Leveling Up With Skills – Chapter 537

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A quiet voice echoed—so small and faint that no Transcender paid it any mind.

Only Taesan took Rakiratas’ words to heart.

With his gaze lowered, Taesan looked at Rakiratas. Rakiratas met his eyes with a strange smile.

Zervand spoke.

[Whatever it is, isn’t that why we called him here—to confirm it? Then let’s confirm it.]

“Confirm?”

[We can’t read you. That goes for me and the other Transcenders as well.]

Baal added. Even he—a being close to an Ancient God—couldn’t read Taesan.

[So we’ll try to understand you properly here.]

[Essential and Baal, along with the rest of us, will combine our powers to read you. There’s no reason it shouldn’t work.]

[We’ll read you and determine what your essence is closest to. Our actions will change depending on the result.]

“If that’s what you want.”

Taesan had no reason to refuse. Revealing himself before the Transcenders was slightly concerning, but not enough to matter.

If this let him learn something about himself, that wasn’t bad either.

[Hmm.]

But Essential wore a strange expression.

As the God of Essence, he wasn’t confident.

[Well… it can’t hurt to try.]

[Then we’ll begin right away. It’s been a long time since we gathered and combined our powers.]

[Has it been a thousand years?]

[Longer than that.]

Quiet chatter spread—yet opposite that calm, an immense power and level rose.

‘…This is.’

Immense.

No other word fit. You could sense it, yet you had to give up on truly comprehending it. The Transcenders who ruled the universe itself. Something formed by eighteen of them gathering and combining their power.

A catalyst for amplification.

[Then I’ll leave it to you.]

[Understood.]

Essential activated his Divine Power—the Authority granted only to him, to grasp and read the essence of things and beings.

That Divine Power, using the Transcenders’ catalyst as a medium, swelled into something even greater.

A concentration of power that, if it touched even an Ancient God, would expose everything—down to the deepest inner layers.

It covered Taesan, trying to drag out all that he was and lay it bare before the world.

Krrr.

A beast growled, bristling against the Divine Power pressing down on it, trying to rise and resist.

‘Stay still.’

Taesan suppressed the beast. It whined in dissatisfaction, but obeyed its master’s command.

Kugugugung….

When its work was done, the Divine Power slowly faded. Essential retrieved it.

[How did it go?]

The other Transcenders asked.

Essential didn’t answer.

His expression was a frown—yet also, somehow, like he’d expected this. The Demon God’s face changed the moment she saw it.

[No way.]

[I can’t read it.]

Essential scattered the Divine Power he had retrieved.

It was empty.

[I can’t see anything. What it is. What level it reached. What its foundation is.]

—

A subtle ripple spread through the room.

They were Transcenders who had reached their heights; there was no frivolity. It was the kind of ripple that barely disturbed the water’s surface.

But it was a ripple all the same.

For Transcenders to show emotion at all was, in itself, an event.

[Is that even possible?]

Rakiratas asked, interested.

[You are the God of Essence. We added our power to your Divine Power. Baal was here too. Even an Ancient God should be readable—are you saying you couldn’t grasp anything?]

[That’s how it turned out. I can’t answer even if you press me.]

Even so, Essential’s voice carried fascination.

[Still… this is interesting.]

He looked at Taesan, curiosity in his eyes.

[If we still can’t read him even with this… the possibilities narrow.]

The Authority of Essence, amplified by multiple Transcenders and Baal, could read nearly anything.

Even Old Gods—beings beyond the concepts of this world.

Yet the fact it couldn’t read Taesan meant one thing.

Taesan was neither.

It meant something else entirely—something so different that the method itself had been wrong from the start.

[So in the end, we got no answer.]

Their plan had warped.

[There’s nothing we can know.]

Dersha spoke roughly.

[The balance is already broken. Before long, their filthy power will spread throughout this universe.]

[We have to block the broken Rift, but… that’s only possible after some of that power drains away. It will only be possible after excluding at least two or three Old Gods.]

[In the end, war is inevitable.]

Long ago—an event not many Transcenders even remembered now.

The war with the Old Gods.

In that war, countless gods lost themselves.

They had succeeded in banishing the Old Gods, but the damage had been immense.

[The problem is, we’re weaker than we were then.]

Many Transcenders had died.

Even after so long, their numbers still hadn’t fully recovered.

Meanwhile, the Old Gods had suffered almost no losses. They had no concept of death. Except for a very small number, they had not been annihilated.

They had weakened.

Their enemies had not.

Dersha turned her gaze to Baal.

[If the demons hadn’t betrayed us back then, who knows what would have happened.]

[Then how about being a little friendlier to me? Aside from the Demon God, everyone’s so cold that my heart aches.]

[Shut up.]

Dersha ignored him and continued.

[We can’t guarantee victory.]

The likelihood of defeat was higher.

That was reality.

[And a filthy traitor took their side. That individual isn’t a major problem on his own, but since he is an existence of this world, we don’t know how he’ll be affected.]

In the silence, Dersha spoke with a twisted expression.

[So there’s no need to leave unstable elements alone.]

Her hostility shifted to Taesan.

