. As if worshipping a great deity, they showed reverence towards Taesan.

“What’s this?”

Taesan reluctantly gathered his power.

He deliberately avoided applying physical pressure. If they were subjected to it at this level, they would be crushed and perish the moment they made contact, so he merely made his presence known.

He anticipated they would feel overwhelmed and intimidated, yet he did not foresee such an almost worshipful reaction.

[Your aura is at that level for these guys now.]

Apostle Transformation, conceptual skills, and the abilities of a god were all intertwined,

Taesan’s aura neared that of a god’s apostle.

In a world where even a high-ranking spirit was deemed the strongest, the presence of an apostle was something they couldn’t withstand.

Taesan, having amassed his power, gazed down at Hazzak once more. His face, overwhelmed by the dignity up close, had turned ghostly pale.

“This, this can’t be.”

He stuttered.

“It can’t be like this. You, you’re lying.”

[Oh. Still denying even after being overwhelmed by dignity? That's impressive, isn't it?] [The twisted emotions. The misplaced belief in oneself. Could it be a mix of these things? This is astonishing.]

“Annoying.”

Taesan clicked his tongue.

This one posed no threat. With merely this level of power, he couldn’t harm him or the King of Spirits.

But if left unchecked, he would return day after day to cause trouble.

That would be a nuisance.

‘What should I do?’

Taesan narrowed his eyes.

As he quietly observed Hazzak, Taesan sensed something within him.

‘That is.’

It was a connection. Taesan focused his soul energy to determine where the connection led.

‘A spirit?’

It was linked to another dimension.

Taesan realized this was the contract between Hazzak and the high-ranking spirit.

‘Can it be done?’

[You have activated Apostle Transformation [Myriad Souls].]

Taesan’s power ascended further. Barkaza was taken aback.

[Master? This power is...]

Taesan reached out to Hazzak’s connection.

But the connection wavered and eluded his grasp.

It was a contract between a spirit and a human. No matter the strength of the power or the height of the power, it remained untouchable.

But with the power of a god, the story changed.

The power of those perfect from birth, now exiled from this world, was inherently corrupt.

He manipulated the soul energy with Twisted Soul Tuning. The advanced soul energy made contact with the link.

“Huh?”

Hazzak’s eyes flickered.

He couldn’t be certain, but he sensed Taesan was meddling with something far more significant than anything else.

“Don’t do it!”

“It’s too late.”

Taesan intensified his soul energy.

The link was severed.

“Ah, aaaaaah!”

Hazzak collapsed, clutching his head. Something vital to his being was fading away.

[What's this?] [Master. Did you just interfere with the contract itself?]

Barkaza was astonished. The contract was a bond directly established by the spirit god with humans.

Unless the god herself permitted it, no one could interfere with it.

And Taesan had just done so.

“So this is how it feels.”

Taesan stabilized the fluctuating soul energy.

He roughly understood how the exiled high gods continued to meddle with this world.

Their power was indeed corrupt.

“It’s not perfect.”

The severed link attempted to reconnect. Likely, in about a week, the contract would be reinstated.

Interference was feasible, but breaking the laws outright seemed impossible.

Yet unaware of this, Hazzak merely clutched his head in confusion.

“What have you done to me!”

“Quiet.”

Taesan flung Hazzak aside. Those observing from a distance were taken aback and caught him.

“This is not yours to meddle with. Nor are you the entities to do so.”

Taesan spoke. Though his voice was gentle, it resonated clearly in their ears.

“If you continue to approach, you too will pay a steep price.”

In the ensuing silence, Taesan’s voice echoed.

“You’re back!”

In the white expanse, a girl with sky-blue hair. Minerva greeted Taesan.

“You did well! As expected of the human chosen by mother!”

She hugged Taesan’s waist and spun around gleefully.

Upon Taesan’s final warning, the people took care of Hazzak and distanced themselves.

They didn’t seem to be leaving immediately, but at least most of them had lost the will to do anything about the sphere. Most likely, they would not approach any further.

The group led by Akien, distancing themselves, looked at Taesan with a peculiar gaze.

Fear, respect, and gratitude.

For those who were the only ones aware of the sphere’s truth, they must have been grateful for Taesan protecting it. Minerva spun around cheerfully. She took out the sphere again and smiled.

“Then, let’s play again!”

“Sure.”

Taesan nodded.

The game of catch wasn’t anything grand. Taesan threw the ball, and the King of Spirits caught it and threw it back, a simple repetition.

However, the King of Spirits was greatly enjoying this simple repetition.

“It’s fun!”

“Yeah. Sure.”

“It would be nice to have more people to play with.”

She looked at Barkaza and smiled.

“Let’s play together!”

[If the king wishes, as per the king's will.]

Barkaza joined in.

She didn’t stop there and also spoke to the ghost.

“Let’s play too!”

[Annoying. And I can't do that.]

The ghost was an entity floating without a body. There was no way he could touch the physical sphere.

But the King of Spirits casually waved her hand.

“Then, I’ll make it!”

[What?]

