Chapter 552
The blooming flowers scattered.
Like dandelion fluff riding the wind, they drifted slowly toward Taesan.
Thousands, tens of thousands of crimson flowers filled his vision.
Taesan gathered Mana.
[You have activated Rainbow Rush of Diverse Colors.]
First, he would probe lightly to figure out what kind of authority it was. Rainbow light surged toward the flowers.
And the instant it touched them, the flowers burst into full bloom.
FWOOOOSH!
They expanded, swallowing space itself. Like popcorn popping, they exploded outward and tried to engulf Taesan in an instant.
The explosion was so fast he didn’t even have time to activate Soul Rank Usurpation. Taesan wrapped himself in Boundary Line and pulled back.
BOOOOM!
Taesan collided with the crimson flowers in full bloom, and Gray was ground away at a rapid pace. Taesan quickly broke out of the blooming flowers and placed his hand on a scattered concept.
[You have activated Soul Rank Usurpation.]
Then the authority of Forced Expulsion activated.
The concept that excluded, denied, and tried to shove away everything that touched him collided with the crimson flowers that had seized the space.
Forced Expulsion itself was an authority. It was clearly one of the complete concepts.
KRAAAANG!
But the crimson flowers weren’t pushed back.
They swallowed the complete concept instead and bloomed even more. Like life itself, like flamboyant flames bursting into bloom.
Forced Expulsion was pierced through.
Taesan raised Boundary Line. The risen Gray began to lose its color.
[Worthless] spread through the world. It rendered everything in the crimson flowers’ oncoming bloom meaningless.
But even against [Worthless], the crimson flowers endured their value.
They bloomed, they flared, they were born.
And though it was only a tiny shard, they succeeded in breaking through [Worthless].
Taesan clenched his fist. A crimson flower exploded in his grasp.
And the scattered fragments of the flower reached Taesan.
Taesan read the concept contained within.
‘…It’s not a flower.’
The flower was only a form. It was closer to the way the authority expressed itself.
Forced Expulsion was pushed back. And even with [Worthless], he couldn’t erase it completely.
That meant the concept of Forced Expulsion was facing an authority that stood higher than a complete authority that existed on its own.
Like Dersha, the God of Death.
A concept that had existed from the beginning, rooted in place since the creation of the universe.
‘Was Arilnan really that kind of being?’
[Bloom.]
The Usurper spoke briefly.
And a colossal flower rose. One that covered the entire world. A gigantic bud soared high into the sky.
Its size was like a mountain.
[Come into full bloom.]
And the flower bloomed. It seized space and trampled everything.
Taesan stomped, evaded the seized space, pierced through the petals, and charged at the Usurper.
The Usurper shook his body roughly.
[Wither.]
The flower in full bloom began to fall.
And Taesan felt it.
Everything heading toward the Usurper was withering away.
It wasn’t simple death. It was like a flower wilting with the flow of time.
If he approached that, it was dangerous. No matter how much Boundary Line he wrapped himself in, it could still be dangerous.
In the end, Taesan had no choice but to widen the distance again.
From the fight just now, Taesan was sure. The effects of Arilnan’s authority weren’t limited to one.
So far, he had confirmed three.
Blooming. The flowers bloom. Each individual flower was comparable to a complete concept, or even beyond it.
And full bloom. The flowers that had bloomed were brought into full bloom, swallowing space itself.
When Taesan forced his way through that space, he felt it.
That space was incredibly heavy and dense. It felt packed with no emptiness at all. The very density was absurdly high.
And falling blossoms.
Falling blossoms were the opposite. Space itself became hollow.
But it wasn’t the same as [Worthless]. It was closer to a concept where everything rotted away and withered into dusk.
‘What kind of authority is this?’
Even with only what he’d confirmed, there were three effects.
He could guess, but he couldn’t tell exactly what concept it was.
But it was powerful. Extremely so. He could tell from how it smashed through Forced Expulsion and even broke through [Worthless].
If the Usurper’s fragment—unable to wield authority properly—could handle it to that extent, it meant the authority’s rank itself was overwhelmingly high.
“How did you usurp a god like that?”
If it could be handled properly, it looked like a concept above even Rakiratas, a Demon God, or Maria.
But the one wielding it was still the Usurper.
If so, it could be broken through as well.
[You have activated Soul Rank Usurpation.]
Countless authorities manifested from Taesan’s hands. The Usurper scattered flowers with his warped form.
[You have activated Acceleration.]
[You have activated Skill Acceleration.]
And Taesan moved at high speed, aiming for the gaps between the flowers. The Usurper made the flowers bloom and brought them into full bloom. He tried to attack Taesan with that.
Taesan didn’t retreat.
The Usurper could pull out the power and handle it, but he couldn’t focus or control it.
Then it could be pierced.
[You have activated Soul Rank Usurpation.]
He usurped concepts. And with his will, he controlled and swung the concepts he had usurped.
Kaga-ga-ga-gak!
Guaranteed Strike manifested from Taesan’s hand.
And Gray was infused within it.
[What.]
PPEEEENG!
Gray-tinged Guaranteed Strike shot toward the Usurper. The Usurper hurriedly made the flowers fall to block Taesan’s attack.
But the attack succeeded in reaching the Usurper’s immediate vicinity.
[You…!]
“Looks like I can manage up to this point now.”
Taesan smiled.
The countless authorities strewn around this place.
Each time he activated Soul Rank Usurpation on them and handled them, he was growing more accustomed to it.
