Ascension Through Skills
chapter-226

“…And so, Odin, having concealed his identity, revealed himself and bestowed punishment on those who persecuted him and rewards on those who showed him mercy.”

“Wow!”

Minerva’s eyes sparkled.

Perhaps tired from playing for days, Minerva pestered Taesan to tell her a story. So, Taesan recounted the tale of Odin, the protagonist of Norse mythology, who disguised himself as a shabby old man and descended to Earth.

“Interesting!”

“Are you satisfied?”

“Yes!”

Minerva smiled and laid her head on Taesan’s knee, fiddling with the hem of his clothes.

“It’s almost over.”

It had been almost a week since Taesan met Minerva. During that time, Minerva’s appearance and personality hadn’t changed, but the power within her had grown immensely.

It was now nearing the end. In a day or two, Minerva would become a perfect spirit king.

“It’s over now.”

Minerva stood up with a lonely expression.

“I will become the king who guards this place. And once I become king, I’ll be bound here and can’t leave. And you, an adventurer descending into the labyrinth, will leave this place.”

Minerva tried to smile.

“But it’s okay. I have a duty to protect them. I can endure even if you leave.”

[There is a way.]

The ghost spoke.

[You just need to make a contract with this one.]

“A, a contract?”

[It's not like a spirit king can't make a contract, right? If you make a contract, you can come when called, right?]

Minerva’s face brightened for a moment at the ghost’s words. But then it darkened again.

“…No. If I make a contract with an entity from another world, my power will leak out. It’s not that I can’t protect it, but it’s dangerous. I need to protect this world.”

Hiding her sadness, Minerva was asked by Taesan.

“Do you like the people of this world?”

“Yes. They are the people I must protect, and it’s the world I must live in.”

“And that one from the outside?”

“The human who made a contract with a high-ranking spirit?”

“Yes.”

Hazzak, whose connection was severed by Taesan, came day after day to pound on the barrier, asking for his power back and claiming it was his.

It was a ludicrous claim. The power had never been his to begin with; it belonged to the spirit he had contracted with.

Taesan ignored him.

No one was there to take care of such a Hazzak. Realizing through a series of events that Hazzak had lost his power, they quickly distanced themselves.

Above all, they weren’t approaching because of the power Taesan had shown. Instead, they were offering sacrifices to him from a distance.

[Your proficiency in divine power has increased by 1%.]

Thanks to that, his unwanted divine power proficiency was increasing.

Minerva nodded.

“Still, he’s a child I must protect. As long as he is with me, I will protect him.”

“Is that so?”

Taesan replied curtly.

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

The white space receded.

Taesan returned to the sphere once again.

“How will it end?”

[It is strange.]

Taesan muttered.

Since coming to this world, what he had done was to seek out Minerva and protect her. For a quest given directly by a god, it was too simple. Even if Taesan hadn’t protected Minerva, there wouldn’t have been any problem.

He could guess the reason. Perhaps they were gathering power. For their own purposes, to destroy the world, to kill Taesan.

So, they would start moving soon.

“How will they approach this time?”

Taesan murmured with anticipation.

They couldn’t send down monsters like when he performed the quest for the god of magic. In the world of giants, it had been possible because the high god had created a rift, but Arulia was firmly blocked by the spirit god.

They couldn’t send down monsters. So, they would use another method.

Taesan quietly waited.

Then, the day broke. The spirit king did not call Taesan. Inside the sphere, he could feel a tremendous power slowly being gathered.

It was now the end.

And then, Akien came to Taesan.

“Hello…”

She bowed her head, her face trembling. Taesan nodded in greeting as well.

Akien spoke.

“We are leaving now.”

“Have you given up?”

“We gave up a long time ago. We had no choice but to stay because of Hazzak, but it seems like everyone is tired now. It’s been decided that those who will stay will stay, and those who will leave will leave.”

Hazzak, who had dominated them and imposed his will, had lost his power and become an ordinary human.

Then there was no longer any reason to stay here. Half of those who came here were forcibly brought by Hazzak.

The other half were either interested in the sphere itself or wanted to research it, but as long as Taesan was protecting the sphere, there was nothing they could do.

Moreover, they were slowly realizing that the natural energy emanating from the sphere was growing stronger day by day, and the existence capable of wielding such power was extremely rare.

Such a sphere, protected by an overwhelming power,

The one contracted with the highest grade spirit. Someone who could interfere with contracts with high-ranking spirits.

Exactly who they could not afford to provoke was something they could not fail to understand.

And Akien knew exactly who it was. She bowed her head.

“Thank you very much, Mr. Taesan.”

That was Akien’s sincerity.

Akien did not know exactly how much power the spirit king possessed, but it was not difficult to guess that if the spirit king harbored ill will towards them, their world would be greatly shaken.

