Leveling Up With Skills – Chapter 540

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[Beastly.]

Maria, watching from beyond the Boundary, muttered.

[Barbaric. There’s not a shred of dignity in someone who’s reached Transcendence.]

Struggle and Death. Two great Divine Powers.

Rakiratas wielded them as pure violence.

It was simple—almost stupid.

But for Rakiratas, it was the right answer. Zervand spoke, sounding genuinely amazed.

[Even I couldn’t overwhelm him like that head-on.]

He wouldn’t lose. He could manipulate magic to restrict movement, force routes, and carve out a path to victory.

But he couldn’t smash through the Boundary and Physical Force themselves and advance like this, straight on. This kind of overwhelming violence belonged to Rakiratas alone.

[So, we’ve reached a conclusion.]

Dersha sneered.

[He won’t be helpful to us.]

Taesan was holding out against Rakiratas.

But that was all.

He wasn’t pressuring Rakiratas or exploiting openings to counterattack. Rakiratas was overwhelming him without meeting real resistance.

[He’s too weak.]

[Hmm.]

Essential stroked his chin, but didn’t refute it.

Because it was true.

Rakiratas was undeniably powerful. Governing two Divine Powers, he stood among the highest-ranking Transcenders.

Even so, Taesan shouldn’t have been pushed back this badly.

Taesan also had Divine Power. Calling them equal was questionable, but it was fair to say they were on a similar tier.

At the very least, he should have been able to counter and leave damage behind.

Yet Taesan was barely hanging on—like a lower-ranked being.

[Rakiratas is genuinely trying to kill him, but he isn’t going all out. If he were, Taesan would’ve died and turned to dust long ago.]

[That’s not wrong.]

No one denied it. Anyone foolish enough to deny what they were seeing wouldn’t have reached Transcendence in the first place.

[But… it’s still strange.]

Doubt flickered in Essential’s eyes.

If Taesan truly ranked below them, they should have been able to read his concept.

But they couldn’t.

Even with Taesan fighting with everything he had, his essence and rank remained unreadable.

[I don’t know what it is.]

[There’s nothing more to watch. We should deal with him right now—]

Dersha pressed on, as if seizing her chance.

Then she shut her mouth.

The other Transcenders did too. Silence fell instantly.

Their gazes fixed on Taesan.

More precisely—on the being beside him.

[…Wait.]

The Demon God frowned, bewilderment flooding her face.

[What… is that?]

A gray beast had appeared within the Boundary.

[…Life?]

It was life. Clear emotion and will were visible.

But it still couldn’t be read.

It was life, but not life from this world. Yet it wasn’t the life of an Ancient God either.

It was alien—deeply so.

[…What is it?]

[I can’t read it.]

Even under the combined gazes of Transcenders, the beast couldn’t be grasped. Like a dark curtain swallowing light, it devoured their observation and concepts, turning them into nothing.

Their instincts warned them. They couldn’t read it. They couldn’t tell what it was, or how high its rank reached.

And that was dangerous.

A Transcender’s instinct recoiled from the gray beast.

It was something that could ruin the universe itself.

[Dangerous… that is.]

—

A cry rang out.

It cried with joy, like a beast freed from iron bars. Its laughter echoed.

Krrr.

It was something made of gray.

It had no proper form, but within it, a beast-like ego could be felt. It guarded Taesan’s side.

Rakiratas laughed.

[Is that the source of the Divine Power you have? It’s unusual.]

Krrng.

The beast rumbled softly, sending Rakiratas a wary gaze.

Like a dog shielding its master from a hostile stranger.

Rakiratas’s eyes glittered.

[Life? A Divine Power with an ego. I’ve never heard of it.]

“I was surprised at first too.”

An ego resided inside the Boundary.

“That’s why I couldn’t use it until now.”

It was his power, yet it had a complete ego of its own. To wield that Divine Power properly, Taesan needed to fully control the beast’s will—and until now, he couldn’t.

It was like keeping a pet that didn’t truly obey. It would follow orders, but it wasn’t under control. Taesan’s mastery wasn’t stable enough to restrain something that could run wild on its own.

But not anymore.

