Ascension Through Skills
chapter-229

Cursed branches stretched out into the world from Taesan as the center.

Hazzak shuddered at the alien power.

‘That.’

This was not a power that beings of this world could possess. Hazzak realized it was an unpermitted power, just like his own.

At the same time, Hazzak realized.

That these branches possessed a much lower quality of power compared to the shadows he controls.

Confident in his judgment, Hazzak wielded his own power. The shadow engulfed everything and rushed towards the branches.

Crackling.

The branches and shadows collided.

And the shadow shattered.

Hazzak was startled. Taesan continued to spread the branches as if it were natural.

“The quality of the power you wield might be high, but the difference in the person wielding it is greater.”

The difference between his quality and Hazzak’s. This difference was producing such a result.

The branches stretched out slowly but surely.

The shadows that occupied the space broke, creating a path towards Hazzak. Taesan grasped his sword.

Clash.

Hazzak roared like a beast and ran towards Taesan, who was charging at him.

Swoosh. The shadows rose.

It was trying to engulf Taesan like a maelstrom. No matter how foolish the user was, it’s a divine power. It couldn’t be taken lightly.

Thus, Taesan did not take it lightly and intended to completely destroy it.

The sword moved.

The shadows shattered and disappeared.

Dodging and crushing the swirling darkness, he twisted his body and rolled his feet. He arrived in front of Hazzak in an instant.

Hazzak, startled, wrapped himself in shadows.

Taesan raised his hand.

Crack.

He forcefully created a space by splitting the shadows. Hazzak’s body was exposed.

Crack.

Taesan’s sword plunged in.

[You deal 253 damage to #$#@!]

“E, eek!”

Hazzak gathered his strength. The shadow ran through the ground.

Taesan stepped on the earth.

He drove away the approaching shadows. He swung his sword. He cut and completely destroyed all the shadows.

And then he pushed his shoulder. Hazzak was flung away with a pain-filled groan.

Clash.

[You have activated acceleration.]

Taesan immediately closed in. He smashed and crushed the frantically swinging shadows.

“Ah, aaaaah!”

Hazzak screamed in resistance, but it’s meaningless. He was easily subdued and thrown onto the ground.

“Aah!”

Fear froze over Hazzak’s face.

Whatever he did, whatever means he used, everything was being smashed.

His confidence that he was strong, that no one could beat him, was shattered. Frightened, he wielded his power.

Of course, a power filled only with emotion could not threaten Taesan.

Crack.

He easily broke through and thrust his sword into Hazzak’s neck.

The shadow tried to cover that part, but it kept falling off as if trying to forcibly reattach a part that had already fallen off.

Death.

That fear clung to Hazzak. The ego that was supporting him began to waver.

Whatever maintained the delicate balance collapsed under the weight of fear.

“No!”

Hazzak cried out in fear, but it was already too late. The shadow engulfed all of him.

At the same time, Taesan’s instincts warned him. This was dangerous. He needed to create distance immediately.

The shadow burst out.

It was much denser and deeper than before. The pouring shadow shattered the cursed branches and spilled out in all directions.

Taesan stamped his foot. He blocked and struck at the shadows spreading like stains across the world, but it was not easy.

“Argh!”

Taesan shook his head to barely shake off a momentary mental interference that rattled his mind.

[You have activated a random blink.]

Taesan created distance and observed Hazzak.

[This is…….]

Darkness was flowing out of every hole in Hazzak’s body.

[Dangerous……]

The figure shaped like Hazzak raised its head.

It looked at Taesan.

[[email protected]#[email protected]$%] {[email protected]@#!#!…….} [[email protected]$!$!!!] [Judgement success!]

Attempts were made to pass unknown judgments. Though he managed to shake them off, a discomfort that ransacked his entire head lingered.

Giggle.

It laughed.

A laugh that seemed mocking or perhaps joyful, its true nature unknown.

[Ugh.]

The ghost’s body trembled uneasily. Even in its reduced state as a mere spirit, it was unsettled by the gaze.