Even if that wasn’t the case, they were people who had lived with spirits. The spirit king was an object of worship for them, so for Akien, who sought harmony with spirits, this was the most desired outcome.

Taesan responded.

“I’m just doing my job.”

“Still, my thanks remain unchanged. Thank you for preventing us from walking the wrong path.”

With a voice brimming with sincerity, she spoke.

Just as Taesan was about to respond, power flowed out from the sphere.

The emanating power began to take shape, eventually manifesting as a girl with blue hair.

“Hello?”

She smiled slightly and extended her hand to Akien. Akien, staring blankly, took her hand.

“…Hello?”

“Nice to meet you! I am the child you must protect!”

Minerva waved her hand with a giggly smile. At her words, Akien’s pupils dilated.

“Could it be, you are…”

“I am the Spirit King of the Wind, Minerva! The being who will protect this world!”

Akien was astonished and quickly prostrated herself on the ground.

“Oh, Your Majesty! A humble being greets a great entity! Please forgive any rudeness…”

“It’s okay. It’s all right.”

Minerva waved her hand dismissively. Taesan, who had been watching silently, spoke up.

“Could you always come out like this?”

“It wasn’t possible before, but it’s almost over, right? A shift of power like this is fine.”

Minerva chuckled.

Akien felt like she was going to lose her mind. The thought of directly facing the great Spirit King was something she had never even imagined.

Minerva looked down at her with a joyful gaze.

“I was born to protect you all. It’s my duty, but… still, seeing a human like you directly is nice. Someone worthy of being protected, someone who makes me feel that it’s worthwhile.”

“Th-thank you…”

“Stand up.”

Minerva helped her to her feet. Akien stood, her face full of gratitude.

“Keep liking me from now on.”

“Yes, yes…”

Akien nodded.

Minerva was about to say something with a smile when suddenly darkness enveloped the world.

Purple streaked across the sky, followed by a massive collision of forces.

Light and darkness swirled and clashed against each other.

A collision of powerful beings that even the creatures of the earth could sense.

Minerva’s eyes wavered.

“Mom?”

The powers of the Spirit God and the High God were colliding.

And at that moment, shadows covered the land.

The light of the coming dawn was swallowed by the darkness.

A deep, pitch-black shadow, like a bottomless abyss, swallowed everything in its path. An alien force attempted to devour the Spirit King.

[Your Majesty!]

Barkaza hastily clapped his hands, forming a barrier that encased them.

Barkaza’s barrier, a power of the highest grade spirit, was something even Taesan could not easily penetrate.

Crack.

The moment it collided with the shadow, it was swallowed.

As if the barrier had never existed, it was overlaid by the shadow.

[Eh!]

Barkaza exclaimed in horror, reinforcing the barrier even more firmly, but it too shattered to no effect.

The shadow targeted Minerva.

“Ah!”

Akien hastily wrapped herself around Minerva. Taesan drew his sword and plunged it into the earth.

Woong.

The might of Taesan flowed through the sword into the ground.

The shadow collided with the sword.

As the shadow began to swallow it, the sword slowly turned black from the tip. Taesan shook the sword violently.

Fwoosh!

The air burst, and the shadow dispersed.

The dispersed shadow began to slowly encroach upon the land.

“This is.”

Taesan grimaced.

It was dense.

He had faced many monsters from the High God before, but this was different.

It was fundamentally different, this shadow.

“Over there.”

Minerva’s face was stiff. Taesan grabbed Akien’s nape.

“I’m sorry, but you’ll have to step aside for a bit, Barkaza.”

[Understood.]

“What, what?”

Taesan threw Akien far away. Barkaza clapped his hands, and a barrier formed around the flying Akien.

[Perfect throw. She'll probably land in a peaceful part of the forest.] [Oh… this is.]

The ghost chuckled.

[I didn't expect this…]

“You.”

Minerva’s face contorted.

Hazzak, stained with darkness, appeared from afar.

“Hi, hihihik! Hihihick!”

Hazzak burst into laughter, his face full of madness. His entire body was half submerged in darkness, making it difficult to discern his true form.

“I, I have gained power!”

Hazzak exclaimed.

His voice carried the darkness with it.

“The labyrinth no longer interests me! I have become great!”

“Can being swallowed by power also be considered greatness?”

Not by Taesan’s standards.

“You…”

Fury settled on Minerva’s face.

“You! How dare you! Being an element of my world! A subject I must protect! Cutting off the relationship with spirits! How dare you embrace the power of those villains!”

Her voice, filled with anger, echoed through the world. Nature roared and rose fiercely.

Aroused by the Spirit King’s anger, nature rushed towards Hazzak, who was stained with darkness. The earth shattered, debris flew, and the wind turned into a storm.

Hazzak showed a twisted smile.

“Pathetic!”

The shadow spread in all directions.

The spreading shadow rose and swallowed everything. The fragments of the earth, the wind turned storm, all swallowed.