[We Transcenders can’t read what he’s reached. Like an Ancient God.]

[But it’s different from an Ancient God. With the Divine Power just now, we would have been able to read even an Ancient God completely.]

[Which makes him an even more troublesome existence.]

They were already in a state where they couldn’t guarantee victory. There was no reason to leave an unknown, unstable element like Taesan untouched.

That was Dersha’s judgment—and it wasn’t wrong.

In fact, several Transcenders were sending hostility and murderous intent toward Taesan.

But just as many opposed it.

[No.]

The Demon God spoke softly. Her cat-like eyes curved gently.

[He can help us. I’m sure of it.]

[That’s not wrong.]

Maria, the God of Choice, agreed.

[He saved the beloved goddess Levinenov. He removed and purified the pollution we couldn’t solve. And above all, he killed an Ancient God—something we have not been able to do until now.]

The Gatekeeper had been the weakest Ancient God—so weak it was almost embarrassing to even call him one. In the process of breaking through the Rift, he had lost much of his power and level, reduced to something incomparably feeble.

But even so—

An Ancient God was an Ancient God.

A being to whom the concept of death did not apply.

And Taesan had annihilated the Gatekeeper.

[He is not hostile to us. He is hostile to the Old Gods. You can tell just by looking at what has happened so far.]

[His inner issue has also been resolved. He is free now. We may not be able to read him, but that isn’t a major problem.]

Those who knew Taesan, and held a favorable impression of him, defended him.

[He is useful to us. In the coming war with the Old Gods, that heterogeneity could become a great force.]

[But the opposite is also true.]

The opinions didn’t align. The Magician, who had been listening quietly, shook his head.

“Let’s keep it simple. Kang Taesan—how many Transcenders believe he should be dealt with?”

They expressed their views in their own ways. Nine argued Taesan should be dealt with.

“Then those opposed?”

Again, opinions were expressed.

Nine.

“It’s split evenly.”

All Transcenders not present were either neutral or unqualified to voice an opinion about Taesan.

So the decision had to be made here.

Dersha raised her finger, expression twisted.

[Fine. I acknowledge your opinions. He may be on our side. But you’re ignoring one thing.]

[What is it?]

[Do you really think that being has enough power to be helpful to us?]

No one answered. Dersha curled her lips.

[He’s strong, but that’s all. The Transcenders outside could have dealt with the Gatekeeper easily. What we need for the coming war isn’t someone who’s merely strong. We need an existence with overwhelming power.]

Someone who could face even a complete Ancient God alone.

He needed to be at the level of a Transcender who oversaw a concept.

Dersha pressed on, as if she’d found an opening.

[It’s easier to break something than to repair it. Even if he is weak, he could expand the broken Rift. There’s no reason to leave behind an alien substance that isn’t very helpful.]

[Then we verify it directly.]

Rakiratas’ voice echoed. Dersha frowned.

[…What do you mean?]

[Either way, a confirmation process is necessary. We can’t read his level.]

Even Essential couldn’t grasp the level Kang Taesan had reached.

Meaning no one in the universe could.

Then there was only one way to confirm it.

A direct fight.

With everything on the line—revealing all of yourself.

The Demon God spoke with a sullen face.

[You’re saying one of us should fight him?]

[I don’t think it’s a bad decision, if you choose properly.]

Rakiratas looked at Dersha.

[First, you’re excluded. Dersha. Your Divine Power is the Divine Power of death. It’s utterly useless against someone who doesn’t have the concept of death. That’s why you weren’t much help in the war against the Old Gods.]

[…]

Dersha wanted to refute him, but closed her mouth.

Because it was true.

Dersha was the god of the concept of death, existing since the universe’s creation.

She held immense power—but her limitations were absolute.

She was powerless against beings to whom death did not apply.

[I know you’re emotional because your Divine Power doesn’t work on him, but calm down.]

“I’m not an Ancient God, though.”

Taesan protested. Rakiratas smiled faintly.

[Then does the concept of death exist for you?]

Taesan couldn’t answer.

[We’ll confirm that later. Dersha, you’re excluded. The same goes for those hostile to him. They might use the opportunity to try to kill him even after verification is done.]

[Then…?]

The Demon God’s eyes brightened as she tried to rise, but Rakiratas stopped her.

[Those who are fond of him are excluded too. I doubt you can sincerely try to kill him.]

Rakiratas spoke lightly.

[This can’t be verified through sparring or a simple duel. Only a fight with your life on the line can reveal a being’s essence. You’re not suitable either.]

[…So what’s the conclusion?]

[I’ll do it.]

Rakiratas spoke.

In his eyes, strong desire and struggle churned.

[I will test him myself.]

[What?]

[What are you talking about?]

[It’s been a long time since I’ve had a trial. Kang Taesan.]

Rakiratas ignored the others. His gaze remained fixed on Taesan.

[Prove yourself to me.]

[Subquest Started]

[Rakiratas wants to test you. If you accept, the trial will come to you. If you overcome it, there will be a reward.]

[Reward: Rakiratas will determine it according to your performance.]

[Rakiratas’ Trial: Prove your struggle and death against Rakiratas.]

Chapter 537

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