Leveling Up With Skills - Chapter 258: Those Who Believe in the Ancient Demon God (3)

The **Black** power was the force of the ancient gods, the opposite of divinity.

Taesan focused on controlling the flickering black energy, scattering it in every direction. The others, watching from a distance, were startled.

[Master?]

Minerva barely restrained herself from attacking on instinct.

The power of the ancient gods was under Taesan’s control.

“Come to think of it, you mentioned before that you could control the power of the ancient gods.”

Minerva murmured in disbelief. Taesan had once said that the gray energy he wielded was a blend of divinity and the power of the ancient gods. At the time, she found it absurd—something she half-dismissed—but witnessing it firsthand was astounding.

“And the transcendent beings just allowed this to happen?”

[As long as it’s under Taesan’s control, it shouldn’t matter. You know as well as I do that this isn’t the only strange thing about him.]

“That’s true, I suppose.”

Minerva spoke reluctantly. A being from this world, manipulating the power of the ancient gods without his body or mind becoming warped—such a phenomenon defied her understanding.

The black energy scattered across the land, spreading into the power left behind by the ancient Demon God.

Taesan observed it closely.

The energy of the land merged into the black energy and came under his control.

Taesan gathered the absorbed energy and condensed it to its limit.

*Boom!*

The energy exploded, scattering in all directions and spreading across the entire land once again.

“I can control it, but I can’t erase it.”

Even the **Black** energy could not completely remove the domain’s influence.

Neither divine power nor the power of the ancient gods could eliminate it.

So what about a power that existed on the boundary between both?

“Minerva, step back.”

“Ah, I see.”

Minerva, realizing what Taesan intended, pulled Annetsha and Quanid away to a safe distance.

“Minerva? What’s happening?”

“Things are about to get a bit dangerous. You don’t want to get caught in this.”

[You have activated Divinity.]

Light formed above Taesan’s hand.

Then the black energy began to spread over it.

[You have activated Black.]

*Crack.*

Light and darkness fused, gradually shifting into a gray hue. The energy rebelled violently, struggling against Taesan’s control.

‘It’s more manageable than before.’

Thanks to his mastery over the boundary skill, the energy didn’t explode uncontrollably as it had the first time he used it.

However, it was still unstable, continuously resisting Taesan’s control.

Taesan swung the gray energy.

The gray light engulfed everything around him.

[Your Endurance has been activated.]

As the gray energy subsided, Taesan scanned his surroundings.

A satisfied smile spread across his face.

“It works.”

The land had been purified.

‘Maybe I can do this on Earth too.’

The energy that had consumed this place was similar to the one found on Earth.

If this power could purge the ancient gods’ influence here, it might also be possible to reclaim Earth from their grasp.

Annetsha, watching from a distance, was stunned.

“W-What?”

The ancient Demon God’s power, which had saturated the land, disappeared the moment it came into contact with the gray energy—completely and without a trace.

It wasn’t merely suppressed or hidden; it was utterly erased.

Any corrupted beings dwelling in the abandoned land would have their souls freed the moment they entered the purified area.

Minerva clicked her tongue.

“That’s one absurd power.”

The abandoned land was steeped in the ancient Demon God’s power—a domain even the current Demon God couldn’t interfere with.

And yet, Taesan, a mere mortal, had erased that power with ease.

A mortal capable of doing what transcendent beings could not. A mortal who could interfere with the power of transcendents.

It was an absurd contradiction.

At least now, a solution was within reach.

The gray energy could cleanse the ancient gods’ domain.

But it wasn’t an immediate fix.

“The range is too small.”

The area cleansed by the gray energy was only about the size of a sports field. While not insignificant, it was nowhere near enough to cover the vast expanse of the abandoned land.

Purging the entire domain this way was impossible. A more efficient solution was needed.

And Taesan recalled the key information the man had given him earlier.

‘The thorn. And the saint guarding it.’

The saint likely referred to a servant of the ancient Demon God—someone still residing here.

The thorn they guarded must hold great significance in this place.

Taesan now had a destination.

Of course, challenges remained.

The abandoned land was vast. Even locating the thorn would take considerable time.

