Ascension Through Skills-Chapter 417: 82nd Floor, Lemegeton (6)

It was the moment Taesan was about to walk toward the throne.

Several presences were rapidly approaching. Taesan stopped and turned his head.

*“Huff! Huff!”*

*“We... we’ve arrived!”*

Four figures, panting heavily, appeared before him. Their bodies were covered in wounds.

The other contractors had felt the intense shockwave of the battle between Taesan and the remnants of Belial. Realizing that this was the destination, they had rushed here without looking back.

As a result, they had sustained significant damage, but they had managed to reach their goal.

*“Ohhhh!”*

“The throne!”

They gasped in awe upon seeing the throne.

A tremendous power emanated from it.

It was the kind of power that was, quite literally, transcendent, beyond their reach.

That was the power of the demon. The power they sought to claim.

Taesan didn’t even register in their minds. Everyone was mesmerized by Belial’s throne.

And in that moment, Halid moved.

Halid unleashed his dark magic toward the old man. The old man immediately reacted.

*Crack.*

“Ugh!”

The old man roughly erected a barrier. The dark magic that collided with the barrier scattered in all directions.

“You bastard!”

Halid grinned widely.

“Good job!”

*Boom!*

Dark magic exploded.

The contractors bared their teeth and rushed toward Halid.

“Do you think we’ll just let you do this?”

“Hahaha!”

They had all expected that Halid would ambush them once they reached the goal, so they were ready to respond immediately.

But they had already taken too much damage from breaking through Belial's domain.

In contrast, Halid was clearly stronger than them and had enough energy stored up. Despite it being a 1:4 battle, the fight was one-sided. In an instant, all the other contractors fell.

[Greedy, that’s for sure.]

“Quite impressive, really.”

To be so loyal to his desires, Halid’s determination was something to admire.

“Hahaha! I’ve done it! I’m going to become a demon!”

Having defeated everyone, Halid burst into maniacal laughter. His eyes were full of excitement.

“Belial’s domain is mine!”

“Who says so?”

Taesan muttered quietly. Upon hearing the voice, Halid finally noticed Taesan’s presence.

“...The one not chosen. How did you get here?”

Halid furrowed his brow, twisting his mouth.

“I see. So your power is of that nature.”

From the moment Taesan first met them, he had perfectly concealed his power.

It was clear that Taesan’s power was specialized in hiding his presence.

Concealing his form, avoiding attacks from the domain, and barely arriving here. Halid had deduced this.

“You’re of no concern to me. Die.”

Halid punched the air. Dark magic rippled through the space. The waves of magic surged toward Taesan like a tide, attempting to overwhelm him.

Halid didn’t bother to pay attention and started walking toward Belial’s throne.

Taesan, expressionless, extended his arm.

He grabbed the tidal wave of magic, and with a fist, he shattered it.

*Boom!*

The magic waves shattered and scattered in all directions.

Halid, who had ignored him, quickly turned around.

“What trickery is this!”

The waves of magic surged again. Taesan didn’t try to block them. As he simply walked forward, the waves dissipated.

Taesan grabbed Halid by the neck and threw him away.

*Boom!*

“Ugh!”

Halid coughed up blood.

He looked at Taesan with disbelief, his teeth clenched.

“...Dammit!”

Halid realized the truth.

Taesan was far stronger than him.

Whether he had hidden his power or reached a level beyond their perception, what was certain was that Taesan was on a completely higher plane.

‘So far...’

Halid was furious but quickly assessed the situation. He began to distance himself from Taesan, slowly.

“You’re certainly clever.”

Taesan muttered toward Halid.

Halid was thinking about how he could win.

‘It’s impossible with conventional methods.’

His trump cards had already been used to defeat other dark mages.

So, what now?

With his judgment made, Halid moved immediately. He rushed toward Belial’s throne.

*Shhh!*

The spatial fluctuations hit Taesan. But rather than knocking him down, it seemed to be an attack trying to grab his ankle.

‘If I just sit on the throne!’

Then everything would be resolved.

Taesan took a step.

Just that simple movement neutralized the spatial fluctuations.

If he wanted, he could have captured Halid right then, but Taesan didn’t stop him.

Just like Halid used other dark mages, Taesan intended to use him for something important.

Without interference from Taesan, Halid reached the throne.

“Finally! I...!”

He had reached his great position.

With an exalted face, Halid sat on the throne.

At that moment, power descended upon him.

“Ohhh!”

The power of a demon surged through Halid’s body. He felt an overwhelming sense of fulfillment and omnipotence that he had never felt before.

Halid twisted his mouth and looked at Taesan.

Now, he could sense power from Taesan—power that was certainly impressive, but when compared to the power now coursing through Halid, it was clearly inferior.

Halid, intoxicated by the intense power settling within him, was planning to kill Taesan after he had fully absorbed it.

