Ascension Through Skills-Chapter 436: 85th Floor, The Ashen Lady. Societ Gardenia (4)

“What...?”

Bardray scanned his surroundings, his expression twisted in confusion.

“I was resting on the 10th floor just a moment ago.”

“Ha... hahaha... hahahaha...”

Societ, collapsed on the floor, let out a manic laugh.

Even though everything she had was drained by Exireia, leaving her with nothing, her sheer, almost maddening determination kept her conscious.

“Ahhh... my prince...”

“...Societ?”

Bardray’s eyes widened in surprise as he noticed her condition.

“What happened to you?”

“Listen, my prince,” Societ said, her lifeless face barely moving.

“You died. I borrowed Exireia’s authority to bring you back.”

“...What nonsense is this?” Bardray’s face contorted further.

“There’s nothing on the 10th floor that could kill me.”

“I wouldn’t know. But the fact remains—you’re dead. Maybe someone from the upper ranks secretly killed you.”

“There’s no way someone could get close enough to me without me noticing.”

Kang Taesan quietly observed Bardray.

The Bardray standing before him had memories up until the moment he fell asleep on the 10th floor. Revived by divine authority, it made sense that his memories only extended to right before his death.

Though Bardray initially denied it, the more Societ spoke, the more he began to accept reality.

“...If that’s the case, then it’s plausible.”

“There were plenty of guides who didn’t get along with you. They were the ones who orchestrated it. I tried to stop them, but... they wouldn’t listen.”

“Why should I believe you?” Bardray asked sharply, his mistrust evident in his tone.

Societ chuckled softly.

“If I were the one who killed you, why would I go to such lengths to bring you back? Look at me.”

She raised a frail arm, now devoid of any strength.

“I gave everything I had to resurrect you.”

“...You borrowed her power,” Bardray said.

[Indeed, labyrinth warrior.]

Exireia’s voice rang out, calm and resolute.

[She offered everything to resurrect you, and that is the truth.]

“Is that so...”

[Thus, I grant you, the resurrected, a choice.]

A system window materialized before Bardray.

[System Notification]

Objective: Defeat the adventurer who made a pact with the ghost of the fallen prince of a ruined world.

Condition: Kill Kang Taesan.

Reward: Resurrection.

After reading the notification, Bardray spoke.

“I’ll trust you, Societ.”

[Are you truly going to believe her?]

The ghost chuckled bitterly. Bardray’s gaze shifted to the ghost.

Looking at his spectral counterpart, Bardray said bluntly, “That’s me.”

[Yes, I am you.]

“You made a pact with a labyrinth magician for vengeance? To think I’d see my own soul like this... how curious.”

[It’s true Societ resurrected you. But she’s also the one who killed me.]

“Then I’ll return the favor. I can’t trust your words either.”

Even his ghostly counterpart was not exempt from Bardray’s suspicion.

“You’ve experienced many things in that form. You’re me, but not entirely me. I cannot trust you.”

[Ah, the past me is quite the tiresome personality.]

“No matter what you say, it changes nothing,” Bardray declared, reaching into the air.

The space split apart—a labyrinth-granted inventory opening at his command.

“What matters is that I was dead... and now I’ve been given another chance.”

From the inventory, Bardray drew a longsword.

“I won’t squander a miracle like this.”

His gaze toward Taesan sharpened, overflowing with deadly intent.

The warrior who had provided so much assistance now aimed to kill him.

[Then let your desires guide you, beings of ambition.]

With those final words, Exireia withdrew.

Bardray smirked arrogantly, gripping his sword with unwavering confidence.

“If I’m making a pact with an adventurer, they must be skilled. Allow me to test you myself, adventurer.”

Step.

Bardray moved.

The sword left trails in the air, slashing through space with countless arcs, as if an entire army attacked at once.

The First Blade of the Storm Scar—Wolf’s Fang.

Taesan raised his own sword.

Clang!

The clash of blades erupted in a chaotic flurry.

Though Bardray had died on the 80th floor, making him stronger than most 80th-floor adventurers, Taesan was the Immortal. Even if dozens of Bardrays attacked simultaneously, they would not leave a scratch.

Yet Bardray’s strikes were razor-sharp and overwhelming.

Empowered by Exireia’s authority, For the One Beloved, Bardray’s abilities had soared to unprecedented levels. Now, he rivaled the likes of Princess Diana of Veldenkia.

Clang!

Bardray leaped back, his face twisting in frustration.

“...You’ve learned my swordsmanship.”

The ability Sword was based on the Storm Scar style.

“You dare to use my own techniques? That style is mine alone. I’ll show you the true Storm Scar.”

With an air of arrogance and unrivaled self-confidence, Bardray launched himself forward again, his movements now flowing like a dancer’s graceful performance.

The Second Blade of the Storm Scar—Dancer’s Waltz.

[You activated Deflection.]

Bardray’s sword strikes curved like a serpent, aiming for Taesan’s neck.

[You activated Flow.]

Clang!

Taesan’s counterattack knocked Bardray back effortlessly.

“I see. You’re diverting the force of every collision itself...” Bardray murmured before drawing a second sword.

Holding dual blades, he spun and charged like a whirlwind.

The storm of strikes blurred reality, mixing feints and real attacks so seamlessly it was nearly impossible to distinguish between them.

In terms of pure swordsmanship, Bardray surpassed Taesan.

But as Taesan calmly blocked the onslaught, he spoke.

“Have you sorted out your thoughts yet?”

[...You were waiting for me?]

“This is your quest, after all,” Taesan replied evenly.

“I can’t just end it without your resolution.”

