Chapter 467
The ashen domain descended upon the world.
And with it, the domains forged through centuries of battle began to vanish.
[T-This is…]
That ash-gray presence could not be called part of this world.
It was alien. A domain where no law or order applied.
[You have activated Great Collapse [Negation].]
A pitch-black sphere manifested in the world. It shot straight toward Paragup. He hastily braced his whole body.
Kuwoooong!
“Keuheuk!”
But he could not withstand it.
The black sphere pierced his defense and struck at his essence.
“Ugh!”
He tried to synchronize with the power of the earth to endure the shock. But the land, devoured by ash, no longer obeyed his will. Paragup’s authority ceased to function properly.
“What is this…”
[Come! Come to me!]
Keboruak flapped his wings violently. He tried to gather the energy of the sky to drive the ash away.
But the energy would not gather. As if blocked by a veil, the world could no longer resonate with him.
They felt as though they had been cast adrift in a cradle.
Step.
The master of the ash, Taesan, approached them.
Paragup’s eyes trembled. The emotions that had always been calm within him surged like waves.
“U-Uaaaah!”
Unable to endure his fear, he charged. Keboruak, shuddering, spread his wings and rushed at Taesan as well.
Taesan welcomed them with a swing of his sword.
Kwaaaang!
Battle erupted. Their domains erased, the two panicked and could not respond properly.
“There’s nothing more to gain here.”
Taesan decided to end it.
[You have activated Frozen World [Chaos].]
Crackle!
Ashen frost engulfed the Immortals. Even in panic, their instincts tried to respond to Taesan’s attack.
But it was useless. The ash crushed and excluded their defenses and strength, striking at their very essence.
“Kuuk.”
“Ugh, urgh.”
They could not even scream properly. Their bodies and souls were left with indelible wounds.
And at that moment, the Domain of Chaos faded.
The ash-gray world that had devoured their domains vanished without a trace.
“…Unbelievable.”
Checking the cost, Taesan let out a hollow laugh.
He had sustained the Domain of Chaos for barely a minute or two, and only within the hole. On a world scale, it was an extremely limited range.
Yet even that had nearly drained his reserves of black power and divinity.
“As expected, this isn’t a power that can be used recklessly.”
But the effect was undeniable. The ashen domain had overlaid the world and erased the Immortals’ domains in an instant. The Immortals, who had barely been maintaining the battle, could no longer endure.
The fight was over.
It was Taesan’s overwhelming victory.
He stepped toward the Immortals, frozen in ice. They looked at him blankly.
“Someone like you… should not exist in this world…”
Paragup spoke with difficulty.
He had seen Transcendents before. So he knew something of their power and stature.
But the power Taesan displayed matched none of it.
This was not the power of a Transcendent. It was simply alien. It was not of this world.
“You… are a being that destroys the universe. You should not exist…”
He muttered like a man whose mind had broken.
Taesan gave no response and raised his sword to Paragup’s chest. He drew upon the last remnants of his divinity and black power.
Flicker.
Ash touched Paragup’s chest.
But Taesan did not thrust. Paragup, prepared for death, looked up at him in a daze.
The ash began to seep across Paragup’s body.
At that moment, his skin crawled.
Something mingled reached into the deepest part of him.
Something alien was touching his essence.
“S-Stop.”
He had accepted death. Yet the fear was unbearable.
“Stop. Please… I beg you…”
Trembling, he pleaded.
Taesan watched for a moment, then withdrew the ash.
The Boundary Line distorted and unraveled the world’s laws. It could erase the contamination of Old Gods who had devoured Transcendents and become one with them.
If so, could it also erase the authority of Immortals?
Could he strip away their authority and forcibly drag down their stature?
It was not impossible. The Domain of Chaos had already erased their domains, if only temporarily.
So Taesan tested it against the weakened Paragup.
But it was impossible.
As if forbidden, he could not pry into that deepest core.
‘So that doesn’t work.’
But at the same time, he realized.
It wasn’t impossible.
Not yet. But one day, it could be.
Having confirmed this, Taesan thrust his sword.
Paragup, even as he died, wore a look of relief.
[Your Rank Ascension has been activated. Permanently…]
[Your Rank Ascension has been activated. You have obtained the Soul Skill [One Who Treads the Earth].]
And Bardray and Akasha also stirred. A vast power flowed into them, making them groan softly.
Taesan finished off the unconscious Keboruak as well.
[Your Rank Ascension has been activated. Permanently…]
[Your Rank Ascension has been activated. You have obtained the Soul Skill [Master of the Sky].]