A dense energy enveloped the ghost’s spirit. This energy materialized into a form, and the ghost possessed a newly formed body.

[...Huh?]

The ghost possessed a form that looked like a mannequin.

He moved his body around as if puzzled.

[A body?]

“Now it’s settled? Let’s play together!”

[Even the King of Spirits can create a body?]

The ghost was flustered. He had received a body before, but that was during Pavsha’s trial. In other words, it was an act only achievable through divine power.

“This space is to protect me until I grow up. I can do many things here.”

Minerva smiled brightly.

“It’s not perfect, but I can lend a temporary body. Although it’s limited to within this space.”

[Indeed, that's true.]

The ghost tapped his arm.

Then, pieces of the arm crumbled and fell.

A very fragile body.

But it should be enough to enjoy playing.

Minerva exclaimed,

“Then, let’s play together!”

[Well, I didn't know I'd be babysitting too.]

The ghost grumbled but willingly joined in. He seemed to enjoy having a body for a change.

[It's better than just watching and not being able to do anything.]

Barkaza, the ghost, the King of Spirits, and Taesan started throwing the ball.

Though it was just throwing the ball, even with the increased numbers, Minerva seemed to enjoy it more than anything.

And time passed. The white space gradually began to darken.

“I’m sleepy……”

Minerva started nodding off.

“I’m going to sleep now…… See you tomorrow.”

She waved her hand. The white space receded, and Taesan returned to the outside world.

Taesan sat down in front of the sphere. Barkaza spoke up.

[Spirits are born alone. That's why newly born spirits cling to and depend on the beings around them. The King is no exception. Normally, they depend a lot on the spear and shield born after their growth...... But this King seems to have chosen the master as the object of dependency.]

“It’s not bad. It feels like seeing a child after a long time.”

The labyrinth’s systemic adjustment was fair to both the old and young. Regardless of age, stats were equal.

However, children who were not yet mature failed to survive in the labyrinth. Those who survived often died upon returning to Earth.

Thus, seeing a pure King of Spirits, like a child for the first time in a long while, provided some mental respite to him, who had lived through struggles and in a devastated world.

“AAAAAAAH!”

During that time, Hazzak was going mad.

His office was completely destroyed.

“Come out! Come out! I said come out!”

He screamed.

But nothing happened.

“Ah, aaaaaah……”

He no longer felt the presence of the high-ranking spirit that had accompanied him throughout his life.

“What the……”

The link Taesan had severed was beginning to re-establish itself. In a week, he would be able to call upon the high-ranking spirit once more, but Hazzak, unaware of this development, believed Taesan had completely severed the contract.

“Ha, hahaha…….”

He sat down, his expression vacant.

With his head bowed deeply, he mumbled,

“It’s over.”

The rumor that his contract with the high-ranking spirit had been severed was already spreading.

People would scrutinize the rumor, and they would come to realize it was true.

Then, they would mercilessly abandon Hazzak.

He knew it himself. No one had punished him because he was under the protection of a high-ranking spirit. Without that shield, he was worthless.

“……It’s okay.”

Hazzak tried to comfort himself.

“Just have to enter the labyrinth, only the labyrinth.”

There, he could gain power, something akin to a spirit.

Merely by entering, he could acquire power rivaling that of a god.

Hazzak, who had become obsessed with the labyrinth itself, eventually convinced himself that just by entering the labyrinth, he could gain power.

“How do I enter the labyrinth?”

Then he encountered a problem. He did not know how to enter the labyrinth. After zoning out for a while, his face twisted in realization.

“…Yes! That sphere is the gateway to the labyrinth! That damned one was blocking it for that reason!”

Someone who had preemptively seized power from the labyrinth feared Hazzak gaining strength and thus was blocking the sphere.

“That damned bastard! Daring to prevent me from becoming great!”

Before long, Hazzak was convinced this was the truth. He began to spiral into madness once again.

“Power!”

Great power!

The power to become a god!

Hazzak shouted at the top of his lungs.

A god answered his wish.

But in a twisted manner.

Suddenly, darkness enveloped the office. The glowing Hazzak paused.

“What, what’s this?”

He swallowed.

The darkness that engulfed the office was all-consuming, like an abyss.

From within, a form made of darkness itself emerged.

Hazzak caught his breath.

It was darkness, yet it had form. At the same time, it wavered like a non-entity, dispersing like smoke.

The darkness, with a thousand forms, stretched out.

“Ah, aaaaah……”

Instinctively, he closed his eyes.

He was terrified to look at the being in front of him. Merely looking at it, he instinctively knew, would corrupt his soul and plunge him into a deep abyss.

Hazzak understood.

This darkness was forbidden in this world.

An entity that would engulf everything and create a world of darkness.

The darkness posed a question to him.

If he desired power.

Hazzak couldn’t respond immediately.

He was frightened.

Even he, who so desperately craved power, felt an instinctive fear of the darkness.

But with a trembling face, Hazzak nodded.

He desired power. That was all he had ever wanted.

With that nod, the contract was sealed. Something that originally couldn’t remain in this world received the permission of an entity from this world.

The darkness engulfed him.