Ascension Through Skills

Chapter 523: Eighth Return, Earth (8)

Tap.

Taesan arrived in a place far from Earth.

He had returned to the Labyrinth.

“Hmm?”

Not long after, the Magician appeared, his face marked with curiosity.

“The quest on Earth isn’t over yet. Why are you back already?”

“I have something I need to ask.”

Taesan wasted no time and went straight to the point.

“Who is the god that oversees the divine discs?”

“Huh?”

The Magician was momentarily caught off guard by the abrupt question, unsure of Taesan’s intent.

But the confusion was fleeting. Soon, the Magician began to answer Taesan’s inquiry.

“The God of Purification, Bright.”

“Purification?”

“Not a particularly strong god. Among the transcendents who oversee concepts, Bright ranks among the weakest. But when it comes to purifying corrupted or damaged things, there’s no one better in this universe.”

Taesan thought about this. The black aura—the corruption—was likely included in Bright’s domain.

“Bright is one of our most valuable assets. During our battles against the Malevolent Gods, Bright played a crucial role. Even now, Bright is handling large-scale contamination across the cosmos.”

The Magician pointed a finger at Taesan.

“Your world is one of them.”

A massive corruption capable of threatening the entire universe.

Earth was included in that list.

“For ordinary worlds, a single relic of Bright is enough for purification. But your world’s contamination is enormous. Even with four relics, it takes significant time to handle.”

“So all of this is to hold the line until it’s done.”

“It’d be easier if Bright could descend directly to Earth, but that would be far too dangerous. Most gods overseeing such concepts perished in past wars. We have to protect Bright at all costs.”

The God of Purification, Bright. The true owner of the relics.

Taesan fell into deep thought. The Magician broke the silence with his own question.

“Why do you ask? Isn’t everything wrapping up soon?”

“I just have a bad feeling.”

It was a nagging intuition, one he couldn’t quite put into words.

“Bright is safe, right?” Taesan asked.

“As safe as anyone can possibly be in this universe,” the Magician said confidently.

“Even if a Malevolent God manifested fully, they wouldn’t be able to touch Bright. You don’t need to worry about that.”

“...I see.”

After a brief pause, Taesan nodded.

“Alright.”

“You seem worried about something,” the Magician observed, narrowing his eyes.

“At your level, gut feelings tend to be surprisingly accurate. If it bothers you that much, I’ll double-check.”

“Please do.”

Taesan returned to Earth. While he had been gone, nothing significant had happened. The monsters remained manageable, and the defenders had continued holding their ground without issue.

Time passed steadily.

Finally, the last day arrived without any major incidents.

Screech!

The pillar of light extended upward, almost fully enveloping the rift in the sky. Only a small opening remained, and monsters continued to trickle through.

“Everyone, prepare yourselves!”

The defenders tensed, their expressions solemn. They were convinced that this would be the Malevolent Gods’ final assault, expecting the appearance of powerful enemies.

And they weren’t entirely wrong.

[Monster 1 has appeared.]

[Monster 4 has appeared.]

[Monster 6 has appeared.]

[Roar!]

Multiple S-rank monsters materialized, unleashing thunderous roars that shook the earth.

But that was it.

No fragments, no shards, not even a Servant descended. Most defenders, prepared to risk their lives in battle, were left confused.

“That’s it?”

The battle didn’t last long. Both Lee Taeyeon and Diana could take down S-rank monsters on their own. Taesan didn’t even need to intervene; the monsters were swiftly dealt with.

Boom!

At last, the pillar of light fully enveloped the sky.

[Special Quest Completed.]

[You will return to the Labyrinth in two days.]

The quest was complete.

Relief and joy spread across the defenders’ faces.

“We did it!”

“Victory is ours!”

The rift in the sky was sealed.

They had won.

They had reclaimed Earth.

For Bright to suddenly die was incomprehensible.

“Did multiple Malevolent Gods descend at once?”

“If only it were that simple.” The Magician shook his head, his frustration evident.

