Ascension Through Skills-Chapter 316: Fifth Return to Earth (12)
Tae-san experimented with divine power within the shattered heavens, trying various techniques.
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[Divine Power]
[Proficiency: 81%]
[The power of gods. It was once meaningless but has become divine through the collective belief of many people. The faith and reverence of the people transformed it into divine power, which now impacts the world in various ways.]
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At 80% proficiency, Tae-san was finally able to wield it for more than just healing. He gathered divine power, and it radiated outward, forming a golden shield around him.
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[Holy Ground?]
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The ghost murmured. It was an area blessed by divine power, now encompassing the heavens.
"Minerva, give it a hit."
"Alright."
Standing at the edge of the field, Minerva gathered wind and struck. The golden aura held firm, resisting the impact without faltering.
"I put in a good amount of strength, but it’s solid."
"A created sanctuary," Tae-san mused.
The power formed an area of divine protection, shielding anyone within it and blocking external threats. Although useful for protecting many people, the energy required to maintain it was immense. While Tae-san could manage it on Earth, sustained by people’s faith, it would be challenging in the labyrinth. For now, divine power seemed best suited for healing.
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"Perhaps it could be combined with other domains."
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Creating a sanctuary from divine power resembled the Green Witch's magic, suggesting it might be amplified by linking with other forces.
Turning off the divine power, Tae-san considered experimenting with it further once he returned to the labyrinth.
In the distance, cheers erupted, and Tae-san headed toward them.
Kim Hwi-yeon stood, staring dazedly at a flame hovering in the air.
"Did you summon that?"
"Oh, Tae-san. Yes..."
Kim Hwi-yeon nodded.
The flickering flame in the air brushed against her arm like an affectionate pet.
Tae-san assessed the flame.
"A low-tier spirit?"
"Seems like it. This is really strange."
Kim Hwi-yeon scratched her head.
As a reward for Tae-san's victory, Beatrice, the Spirit God, had granted the players an affinity with nature.
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[Affinity with Nature]
[Increases affinity with natural beings, allowing contracts with nature spirits.]
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People could now form contracts with spirits.
Looking around, Tae-san saw that many others had also summoned spirits. Thousands of lower spirits filled the ground, interacting with the players.
It was a decent reward. Having a spirit companion in battle would significantly change the players' approach.
"Oh... now I get it."
Kim Hwi-yeon looked at Minerva beside Tae-san. Others were also staring at Minerva in awe.
Now that they’d bonded with spirits, they could sense it—Minerva held the very essence of nature within her.
Minerva looked at her own hand, feeling the reverent gazes on her.
"I'm usually not this powerful. I’ve changed a lot recently."
The Spirit God had given Tae-san rewards connected to spirits, and the benefits for Minerva were far greater than for Tae-san.
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[Special Passive Skill: Direct Contract]
[Direct contract with spirits. Spirits bound by this contract are no longer restricted by their contractor’s limitations, allowing them to use their full power.]
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[Special Passive Skill: Blessing of the Spirit God]
[The Spirit God's blessing. Contracted spirits will not be unsummoned due to energy depletion.]
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These skills had a simple but profound effect.
Now, Minerva could wield the full power of a Spirit King without fearing unsummoning from energy depletion.
"I didn’t expect him to go this far for me."
Minerva extended her hand, sending a gentle breeze around her.
"So you won’t be unsummoned anymore?"
"Not quite. If I take significant damage, I’ll still be unsummoned. But it’s less likely to happen."
Minerva was a Spirit King, and although she was powerful enough to contend with the labyrinth's depths, restrictions had limited her actions until now.
With her powers fully unleashed, she would be a significant help to Tae-san.
Tae-san took a stone from his inventory.
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[Evolution Stone Imbued with Nature’s Power]
[A stone containing the power of nature. It enhances a spirit's power by one level.]
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"Is this something you can use?"
"No. I’m a Spirit King, and this is a limit for regular spirits. I’d need something much more advanced."
Since Minerva couldn’t use it, Tae-san handed the stone to Barkaja.
"Use it."
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[...Are you certain?]
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Barkaja asked, his tone full of surprise.
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[This was granted directly by our God. Its value is incalculable.]
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Evolution was rare among spirits. Even after centuries of effort, most high-level spirits would struggle to become superior, and it was nearly impossible for superior spirits to gain the strength of spear and shield on their own.
An item capable of such an enhancement was something only a Spirit God could bestow.
Tae-san replied nonchalantly.
"No one else needs it, so go ahead."
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[What a generous master. I’m glad I signed that contract.]
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Barkaja chuckled, taking the stone.
The dark-colored stone shattered, and its energy flowed into Barkaja.
