Ascension Through Skills-Chapter 315: Fifth Return to Earth (11)

Claaang!

Tae-san dodged the creature’s strike and drove his sword into it. The monster roared and swung its arms wildly.

The creature was faster and stronger than Tae-san. Avoiding its attacks perfectly was impossible.

But it didn’t matter.

His depleted health was instantly restored with a golden glow.

Tae-san braced himself and slashed with both swords, pushing the creature back ever so slightly.

---

[You dealt 3,631 damage to the twisted entity that is no longer alive.]

---

[Oooooh!]

The monster bellowed, thrashing its limbs and creating distance. Tae-san drew on his mana.

The Divine Power restored both mana and magical energy.

With no need to worry about depleting them, he could employ strategies he hadn’t been able to use before.

---

[You have activated Frozen World.]

---

A wave of intense frost swept across the field, and the creature roared as the cold shattered around it from its powerful cry.

---

[You have activated Frozen World.]

---

Once again, Tae-san unleashed the spell.

---

[You have activated Frozen World.]

---

Casting over a hundred times in rapid succession, he blanketed the entire battlefield in frost.

Initially, the creature broke through the frost easily. But under the relentless waves of freezing magic, even it was forced back.

Frozen World was an intermediate spell, and using it like this would quickly drain Tae-san’s mana.

But then he drew upon his Divine Power.

His empty mana bar filled up again.

Frost swirled, light burst forth, and black waves crashed against the creature, etching wounds across its body.

Mana and magical energy drained quickly, only to refill once more.

---

[You have activated Dekarabia’s Twisted Flora.]

---

He opened a pathway to demonic energy, pouring everything into summoning the demon’s roots to pierce the heavens.

Rumble!

The roots shot up, piercing the ground and climbing high into the sky.

More like towers than roots, they struck the creature head-on, impaling it. It roared, breaking through the roots and pressing forward.

Splintered debris from the roots scattered everywhere but was erased by Beatrice’s barrier.

"Tough as hell."

Tae-san clicked his tongue and channeled mana once again.

"Oooooh!"

And people watched him.

Darkness, light, and frost surged around Tae-san as a radiant golden light burst forth.

The depth of the people's faith grew, and even Beatrice observed with interest.

---

[Is this the Divine Power wielded by a mortal?]

---

The Spirit God was born with divinity, unlike mortals who attained it through faith. Seeing a mortal wield divine power granted by human faith was fascinating even for him.

---

[But this can’t be all, can it?]

---

He knew Tae-san’s power well.

---

[Show me the unique strength you possess.]

---

---

Clang!

With a swing, Tae-san deflected the creature’s attack and stepped back, regarding it with his usual calm.

---

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

---

The change sharpened his senses.

Dodging another strike, Tae-san checked his skill window and saw his Divine Power proficiency had reached 80%.

"That was fast."

He’d expected to reach this level by the next return, not already.

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The new sensations taught him how to wield his Divine Power more effectively.

Gathering Divine Power, a golden light emanated from his body, scorching the surroundings like a blazing sun.

[Oooooh!]

The creature ignited, its reaction more intense than any it had displayed before.

---

[You dealt 1,631 damage to the twisted entity that is no longer alive.]

[You dealt 2,251 damage to the twisted entity that is no longer alive.]

[You dealt 1,978 damage to the twisted entity that is no longer alive.]

---

The damage messages confirmed the creature’s agony was real. Screeching, it lunged at Tae-san to crush him, but he evaded and unleashed Divine Power.

Sizzle!

The creature reacted violently to the golden light.

Divine Power, the essence of gods, burned the monster’s body, opposing the power it had received from the dark god.

---

[So, Divine Power can be used offensively, not just for healing?]

---

"Something like that. But it’s not just that."

Now able to wield Divine Power more precisely, Tae-san found battling the creature much easier.

But the monster still showed no sign of faltering.

Though its body was ablaze, its movements were unaffected.

---

‘It’s not that I can’t break through.’

---

The Divine Power surged, but Tae-san felt it beginning to encroach on his mind.

As if to say, “This much is allowed, but no more.” The power seemed to assert that as a mortal, Tae-san had reached his limit.

He had to finish this before the Divine Power consumed him entirely.

If so...

Tae-san focused, drawing in the power of the dark god. Dense, all-consuming darkness began to seep from him.

[Oooooh...]

The creature, mid-charge, hesitated.

Even the mindless creature felt a sliver of fear from the black aura.

Simultaneously, Tae-san gathered his Divine Power.

Until now, he had only been able to mix darkness and divinity in limited amounts. But now, he could wield Divine Power with more control.

The golden light engulfed the black aura, turning it gray and causing it to surge like an impending explosion.

Tae-san poured more Divine Power into it.

His Divine Power drained and refilled repeatedly.

The overlapping golden light grew blinding, forming a fluctuating gray force he controlled and focused into his sword.

The sword trembled, straining to contain the overwhelming power.

Tae-san leapt forward, and the creature roared, charging to meet him.

In one swift motion, his sword cut through the heavens and cleaved the creature’s body.

---

[You dealt immense damage to the twisted entity that is no longer alive.]

---

[Oooooh!]

The creature screamed in agony, and Tae-san clenched his sword, charging again.

“Whoa... what is that?”

