Ascension Through Skills

The Apostle moved. Dozens of slime tendrils split apart and rushed toward Taesan.

Each carried power he could not dismiss.

Taesan tightened his grip on his sword.

Crashhh!

Explosions erupted as he stepped forward, wielding his sword with his arms, legs, and entire body. Slime burst apart, scattering in every direction.

Then he gathered Magi.

[You have activated Baal's Surge of the Sevenfold Black Space.]

The blackened space hurtled toward the Apostle. It quickly drew its scattered slime together, forming a defense.

Boom!

The Apostle's body of slime lost only a tiny portion—but it was still damage.

An Apostle of the Old gods. A being that had destroyed countless worlds and plunged them into chaos.

Its strength was transcendent. Even Diana, who had reached the boundary, stood little chance against such a foe.

But—

'I'm stronger.'

He had defeated an Apostle during Earth's sixth return, and since then his power had grown overwhelmingly.

The one before him now was no different from that time. It was no match.

There was no need to delay. Taesan stomped down, instantly charging at it.

But at that moment, the slime comprising the Apostle's body exploded.

Judging it an attack, Taesan shielded himself with divinity.

Yet the scattered slime didn't target him.

[What?]

The Apostle had split into countless droplets, each the size of a raindrop.

'Separation?'

From one of the tiniest fragments, he felt the Apostle's will and power.

That was the core. He instinctively tried to strike it, but the slime scattered everywhere.

His vision and senses were disrupted. The fragment was too small—he lost track of the core's position.

The slime showed no intent to fight him. It scattered across the U.S.

"Tch."

Clicking his tongue, Taesan realized its aim. He unleashed magic and black magic at the fleeing fragments.

Boom!

Thousands of slimes evaporated instantly.

But far more scattered in every direction.

Taesan quickly pursued.

The Apostle's goal wasn't to defeat him—or even to slaughter people.

It was to destroy the pillars across the U.S.

* * *

"Is it really okay for us to just sit here?"

A Korean player guarding a pillar asked awkwardly.

It was Lee Changchun.

Not among the very top Hard Mode players, but he had reached the mid-60s floors, wielding high-level power.

His role was to defend a pillar deep in the mainland.

But since most monsters were flooding in from the coasts, there was little for him to do.

"Feels like I should be helping at the front."

"No."

A French Hard Mode player replied.

"The quest objective is the pillars. If we put all our strength at the front, we won't respond in time when they strike here. It's right to keep some defense behind."

"I get it, but it's unsettling."

Changchun grumbled, suppressing his unease.

As he stared blankly forward—

"…Huh?"

Something small floated before him.

"Slime?"

It was pitch-black slime.

So small, the size of a raindrop—easy to overlook.

"What's that?"

Puzzled, Changchun approached. The slime swelled instantly.

In moments, it grew to the size of a hill, surging at the pillar and the players guarding it. They froze, unable to react.

But Taesan's pre-set magic circle activated.

Whiiiir!

A radiant blue barrier stopped the slime's strike. Only then did the players scream and raise their weapons.

"W-what the hell?!"

"It's an enemy!"

One hot-headed player rushed outside the barrier to counterattack.

The slime devoured him instantly.

"Ah?"

He realized too late something was wrong. He resisted, but it was meaningless—he was swallowed whole.

Only then did the others understand.

This slime was an enemy beyond them.

It struck the barrier again.

Cracks spread across it.

"…What do we do?"

"What else? We fight with our lives."

They gritted their teeth and prepared. As the barrier shattered, they roared and charged—

Boom!

The slime vanished in an instant.

"Huh?"

Those ready to die froze. Something had passed through, but at their level they couldn't even perceive it.

"…Lord Taesan?"

—

Taesan darted through the air.

He chased down the scattered fragments, erasing them one by one.

But it was endless. Tens of thousands of fragments had spread across the U.S. Even his strength couldn't erase them all without incurring massive losses.

"Akasha. Support me."

［As you command, Master.］

［You have activated Magic Stacking.]］

［You have activated Great Collapse [Negation].］

The magic of negation began to layer.

Meanwhile, Kim Hwiyeon realized through communications that pillars everywhere were under attack. She cried out:

"Everyone! Use the circles—move to the pillars!"

The Old gods' goal wasn't to kill them.

It was to destroy the pillars.

Holding the front line was pointless once the enemy was already inside.

Players rushed into Beldenkia's circles, teleporting to besieged pillars.

At the same time, the slime engulfed them.

"Hold the line with your lives!"

"Aaaah!"

Screams and roars erupted. Players threw themselves forward to block until the barriers fell.

Though facing an Apostle, split into tens of thousands, with the magic circles aiding them, they could stall for a while.

And in that time, Taesan finished his spell.

He stacked Great Collapse three times, then unleashed it.

[You have activated Magic Liberation.]

The condensed Great Collapse shot skyward. A black sun rose over the U.S.

[You have activated Magic Explosion.]

The sun detonated.

Countless fragments spread outward. Taesan focused, aided by Akasha, to sense all the Apostle fragments across the land.

He directed his magic precisely.

[You have activated Magic Tracking.]

[You have activated Guaranteed Strike.]

The burst sun became rain, piercing the ground.

Rumble!

Apostle fragments targeting the pillars exploded as black rain pierced them. Some tried to dodge, but every strike landed true.

In an instant, more than half of the fragments were gone. The Apostle burrowed deep underground.

The situation stabilized slightly. People caught their breath, then realized.

"It's Lord Taesan!"

"He saved us!"

New faith bloomed toward him.

Taesan quickly gathered it and flew on.

"Taesan, what's happening?"

"The one I fought scattered. Its target is the pillars, not us."

"As expected… Then we'll shift focus. From now on, defend the pillars above all."

