Ascension Through Skills-Chapter 430: 84th Floor, Levinenov’s World (3)
‘For something that was supposedly exiled, it’s sure made quite the impact.’
Taesan wasn’t surprised. The gods were openly showing their ambitions in this world, trying everything they could to infiltrate it.
If transcendents had truly banished the gods perfectly, they wouldn’t be able to appear in this world, or at the very least, they wouldn’t have any trouble driving them out.
But they needed Taesan’s help.
This meant that the power of the gods was growing stronger.
“There’s nothing eternal in this world. Eventually, everything fades away. Even the transcendents’ seals aren’t immune to that.”
The man twisted his smile.
“But they are different! Their power and rank are eternal! Even the transcendents couldn’t deal with them and could only temporarily exile them! This world belongs to them!”
His voice rang out with unwavering certainty.
Taesan said flatly, “You sacrificed yourself for that.”
“Isn’t it better to worship beings that are eternal, unchanging, than those who will eventually fade?”
The man grinned.
“Let’s abandon this weak world and worship them. That’s the true course.”
“If they’re such great beings, they won’t need someone like me.”
Even though Taesan was strong now, he was at the level of an immortal. He was still far from a transcendent. On the surface, it seemed there was no real value for the gods to show any interest in him.
“I thought the same, but it seems the thoughts of those beings are different.”
The man spoke with a puzzled expression.
“My master said you are the key. With you, many things are possible.”
The key.
It seemed that whatever Taesan possessed was extremely attractive to the gods.
And it didn’t take much to figure out what it was.
‘The Boundary.’
The mixing of divinity and blackness, a power that shattered laws, a kind of force that even transcendents couldn’t comprehend.
What the gods wanted from Taesan was undoubtedly the Boundary.
“Come to me, Taesan.”
The man reached out.
“They will promise you eternity. If you want, they’ll even offer you a seat at the highest level.”
“Is that all?”
“Of course not. If you wish, they won’t touch your little world anymore. If you want, they’ll even make the maze your possession. In the world they dominate, everything you desire will be yours.”
The man whispered seductively.
“Even if they dominate the world, the world around you will remain the same. Those you know will live happily and die. People you don’t even know hold no value, right?”
“That sounds tempting.”
Nothing would happen to Taesan or those around him. The ones who would suffer were those he didn’t know.
“If you’re going to give me all that, how about a condition? Don’t touch the transcendents.”
“No.”
The man shook his head, speaking with firm denial.
“Every transcendent will die. Their domains will be defiled, and their names erased from the minds of all. That one thing I will never give up.”
“The gods’ purpose is still the transcendents, then.”
“They only see mortals as playthings. There’s no reason to care about them, right?”
Taesan stroked his chin. The man leisurely awaited Taesan’s answer.
After a brief pause, Taesan spoke.
“You didn’t think I would accept your proposal, did you?”
“Not at all. I’m not that foolish.”
The man laughed mockingly.
“My master said you were the key. But I knew someone like you would never accept such a proposal.”
“You understand well.”
Lee Tae-yeon, Kang Jun-hyuk, Kim Jung-geun, and the people of Earth.
They were all killed by the gods.
“I don’t think transcendents are good either. Most of them only see mortals as entertainment. I don’t deny that.”
Taesan drew his sword.
“But that doesn’t give me any reason to side with you.”
From the beginning, Taesan’s answer had been rejection. He had only been asking questions to extract information.
The gods’ objective was Taesan’s Boundary. And the death of all transcendents.
He had gathered enough information.
“I see. That’s what I’m thinking about right now.”
The man emanated a sense of power.
“I can’t kill you. But someone like you will never be mentally subdued. So I’ve decided to keep it simple.”
The man grinned and moved. He grabbed the hilt of a sword stuck into the temple floor.
“Let’s make your mind a blank slate!”
Boom!
The moment the man pulled the sword hilt, the temple began to collapse. The ceiling shattered, and the floor crumbled beneath them.
Taesan quickly rushed outside the temple. The man was buried in the collapsed temple in an instant.
**[Self-destruction... no.]**
Boom!
