Ascension Through Skills

Chapter 466: Floor 88: Those Who Aspire to Godhood (5)

Golden light erupted, expanding aggressively as Taesan’s Sanctuary pushed back the domains of Paragup and Keboruak.

[Don’t make me laugh!]

Keboruak roared in defiance, his domain surging to resist the encroaching divine power. Paragup followed suit, calling upon the earth to bolster their defense.

[You dare claim a domain within my world? You, who’ve stepped beyond your own!]

“And what of it?” Taesan replied nonchalantly to their accusations.

The golden radiance spread further, engulfing the battlefield.

[This... this can’t be...]

Though their domains weren’t completely annihilated, they were visibly diminished, the sheer presence of the Sanctuary reducing both their size and authority.

“So, the domain of immortals pales before a true Sanctuary,” Taesan mused.

Despite being in a foreign world, his Sanctuary was strong enough to suppress the domains of these so-called immortals. This realization brought a faint smile to his lips.

“Perfect. Let’s test this properly.”

Paragup’s expression darkened as he prepared to strike.

Boom!

The earth rose in colossal waves, aiming to swallow Taesan whole. Paragup hurled his massive frame forward, his enormous fist crashing down toward his foe.

Taesan met the blow head-on with his own.

Boom!

The shockwave from their collision rippled through the air. Paragup stumbled backward, his attack effortlessly parried.

Taesan dusted his hand off.

From above, Keboruak unleashed a storm. The heavens trembled as winds and lightning coalesced, descending upon Taesan with relentless ferocity.

Rumble!

Taesan dodged gracefully, his movements fluid, as he dismantled the onslaught with mere strikes and counters.

The battle turned chaotic. Paragup observed with mounting unease.

Taesan wasn’t relying on any external power.

He wasn’t utilizing artifacts, spells, or even his full divine strength.

Taesan was combating them solely through the strength of his body and the weight of his presence.

“This... this shouldn’t be possible.” Paragup muttered, shaking his head in denial.

The earth trembled as Paragup lashed out again, waves of power crashing toward Taesan.

Boom!

Taesan’s form remained unscathed, protected by a faint, invisible force.@@@@

“Not bad,” Taesan murmured, calculating the cost. “Even against immortals, this is manageable.”

The Self-Immutability skill, one of Taesan’s greatest defenses, negated any law-based interference. Yet, against Paragup and Keboruak, its energy was gradually being drained with each attack.

‘It’ll hold for at least ten more full-strength assaults,’ Taesan estimated.

Having tested his defensive capabilities, he decided it was time to evaluate his offensive power.

[You have activated Great Collapse.]

A sphere of annihilation materialized, its presence distorting reality itself.

Paragup surged forward, intercepting the attack.

Boom!

Though the explosion made him groan in pain, Paragup’s armor absorbed the blow, rapidly regenerating.

Paragup’s authority as an immortal lay in his unbreakable defense, an ability that had never been breached, even in countless battles with Keboruak.

But that was about to change.

[You have activated Spell Stacking.]

Taesan conjured three Great Collapse spheres, layering them atop one another.

Keboruak fared no better, his desperate counterattacks falling short.

For all their might, Taesan was untouchable.

[I... I cannot accept this!]

Keboruak’s roar echoed with defiance.

Both immortals clung to their belief in their own supremacy. They had sacrificed everything, endured unimaginable trials, and clawed their way to power.

Yet, none of it mattered before Taesan.

[You have activated World’s Blade.]

A colossal sword appeared in Taesan’s hand, its edge radiating cosmic power.

With a single swing, the weapon cleaved through their combined defenses, sending both immortals sprawling.

“Even without my full strength, you’re no match.”

Satisfied, Taesan decided it was time to end the battle.

[You have activated Frozen World [Divine].]

Crunch!

A wave of golden ice surged forward, imbued with a dense, overwhelming divine energy. Keboruak unleashed a torrent of wind to repel it, while Paragup fortified his body with his earthen armor.

BOOOOOM!

It was all shattered.

The divine energy-packed attack obliterated every effort and defense they mustered. The ice froze Paragup's earthen armor, shattering it into pieces, and left deep wounds across his body. Keboruak's wings froze solid, sending him plummeting to the ground.

[Kuhhh!]

“Divine magic can utterly annihilate them. I like it,” Taesan remarked calmly.

Overwhelming.

That was all it was.

Keboruak staggered to his feet, his body trembling.

[I... I sacrificed everything for this....]

“And the countless mortals you killed? They worked hard for their lives too. And yet you killed them, enslaved them, and brainwashed them,” Taesan said, his voice devoid of emotion.

“For nothing more than your own selfish ambition, you trampled their efforts and their lives.”

His tone sharpened.

“So you should have been prepared for your own efforts to be crushed by someone stronger than you.”

Taesan's words were cold and absolute, like a verdict.

He had confirmed everything he needed to. With his current power, he could face multiple immortals at once and still emerge victorious.

Now, it was time to end this.

But first, there was one last thing he wanted to verify.

A black aura began to seep out of him, spreading across the battlefield. The golden sanctuary that enveloped the world was swallowed by shadow, transforming into an ashen void.

Paragup, who was trying to rise, froze in place.

“...What is this?”

This was their domain.

After centuries of battle, Paragup had claimed the earth, and Keboruak the skies, as their territories.

Now, their hard-won domains were warping and disintegrating.

It wasn’t simply an overpowering force or a clash of concepts—it was as if their domains had never existed in the first place, erased by the creeping ash.

‘What is this...?’

Paragup trembled, his body wracked with fear. Everything he had built, everything he had achieved, was being undone, erased as though it were worthless.

For the first time in his life, Paragup felt true terror.

[You have activated Chaos Domain.]