Minerva gasped. Tae-san was wielding an utterly foreign power with precision and control.

---

[So, that’s it.]

---

Beatrice quietly observed Tae-san’s unique power.

---

[Divinity, the power of gods, existing within the laws.]

[And darkness, the dark god’s power, existing beyond the laws.]

---

The fusion of these two forces created something new. This gray force was powerful enough to break down boundaries—a force even Beatrice, who had existed since time immemorial, had never seen.

---

[Impressive.]

---

While Beatrice murmured in awe, Tae-san continued to wield the gray force.

Crack!

Every strike brought pained groans from the creature.

Slam!

His sword cut down, severing one of the monster’s arms.

Even an S-rank monster, equivalent to the most powerful single-digit threats, was helpless before Tae-san.

But Tae-san’s expression remained tense.

‘This is...’

He continued to pour Divine Power into the gray aura to stabilize it.

Yet, despite the immense Divine Power, the gray aura wavered, growing larger like an all-consuming flame.

If the battle dragged on, the gray force would spin out of control.

And if that happened, both the gray aura and the Divine Power would consume Tae-san entirely.

He had to end it before then. Tae-san lunged forward, slamming the gray energy into the creature again.

[Oooooh!]

The monster rose, thrashing wildly as it tried to crush Tae-san with its arm.

Tae-san swung his sword. Despite its overwhelming strength, the creature was helpless against his gray-infused sword.

Its strikes deflected upon contact with the sword.

The creature’s concept of defense was nonexistent. From the moment the gray energy infused Tae-san’s sword, it could do nothing against him.

[Oooooh!]

A roar erupted from within the creature, signaling a new transformation.

It swelled, growing as large as a small mountain.

With a guttural screech, it raised an arm, pouring its full power into it.

Dodging was impossible. The now-massive creature threatened to crush Beatrice’s entire barrier.

Then, Tae-san struck back with raw force.

He braced himself, raising his sword and driving it into the creature’s descending arm.

Craack!

The immense pressure bore down on Tae-san.

---

[You took 213,024 damage.]

---

[Your Last Chance skill has activated.]

---

His Last Chance skill, allowing him to survive a fatal blow, activated.

Tae-san released the Divine Power stored in his sword. The restrained gray energy erupted, searching for an outlet.

The gray energy exploded, distorting the space around them.

He swung his sword.

“Kyaaah!”

The people covered their ears and fell to the ground as the explosion shook the barrier Beatrice had erected.

Beatrice focused, restoring the barrier’s stability.

Inside, the explosive force gradually subsided.

When people finally looked up, half of the monster was gone.

The spirit companion was in shock.

---

[What kind of power is this...?]

---

"We were lucky not to get caught in it."

If Beatrice hadn’t reinforced the barrier, everyone would have perished in the blast.

The system window displayed Tae-san’s victory.

---

[Your Spiritual Resonance skill has activated. Twisted Resonance Proficiency has increased by 5%.]

[You have acquired the unique skill [Life Devourer].]

[Your unique skill [Life Devourer] has evolved due to Spiritual Resonance. You have acquired [Seed of Life].]

[Darkness Proficiency has increased by 1%.]

[??? Proficiency

has increased by 3%.]

[Borderline Proficiency has increased by #@!#@!%.]

---

Tae-san looked at his sword, which held the gray energy.

The blade of his Heaven’s First Sword was cracked and twisted beyond repair.

This sword, which had never been damaged, was now unusable.

"I’ll need a new sword."

Tae-san sheathed his sword and descended. He could feel the many eyes staring at him.

“Ooh... Oooooh!”

The people’s cries of admiration erupted.

In reverence, they chanted Tae-san’s name.

The power of their faith flowed into him like a tangible force.

---

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

---

---

People cried out Tae-san’s name. Some even fell to their knees in tears.

“T-Tae-san...”

Kim Hwi-yeon muttered in awe, her expression laced with reverence for him, despite her initial lack of faith.

---

[Intriguing.]

---

Beatrice murmured to himself.

---

“I understand why the dark gods were drawn to you. You’ve piqued my interest.”

---

Though his eyes held curiosity, he prioritized his duty over indulging it.

---

[Before I satisfy my curiosity, I must complete my task. You have won, and here is your reward.]

[Divine Authority Activation]

[A Blessing has been bestowed.]

[You have acquired the divine blessing [Affinity with Nature].]

---

The blessing settled upon everyone. Those who had been praying for Tae-san found themselves suddenly empowered.

“Huh?”

“W-What is this?”

As they felt the new sensation, they looked down at their bodies in awe.

---

[And here is the reward for your achievement.]

---

While the divine blessing extended to everyone, an even greater power descended solely for Tae-san.

---

[You have acquired the unique skill [Direct Contract].]

[You have acquired the unique skill [Spirit God’s Protection].]

[You have obtained the Evolution Stone imbued with the power of nature.]

---

“Huh?”

Minerva was the first to change. She glanced around in surprise.

“Father?”

---

[You’ll have to explore the rest on your own. It was quite entertaining.]

---

With a final chuckle, the Spirit God vanished.

Simultaneously, the system window announced the end.

---

[Special Quest Complete.]

[Rewards will be distributed based on individual performance during the quest.]

[Return to the labyrinth in one day.]