Ascension Through Skills

Chapter 335

Levancia was carrying Bradley’s child.

The ghost was deeply shocked by this fact.

[She... had my child...]

“You didn’t know?”

[...I didn’t know.]

The ghost opened his trembling lips.

[I wandered around to fulfill the prophecy, but I never returned to the imperial city during that time. I didn’t meet Levancia. And when I finally came back…]

By then, the empire had already fallen to the Demon King.

[I... I…]

He had accepted the destruction of the world. He had already come to terms with it.

Yet, despite that, his heart was now shaking uncontrollably.

[Wait, just... wait a moment.]

The ghost barely managed to speak.

[Let me be alone for a moment.]

With those words, the ghost disappeared.

Unlike when he was forced away by the gods, this time the ghost had hidden his form of his own will.

Taesan found himself alone for the first time in a long while.

‘The God of Regret…’

The trial was fitting for the domain of regret.

The ghost had made a contract with a sorcerer.

That’s why even after his death, he could exist as a ghost in the labyrinth.

The ghost’s role was to meet adventurers, give them quests, offer rewards, and fulfill his own wishes.

And the wish the ghost wanted to fulfill through his contract with the sorcerer was revenge.

He wanted to witness the deaths of the Guides of Sin.

In other words, once Taesan defeated the Guides of Sin, the ghost would no longer be able to exist as a ghost.

The ghost, who was already dead, couldn’t do anything else.

Taesan also couldn’t interfere, as it was a contract between the sorcerer and the ghost.

Even though the ghost was no longer visible, Taesan could still sense his presence nearby.

However, Taesan did not call for him. There was nothing he could do for him right now.

Waiting for the ghost to sort out his thoughts on his own was the right decision.

Meanwhile, time from the past began to flow again.

The people threw themselves even more into their training, preparing for the upcoming battle.

Taesan confirmed the power contained within his sword as the prophecy came true.

[Artifact of Calvert: Sword Soaked in the Blood of Ancestors]

[Relic of a world now destroyed. It claimed the lives of countless royals.]

[Attack power +500]

[Attack power +150 when facing all enemies]

[By fulfilling the world's prophecy, the power has been infused into the sword. When facing the Demon King, who brings about destruction, the power and stature of the prophecy's bearer are bestowed.]

Even the base attack power had increased by 200. And not only that, a new special effect had appeared.

Taesan could feel the immense power radiating from Calvert’s Relic.

It wasn’t just simple strength; it felt more like the will to resist destruction.

It seemed like the exact effect would become clearer when he met the Demon King.

However, the Demon King did not show himself.

Since waiting in idleness was tedious, Taesan decided to move.

He traveled the world, inspecting various places.

He wasn’t simply sightseeing. He was searching for places that could meet the conditions to obtain skills.

Taesan had acquired many skills, including several that he hadn’t obtained in his previous life.

However, he still hadn’t reclaimed all the skills from his past life.

Copy, Temporary Time Stop, Multiply, Designated Skill Reset, and others.

Several key skills were still left to recover.

The case of Essence Perception wasn’t too difficult. Once Essence Perception and Vital Point Designation reached 100% mastery, they could be learned. The conditions to reacquire it weren’t too hard.

But the other skills were different.

Especially Copy, Temporary Time Stop, Multiply, and Designated Skill Reset. These four skills were problematic.

The conditions to obtain these skills were exceedingly high, befitting their value.

Even Taesan, who had acquired many skills, wasn’t confident he could obtain them again.

Extreme situations, incredible luck, and momentary insights and reactions—all had to come together for him to acquire them.

“No luck.”

Taesan gave up after traveling across half of the world. He had hoped, but there were no places in the ghost’s world where skills could be obtained.

For now, he would continue descending the labyrinth. And he would search for locations where skills could be acquired.

If what Lee Taeyeon had told him was true, and if those floors still existed, there was a chance he could obtain a few more skills.

Back in the imperial city, Taesan quietly continued planning for skill acquisition.

During this time, the ghost did not show himself once.