Kim Hwiyeon nodded firmly.

Thanks to the restored base stations, the order spread immediately.

Players converged on the pillars.

And monsters began to change.

Ordinary ones vanished. In their place came creatures that stalled for time or self-destructed to inflict heavy damage.

'It won't just stop at an Apostle.'

Taesan was incredibly strong now.

And with Beldenkia and Diana joining the fight, the Old gods would surely escalate.

But for now, it was only Apostles.

They clearly intended to focus on destroying pillars and unleash everything at the end.

'I won't just sit back and let that happen.'

[You have activated Frozen World.]

Crack!

Cold surged, freezing all monsters ahead.

He drew a spear formed from arrows, moving freely without his control, skewering enemies at blinding speed.

Gasps spread among the people.

When he moved seriously, A-class monsters and below couldn't even set foot on American soil.

But he couldn't act too freely.

The Apostle hidden deep underground eluded his senses. Whether through concealment or some other means, he couldn't predict when or where it would strike.

"I'll count on you."

"Yes!"

Kim Hwiyeon answered with resolve.

The players fought with everything.

Using communications, they redeployed forces, shifting wherever needed.

And Taesan focused on the Apostle.

Gurgle.

In the west, near a pillar, slime appeared. Players screamed in alarm as it surged.

Crunch!

It was crushed in an instant.

Taesan stood there.

He raised his hand.

[You have activated Starlight Arrow.]

[You have activated Magic Separation.]

[You have activated Magic Tracking.]

Whiiiir!

Starlight arrows spread across the U.S., piercing every fragment of slime.

Then he stomped.

His body soared, accelerating at superhuman speed, ripping through the air.

In an instant, he reached the east coast—erasing a slime about to strike a pillar.

The defenders stammered.

"B-but… the comms said you were in the west just now…"

"I flew."

"…What…"

They were speechless.

The Apostle used every means to slip past him and strike the pillars.

But all were thwarted.

The fragments dwindled rapidly. Soon, Taesan would finish the core.

But the other players struggled.

At first, it was fine. Under the leaders' command, they held the lines, preserving every pillar.

But as time passed, problems arose.

The monsters grew sharper, faster.

All of them appeared solely to destroy pillars.

Crack!

"Ugh!"

"Block it with your bodies!"

A drill-like monster rushed a pillar. Players threw themselves in its path, suffering heavy injuries.

"Injured, retreat to the sanctuary and heal!"

Oliver shouted.

The issue was clear.

They were finite. People kept dying, injuries mounting. Though they could recover at the Las Vegas sanctuary, travel still cost time.

Fatigue and distraction mounted. The monsters, tools made for one purpose, never wavered.

Beldenkia, Diana, and Lee Taeyeon were all tied down by endless S-class foes.

Gradually, the defense lines faltered.

"A little early, but I have no choice."

Muttering, Taesan approached Kim Hwiyeon.

"Abandon some pillars."

"…What?"

"We can't protect them all."

He said it calmly. He had expected this from the start.

There were too many pillars.

Even with teleportation, it was impossible to defend them all.

Better to let go of the excess and protect the rest. That was Taesan's view.

"Those far away, without circles—give them up."

The pillars hadn't appeared evenly. Some were far out.

"Focus on the rest. Enough to hold even if the Apostle strikes."

"…Is that possible?"

"Not now. But if we abandon a few, yes."

Split into tens of thousands, the Apostle had already lost most fragments to Taesan.

In its weakened state, top Hard Mode players working together could buy time.

"…Understood."

She ordered all forces withdrawn from distant, undefendable pillars.

The remaining defenses strengthened, while monsters converged on the abandoned ones.

And Taesan moved.

"Open."

With his declaration, the earth collapsed.

"Ugh!"

Kim Hwiyeon flinched as the ground split wide.

She couldn't see the bottom.

Not from darkness—but because it was too deep even for her eyes.

Taesan dove in.

He plummeted rapidly, piercing the crust, then the mantle.

At last, he reached Earth's core.

He shielded himself and expanded his senses. Every atom around him was caught in his perception.

And the Apostle moved.

Slime surged upward, targeting pillars. But warned by Taesan, the players gritted their teeth and held on.

Crackkkk!

"Gahhh!"

"Aaahhh!"

Dozens spat blood, collapsing. Instinct told them—they couldn't resist this being at all.

If it hadn't split, its mere presence would have killed them instantly.

Such was its nature.

But they didn't retreat.

"Lord Taesan!"

They cried his name and charged into death.

［Divine Power proficiency has increased by 1%.］

They held out desperately, protecting the pillars.

And in that time, Taesan detected everything.

Not just the surface—but all within Earth. Nothing escaped him.

At last, he found the Apostle's hidden core.

"Make a path."

Crunch!

Rock shattered, a tunnel opening.

Taesan surged forward. The Apostle tried to dodge, but it was too late.

His sword pierced the core precisely.

［You have defeated — Apostle.]

［Your Soul Rank Ascension is activated.]

［Twisted Soul Coordination proficiency increased by 4%.］

［Black Magic proficiency increased by 3%.］

［Boundary proficiency increased by 2%.］

［Word of Command proficiency increased by 2%.］

［Will of All Things proficiency increased by 4%.］

［You have obtained Fragment of Darkness.]

With the Apostle's death, the slime attacking the pillars collapsed at once.

The defenders froze in shock.

But only for a moment.

They realized—it was Taesan who had ended it.

"Ooooh!"

No matter how much power he displayed, there had always been doubters. Humanity was diverse—total faith was impossible.

But as the quest continued, those doubters dwindled.

Now, aside from a handful, everyone revered him.

［Divine Power proficiency has increased by 1%.］

Taesan's Divine Power proficiency reached 99%.