“Is this what you were aiming for?”

Taesan tightened his grip on the sword.

He sensed a massive presence deep within Hazzak.

However, it was merely a remnant left by a contract, supposedly unable to influence this place.

That’s how it should have been.

[Mental collapse… Loss of self. As the balance of the contract collapses, the connected channel of power... was forcibly expanded.]

The ghost spoke in agony.

Now, Hazzak served merely as a conduit in his own shape.

And beyond this conduit, a massive presence directly observed the place.

The gaze of a divine being was palpable.

“Barkaza. Stay out of this.”

[Ugh. I'm sorry, master.]

Barkaza quickly created distance.

His mind couldn’t withstand the engulfing darkness.

Giggle.

With laughter, power flowed from the passage. Rough shadows engulfed everything as they surged forward.

Taesan stomped on the ground.

Crack!

He slashed through the swirling darkness with his sword.

Then, like a snake, the darkness coiled around Taesan’s sword.

“Ugh!”

Crack!

Taesan roughly twisted his sword, forcibly shaking off the darkness.

The shadows that had overtaken the surroundings made his head feel nauseous.

Merely observing it was affecting Taesan’s mind.

[It's dangerous. That's a power directly wielded by a divine being. Even diluted across the passage, it's exerted by the owner of the power.]

The ghost swallowed.

[You have to run. That passage won't last long.]

Even now, Hazzak’s entire body flickered as if it would extinguish at any moment.

It might close in a few minutes, a result of forcibly wedging and inserting power. If he ran, he could survive.

Clash.

But Taesan put strength into his feet.

“No.”

[Why, why?]

“If I run away, what happens to this world?”

The ghost hesitated.

The Spirit King and the Spirit God were still fighting in the sky. There was no spare effort to block the darkness before them.

If he ran now, the divine being would spread its power into this world.

And when the passage closed, half of the world would be destroyed.

“My quest was to protect the Spirit King. If the world falls apart, not even the Spirit King would be safe.”

That must be the divine being’s strategy.

So, he fights.

That was Taesan’s decision.

[...Do you have a chance of winning?]

“Somewhat.”

Taesan’s eyes settled.

[I trust your choice.]

The ghost said so and closed its mouth.

Taesan raised his sword. And at that moment, another massive entity descended from the sky.

[You've come this far.]

“Is it alright for you to come here?”

[Thanks to that guy paying attention here, I got some leeway.]

Beatrice looked at Hazzak, who was emitting shadows.

[He must have really wanted to kill you. With this kind of interference, he won't be able to meddle here for a while.]

Beatrice laughed.

[Then I'll have to destroy it.]

Keeng.

Light descended upon Taesan.

[I'll give you a part of my power. I don't have the leisure to give my full strength, but neither does that guy. It should be enough to withstand his attacks.]

“Thank you.”

[Then go and win, mortal.]

Beatrice concealed her form again.

Taesan began to assess the situation coldly.

The passage, as the ghost had said, seemed unstable, as if it could extinguish at any moment.

That meant if even a single strike succeeded, he could immediately close it.

Taesan charged towards the darkness.

The shadow rose like a tidal wave.

Crack!

The sword clashed. The intense pressure and the rough texture were felt through the handle.

Taesan forcefully exerted his strength. The darkness was repelled.

The power coming through the passage seemed infinitely diluted.

Moreover, because the Spirit God had directly granted him protection, it was possible to push back with force.

Then, it became possible.

[You have activated the Ember of Calamity.]

Whoosh!

Wild flames rose, charging towards the darkness. Flames capable of destroying the world barely singed the tips of the shadows.

But that was enough.

Crack!

Taesan swung his sword, creating a precarious opening.

Suddenly, nothing but darkness surrounded Taesan.

He advanced through the deep abyss.

Crack!

He blocked the descending darkness. The tip of his sword slowly became covered by the shadows.

He shook his feet. The shadows, approaching like snakes, were slightly pushed back.

The power of Beatrice surrounding him condensed according to Taesan’s will. The gathered light exploded the shadows, creating a path.

