Ascension Through Skills-Chapter 314: Fifth Return to Earth (10)

"Haaah."

"You’ve done well, ma’am."

"And you too, Joong-geun."

Finally, the rough organization was complete. Kim Hwi-yeon slumped onto the table. Even for a player deep into the 40th floors of hard mode, the amount of work had been exhausting.

Now, all that remained was to rest until they could return to the dungeon. She started to pull herself up, intending to catch up on the sleep she had been postponing.

Whirrrr!

A massive wave of energy slammed into them, freezing Kim Hwi-yeon mid-motion.

"...What?"

"Wait."

Geum Joong-geun’s face also hardened as they hurried outside.

"What is that?"

They looked up at the sky in shock.

Above them, the heavens were opening.

The power emanating from it was absolute, a concentration of pure, incomprehensible energy beyond anything they could fathom.

Everyone who came out, drawn by the surge, was left paralyzed in fear. Those in Iron Mode, like Lee Taeyeon and Kang Jun-hyuk, felt the impact even more intensely.

"Uh..."

"A god? What is that?"

Though gods had descended before, the aura now felt different—more savage, more alien.

They continued to stare, dazed, at the sky.

Boom!

Suddenly, a colossal force crashed down from the heavens. Space distorted under the impact, and people screamed, falling to their knees.

At the same time, a beastly roar echoed from the sky—a roar of desperation, a cry of defiance from a creature that would not be deprived of what was its own. Everyone clamped their hands over their ears. Lee Taeyeon and Kang Jun-hyuk clutched their heads in pain.

“Ugh!”

Lee Taeyeon covered her mouth, feeling nauseous. The mere presence of the force wasn’t directed at them, yet it shook their minds.

Booom!

The being’s roar seemed to push back, and the opened sky above began to close.

Then, the transformation began.

[Oooooooh!]

A terrifying cry shook the world as a twisted, warped entity expanded and began to fill the heavens.

"What is that now!"

Kim Hwi-yeon screamed. She had thought it was all over, but the sudden events left her reeling.

Fortunately, the system window provided some clarity.

---

[Special Quest Initiated]

[Defeat the monster.]

---

"A special quest?"

"So it’s not over yet?"

People murmured, trying to understand the situation.

"Does this mean we have to defeat that thing?"

Everyone turned to look at the monstrous entity in the sky.

Its form was so distorted it was hard to discern what it was.

"Ah..."

"Ugh."

People recoiled, clutching their heads, unable to look at it directly without experiencing intense nausea and disorientation.

[Confusion Check in Progress...]

[Madness Check in Progress...]

[Mental Collapse Check in Progress...]

"Ahhh!"

"Urgh!"

People clutched their heads in agony, and some began to lose control, failing the checks and succumbing to madness. Kim Hwi-yeon gritted her teeth.

"Everyone, don’t look at it!"

Just looking at it was enough to unravel their sanity.

But that wasn’t all. From the heavens, a black mist began to seep down like molten lava.

They couldn’t tell exactly what it was, but they instinctively understood.

If that mist touched them, they would no longer be human.

This chapt𝒆r is updated by frёewebηovel.cѳm.

"Get back!"

Kim Hwi-yeon shouted urgently.

“What... is this?”

In the chaos, they began to flee from the encroaching mist.

---

Tae-san glanced down at the scene and summoned his spirits.

---

[You have summoned Minerva, the Spirit King of Wind.]

[You have summoned Varkaja, the highest-ranking spirit of many colors.]

---

"Master, what is that?"

“Wait, isn’t that Jinryong, the guy who was causing trouble before? How did he turn into... whatever that thing is?”

"The entities interfered."

Tae-san answered their confusion with a brief explanation.

“Watch over everyone below.”

Upon seeing the black mist, Minerva and Varkaja quickly assessed the situation. They nodded in understanding.

"Got it."

[As you command, Master.]

Minerva’s body disappeared and reappeared before the people. They widened their eyes in astonishment as they noticed her.

With a wave of her arm, Minerva unleashed a powerful gust, blowing away the encroaching black mist.

"Whoa!"

"Lady Minerva!"

People let out cries of awe.

However, Minerva’s face was contorted in concentration.

The mist was heavy.

