Leveling Up With Skills - Chapter 256: Those Who Believe in the Ancient Demon God (1)

Taesan’s aura spread outward. The servants in the Demon King’s castle, busy with their tasks, dropped their dishes in instinctive terror.

The power extended beyond the castle walls.

*Step.*

Taesan advanced.

The knights instinctively stepped back.

Fear was etched on the faces beneath their helmets.

The Demon King, his face pale, shouted:

“You! You!”

Denial filled his expression.

As the king of the demon realm, the Demon King had encountered apostles of the Demon God on several occasions.

That was how he knew. He could tell what kind of force Taesan was emitting now.

“This is impossible! A mere human becoming an apostle of His greatness?!”

“I am not an apostle. This is a different kind of power.”

But to the Demon King, that distinction hardly mattered.

Taesan stomped his foot. The combination of demonic energy and his aura began to engulf the entire castle.

“Ah, ah…”

Sensing impending disaster, the knights raised their shields, bracing themselves for what was to come.

Taesan clenched his fist.

“Explode.”

*Boom!*

“Ahhhh!”

The knights collapsed.

Overwhelmed by the emotional interference contained within the aura, they clutched their heads and writhed on the ground.

Taesan smiled at the sight.

“Not bad.”

Apostle Transformation was a power granted by a god, a skill that absorbed their divine essence.

Black magic, on the other hand, was drawn from demonic forces.

And demons, like the ancient gods, were beings born with innate strength.

Divine power. The power of the ancient gods.

Taesan had once experienced blending the two to create a boundary.

That was why, as he headed toward the Demon King’s castle, he experimented with combining black magic and Apostle Transformation. It was not difficult to achieve.

The burden was lighter than expected, so he wondered if he could find a way to use it. This presented the perfect opportunity—he infused Raum’s Emotional Disturbance into his aura and spread it throughout the castle.

The result was satisfactory.

The knights, unable to resist, groaned as they pressed their heads to the ground. It was far more effective than simply scattering aura.

Taesan looked at the Demon King.

“Aaaah!”

The Demon King let out a scream as a black aura descended upon him from above.

It was the power of the Demon God.

“As expected of the king of the demon realm. You did receive a sliver of His power, at least.”

“Huff, huff…”

The Demon King exhaled roughly. With the fragment of power granted by the Demon God, he barely withstood the pressure—but not without difficulty.

His head throbbed. Fear threatened to consume him, and a sensation like insects crawling under his skin spread across his body.

“This… this…”

Raum’s Emotional Disturbance. The Demon King was familiar with black magic, having used it himself.

But it had never produced effects like this. At most, it was used to subjugate the weak or treat those with mental issues.

The idea that it could shatter someone’s psyche like this was unheard of.

“You…”

The Demon King stared at Taesan with trembling eyes.

“You!”

He shouted as darkness surged forward. Demonic energy materialized and rushed toward Taesan like a beast ready to devour him.

Taesan casually waved his hand.

The demonic energy scattered and disappeared.

“Ah…”

His power, as the king of the demon realm, was crushed by a simple, dismissive gesture.

Taesan muttered.

“I came here on the orders of the Demon God.”

*Step.*

He walked toward the Demon King.

The Demon King, sitting on his throne, flinched in fear.

“And she told me that Quanid and Annetsha would assist me.”

Strictly speaking, it was strange.

The two knew little about the abandoned lands. All they could offer Taesan here was knowledge of black magic and guidance to the castle.

And even that could have been achieved without them. The Demon God could have sent Taesan directly to the castle and instructed the Demon King to teach him.

Yet the Demon God specifically introduced Annetsha and Quanid as Taesan’s allies.

“What meaning lies in that?”

The Demon God rarely intervened directly.

But this implied that indirect interference was always a possibility.

*Step.*

Taesan stood directly in front of the Demon King. The once-proud ruler cowered on his throne, trembling.

“This is a warning from the Demon God.”

Taesan placed his hand on the ground.

The throne of the Demon King was located at the highest point of the castle, where it met the sky. From there, Taesan unleashed his power.

[You have activated Decarabia’s Twisted Vegetation.]

*Boom!*

A path opened from the depths of the castle.

Roots, piercing through stars, surged upward.

The castle was protected by numerous blessings and barriers. For centuries, the great mages of the demon realm had fortified it with powerful magic to safeguard the Demon King’s domain.

The roots shattered every barrier and blessing in their path, ascending to the highest level.

*Rumble!*

The roots, like massive pillars, penetrated the entire structure of the castle.

Caressing the tip of a root that reached the throne, Taesan spoke.

“Let’s get along, shall we? The Demon God seems to prefer that, after all. Got it?”

“Ah…”

The Demon King nodded absentmindedly.

Regaining some composure, he let out a hollow laugh.

“…So this is all meaningless.”

His purpose, his plans, his values—

All of it was obliterated by Taesan’s overwhelming power.

Abandoning everything, the Demon King revealed the way to the abandoned lands.

“…Behind the castle, there’s a small gate. It’s protected by a barrier to keep out those who believe in the ancient Demon God. I will temporarily lift the barrier. Beyond the gate lies the abandoned land.”

“Understood.”

Taesan turned his back on the Demon King and descended from the castle.

Only the fallen knights, the Demon King, Annetsha, and Quanid remained in the room.

The Demon King glanced at Annetsha.

“I envy you. Truly.”

“…I feel the same.”

Annetsha belatedly followed Taesan. Quanid trailed behind her.

“Lord Taesan!”

She ran toward him, panting.

“…Thank you.”

She bowed her head deeply.

Taesan shook his head.

“Don’t thank me. Thank the Demon God. It was her request.”

“I should thank you both.”

Her eyes shone with admiration as she looked at Taesan.