Step.

Taesan moved forward.

The ghost was gone. Even a spirit couldn’t withstand these shadows; only its soul remained.

He advanced alone.

The shadows began to encroach on his field of vision. The protection of Beatrice around Taesan also slowly started to lose its light.

Crack!

Taesan drew even more light.

Incorporating his own level into it, he struck down with his sword. The shadow cracked open, barely creating a path wide enough for one person to pass through.

Taesan entered it.

His spirit energy was consumed. The power of Beatrice also gradually faded.

But he did not stop walking.

He advanced and advanced. Using a skill close to artistry, he shook off the darkness.

Step.

And beyond the darkness, the figure of Hazzak appeared.

Taesan swung his sword fiercely.

Crack!

The shadow shattered, revealing the figure of Hazzak.

It was now the end. But Taesan’s steps halted.

In front of Hazzak was a dense and deep darkness.

Taesan realized. The shadows filling the area from the passage were merely a deception.

What the divine being truly aimed for was himself.

The darkness exploded.

A deep and powerful force engulfed Taesan.

[Uh?]

The ghost, anxiously waiting outside, became agitated.

He and Taesan were connected through a quest. Naturally, if Taesan were to die or something similar, he would return to the labyrinth.

That link was now trembling.

[...Surely not.]

The ghost’s anxious voice echoed.

What Taesan saw in the darkness was an endless abyss.

He assessed the situation coldly.

Upon arriving in front of the passage, the darkness engulfed him. The divine being had been gathering power to kill him alone.

It wasn’t a physical attack.

‘Mental interference.’

The darkness invaded his mind directly.

Taesan lifted his gaze.

A massive entity loomed beyond the abyss.

The formless entity fixed its gaze on Taesan.

Crack.

Just that was enough to attempt to crush his entire body. A sensation as if his limbs were melting enveloped Taesan.

A constant inner alarm urged him to submit, to prostrate before this unstoppable entity and beg for mercy. The pressure sought to engulf his sense of self.

‘Shut up.’

Taesan shook his head.

The interference faded.

He took a step closer to the massive entity.

The closer he got, the more intense the pressure became. He could no longer feel his limbs or think clearly.

But he advanced again.

‘I am me.’

His mind was his own. His body belonged to him.

He existed in this world as himself. Even if faced with a god or a divine being, they could not interfere with his sense of self.

Had he been meant to be consumed by such darkness, he would have collapsed from the start.

An almost absolute sense of self repelled the erosion. Taesan moved again within the darkness.

Crackling!

Cracks appeared in the shadows that engulfed him.

Taesan raised his sword.

Crashing!

The darkness shattered.

When the world became visible again, he stood before Hazzak.

This was the end. Taesan imbued his sword with all his spirit energy.

Crack.

Taesan’s sword pierced through the passage.

The passage screamed and began to collapse. The shadows stretching towards the world started to be sucked back in.

The entity beyond the disappearing passage cast a peculiar gaze towards him.

Crash!

The passage shattered.

The resulting fragments scattered, and the dispersing fragments began to settle into Taesan’s body.

[Your Soul Ascension has been activated. The proficiency of the special continuous activation skill [Twisted Spirit Tuning] has increased by 7%.] [The proficiency of ?? has increased by 5%.] [The proficiency of Clear Mind has increased by 32%.] [Your Soul Ascension has been activated. You have gained Transcendence [Black].]

A strange sensation swept through Taesan’s entire body.

It was a power that felt both familiar and alien.

[You!]

As the darkness faded, the ghost rushed over eagerly.

[What happened! Suddenly the connection changed weirdly!]

“Calm down.”

Taesan shook his head.

[You, you. What exactly.......]

The ghost couldn’t contain his emotion and stuttered. The momentarily shaken connection was strange. It felt as though Taesan’s very existence had been contaminated and twisted.

“Anyway, it’s over. Let’s talk about it later.”

Taesan looked up at the sky.

The rippling purple power and waves were gradually subsiding.

“It’s over there too.”