Chapter 392: The Sixth Return, Earth (9) |
And at that moment, people could feel it.
Something about Taesan had changed.
They couldn’t explain it precisely, but something had shifted. Taesan no longer seemed like a being of the same nature as them.
The people, who had been offering their prayers, stared blankly at Taesan. Maria quietly smiled.
[He has reached it.]
[Ah…….]
The ghost let out a moan.
He gazed at Taesan with a vacant expression.
[That is…….]
Kurrk.
The shattered body of the apostle regenerated.
Its four arms moved as its power manifested.
Kurrung!
The force of destruction swept over Taesan. It was an attack from an immortal, unstoppable even at full strength.
Taesan gripped the sword in his hand tightly.
He stepped forward, twisted his waist, and swung his arm. The sword clashed against the force of destruction.
Kuuuuung!
A deafening roar erupted. The destructive force shattered like glass and scattered.
He had neither used the power of destruction, activated the Beyond Boundary, manipulated the boundary line, nor utilized partial world alteration.
Simply swinging his sword with great force had been enough to block the destructive force.
“So this is it.”
This was truly a transcendental state.
Taesan was now on equal footing with the apostle. Taesan bared his teeth.
“Let’s do this again.”
Taesan stomped forward. The apostle’s four arms moved violently.
The battle resumed.
The force of destruction swept over Taesan. Taesan kicked off into the air, propelling himself upward.
Until now, he had been unable to evade the force of destruction. It always hit, as if predestined.
But not anymore. The force of destruction failed to touch Taesan.
The apostle raised its four arms high into the air.
The force of destruction poured down as if it would crush the entire world. It was an overwhelming attack, leaving no room for evasion.
Taesan gathered his mana.
[You have activated Magic Overlay.]
He condensed frost, light, and flames and then unleashed them explosively.
[You have activated Magic Release.]
[You have activated Forced Amplification.]
The fused power spread in all directions. The power itself was not vastly different from before. However, its quality was.
The magic clashed and collided with the force of destruction.
Now, he was confident he could break through with sheer strength. Taesan was sure of it.
[You have activated Acceleration.]
[You have activated Skill Acceleration.]
He pushed off the ground and leaped. His body instantly closed the distance to the apostle.
The apostle, too, began to respond. Unlike before, it moved its body actively, trying to escape from Taesan.
Kwa-deuk.
He swung his sword, shattering the force of destruction and clearing the path with his magic and dark magic. As the apostle tried to distance itself and unleashed its power, Taesan chased it relentlessly.
Amidst the crumbling world, Taesan steadily approached the apostle.
The apostle hurriedly moved its four hands. It forcibly condensed the force of destruction, striking it down like a massive pillar.
This power carried no ripples or effects—it was an absolute force that annihilated everything it touched.
But Taesan did not retreat. He and the apostle were now of the same rank. There was no reason to avoid it.
[You have activated Blade of Will.]
He infused his sword with power and swung it. The pillar clashed with the blade, and space shattered in an instant.
Kiiiiiing!
As the space collapsed, Taesan’s body was corroded.
[You have taken [#)#)()&&&&&]@ damage.]
[You have taken @#### damage.]
[You have taken S$%%[%$%$$$] damage.]
The very distortion of space bypassed even absolute blessing.
Yet, he didn’t fall.
Even while taking damage, he didn’t succumb to death. He could endure.
Taesan protected his body with divine energy, imbuing his sword with power. Then, channeling his strength, he swung the blade.
With a loud sound, the pillar of destruction shattered.
The distorted space returned to its original form.
“Your turn to block.”
He gathered magical energy. Opening a passage to the realm of demons, he drew out the true power of dark magic. This process was incomparably faster than before.
[You have activated Gaf's Sturdy Boulder.]
A massive boulder fell from the sky, targeting the apostle.
The apostle manipulated the force of destruction, but the boulder did not break easily.
In the end, the apostle swung its four arms violently, slamming its power into the boulder. Only then did the boulder shatter, scattering like meteor fragments.
And in that moment, Taesan drove his sword into the apostle’s chest.
[You dealt [($((*&&##]@ damage to !#$!#.]
With a single stroke, he split its upper body.
The apostle attempted to counter by swinging its arms, but Taesan had no intention of allowing it. He grabbed one arm and twisted it. The apostle staggered and fell as Taesan kicked it and drove his sword downward.
In an instant, the apostle’s body was split and fragmented.
And that attack was highly significant. The apostle’s entire form began to distort.
Kwa-jik.
Taesan drove his sword into the apostle’s neck and slashed with force. As he pressed his attack further, the apostle’s form began to collapse.
Its shape warped and became an amorphous mass. At the same time, a dark hue started to engulf the surroundings.
Danger. Instinct warned Taesan. Using a limited Blink, he escaped from the gathering darkness.
Kurrk.
At a distance, Taesan observed the apostle’s form.
The apostle had taken on a formless, humanoid appearance.
Black energy enveloped the space around the apostle.
Taesan could tell. This was its final form.
Having judged that its immortal power could no longer stop Taesan, the apostle had abandoned everything and returned to its true form.
The black energy condensed. Its contained power, if unleashed, could destroy the entire world.
Taesan gripped his sword. Divine energy began to gather on the blade.
Kiiiiiing!
It was exceptionally bright.
If the divinity he had used so far was like a firefly, this was a light akin to the sun itself. Having earned the qualifications and the right, he could now wield divinity more directly.