Now Taesan was one with himself, and he had gained proper control over his Divine Power.

Now he could command the beast of the Boundary.

[Good. Then let’s do it properly.]

Rakiratas smiled and drove strength into his legs. In an instant, he was within striking range.

Taesan didn’t move.

He gave an order.

“Block it.”

The beast howled—joyfully, as if it had been waiting for that command.

Gray scattered like mist and covered Rakiratas.

Rakiratas swung his axe. Until now, the Boundary had failed to stop the two Divine Powers contained within that blade, always being forced back.

Kaga gagagak!

But not this time.

The beast didn’t retreat. It thrust its maw forward greedily and bit down on the axe. Rakiratas’s expression shifted for a moment.

Divine Power raged within the swing. The aftermath alone threatened to tear apart the Boundary the Transcenders had created.

Kwaaaang!

The axe tried to cleave the beast of the Boundary.

But the beast drew out more gray—separate from Taesan, driven by its own will.

Jjeooooeong!

With the collision, the Divine Powers rebounded off one another.

[Ha.]

Rakiratas let out a hollow laugh. He could instinctively tell what the beast before him was.

[Has the concept itself become life?]

Death, Struggle, Physical Force, Choice, Magic.

Each was a great concept.

And the beast Taesan was wielding was one of them—the concept itself, given ego and realized in the world.

[Seriously. Even for “unusual,” there should be a limit.]

The beast didn’t stop. It sprinted, aiming for Rakiratas’s throat.

Rakiratas bared his teeth.

[Good! Good!]

He burst into wild laughter. Truly enjoying himself, he tightened his grip on the axe.

Rakiratas drew out his Divine Power.

The Death of Struggle erupted. He tried to trample and crush the beast clinging to him.

Kaaaang!

But the beast didn’t yield.

Like a fighting dog, it snapped at openings.

The beast of the Boundary was clashing head-on with Struggle and Death.

Kwaaaang!

Their Divine Powers rebounded. Taesan quickly brought his hands together.

[You have activated the Rainbow Rush of Diverse Colors [Boundary].]

Streams of gray poured out.

The difference now was that each stream carried the beast’s ego.

Like living things, they slipped past Rakiratas’s attacks and defenses, targeting his entire body.

Kwaaaaaang!

Rakiratas swung his axe. Struggle and Death became a line, crushing and deflecting the gray streams.

But the beast aimed for the gaps.

It wedged itself between the axe’s paths and slammed into Rakiratas’s body.

Kwaaaang!

An explosion erupted, forcing Rakiratas back.

The Boundary stained Rakiratas’s body. Divine Power surged from him to push the Boundary away, but his body still suffered a slight loss.

Taesan had finally managed to damage Rakiratas.

[Ha, hahahahahahaha!]

Rakiratas was delighted.

[Good! That’s how it should be! Show me your Struggle! Otherwise! I will kill you!]

Rakiratas’s eyes turned red.

[Rakiratas has activated Conceptualization: Death of Struggle.]

Divine Power activated.

And the world itself was rewritten.

When he used the Struggle of the World earlier, he had only altered a local space, like the Boundary World. “World” had been an expression.

But now, it was literal.

The concept of all things turned into Struggle and Death. The universe itself became Rakiratas’s perfect possession.

The beast howled, as if answering it. Taesan commanded:

“Smash it.”

With a howl, the beast burst apart.

Scattered like a wave, it rampaged in every direction, trampling and contaminating the world that had become Struggle and Death.

Kwaaaang!

Taesan lunged forward.

He avoided the onrushing Death of the world itself and carved a path.

The beast howled and struck the air. The universe tore and twisted—

but it didn’t reach.

The beast was slowly being pushed out of place.

That was Rakiratas’s full power.

Or something close to it. With the universe itself turned into Struggle and Death, there was virtually no limit.

‘So this kind of use is possible.’

To convert the world’s concepts into his own. Taesan couldn’t do that—at least not yet.

The beast howled and struggled. The universe shook and collapsed under the swirling gray.

But little by little, it was being forced back.

The Boundary was alien and powerful, and Taesan was controlling the beast to some extent—

but not perfectly.