The collapsed temple slowly shook.
And then, it appeared.
The man was holding a sword. But it wasn’t just any sword.
A jet-black sword shaped like a bastard sword rose high into the air.
Taesan had to crane his neck to see the tip of the blade.
It was truly as massive as a mountain.
The man looked like an ant in comparison.
**[...Wow.]**
“Phew.”
The man took a deep breath and raised the sword. The mountain-sized blade moved smoothly in his hand.
“I am the avatar of the Empty Being! A traitor who joined hands with the gods, killing many immortals and destroying countless worlds!”
The man laughed. His smile was full of madness.
“I am the one who wields the world in my hands! Let’s go! Be the cornerstone of the end of this damn universe, heralding the destruction!”
**[The opponent is an undefeatable foe.]**
The massive sword sliced through the air and swung toward Taesan.
**[You have activated the Apostle Skill: [Blackened Chaos].]**
**[You have activated the King’s Vessel Skill.]**
**[Your opponent’s god’s power has activated.]**
---
Countless activation messages obscured Taesan’s vision. Holding his sword, Taesan launched himself toward the attack.
---
The giant sword created a massive storm in the air.
Taesan didn’t back down. Instead, he charged directly at the blade.
**[You have activated Acceleration.]**
**[You have activated Strong Strike.]**
He gathered strength in both hands and swung toward the massive sword.
Clang!
A deafening noise filled the air.
And it was Taesan who was knocked back.
To be precise, it wasn’t that he was knocked back, but his body was blown away, unable to withstand the force.
**[You have activated Landing.]**
With a swift motion, Taesan forced his body to land, preventing himself from flying off. His feet dug into the ground, bracing against the impact.
Crack!
The ground cracked and split. The earth collapsed as if an earthquake had struck.
“It’s a monster.”
Taesan quickly gave up on a direct confrontation. The force was too overwhelming, even for him.
A sword the size of a mountain.
It wasn’t so much wielded as it was a sword that could easily crush anything in its path.
How far could he manage to control it?
**[You have activated Perfect Fairy Wings.]**
Taesan’s body soared through the sky. He accelerated rapidly, heading straight for the man.
“Humph!”
The man snickered and flicked his wrist.
A very small, almost unnoticeable movement.
But that alone made the trajectory of the giant sword shift.
The sword swung directly toward Taesan, who barely managed to evade it, though he couldn’t keep it up for long.
The sword was massive. But conversely, that meant if he could get inside its range, the fight would become much easier.
He accelerated his whole body. The massive sword smoothly followed Taesan’s movements. After leading the sword to a dangerously close distance, Taesan jumped into space.
**[You have activated Limited Blink.]**
In the blink of an eye, Taesan closed the gap with the man.
He landed right in front of him, activating Landing.
The man sneered and swung his arm.
Clang!
The man deflected all of Taesan’s attacks with just the sword hilt.
“Everyone thought my weakness was close combat. Honestly, I’m grateful for it.”
The sword hilt, as long as a spear, was more than capable of blocking Taesan’s attacks. The man roughly shoved Taesan away and spun the sword. With the sword’s blade, he aimed to crush Taesan.
**[You have activated Designated Marking Acceleration.]**
Taesan couldn’t gain any advantage and had no choice but to distance himself.
But with the size of the sword, it was nearly impossible to create space.
Taesan decided to change tactics. Rather than avoiding or defending, he would focus on overwhelming the man with attacks.
**[You have activated Frozen World.]**
**[You have activated Mana Storm.]**
**[You have activated Great Collapse.]**
**[You have activated Marbas’ Black Wave.]**
Magical and dark magic techniques were activated one after another. Taesan clenched his fist.
**[You have activated Magic Split.]**
The magic split into dozens of branches.
**[You have activated Perfect Aim.]**
**[You have activated Skill Acceleration.]**
And then, he charged directly at the man.
Power surged from all directions.
The man grinned, pulling his arm back.
The air twisted. The sky trembled ominously.
The man swung his arm, and the sword swept across every direction.