Taesan spoke.

“Are you coming with me?”

What lay ahead was dangerous. The energy emanating from the lifted barrier alone was enough to threaten Annetsha’s life.

“Yes.”

However, Annetsha nodded with determination.

“I am your ally, Lord Taesan. I cannot let you go to a dangerous place alone.”

“Then get ready. Make sure to equip yourself properly. I’ll head there first.”

“Ah, yes!”

She hurriedly grabbed Quanid and rushed back into the Demon King’s castle.

Taesan turned away from them and made his way to the back of the castle.

There, he found a small gate.

The barrier surrounding the gate had been temporarily lifted, allowing the energy from beyond to be sensed.

[It’s all been consumed. There’s little difference between this place and the worlds destroyed by the ancient gods. Since this was originally part of their domain, it makes sense.]

A ghostly whistle echoed.

Taesan spoke.

“I know you’ve been watching. Come out.”

[You noticed?]

With a chuckle, a shadowy space opened.

The Demon God appeared, draping an arm over the opening.

[Well done, Taesan.]

The Demon God smiled faintly.

[The reason the Demon King dislikes Annetsha is that he believes I favor her. Even if I had tried to explain that to him, it would only have worsened his disdain. That’s why I entrusted her to you, and as expected, you handled it well. Now, the Demon King won’t be able to lash out at her anymore.]

“What is it you hope to achieve by entrusting her to me?”

The Demon God wanted Taesan to face Annetsha.

To see how she was treated in the demon realm and understand how she viewed him. That was why the Demon God introduced her as his ally.

[Where will you rest your weary body, I wonder?]

The Demon God murmured softly.

[When all of this is over, where will you find a place to call home?]

She narrowed her eyes slightly.

[You are different, Taesan. Even from our perspective, you stand out—and even more so from the perspective of mortals. Most will not be able to accept you. They will reject and fear you.]

“I am aware of that.”

He remembered how Lee Taeyeon was treated at the brink of destruction—and how he himself had been treated.

Until the very end, before people finally gave up everything, neither Taesan nor Lee Taeyeon had been accepted or understood by others.

People simply didn’t see them as equals.

Even now, humans on Earth worshipped him as a god.

[Even I don’t know what lies at the end of your path… But finding someone who accepts you will be difficult.]

The Demon God spoke quietly.

[But she’s different. No matter how much you change, she will always take your side. She will always wait for you and want to be with you. Having someone like that is more precious than you might think. This is the advice of someone who has walked a similar path—you’d do well to listen.]

“Thank you, but… I still can’t make any promises.”

[That’s fine. I like you, Taesan. I want you to have as many choices as possible—unlike me.]

The Demon God grinned—a youthful, playful smile.

[This is just one option. I also feel sorry for my little lamb.]

“I’ll think about it.”

[That’s good enough.]

The Demon God shifted her gaze toward the abandoned land.

[You have many options. Not just the ones ahead of you, but also the ones behind. There’s even the option of becoming like us… or like them.]

“I doubt that will happen.”

[Normally, it would be impossible—but you’re different. There’s a chance.]

The Demon God murmured.

[You won’t encounter a major threat there. They’ll simply present you with a choice. Whatever you decide will be up to you, but I hope you choose our path.]

The Demon God withdrew into the open portal.

[Go on, and return victorious.]

“Understood.”

A moment later, Annetsha and Quanid returned.

Their appearances had changed from before.

Annetsha now carried a staff coursing with demonic energy and wore a pointed hat. Her outfit had transformed into a neatly tailored black combat robe.

“This should be enough to assist Lord Taesan.”

“This brings back memories.”

Quanid smiled. He had once descended into the labyrinth, risking his life, only to be brought to the demon realm by the Demon God. Since then, he had enjoyed a peaceful life.

While he was satisfied with that peace, a part of him missed the thrill of battle.

Before advancing, Taesan gave them a word of caution.

“You must survive on your own in there.”

Even Taesan didn’t know what might emerge from the ancient gods’ domain. There were limits to how much he could protect them.

If they became a burden, they’d only hinder him.

Annetsha nodded seriously, her expression resolute.

“I understand. I won’t hold you back.”

“Good.”

[You have summoned Minerva, the Spirit King of the Wind.]

[You have summoned Varkaza, the Supreme Spirit of Many Colors.]

Wind and shimmering rainbow hues materialized around them.

Minerva, surveying her surroundings, exclaimed in surprise.

“What is this? The demon realm?”

[At last, my turn?]

“A spirit?”

Quanid gasped, grabbing his weapon.

“A Spirit King!”

“Huh?”

Suspicion filled his gaze. Taesan waved his hand dismissively.

“This isn’t the one you think it is. Lower your guard.”

“…Now that I think about it.”

It wasn’t fire—it was wind. Realizing this, Quanid relaxed his grip. Minerva muttered reluctantly.

“Why is he looking at me like that?”

“He has bad memories involving a Spirit King. I’ll explain later. For now, let’s go inside.”

Taesan stepped into the domain of the ancient gods.

*Crackle.*

The moment they entered the abandoned land, the barrier reformed at the gate with alarming speed, as if driven by fear.

A thick, dark energy—almost like the essence of darkness itself—filled the entire area.

“Let’s see.”

The surroundings were dim.

Although the demon realm carried a heavy energy, this was different. It felt more directly connected to the ancient gods.

Taesan placed his hand on the ground.

As he absorbed the sensations, he realized something.

‘It’s similar to Earth.’

It felt like Earth on the brink of destruction.

The only difference was that this place had already been consumed by the power of the ancient gods.

And within the pervasive energy, Taesan could feel a gaze fixed upon him.

It was likely the gaze of the ancient Demon God.

There was little hostility in it.

It felt more like greed.