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[Oooh...]
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Barkaja murmured as his energy evolved to a higher level.
"Doesn’t seem to have changed your appearance much."
Tae-san observed that Barkaja still looked like a golem. But the power within him was undeniably different.
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[I’m stronger now, but I still won’t interfere directly in your fights.]
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That wasn’t wrong. Though stronger, Barkaja was still on the level of support, not a primary combatant. Tae-san’s future opponents would be much stronger.
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[I’m a support spirit, so at least I can assist Lady Minerva more effectively.]
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Barkaja clapped, surrounding Minerva with rainbow-colored light. When Minerva summoned her wind, its strength was notably amplified.
"Not bad."
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[“Not bad” doesn’t do it justice. Master, you’re really something.]
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Barkaja knew what he had received was invaluable, equivalent to a nation's worth. Yet Tae-san gave it away like a simple healing potion.
There were other skills to check as well. Tae-san reviewed each change one by one.
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[Special Passive Skill: Twisted Spirit Control]
[Proficiency: 64%]
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[Twisted beings can manipulate their essence with minimal burden, allowing them to control the essence they possess or embody.]
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With Twisted Spirit Control now at 60% proficiency, the mental strain of wielding essence was almost gone. Although minor, this improvement would allow Tae-san to focus more on other powers like his Word of Command and Divine Power.
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[Special Passive Skill: Seed of Life]
[Proficiency: 1%]
[Consumes life to absorb some of the target's essence, enhancing spiritual growth.]
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The original Life Devourer skill had evolved due to his resonance with his spirit. It was likely the skill granted to Jin-ryong by an immortal being.
Its enhancement would be helpful, though nothing to be concerned about.
His proficiency with Darkness had also increased by 1%, and his concept skill proficiency by 3%.
Lastly, he noted changes in his Boundary skill.
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[Boundary]
[Proficiency: ?]
[Something between laws and beyond laws. Drawn from both divinity and darkness.]
[??????]
[System error. Contact the labyrinth administrator for details.]
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Whether it had risen, fallen, or by how much, he had no idea. The proficiency window was filled with indecipherable symbols.
Tae-san recalled the recent battle.
Jin-ryong, blessed by a dark god, had fought with the strength of a high-ranking beast.
Though Tae-san had ultimately won, it could have taken hours against such a formidable foe.
But with Boundary, he had crushed it with ease.
Though he had only barely controlled it, the Boundary erased the creature’s power altogether.
Some skills could erase, such as absolute judgment against defenses and essence impact that struck at the core.
Boundary, however, erased everything—not just essence or defenses, but everything.
It disregarded the world's laws and rules, influencing reality directly.
When he last triggered the Boundary, he’d noticed that Beatrice's barrier had shaken.
The boundary drawn by a being far beyond mortal comprehension had wavered.
‘What is this?’
It was his power, yet he couldn’t fully understand it.
"No wonder the dark gods coveted this."
If he mastered this, none could stop him in the labyrinth.
But mastery seemed impossible.
The only reason he’d managed to use Boundary was the direct prayers people had offered him mid-battle. That constant surge of divine power had barely kept the gray force in check.
In the labyrinth, where divine power recovered much more slowly, such combat would be impossible.
Moreover, his weapon had shattered. Using Boundary had only damaged his Heaven’s First Sword. Had he been careless, he might have lost both swords.
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[I’ve never heard of a labyrinth weapon breaking before.]
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The spirit companion seemed as surprised as Tae-san.
The risks didn’t end there. Divine Power was godly energy. As a mortal, Tae-san’s mastery was incomplete, and every use of it threatened to consume him.
Misuse could strip him of his identity, leaving him as an empty vessel receiving faith mechanically.
The darkness was no different. Either way, it wasn’t power Tae-san could wield recklessly.
"I still have a long way to go."
But Tae-san had something to help him now.
A pair of rings had changed. The white ring now enhanced his control over essence and aided his Divine Power, while the black ring had a simpler effect:
increasing his attack power by 250, bringing it to 1,000.
As Tae-san grew stronger, the rings would help him better manage Boundary.
With the preliminary check done, he looked around. People were testing their new spirit bonds, cheering Tae-san’s name in delight.
But his divine power remained unchanged.
At 81%, he hit another wall. Satisfied to wait patiently, Tae-san spent the remaining day helping Tae-yeon and Kang Jun-hyuk with their training.
And then, a day later...
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[Bonus for slaying monsters +1343]
[Bonus for defeating an aberrant non-living creature +2121]
[Victory bonus +675]
...
...
...
[Final settlement complete]
[You have received 4139p.]
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They returned to the labyrinth.