This place was a treasure chest for Taesan as well. Normally, there would be no reason—or even any way—to use Soul Rank Usurpation, but here he could raise its proficiency overwhelmingly.
“Try hard. Keep holding out against me.”
He would keep growing stronger, and the Usurper would remain stuck where he was.
The Usurper was nothing more than his practice tool.
The Usurper realized that as well. He couldn’t endure it anymore. Filled with fury, he tried to trample Taesan.
Taesan welcomed it as if he were pleased.
Kugugugung!
Concepts collided.
Arilnan’s authority, wielded by the Usurper, collided with the authorities Taesan wielded through Soul Rank Usurpation.
But unlike before, Taesan’s authorities were stained with Boundary Line.
And that ratio was increasing.
[Aa… Aaaagh!]
The Usurper couldn’t endure the sight.
To perfectly mix the concepts of the universe and the concepts beyond and wield them as wholly his own—
That was what the Usurper had yearned for his entire existence.
And Taesan was accomplishing it by stealing the concepts the Usurper had usurped.
The Usurper burst with emotion. No trace of the great Old God’s reason remained. Petals covered the domain in a chaotic storm.
That alone was powerful enough.
Even a Transcender who ruled complete concepts wouldn’t be able to reach him easily.
But his opponent was Taesan.
He stole many things and stained them with Gray. Not simply picking them up and swinging them—he made them his, controlling and regulating them.
BOOOOM!
The Usurper raged.
Unable to restrain his emotions, he flung his power wildly. Colossal power erupted.
[Come into full bloom!]
RIIIIING!
Dozens of flowers bloomed in full. They covered the entire domain.
Taesan focused his mind.
He strove to draw out his authority as close to perfection as possible.
Taesan dashed, swinging the authorities he had usurped as he charged toward the endlessly blooming flowers.
In the process, his mind reached an even higher realm. Originally, usurping a concept required a certain amount of time, but now, even a light touch was enough.
And Taesan reached it.
The time he fought Rakiratas.
The realm he had reached in that fleeting instant.
This time was different from then. Back then, he had reached it by chance and couldn’t touch it again, but now, he reached it by his own will.
So Taesan stepped forward.
RIIIIING!
A flower bloomed in full and tried to engulf Taesan. Taesan didn’t retreat. Instead, he reached out his hand.
The crimson flower touched Taesan’s hand.
[You have activated Soul Rank Usurpation.]
And the flower’s ownership changed.
Unlike before—usurping concepts that lay scattered and that the Usurper wasn’t wielding—this time, Taesan usurped the concept the Usurper was directly handling and swinging, turning it into his.
The flower’s concept—its authority—raged within Taesan.
And in that process, Taesan realized what Arilnan’s authority truly was.
‘This is…’
Taesan let out a hollow laugh.
“Your true self is more impressive than I expected. You even usurped this. Just how strong are you?”
[What kind of nonsense—]
“There’s nothing more to see from you.”
Taesan made the flower he controlled fall.
KRRRRAAAANG!
Blooming flowers and falling flowers collided. Petals scattered.
[Eeeeeeek!]
The Usurper, unable to endure it, burst with emotion.
Taesan bent his knees. He lowered his posture and put strength into his entire body.
Kuuuuung!
He dashed. Without retreating, straight on. Toward the Usurper.
Flowers bloomed in full, seizing space. Taesan activated Soul Rank Usurpation.
He usurped that authority. In the process, he grew even more accustomed to Soul Rank Usurpation and understood Arilnan’s authority.
And at last.
Shrrrk.
Gray began to mix into the flowers.
Arilnan’s authority fell under Taesan’s control.
“Come into full bloom.”
Gray flowers rose and trampled everything. Dozens of crimson flowers shattered and broke all at once.
In the flurry of petals, a path opened between Taesan and the Usurper.
[A… Ah.]
The Usurper stumbled back. Fear clung to his face.
BOOOOM!
Taesan didn’t stop. In an instant, he reached the Usurper’s immediate vicinity.
The Usurper hurried to draw out his authority, but Taesan’s sword pierced the Usurper’s chest first.
Crack.
[Keugh!]
Then Gray exploded. The Boundary beast rose, devouring and staining the Usurper’s twisted body.
[Aaaaargh!]
[You have activated Soul Rank Usurpation.]
Soul Rank Usurpation.
This time, what he usurped was the very existence called the Usurper. The Usurper felt it—his existence itself was being usurped.
[Don’t make me laugh! Someone like you! How dare a foolish, dull existence of the universe dare to usurp me!]
“You are me. Or rather, you’re going to become that.”
Taesan bared his teeth.
“You are mine.”
The words the Usurper—once a fragment of him—had spoken in the past, he now spoke to the Usurper.
The moment the Usurper tried to say something—
Gray exploded.
The existence called the Usurper began to settle within Taesan.
[A… Aaaagh!]
The Usurper struggled in desperation, but it was all meaningless. The Boundary beast delightedly devoured every last resistance.
Kugugugung…
And Taesan devoured it.
The Usurper’s fragment.
[You have activated Soul Rank Usurpation. You have obtained Transcendence [Concept Usurpation]. Transcendence [Concept Usurpation] has become part of Transcendence [Soul Rank Usurpation].]
[You have activated Soul Rank Usurpation. You have obtained Transcendence [Broken Wish].]
[You have activated Soul Rank Usurpation. You have obtained Transcendence [Treasure Chest].]