A week passed like that, and then it descended upon the world.

“It’s getting noisy.”

A man clicked his tongue at the palace.

Envoys from the empire had been arriving continuously. They urged cooperation with the empire to prevent the impending destruction of the world by the Demon King.

However, the elderly king of the kingdom refused to cooperate with the empire.

“There’s no such thing as a Demon King in this world.”

The old king sneered. The Demon King was a figure of ancient legend. The idea of such a being descending and destroying the world was absurd. It couldn’t happen.

The empire was spreading false rumors about the Demon King to gain control over the world. That was the old king’s judgment, and so he rejected all requests for cooperation from the empire.

Even though the citizens of the kingdom grew uneasy, protesting and trying to flee, the king did not change his mind.

“Y-Your Majesty!”

The door burst open. The knight commander entered, his face filled with anxiety.

“S-Someone is at the kingdom’s entrance!”

“Lead me there.”

The old king clicked his tongue and stepped outside.

At the kingdom’s entrance stood a man.

He was a young man.

His skin was completely pale, and he wore black garments while holding a large sword.

He radiated a sense of foreboding, as if embodying misfortune itself. The soldiers confronting him trembled, but the old king remained indifferent.

“The empire has certainly prepared well.”

The man in front of him was a decoy sent by the empire to spread these false rumors even further. The old king had no doubt about that.

“Kill him and hang his head at the entrance of the palace. That will make sure the empire won’t dare interfere.”

“Yes, Your Majesty…”

The soldiers hesitantly approached the man.

Even as sharp spears neared him, the pale man stood still, vacant.

“……Why am I here?”

The man quietly muttered.

His small voice crept into the soldiers’ ears.

“I should have destroyed this place.”

The indifferent gaze of the man made the soldiers flinch.

“Ugh…”

They could not approach any further. The old king watching them shouted in frustration.

“What are you doing? Stab him!”

Even with the king’s command, the soldiers couldn’t move forward. An instinctive fear, beyond human authority, stood in their way.

The man glanced at them and nodded.

“This place is fake.”

The man instinctively realized.

He had completed all his tasks.

This place was a fake, created by some external interference.

“My job remains the same.”

As the man muttered, a strong aura began to rise. The faces of the soldiers turned pale.

“Uaaaagh!”

One soldier, unable to hold back his fear, closed his eyes and thrust his spear.

The spear touched the darkness surrounding the man and was swallowed whole.

“Ah.”

The soldier was consumed by the darkness and disappeared. The old king, watching, recoiled in terror.

“How dare you harm the kingdom’s soldiers! You imperial fiend! I will not stand idly by!”

“Silence.”

The man spoke softly. Darkness began to spread slowly.

“O-Oh no!”

The darkness engulfed the entire kingdom.

The soldiers panicked, unable to do anything.

“The world will turn to silence.”

With a quiet word, the darkness rose.

The walls built over many years, the splendid royal palace, the villages where people lived.

All of it was swallowed by the darkness, leaving nothing behind.

Even the sound of the wind was absorbed into the silence as the Demon King moved his feet, enjoying the eerie stillness.

The Demon King had appeared.

Rumors spread rapidly that the nearby kingdom had been completely destroyed. The Demon King’s monsters began trampling the world at a rapid pace.

The empire moved. The kingdoms that decided to cooperate with the empire also took swift action.

Knights and soldiers gathered from all nations.

And the Demon King continued his advance.

He moved, scattering deep, thick darkness. Since he made no effort to hide, everyone knew where the Demon King was.

And in such situations, fools who couldn’t comprehend the gravity of the moment always emerged.

“Demon King! I am the hero who will defeat you! Face death before my sword!”

A young man boldly shouted in front of the Demon King. The Demon King, indifferent, swung his darkness. The young man charged with a battle cry, only to be swallowed by the darkness and vanish.

The self-proclaimed hero disappeared from the Demon King’s mind in an instant.

Soon, the Demon King arrived at another royal palace.