Even for her, the Spirit King, dispelling the mist required an immense amount of energy. Kim Hwi-yeon cautiously approached.

"Lady Minerva, that monster..."

“I’m not sure what it is either.”

It was more alien than any creature she had ever encountered.

"Can such a thing even exist in this world?"

The thought crossed her mind.

Boooom!

Then, a clash of power erupted in the sky. Minerva looked up and murmured quietly.

“Win, Master.”

[Oooooooh!]

The creature that was no longer Jinryong roared.

Raising its twisted, mangled arm, it struck down at Tae-san.

Tae-san braced himself, narrowly dodging the monstrous blow.

Boooom!

The impact shook the heavens, causing Mount Baekdu to stir. Torrents of heat rose from the cracked earth, and smoke began to billow from the awakening volcano.

Seeing the impending eruption, Tae-san spoke.

“Stop.”

Screeech!

By the power of his words, the volcano’s activity ceased.

The smoke dissipated, and the rising heat subsided.

[Oooooooh!]

The creature lunged at Tae-san.

[You are facing an unbeatable opponent.]

[You have activated Apostle Form: [Darkness and Chaos].]

[You have activated the King’s Vessel.]

Tae-san activated a series of combat skills. The mindless creature raged, swinging wildly, causing mountains to crumble.

Crack!

Tae-san blocked the creature’s attack.

But the sheer force pushed him back. The creature moved its broken body at blinding speed, faster than the eye could track. Relying on his senses and instincts, Tae-san swung his sword.

Clang!

Once again, Tae-san was flung across the ground.

The creature leaped into the air, aiming to crush Tae-san with its enormous body.

[You have activated Random Blink.]

Tae-san teleported above the creature and drove his sword down, targeting its weak point with every acceleration skill he had.

Claaang!

[You dealt 1,233 damage to the twisted entity that is no longer alive.]

But his sword failed to penetrate it.

The blade bounced off as if hitting a steel wall. The creature shook violently, and Tae-san activated Air Step to evade its frantic swings.

[Oooooooh!]

The creature roared, leaping after him.

‘It’s fast.’

He couldn’t rely on sight to react; he had to anticipate its movements.

‘It’s strong.’

Its raw stats alone far surpassed Tae-san’s. Every clash forced him back, struggling to defend.

‘And it’s tough.’

For Tae-san, who possessed absolute strikes, defense wasn’t typically an issue.

But this creature’s very essence surpassed Tae-san’s.

[Oooooooh!]

The creature’s body expanded, swelling until it loomed like a hill, its broken limbs swinging wildly.

[You have activated Amon’s Jet-Black Spike.]

A black spike materialized in Tae-san’s hand. He hurled it at the monstrous entity charging toward him.

An explosion erupted.

But it was Tae-san who was forced back.

[Your First Attack Nullification has been activated.]

"Heh."

Tae-san chuckled. Just from the clash of raw power, one of his nullifications had been consumed.

‘An S-rank.’

A strength among the single digits.

This was the level of creature Tae-san had faced in his past life’s final moments.

"This won’t be easy."

The creature leapt again, bringing down enough force to level a mountain onto Tae-san.

---

"U-ugh!"

People scrambled away from the approaching black mist in terror. Minerva frowned, unleashing a gust to scatter the mist.

Yet, it continued to advance.

"Tsk."

Minerva clicked her tongue.

She was a Spirit King, her power comparable to the depths of the dungeon.

But in her summoned state, she couldn’t wield her full power.

Though she held back the mist with all her strength, her limit was near.

‘At this rate, I’ll be forcibly dismissed soon.’

Gazing at the people, Minerva made a decision.

“I’ll push back with everything I have. The moment I do, you all need to run.”

“Huh, what?”

Minerva began gathering her remaining strength, preparing to expend it all in a final burst, knowing it would trigger her dismissal.

Just as she was about to release it...

[There is no need for that.]

A calm voice resounded. A mighty presence appeared before her.

Minerva’s eyes widened.

"...Father?"

[The Spirit God Beatrice has descended.]

An ethereal, wavering form materialized—no physical body, only a manifestation of spirit energy. The Spirit God himself had arrived on Earth.

Beatrice’s power emanated, enveloping Mount Baekdu completely.