However, it was still faster than aimlessly purging the land bit by bit.

“Well then, let’s start searching. Annetsha.”

The beings who had lived here for countless years were likely to know the thorn’s location.

“Yes.”

Annetsha calmly pointed in a direction.

“When I was scanning earlier, I detected a few presences far in that direction.”

“How far?”

“Um… it would take me about a day to walk there.”

“That’s quite a distance.”

Taesan began to move.

As they traveled quietly, their conversation naturally turned toward various topics.

“Hmm.”

Minerva’s eyes sparkled with curiosity.

She was currently listening to Quanid talk about the labyrinth.

“So you’re saying that some of those mortals are even stronger than me?”

Quanid explained that many of the labyrinth’s leaders were indeed stronger than Minerva.

“The labyrinth sounds intriguing.”

“Yes. Although… I was defeated halfway through.” Quanid responded.

“There was even someone similar to you.”

“…Interesting.”

“He was the Spirit King of Fire. If I remember correctly, his name was Vishnu.”

“Vishnu?”

“Do you know him?”

“I do.”

Minerva tapped her fingers thoughtfully.

“He’s quite well-known in the spirit world.”

She hummed softly.

“A spirit king who rejected his responsibilities. One who sought to escape the limitations of being a spirit king and exist alone, beyond the constraints of mortality.”

A cold glint flickered in her eyes.

“He destroyed an entire world before fleeing. And now he’s in the labyrinth, huh?”

Minerva smiled.

“That sounds fun.”

“…It seems not all spirits get along.”

“Of course not. Many spirits dislike those who entered the labyrinth. I’m not particularly concerned, but…”

She grinned. “Since my master is Taesan, if Vishnu opposes him, I suppose I’ll have to fight.”

A battle between spirit kings.

Quanid let out a chuckle at the thought.

“That would be something to see. Though I doubt I’ll get to witness it.”

[I am simply following my master’s orders. Whether the opponent is a king or not makes no difference.]

“I’m looking forward to it. I wonder when we’ll meet.”

Their quiet conversation continued as they traveled.

Meanwhile, Taesan had his own thoughts.

‘Greed, huh.’

The moment he set foot in this land, the gaze of the ancient god was upon him.

It wasn’t a gaze filled with hostility or anger. It was greed.

That was unexpected. For an ancient god to show greed implied that it desired something from him.

Taesan had fought many ancient gods before. They had displayed hostility or curiosity, but never greed.

These beings were transcendents by birth—exiled from the world—and there was no reason for them to desire anything from him.

“Lord Taesan.”

As Taesan pondered, Annetsha asked him, “Shall I try scanning the area again?”

Taesan nodded. They had traveled a fair distance, and their targets had likely moved as well—it was time to locate them again. Annetsha struck the ground with her staff, sending waves of demonic energy outward.

Information from the surrounding area began to flow into her mind, and she started organizing the details.

“…Hm?”

Annetsha’s face stiffened.

“W-What?”

“What’s wrong?” Quanid asked, noticing her pale expression.

“I… I don’t understand what’s happening.”

Sensing that something was amiss, Taesan activated his power.

[You have activated Leraje’s Domain Detection.]

Dark waves surged outward, flooding Taesan with information. That’s when he saw it, too.

They were coming—hundreds of them.

“Hm?”

Minerva also sensed it, and her face hardened. Taesan drew his weapon.

The approaching figures began to emerge from the distance.

Grotesquely twisted creatures spotted Taesan and shouted.

“There he is!”

The horde of hundreds roared in unison.

“For the glory of the ancient god!”

“Capture him!”

These twisted demons, even the weakest among them, were on par with entities from the mid-20th floor of the labyrinth. Some even seemed as powerful as those on the 40th floor.

“What… How could this be?”

Annetsha was stunned. Such a massive number gathering without cause was improbable—this meant that all of them knew Taesan was here.

“Minerva, Varkaza, take care of Quanid and Annetsha.”

[Understood.]

Varkaza clapped his hands, releasing waves of rainbow light, while Minerva summoned gusts of wind.