He had only just managed to draw it out. He was still immature. In this state, he couldn’t directly contend with Rakiratas’s Divine Power.

Kwaaaang!

Taesan’s range of movement shrank under the pressure.

Kaga gagagak!

Yet Taesan’s expression didn’t change.

He remembered himself in life-and-death battles.

That didn’t mean he could beat Rakiratas. It only meant that he could finally draw out the Divine Power he’d only been using halfway.

But the limit was still clear.

He was still immature. He still couldn’t reach the bottom of that Divine Power.

So Taesan searched for an opening.

A tiny gap he could slip into.

As if responding, the beast moved. The gray compressed, forming a distinct shape.

[Hoo.]

Rakiratas let out an impressed sound.

The Boundary—Boundary itself—was packed into that small form. It was like the universe condensed into a single shape, a sight that forced an exclamation.

The beast sprinted toward Rakiratas. The onrushing world shattered and broke. The howling struck the Boundary.

Taesan stomped and surged forward, following the path the beast created.

Rakiratas waved a hand lightly.

The universe—now Rakiratas’s—condensed as it was. The universe itself trampled the beast.

Two worlds collided.

Naturally, the gray was being pushed back. The difference between their foundations was too great.

But the beast didn’t retreat.

Even as it was crushed, trampled, and torn apart, it carved a path toward Rakiratas.

Keoheoheong!

The howl spread. For an instant, the world shook, and the pressure on the beast eased.

Kwaaaang!

The beast surged again—straight at Rakiratas.

[Strong.]

Rakiratas spoke calmly and swung his axe.

The beast thrust its maw forward, but it was knocked away. It had already spent too much power carving that path.

But that was enough.

Taesan slipped under Rakiratas.

[You have activated Addition.]

[You have activated Blade of Fighting Spirit.]

[You have activated Multiplication.]

Skills stacked in rapid succession.

Physical Force condensed inside Taesan’s sword.

A Divine Power—an immense concentration that let Taesan dominate the concept of Physical Force.

It compressed and swung.

A massive scar tore across the Boundary created by the Transcenders.

Rakiratas smiled, as if he’d been waiting for this.

[It’s finally out!]

Rakiratas also knew about Multiplication. Physical Force that left marks on the universe itself—there was no way he wouldn’t notice it. He had been watching the battle on Earth as well.

That was why he’d been waiting more than anyone.

For Taesan to truly wield Multiplication.

So he could crush it head-on.

[Come.]

Rakiratas raised his axe.

The universe condensed into that blade.

All things—the concept of Struggle and Death itself—became one.

That was Rakiratas’s full power.

Kuuuuung!

The axe and Taesan’s sword collided. The aftermath flooded the Boundary.

Then the Boundary began to crack.

[Ugh.]

[Is this all?]

The Transcenders watching were shaken. Within the Boundary, Rakiratas’s and Taesan’s power was being suppressed to the limit. Otherwise, the universe itself would be affected—that had been the point of the Boundary.

But now, even that Boundary was starting to fail.

The Transcenders drew out their concepts even further, reinforcing the Boundary.

Kaga gagagak!

Divine Power clashed against Divine Power, compressed to the extreme.

And Rakiratas won.

Kugugugugung!

Physical Force was torn apart by Struggle and Death and vanished.

Rakiratas wore a victor’s smile.

[I won.]

His condition wasn’t perfect either. Even after ruling over all things, his Divine Power had been heavily consumed. His rank had taken noticeable damage.

But compared to Taesan, he was clearly in better shape.

Taesan had burned through almost all of his Boundary and Physical Force.

He was at his limit.

Kuuuung!

The axe came down.

Taesan had spent nearly everything he had.

But there was still one power he had never used.

A Divine Power more alien and twisted than the Boundary—something he couldn’t even understand, something that had remained dormant until now.

But not anymore.

Spirit, flesh, and rank had achieved perfect unity.

Taesan didn’t know what he was doing.

But his flesh, rank, and Divine Power moved first.

Taesan’s arm rose. His hand touched Rakiratas’s axe.

[You have activated Spiritual Rank Usurpation.]

Chapter 540

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