“Ha, haha! Was this all the power you had! To think I was obsessed with such trivial power!”

“You, you…”

Minerva gritted her teeth. Taesan pulled Minerva back as she gathered more power.

“Don’t stop me! Taesan! He has betrayed us!”

Minerva shouted fiercely.

“Breaking a contract made by mother herself, how dare, how dare he join hands with them!”

“Calm down first. Is it really okay to draw out power like this now?”

At Taesan’s words, Minerva trembled.

The sphere served not only as a protective barrier for her but also played a supporting role in her becoming perfect. It was nearly finished, but drawing out power from outside the sphere like this was not advisable.

“Stay inside. This is something I have to do.”

His quest, received from the Spirit God, was to protect the Spirit King. It was counterproductive for the Spirit King to step forward in person.

[Your Majesty, please protect your body within the sphere. You are not complete yet.]

Barkaza also chimed in. Minerva bit her lip.

Taesan laughed.

“I wondered how they would come at me, and it’s this way. This is new.”

At his words, Minerva’s face turned pale.

I-

Please don’t.

Kill.

Him.

“That’s not it.”

Taesan dismissed her words.

Not killing Hazzak wasn’t the reason the High God intervened. It was simply because Hazzak was closest to Taesan and harbored the greatest animosity towards him.

Many humans were targeting the sphere. If it weren’t for Hazzak, another would have been chosen by the High God.

“Pay it no mind and go inside. I’ll finish this quickly.”

“…Okay. I’m sorry.”

Minerva’s form slowly began to disperse.

“But be careful. This is very different from what you’ve faced before.”

“I’m well aware.”

The dispersed Minerva returned inside the sphere.

“Hi, hihihick!”

Hazzak laughed.

“Your power! It’s nothing! You are nothing!”

Taesan did not react to Hazzak’s words. Precisely, there was no need to.

He was consumed by power.

His self was buried under madness, rage, and power, no longer intact. Engaging in dialogue with such a being was meaningless.

Giggle.

The darkness hidden within Hazzak showed Taesan a laugh.

A great being turned its gaze towards Taesan.

Taesan loosened the muscles throughout his body.

The darkness hidden within Hazzak.

An abyss that swallows everything. Darkness in every form.

This was not a monster. A mere entity of that level could not possess such power.

Something else, transcendent, beyond mortals, currently exiled from the world.

It was a High God.

[Master. That is dangerous.] [Oh. Oh-ho. I've heard stories, but this is my first time seeing a contract creature.]

“Do you know what it is?”

[High Gods desire to trample the world. They use all means at their disposal, often sending monsters into your world... And where that's not possible, they use the inhabitants of the place.]

“A contract with the High God.”

[Right. An inhabitant of the world makes a contract with a High God, forsaking divine protection to become one of their minions. Once that happens, divine protection means nothing. Because it's the inhabitants of the world who have accepted the High God themselves, acknowledging their existence. That’s why they can breach the Spirit God’s protection and intervene.]

The ghost clicked its tongue.

[Why would anyone accept such a contract? It destroys the soul, body, and mind.]

A contract with a god was not easy. Even those with powers beyond reach in the outside world did not receive their choice.

It was more about the conditions than the difficulty of the contract itself.

The Apostle’s contract was a granting of divine status upon a human.

This meant that the weak, those who could not meet the conditions, even if they accepted the contract, their minds collapsed, and they lost themselves.

Therefore, gods were selective about the humans they entered into contracts with. They evaluated whether the human pleased them and whether they possessed the strength to withstand the Apostle’s status.

However, the High Gods were not like this. To them, mortals were merely toys, so it’s not uncommon for mortals who sought only power to be treated as disposable pawns by them.

[It would have been impossible normally... but it seems Hazzak sent the power of the contract, seizing the opportunity of the Spirit King's absence, who is the guardian of the world. That guy was not without talent. Now I see why the Spirit King was enraged.]

The Spirit King was the being that protected this world. She guarded all of Arulia.

Yet, a being she was supposed to protect denied her and made a contract with a High God. It was akin to her very existence being denied.

[I... don't even know what to say.]

The ghost swallowed its saliva.

[Though he contracted with a High God, a human wouldn't be able to endure a proper contract, so, he wouldn't even possess a fragment of that power. Yet, it's a contract with a transcendent being. The power it wields is unlike any monster you've encountered before.]

“I’ve got a rough idea.”

Shadows stretched out.

A deep color that turned everything to black.

The transformed space was no longer Arulia.

It became a space of darkness where everything was obscured.

Taesan had encountered such a space on Earth before.

A massive rift in the sky. The power emanating from there was the same. This was a being that had directly contracted with a High God. Hence, the power it wielded was that of the High God.

“This will be a good experience.”

[The opponent is an unbeatable enemy.] [You have activated Apostle Transformation [Myriad Souls].]