Taesan launched himself forward, his gaze focused as the frenzied faces of the enemies closed in.

“Get him!”

“Take him down!”

Taesan’s sword moved like lightning. The twisted demons tried to block him, but their defenses shattered under the force of his attack.

[Your Soul Rank Enhancement has been activated.]

System notifications flooded his vision. Annoyed by the obstructive interface, Taesan dismissed the windows with a thought.

He dodged grasping hands, driving his shoulder into the mob. With a deafening crash, dozens of demons burst apart in an instant.

Those he destroyed did not rise again—their bodies scattered lifelessly as their souls were snatched away.

But the remaining demons showed no fear. Their only focus was on capturing Taesan, their faces twisted with fanaticism.

*Boom!*

Wind exploded from behind. Minerva’s gusts scattered the demons, allowing her group to escape. Yet the horde paid no attention to anyone else—only Taesan mattered to them.

This worked to Taesan’s advantage. Without needing to worry about his companions, he could focus entirely on the battle.

*Crack.*

His sword swung again, crushing skulls and splintering bones. His body moved in sync with each attack, dodging and countering fluidly.

[You have activated Frozen World.]

*Crack!* *Crackle!*

A surge of cold swept through the area, instantly freezing several demons.

Among the frozen figures, Taesan recognized a familiar face.

“So, you came back even after I spared you.”

“Huff… huff…”

It was the same twisted demon whose life Taesan had spared earlier. Now half-frozen, he shivered violently in the cold, his teeth chattering.

The demon glared at Taesan and screamed, “Human! Our great one has summoned you!”

“You mean the ancient god?”

“Yes! Through the saint’s mouth, he has decreed it! Bring the human to him, and you will be given the chance to become his apostle!”

“So, the goal is to capture me, not kill me.”

It was clear now. The ancient god desired something from Taesan.

*Crack!*

“Make way!”

The ice began to fracture. Taesan pressed his hand against the demon’s head.

“There won’t be a next time.”

The demon showed no fear. With fanatical determination, he cried out, “O great one! Bestow your blessing upon me!”

Those were his final words. As the ice shattered around him, Taesan unleashed his magic.

A path opened.

He sensed the gaze of a demon from beyond.

Taesan poured his power into the opening.

[You have activated Marbas’s Pitch-Black Wave.]

A black tide surged forth. No longer just a wave, it crashed through the open path like a tsunami.

The tide shattered the ice and consumed everything in its path.

The dense black energy obliterated all, grinding them into nothingness.

*Rumble!*

Thousands of frenzied demons were swept away, including those as strong as beings from the 40th floor of the labyrinth—but it made no difference. The demonic wave obliterated all who believed in the ancient god.

Hundreds of demons vanished, just like that.

“This is quite useful.”

Marbas’s Pitch-Black Wave was the most powerful black magic Taesan had learned. And by opening the pathway properly, he had drawn out its full potential, making it even more devastating.

Minerva returned, frowning.

“Capture you instead of killing you? What could they possibly want?”

“…An oracle from the ancient god?” Annetsha muttered in disbelief.

“That’s impossible… This is the demon realm—the territory of the current Demon God. Even if this land was once under the ancient god’s dominion, the Demon God now rules it. It should be impossible for the ancient god to issue any kind of oracle here…”

“Which means they paid a heavy price.”

In other words, the ancient god believed capturing Taesan was worth the risk.

“Annetsha, use the staff again.”

Taesan placed a hand on her shoulder. Calmly, Annetsha struck the ground with her staff once more.

*Wuuung.*

The waves spread outward, synchronized with Taesan’s energy, gathering information from a wider area.

“…They’re coming,” Annetsha whispered.

“The twisted demons… They’re moving toward us.”

“It seems that way.”

If an oracle had truly been issued, this horde of hundreds was only the beginning. The message must have spread throughout the entire abandoned land.

Soon, more twisted demons came into view.

“Oh… no.”

Quanid’s face paled as he drew his sword.

From all directions, demons surged toward them.

And there seemed to be no end in sight.

“There he is!”

“Capture him!”

The believers in the ancient god shouted in unison.

“For our god!”