The air exploded as it collided with the sword. The blackness contained in the blade rushed out and charged toward Taesan, tram
pling over all of Taesan’s activated skills.
There was no space left to dodge. It was like an explosion from a sun scorching the earth.
He could block it, but it would take a significant toll.
Taesan quickly decided to abandon evasion and defense.
**[You have activated the First Absolute Nullification.]**
The attack was erased.
The man sighed in admiration.
“You’ve got an interesting ability. But if that’s all, you’ll never defeat me!”
“Seems like it.”
Taesan nodded.
He couldn’t deny it.
The man was definitely stronger than Taesan.
In terms of level, he seemed to be on par with Aintshar.
The man wielded the massive sword like his own limb. If it was just raw physical strength, Taesan could easily handle it, but the sword contained the man’s rank as an immortal, his divine power.
That wasn’t all. Great Collapse was an advanced spell. Even Aintshar wouldn’t easily block it, but the man had done so with ease.
The reason was simple. The sword contained the blackness.
‘It’s similar to the magic of negation.’
The source of this c𝐨ntent is freeweɓnovēl.coɱ.
Absolute superiority in all forms of interaction.
Unfortunately, Taesan could not use negation magic. He had exhausted all the materials needed for Partial World Change.
The chances of winning seemed slim.
The man knew as well. If he swung the giant sword at full power like before, Taesan would be unable to do anything and would surely lose. Both the man and Taesan were aware of this fact.
“They abandoned you. Foolish beings. They didn’t recognize your worth, yet they discarded you like this. Why would you risk your life to fight for such beings?”
The man raised the sword.
Taesan’s answer would decide whether it would come down or not.
“It’s not too late. Even now, join my master.”
“No.”
Taesan replied immediately, as if there was no room for doubt.
“Unfortunately, I seem to be quite different from you.”
The man had said he almost lost everything due to the games of transcendents, and that the gods had saved him.
Taesan was the opposite. It was the gods who almost killed him, forcing him into the easy mode, while the transcendents had favored him, granting him power.
Taesan prayed to the gods in his heart. The gods answered.
**[Lakiratas has bestowed upon you the Master of Struggling Wars.]**
It was Lakiratas' blessing.
His divine power.
The very essence of struggle infused Taesan’s body. The man’s pupils widened.
“Lakiratas’ blessing?”
A divine blessing granted by the gods.
It consumed the domain of the transcendents.
Transcendents were incredibly selfish beings. They never used their domain unless it was for their apostles, and even then, it was extremely rare.
That was why the man was so surprised.
Taesan didn’t look like an apostle of Lakiratas. For a god to grant something to someone unrelated to them was impossible.
“...Looks like you’ve made many offerings.”
After some thought, the man came to a conclusion.
He had made countless offerings to Lakiratas, and only then was the blessing granted. The man concluded that.
“But with just a blessing, you can’t reach me.”
“I know.”
The gods' blessing was indeed powerful, but the difference between the man and Taesan was far greater.
And Taesan hadn’t just received one blessing.
**[Maria has granted you the Unchanging Choice.]**
The blessing of Maria, the Goddess of Choice.
**[Jerband has granted you the Fundamental Elements of the Universe.]**
The blessing of Jerband, the God of Magic.
**[Lucifer has granted you the Precious Child of Darkness.]**
The blessing of Lucifer, the Demon God.
**[Ehilis has granted you the Master of the Sword.]**
The blessing of Ehilis, the God of Swords.
**[Aphrodia has granted you the Coiled Despair in Darkness.]**
**[Baltazar has granted you the One Who Claims Victory.]**
**[Arrogance has granted you the Trial of Infinity.]**
And many more blessings flowed one after another. The man could only watch in a daze. He couldn’t even think of attacking while the blessings were being poured down.
“Why would the gods...?”
“They favor me. Unlike you.”
**[The Wizard of the Labyrinth has granted you the Blessing of the Labyrinth.]**
Lastly, the blessing of the Wizard of the Labyrinth infused Taesan.
“Phew.”
Taesan took a deep breath.
The blessings of the gods took over his entire body. His strength and rank reached new heights.
“Let’s try again.”