The people shielded their eyes and bowed low. The ghost blankly watched the scene unfold.
Then, the golden light gradually shifted to a darker hue.
It became ashen.
The apostle swung its condensed black power. Taesan imbued his sword with the ashen light and charged forward.
The black energy was the power of the high gods.
It distorted laws and destroyed reality. It was nearly impossible for a being bound by those laws to resist it.
But it didn’t matter to Taesan.
Kagagagak!
The ashen light and the black energy clashed, each trying to consume the other.
And the victor was the ashen light.
Taesan advanced, devouring the black energy that sought to consume the world. The apostle desperately summoned more power, but it was futile.
Kwa-deuk.
The path was opened.
Taesan raised his sword and muttered.
“Goodbye.”
The apostle moved its body to resist, but Taesan’s sword was faster. He activated Transformation, Addition, and every other skill he possessed. The ashen light cleaved the apostle in half.
[(*JIIIJIIIII!!!]
With an incomprehensible scream, the apostle’s body disintegrated.
And the power contained within it seeped into Taesan.
It was alien, resisting as if it didn’t want to be consumed by him. Its mere presence radiated a force capable of felling tens of thousands of mortals.
But in the end, it was swallowed into Taesan’s being, subdued into silence.
[You have defeated !#$!.]
[Your Soul Ascension has been activated.]
[Your proficiency in Twisted Soul Tuning has increased by 5%.]
[Your proficiency in Black Energy has increased by %$#$%.]
[Your proficiency in Boundary Line has increased by 1#%.]
[Your proficiency in Word of Command has increased by 3%.]
[Your proficiency in ??? has increased by 4%.]
[Your proficiency in Seed of Life has increased by 13%.]
[Your proficiency in Apostle Slayer has increased by 7%.]
[You have acquired the Soul Skill [Destroyer].]
[You have defeated a servant of the high gods. You have obtained the passive skill [Enemy of the High Gods].]
[You have defeated a being of destruction and saved the world. You have obtained the title [Savior].]
Taesan sheathed his sword. The ashen light faded, revealing everything once again.
Only then could the people see.
The lone figure of Taesan standing tall.
A roar that shook the heavens erupted. Thick, profound faith flowed toward Taesan.
One Week Later
Returning to the labyrinth.
The system message was clear.
Everything had come to an end.
Taesan stood in a place far removed from the people. Their wails had grown too loud, so he had escaped.
He had won. And this victory had elevated his very essence, granting him significant gains. There was much to check.
[Immortal]
[One who has transcended mortality. Free from the cycle of life and death, existing alone and complete. Closer to the laws of existence.]
This was the skill he had obtained through the people’s faith—Immortal.
[Do you feel anything different?]
The ghost quietly asked. Taesan replied.
“Some things have changed.”
First, his very concept of self had shifted.
Up until now, he had barely clung to the category of “human.” But now, he had truly stepped beyond that boundary.
“And… my vision has changed.”
[What do you see?]
“I can’t quite put it into words, but it’s like I’m seeing something more fundamental. Other than that, there’s not much difference.”
The ghost spoke in a tone of half-understanding.
[It’s my first time witnessing someone become immortal. I can’t really explain it either.]
The ghost knew many things, but the differences that occurred when a mortal became immortal were beyond its understanding.
“With time, I’ll naturally come to understand. But one thing is certain—I’m still me.”
He was still Taesan.
His concept had changed, his vision had shifted, but he remained himself. That was unchanging.
Reaching immortality hadn’t fundamentally altered him. Only his strength and rank had risen.
The ghost sighed in admiration.
[You are… truly incredible.]
To have reached the state of immortality, and in such a short time. Compared to the time the Guides of Sin had spent within the labyrinth, it was like a fleeting moment.
“It was just one of the places I was destined to reach.”
But Taesan reflected calmly.
Eventually, he would have reached this level. Considering his ultimate goal, he couldn’t be content merely with the state of immortality.
The high gods were beings even the transcendents found challenging. They existed far beyond.
Strictly speaking, he had only just reached the starting line.
What mattered was what he could now achieve by reaching immortality.
There was much to verify: soul skills, divinity, the crystallized divine blood, and the essence of the world he had obtained. And the floral ornament Maria had given him.
As he was about to begin checking them one by one—
[You seem quite busy.]
Maria quietly descended beside Taesan. She smiled as she spoke.
[How do you feel?]
“It’s not bad. Closer to good, I suppose.”
Taesan replied calmly, looking at Maria.
‘…Unbelievable.’
Perhaps because he had reached immortality, he could see Maria’s power more fundamentally than before.
Her power was endless.
If Taesan was a river, Maria was a vast ocean. The difference between them was that great.
And even that wasn’t a proper assessment. Taesan’s rank and strength were still vastly insufficient to fully grasp Maria.
This was a transcendent.
She was one whose power was said to rival Lakiratas, who held two domains.
[Though you’ve reached immortality… it’s only the beginning. I have stood in this position for what feels like an eternity.]
Maria spoke quietly.
[Normally, one could remain stagnant here forever. But that won’t be the case for you, will it? Regardless, congratulations. You have reached a position of solitude and completeness.]
“Thank you.”
[Then, I must give you a gift to celebrate.]
Maria’s power spread outward, enveloping the entire world.
[You have thwarted the plans of the high gods. And you have completely dealt with their apostle, who had long troubled us. This is your reward.]
The densest part of that energy flowed into Taesan.