“It’s over.”
The two Immortals, who had opposed each other for centuries to become gods and plunged the world into suffering, met their end.
—
Taesan had defeated the combined assault of two Immortals.
And he had taken almost no damage. Even while experimenting as he fought, his victory was overwhelming.
This despite only just becoming a Transcendent, an unstable state.
‘Overwhelming.’
Reaching Transcendence placed one on a different level from Immortals.
But even Taesan could not yet reach the highest Transcendents. With the Boundary Line, he was certainly an irregular, but even that could not bridge the gap.
Simply growing stronger step by step had its limits.
He needed some great change.
And Taesan held things that could bring about such change.
He was still considering how to use them, but his thoughts were taking shape.
Taesan organized his mind and checked his skills.
[Soul Skill: One Who Treads the Earth]
[Proficiency: 1%]
[He who stands upon the earth. When one’s feet are on the ground, synchronize with it and claim part of the world as your own. The longer you remain in one place, the stronger your influence grows.]
[Soul Skill: Master of the Sky]
[Proficiency: 1%]
[He who rules the sky. When one’s body leaves the ground and takes to the air, control the sky at will. Move through the air more freely than anything else. The longer you remain in the sky, the stronger your influence grows.]
The two Immortals’ traits were earth and sky. Beyond that, there was little difference.
Taesan planted his feet and focused. The earth began to resonate with him.
Rumble.
The ground rose, forming armor around his body.
“So this is the feeling.”
Just standing on the earth activated the authority. The condition was not hard to meet, and there was little cost.
Paragup had used it to create endlessly regenerating armor.
Taesan could not yet manage that level, but it was still a valuable defensive power.
Keboruak’s authority was also efficient. Taesan kicked off the ground, lifting into the sky.
By focusing, he could soar freely like a bird.
Until now, he had needed the Perfect Fairy Wings to fly. Now, he could move freely in the air without activating any skill.
He also used the sky’s energy to manipulate wind and accelerate his body.
Both skills cost nothing. As they functioned in opposite domains, they were not difficult to use. They were very useful authorities.
And having fought Immortal-level enemies, Bardray’s attack power had risen significantly.
[Prince of a Ruined World: Bardray]
[The Prince of Carveth, an empire of a ruined world. Bardray, reborn as a sword of flesh.]
[Attack Power +3012]
His attack had risen by 150 in one stroke.
Akasha, too, was undergoing change.
[No… This… no…]
“Did something come to mind?”
Akasha muttered faintly, then fell silent, speaking again in a troubled tone.
[Enemy. Ally. Chaos… everything is jumbled together. My memories… my memories…]
Then she groaned in pain.
[Please… wait a moment. I need time to sort this out.]
“All right.”
Taesan left Akasha be.
The quest was over. Using the Master of the Sky, he emerged outside.
“Ooooh!”
Those waiting outside cried in awe at the sight of Taesan.
“Those who forced their faith upon you are gone.”
Taesan addressed them. The people bowed their heads, showing respect and reverence.
“I will leave. This world is yours alone now. Unite with each other, and at times compete, to make it peaceful.”
“Yes!”
“We will follow your words, Taesan!”
How long would their worship endure?
They would go forth and tell of what they had seen and experienced.
That a god named Taesan had appeared, punished those who destroyed their world and forced their faith upon them, and then vanished.
And they would revere him. Religions and groups would be formed to worship him as a god.
When they bore children and grew old and died, they would speak of it as a legend.
That once, their world was filled with turmoil.
That two dreadful beings had demanded worship.
But one appeared, defeated them, and freed the people.
And the tale would continue, passed down for generations, engraving the existence of Taesan as a god in their hearts.
In this world, Taesan would never be forgotten.
That was enough.
Taesan’s body disappeared. He was no longer in this world.
But the people did not lift their bowed heads. For hours after, they remained in place.
—
[Your level has risen.]
[Your level has risen.]
[Your level has risen.]
[You have obtained the Staff of the Crawling One.]
[You have obtained ???.]
Floor clear rewards.
The Staff of the Crawling One was an item related to black magic. The secret reward was as well.
“With this, I should be able to acquire at least one mid-tier black magic.”
There was no reason to delay.
Taesan descended the stairs immediately.
[89th Floor Quest begins.]
[Destroy the outpost of the Old Gods that exists in the universe.]
[Reward: Ring of the Eternally Echoing Refrain.]
[Secret Reward: ???]