He sensed the commotion within the palace. This kingdom, like the previous one, had dismissed the rumors of the Demon King’s arrival as mere nonsense and refused to cooperate with the empire.

They were not prepared to fight. The soldiers were panicking, gripped by fear, scrambling to flee.

“These are not even worth my time.”

Darkness swept across the ground.

The darkness that spread over the land engulfed the kingdom.

Fear, terror—everything became a part of the Demon King.

The Demon King walked through the ruined remains.

His face was filled with disappointment.

“You truly are foolish beings.”

Even though they knew he existed as the harbinger of destruction, and even though they were in a situation where they had to unite to stop the world’s destruction, these beings did not cooperate.

Even when faced with the colossal enemy that was the Demon King, they refused to set aside their pride and self-interest. They rejected the prophecy and squabbled over petty gains.

Truly, they were foolish creatures.

The Demon King sighed deeply.

“I had hoped for something different… but nothing has changed.”

Even in this world, made of fakes, they were still foolish.

The Demon King once again set out to destroy the world.

He arrived at yet another royal palace. Just as he was about to spread his power and devour it, he paused.

Within the palace, emotions of fear and terror filled the air.

But they did not retreat.

They stood in crude formations, gripping their weapons tightly, suppressing their trembling hearts, ready to face him.

The Demon King retracted the darkness he had spread. He took a step forward, approaching the gate of the palace.

“Everyone! Fire! For the world!”

With a cry of determination, arrows and stones rained down. Hot oil was poured toward the Demon King.

The darkness surrounding the Demon King rose up and devoured all the attacks.

Even though their attacks didn’t work, the people of the kingdom did not give up. They continued their fierce assault, desperately trying to harm the Demon King.

Watching them silently, the Demon King grasped his sword.

In the past, when he destroyed the world, he had never once used his sword.

The world had never been worth him drawing his sword.

But this time was different.

He unsheathed his sword and drew a line.

Boom!

With a tremendous noise, the walls split. Passing through the crumbling walls, the Demon King entered.

“Kill him!”

“For the world!”

The soldiers charged at the Demon King with their spears.

Unlike the first kingdom, this was not a reckless charge born of despair.

These were attacks made with the determination to take down the Demon King, even at the cost of their lives.

A small smile appeared on the Demon King’s face.

He swung his sword, cutting down the soldiers as he advanced. Even in the face of overwhelming power, the soldiers did not falter.

Cutting down all who stood in his way, the Demon King soon reached the one who appeared to be the king.

The king stood with a vacant yet resolute face, holding his sword.

“You are the Demon King… a monster.”

“You will die.”

“It doesn’t matter. I was prepared to die when I came here.”

The Demon King had appeared sooner than the empire had expected. The warriors from the various nations needed more time to gather.

The kingdom had volunteered to hold the line.

They had gathered those who were willing to sacrifice themselves to stop the Demon King and save the world.

“Even if I die here, humanity will defeat you!”

With that belief, the king charged at the Demon King.

The Demon King quietly smiled and swung his sword.

As the king fell, his face was filled with the conviction that they would win.

“Something has changed.”

The Demon King murmured as he sheathed his sword.

In the past, there had been those who tried to stop him when he brought about destruction.

But none of them had truly understood the concept of the Demon King. They had simply thought of him as a powerful being to be defeated.

This time, however, was different.

They understood what he was. Yet, they still believed humanity could win.

A deep smile appeared on the Demon King’s face.

He was the Demon King.

He was the harbinger of destruction.

But what he desired was not simply the destruction of the world.

He wanted to see the will of the world.

He wanted to witness them uniting, believing in the hero, and standing against him to truly resist destruction. This was the one wish of the device of destruction that he had become.

“I understand your will. But I am the Demon King.”

His mission was to crush all that will and destroy the world.

The Demon King stomped his foot.

From within the darkness, twisted beings began to rise.

[Uwooooh!]

Monsters appeared. Some were as large as mountains, while others were as small as insects.

They were all the Demon King’s minions.

They charged forward, trampling the world.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om