The black mist struck the barrier of nature but could not penetrate it.

[I was delayed because these pests caused trouble.]

Beatrice glanced impassively at the fractured land.

[They crossed the line too far, allowing us to intervene from

this side.]

“Father, you can descend into other worlds?”

Minerva was astonished. On Earth, spirits weren’t even a recognized concept. It wasn’t a domain where the Spirit God could exert influence.

Beatrice replied.

[This is a neutral realm. A world where we and they both exist in one step. Its unique, alien nature allows it.]

“O-oh...”

The people stared at Beatrice in awe, instinctively bowing.

Though they lacked the perception to understand Beatrice’s power, they felt an undeniable reverence.

Beatrice’s gaze turned to the people.

He looked briefly at Lee Taeyeon, then spoke.

[There is one you should be praying to instead. Offer him your prayers.]

“Oh...”

Only then did they remember who was fighting the monster above them.

They knelt down, joining their hands in prayer.

"Lord Tae-san..."

"Please..."

While they had believed in Tae-san and revered him as a god before, it was merely admiration for a powerful figure.

But now, things were different.

The black mist felt inherently hostile, rejecting their very existence.

The sight of the monstrous creature in the heavens, and the collapsing Mount Baekdu, was breaking them mentally.

It was a scene that twisted reality, a world where the laws of nature seemed to unravel.

In this extreme moment, people began to believe that Tae-san was their only savior.

Pure faith, untainted and absolute, began flowing toward Tae-san in the heavens.

Beatrice watched this silently.

[Interesting.]

Faith was a manifestation of human belief.

The belief of hundreds of millions was not something a mere human could ordinarily bear.

Though some who had acquired divinity through belief did exist, most were beings with inherent godly traits, not mortals.

Yet Tae-san, a mere human, was accepting all this faith without losing any of it.

The Spirit God, who had existed since the days when spirits were first born, had seen few gods older than himself.

Even he had never seen such a phenomenon before.

[Show me, mortal. Show me the power you hold.]

---

[Oooooooh!]

The monster roared, thrashing its body wildly. The land crumbled and shattered beneath it.

Tae-san swung his sword to block, but the attacks broke through his defenses.

Clang!

[Your Third Attack Nullification has been activated.]

"Tch."

Tae-san clicked his tongue. All his attack nullifications had been exhausted.

But he had gained insight into the monster’s weaknesses.

[You have activated Frost Arrow.]

An arrow of ice shot forward. The monster could easily dodge it, yet instead, it charged straight at Tae-san, allowing the arrow to hit.

‘The creature disregards defense, charging as if my attacks can’t harm it.’

The monster’s patterns were easy to read, thanks to its mindlessness. He could dodge if he focused solely on evasion.

But there was another issue.

[You dealt 1,320 damage to the twisted entity that is no longer alive.]

The creature’s very essence was too powerful. Even when Tae-san’s strikes hit, they barely dealt any damage.

He lacked sufficient power. But Tae-san continued to press forward.

If he lacked strength, he’d simply have to attack more. Just as he prepared to charge...

A tremendous force descended. Tae-san paused, and the monster, sensing it, hesitated.

Tae-san looked over and saw the powerful figure standing next to Minerva.

"A Spirit God."

It raised a barrier around them. The encroaching black mist halted, repelled by its energy.

The god had definitely crossed the line by interfering with Jinryong. This intervention was expected.

It was a good development—now he could focus solely on the battle.

The faith of those who had been fleeing and panicking grew even stronger.

Tae-san could feel it.

[Your Divine Power proficiency has increased by 2%.]

Divine Power surged.

[Oooooh!]

The monster charged. Tae-san didn’t evade. Instead, he used the monster’s momentum to drive his sword into it.

[You dealt 2,431 damage to the twisted entity that is no longer alive.]

[You took 44,353 damage.]

His health dropped below half in an instant.

Tae-san surrounded himself with Divine Power. His depleted health quickly restored, as did his mana and magic.

Divine Power soon ran out.

But Divine Power came from people’s belief.

At that moment, millions were pouring their faith, all of it, into Tae-san.

His depleted Divine Power instantly recharged. Within seconds, it was fully restored.

[Your Divine Power proficiency has increased by 1%.]