“I knew Bright’s concept was a delicate one, but I never expected them to side with the enemy. Have they completely lost their mind?”

“...Sided with the enemy?” Taesan’s voice turned icy.

“Taesan, I trusted your instincts. A transcendent’s intuition is rarely wrong. I fortified Bright’s barriers even more, just in case, making them strong enough to withstand even the direct manifestation of a Malevolent God.”

The Magician’s voice grew bitter.

“But all those barriers were designed to keep out the Malevolent Gods.”

“...”

They hadn’t considered other threats. The Magician let out a mirthless laugh.

“Impressive. In all the long history of the universe, never has a transcendent of Bright’s caliber betrayed their side. If making history was their goal, they’ve succeeded spectacularly.”

“Who is it?” Taesan asked, his mind racing.

“It’s someone you know well.”

One name flashed through Taesan’s mind, but before he could voice it, the Magician looked to the sky.

“But that’s not something we can discuss right now.”

The rift in the sky had opened.

And the entity guarding the rift was now beginning to descend into this world.

“Unfortunately, we can’t intervene directly this time. It wasn’t their power that forced the descent—it’s the imbalance in the system that allowed this to happen.”

The Magician snapped his fingers.

“Still, I can do this much.”

“Ah!”

The defenders, frozen in fear and confusion, were instantly teleported to the far side of the continent. The Magician’s authority made their escape effortless.

He then knelt and touched the ground.

Screeech!

A protective barrier enveloped Greenland, isolating it from the rest of Earth.

“Whatever happens inside here won’t affect the rest of the planet.”

“Thanks. That helps,” Taesan replied.

“I feel bad dumping this on you, but I’m counting on you.” The Magician gave a weary smile before vanishing.

Taesan turned his gaze to the sky.

The entity descending through the rift was finally beginning to take shape.

Boom!

The ground trembled violently.

It was like a shadow incarnate.

A being made of something that wasn’t quite matter touched down on the earth.

Boom!

The ground around it corroded and twisted, unable to withstand its mere presence. If not for the barrier, its landing alone would have caused the planet to collapse in part.

Taesan observed his foe.

Its form was humanoid.

Its size matched his own, resembling an ordinary human.

But after a brief assessment, Taesan understood the truth.

A Malevolent God.

It wasn’t a fragment or shard.

It was a full-fledged Malevolent God.

“How troublesome.”

It didn’t seem like a fully realized Malevolent God. At best, it was an incomplete manifestation, barely hanging on the lowest rung of their hierarchy—a pitiful version of its kind.

But a Malevolent God was still a Malevolent God.

Taesan knew he couldn’t win in a direct fight.

[...Can we even do this?]

[Master, that thing...] Bardray and Akasha both spoke, their voices trembling with primal fear. They could sense it—a being capable of destabilizing the very fabric of the universe at will.

But Taesan’s eyes remained calm.

The Malevolent God before him was far from whole.

Its shadowy, non-material body was unstable, flickering and distorting like a flame in the wind.

Bright’s death had disrupted the balance, creating an opening for this entity to descend into the world. However, the rift wasn’t wide enough for its true form to manifest.

What stood before Taesan was a degraded, incomplete version of the original.

Now, Taesan understood why the Malevolent Gods had tried so hard to deplete the Boundary Line.

They had been preparing the rift, aiming to widen it so the Malevolent Gatekeeper could fully descend.

“So, the Gatekeeper’s descent was always inevitable.”

If Taesan had fallen into their trap and used the Boundary Line recklessly, the rift would have expanded, allowing the Gatekeeper’s full power to descend. That would have meant certain death for him.

But that wasn’t the case now.

Taesan had barely used the Boundary Line.

This incomplete manifestation was manageable.

Moreover, he still had his trump card.

[The Gatekeeper of the Rift has appeared.]

[Special Quest Activated.]

[?!$$%^%^&%&^$#]

Even degraded, a Malevolent God was unlike anything Taesan had faced before.

He gripped his sword tightly, ready to stake his life on the fight ahead.