And Taesan silently observed him.

“So, this is what it meant.”

“...What?”

Halid’s face stiffened as he continued to absorb the power.

No matter how much he absorbed, the power just wouldn’t stop.

“Ugh... Ah...”

Something was slowly consuming his very self.

“Hahaha!”

Suddenly, Belial’s servant appeared, laughing maniacally as he watched Halid.

“Foolish and base creatures! This is what your words have led to!”

“Ugh.”

Halid let out a dying sound.

His eyes were losing their rationality as his being slowly disappeared.

And in its place, something else was filling him up.

Taesan knew exactly what was happening.

It was Belial. The demon who had been thought to be dead.

It was using Halid’s body to descend.

Taesan had expected this to some extent.

A demon was, by nature, an existence beyond mortality.

Certainly stronger than Taesan.

Such an existence’s power could not be accepted by a mortal being. It was obvious that it was trying to use him as a vessel for resurrection.

“My lord, I apologize for allowing such a lowly being to serve as your vessel!”

The servant begged. Taesan walked slowly toward the crumbling Halid.

The servant sneered at him.

“What a shame! You’ve been too complacent. If it were you, you might have been able to collect Belial’s power, but now it’s too late!”

“No.”

Taesan placed his hand on Halid’s body.

The demon’s power surged toward Taesan, attempting to resist.

“It’s too late to interfere now! The fusion is already in progress!”

“You’re not fully merged yet, are you? Your power and dignity are unstable. It’s not hard.”

Dark energy poured out of Taesan’s hand, suppressing and nullifying the demon’s power.

“What!”

Taesan tightened his grip.

With a *crunch*, Halid’s body was torn away from the throne.

“Ahhh!”

The descent was canceled. The power that had settled in Halid’s body returned to the throne.

“Ugh... Ah...”

Halid collapsed, lying on the ground, drooling.

The shock of being overwhelmed by the power had caused him to lose both his self and his reason. But that was of no concern to Taesan.

Taesan spoke.

“I know you’re watching. Come out.”

[You caught me?]

A lazy voice followed as Ba’al descended.

---

* * *

“**Ba’al**, my lord.”

The servant, startled, bowed low, but Ba’al paid him no mind. Taesan asked.

“Was this a trap from the beginning?”

The quest's reward was supposed to be Belial's power and dignity.

Clearly, Taesan and the other contractors could have obtained it.

But there was no guarantee they could obtain it without issues. Like Halid, other dark mages would likely have been consumed, transforming into Belial themselves.

[That’s not a lie. You certainly could gain that power.]

“But you hid the truth.”

[If you wish to blame someone, blame the other demons.]

Ba’al’s gaze lingered on Belial’s throne.

[It was they who concealed the truth.]

“Resurrection?”

[Demonkind exists beyond the realm of this world. They are beings far removed from death. However, their physical body can be destroyed and banished to the demon realm. To resurrect, a suitable vessel is needed.]

“So that’s the purpose of Lemegeton.”

If a dark mage were to successfully sit on Belial’s throne, their rationality and intellect would vanish, turning them into a vessel for the demon.

This was what the direct contract meant.

[It’s quite an unpleasant sight. Whatever they do is their choice, but personally, this is not the picture I wanted.]

“So you called me here.”

While bringing Taesan the trial, Ba’al also sought to disrupt the plans of the other demons.

That seemed to have been Ba’al’s goal all along.

[You’ve successfully completed my plan. I thank you. Now you can take Belial’s power and domain.]

Ba’al

spoke quietly.

[If it were any other contractor, I’m not sure, but you, you can certainly handle that power.]

Taesan placed his hand on the throne.

At that moment, Belial’s power and dignity began to overwhelm him. Taesan shook it off and withdrew his hand.

Taesan shook his head.

“You’re playing with me too much.”

[What do you mean?]

Ba’al smiled, his face amused.

[You can obtain Belial’s power and dignity without losing your identity. That is no lie.]

“Except I’ll lose my own strength.”

The power Taesan sought to obtain was all of Belial’s.

And that power and dignity were far beyond Taesan’s current capabilities.

Of course, Taesan could devour it. He had already reached the level of immortality. He could defeat Belial, who was attempting to descend into him, and take only the power and dignity for himself.

But even if he devoured it, it was undeniably power greater than his own.

Such power couldn’t be taken without consequence.

If Taesan consumed it, he would likely lose most of the strength he had accumulated up until now.

[Isn’t it a good choice? Belial’s power is formidable. You can’t reach it right now. Even if you lose the power you’ve built up, you’d gain something far greater.]

Ba’al whispered, like a demon tempting a human.

[The power of a demon itself. This will be your domain. You will be able to wield true dark magic. I don’t think it’s a bad choice.]

“No.”