[Heh.]

The ghost chuckled.

[It’s already over. End it all. Everything.]

With those words, Taesan gripped his sword with both hands and struck downward.

Bardray countered with spring-like agility, but the sheer weight behind Taesan’s strike overwhelmed him.

The conflict surged with divine interventions and impossible stakes, as three transcendent powers—Exireia, Derzha, and Ehilie—converged to test the labyrinth's strongest warrior.

Taesan’s blade bore down with relentless force. Bardray’s dual swords moved with incredible precision, parrying each strike, but the gap in sheer power was insurmountable.

With a sharp motion, Taesan pinned Bardray to the ground, his blade pressing down mercilessly.

“Gah!” Bardray coughed as the weight forced him to the floor.

Taesan imbued his blade with divinity, slashing downward in an unrelenting attack.

Boom!

Golden light erupted, its radiance flooding the labyrinth. The power of the divine strike was so immense that even a high-ranking apostle would not survive unscathed.

Yet, Bardray emerged alive, shielded by an unyielding barrier.

[You activated Absolute Judgment.]

Taesan's blade struck the barrier again, but not a single crack appeared.

The system's ruling was absolute. The protective shield surrounding Bardray was invulnerable—an effect stemming from the divine authority granted by For the One Beloved.

The power shielded Bardray from all fatal damage for a set duration.

Gritting his teeth, Bardray pushed himself up, his face grim.

“You can’t beat him as you are now,” Societ murmured weakly. Her complexion had paled further, her vitality rapidly draining.

The limitations of Exireia’s blessing were clear. Even empowered by divine authority, Bardray could not overcome Taesan, whose power far exceeded the limits of a resurrected 80th-floor adventurer.

Bardray said nothing, his expression somber.

“Don’t worry, Bardray,” Societ continued, her voice faltering. “I know that... I’ll ensure... you defeat him.”

As her final words escaped her lips, the last traces of life left her body.

[Societ Gardentia has died.]

“Societ?” Bardray’s voice wavered as he called her name.

Though her death was inevitable, the abruptness of it struck him deeply, as if she had chosen her own end.

At that moment, a massive presence descended upon the labyrinth once more.

But this time, it was not Exireia.

[Derzha's Posthumous Contract has been activated. Derzha’s interference has increased.]

Societ’s body stirred, her eyes opening.

Societ rose to her feet, her movements unnervingly mechanical, as if a marionette was controlling her.

“Hm...” she murmured, her voice utterly devoid of emotion. “I wasn’t fond of Exireia’s meddling, but I’ve achieved my goal—the body is mine. It will suffice.”

Turning her gaze toward Taesan, the being inhabiting Societ’s corpse finally spoke.

“So, you’re the one stirring up the labyrinth.”

“...And you are?” Taesan’s expression hardened.

The presence emanating from Societ now surpassed even Exireia’s.

“I am Derzha,” she said. “The God of Death.”

Derzha’s identity sent a wave of shock through Bardray.

“The God of Death... Derzha?” Bardray whispered, his eyes wide.

Derzha was a transcendent being, a true embodiment of death itself. Unlike other gods who ruled over aspects of death, Derzha commanded the very concept of mortality and had existed since the beginning of time.

For Bardray, Derzha’s appearance on the 85th floor was unthinkable. She was a god known to reside in the labyrinth’s deepest layers, far beyond the reach of ordinary adventurers.

“Why would Derzha possess her body...?”

“I’ve been watching her since she first entered the labyrinth,” Derzha replied casually. “I proposed a contract many times, but she always refused. Recently, however, she changed her mind and accepted.”

[Derzha’s Puppeteer has been activated.]

Boom!

The power of the God of Death surged forth, manifesting through Societ’s body.

“The magician claims you can create a new world,” Derzha said, her voice cold and unyielding. “What is this ‘new world’? This world is already perfect. Why spare a being that only brings chaos to this balance?”

The air grew heavy as the essence of death seeped into the labyrinth, spreading like a slow, creeping fog.

“You, a being of such discord, cannot be allowed to exist,” Derzha declared, her tone final, like a judge delivering a sentence.

“Did Societ... sacrifice herself for me?” Bardray murmured, his voice filled with complex emotions. “If she wished for my victory that much, then I must answer her resolve in kind.”

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[Ha.]

The ghost let out a dry, mocking laugh. To someone who knew the truth, it was almost absurd.

“Ehilie,” Bardray called, his voice trembling but determined. “I accept your contract now.”

[The God of Swords, Ehilie, descends.]

Ehilie—a god Taesan had once encountered during his trial.

Ironically, Ehilie had previously descended into Bardray’s body during Taesan’s ordeal, granting him temporary power.

Now, the same god was sealing a pact with Bardray, who had regained his physical form, to strike down Taesan.

The ghost watching the scene whispered bitterly, “Back when I was alive, I was offered the chance to become an apostle several times, but I refused every time. Apostleship imposes limits on growth, so I chose to reject it.”

And yet, here and now, Bardray was accepting the very contract the ghost had once turned away, all to defeat Taesan.

A guttural groan escaped Bardray as his body began to change.

“Oh... Ohhh...”

His very essence evolved, ascending rapidly to become an apostle of Ehilie. His power surged, his presence growing mightier by the second.

“There are so many of them,” Taesan muttered, clicking his tongue in annoyance.

Exireia, Derzha, Ehilie.

The power of three transcendent beings now targeted Taesan simultaneously.

Despite the overwhelming odds, Taesan stood resolute, his unwavering determination blazing like a beacon amid the oppressive divine forces surrounding him.