Taesan shook his head.

“I’m not going to do that.”

He had become strong through his own power.

Though Belial’s power was certainly far out of his reach, it wasn’t worth abandoning his own strength for. There was no reason to even consider it.

[Is that so? In that case, it’s a shame. You’ve cleared the trial, but you won’t be able to obtain your reward.]

Ba’al smiled, unaffected.

“That’s not my plan.”

Taesan stood before the throne, sword in hand.

[Will you increase your stature?]

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Ba’al quietly smiled.

[With that power, you could steal it without losing your own strength. But you must know. In the process, most of Belial’s power will be discarded.]

**Increasing stature** couldn’t steal all of an opponent’s power.

Now that Taesan had earned the right to take all of Belial’s power, using increasing stature would likely result in a significant loss of strength.

[That choice isn’t wrong either.]

Ba’al said, as if he didn’t care which decision Taesan made.

Ba’al’s eyes were filled with interest and amusement as he watched Taesan.

‘Certainly a perverse taste.’

Taesan recalled what the **Demon** had said.

No matter what choice was made, he couldn’t take everything. Even if a decision were reached, regret would remain.

Ba’al seemed to enjoy watching such dilemmas and decisions unfold.

But Taesan had no intention of following Ba’al’s will.

Belial’s throne was a condensation of power and dignity.

Taesan’s sword pierced the throne.

*Boom!*

The stored power erupted, and at the same time, **Increasing Stature** activated. Taesan began to steal a portion of Belial’s power and dignity.

Taesan focused his energy and concentrated.

[...Hmm?]

Ba’al’s expression, which had been watching with enjoyment, faltered for a moment.

**Increasing Stature** was a power Taesan couldn’t fully control.

But Taesan had acquired the skill *Seed of Life* while defeating Hafran’s world.

The effect wasn’t incredible, and it didn’t hold significant meaning on its own.

But when Taesan reached 40% proficiency with *Seed of Life*, it brought about some noticeable changes.

*Crack.*

He interfered with the power being stolen by **Increasing Stature**, delving deeper into it.

*Crack!*

Ba’al’s eyes trembled.

He had assumed that Taesan would only steal a small portion of Belial’s power.

That was not an incorrect assumption. After all, Belial was a demon. Even stealing a part of his power would greatly strengthen Taesan.

But what he was feeling now from Taesan was different.

It was as if power itself didn’t matter.

Taesan muttered toward the will of Belial, which was clinging to him.

“I don’t need your power and dignity.”

The power that would make him lose himself through consumption—he didn’t want it.

Belial was indeed stronger than Taesan. The gap was something Taesan could never easily bridge.

But that was all it was.

Although it couldn’t be easily caught up to, Taesan would eventually reach a higher level than Belial—through his own abilities.

More importantly, Belial’s power was still Belial’s.

It was not Taesan’s own.

Taesan had learned a valuable lesson as he gained several powers of the immortals.

Even if he stole the powers of the gods through **Increasing Stature**, he could never reach the level of the one from whom he stole.

Even if Taesan took Belial’s power and dignity, it was the same. It would certainly be powerful, but as long as it wasn’t his own power, there would always be limitations.

What he needed now wasn’t power or dignity.

*Boom!*

Belial’s throne began to go berserk. Unlike before, it no longer accepted Taesan. It scattered violent waves of power as though it didn’t want to lose something important.

What it desired was **qualification**.

The position of a demon itself.

[This...!]

Ba’al realized this as well. Belial’s domain was violently shaking. It seemed on the verge of collapsing, as if it were unstable.

[...Impressive. To seek one of the 72 positions.]

Ba’al chuckled as he watched the sequence unfold.

The servant, who had quietly been watching, gasped in shock.

Something was wrong.

Something that maintained the existence of the throne was twisting.

“Oh, no!”

The servant rushed forward to stop Taesan. He had an overwhelming premonition that if things continued, the entire place would be destroyed.

[It’s getting interesting. Don’t interfere.]

But Ba’al exposed his strength toward the servant, causing him to vanish without leaving a trace.

*Screech!*

Belial’s will resisted fiercely. But Taesan could easily crush the resistance from an entity that existed only as power, without a body.

Taesan focused even more intently. He used **Increasing Stature** to approach the deep source of power within Belial’s throne.

Nothing else mattered. The only thing he needed was that source. Just that one thing.

Taesan reached out.

He grabbed the surging power in Belial’s throne and pulled it.

*Crack!*

Something was ripped from the throne.

Belial’s will screamed as it scattered into the air. At the same time, the domain began to disintegrate.

Taesan gripped what had been ripped out with all his strength. Something burst, and the power flowed into Taesan.

[Your Increasing Stature has activated. [Lemegeton] has transformed into [Lemegeton’s Throne].]

At the same time, Belial’s domain began to change.