Ascension Through Skills-Chapter 456: The Seventh Return, Earth (8)

The place where the dark energy was gathering was in the northwestern part of the United States, in Montana.

“Get as far away as possible.”

“Yes, yes.”

People hurriedly fled from Montana. Taesan arrived in Montana in an instant.

There, the condensed black energy was creating a gateway.

Just that alone was enough to make everything around it decay, and the space itself warped. The compressed black energy expanded drastically.

In the center of Montana, a pitch-black portal descended.

From beyond it, several gazes could be felt.

They were beings that rejected comprehension itself.

They were Goshins.

They were watching Taesan.

[Ugh.]

Bardray groaned and quickly pulled away from Taesan’s hand. Akasha also showed signs of distress. Their minds screamed from the mere gaze, and their bodies were on the verge of succumbing.

Taesan did not retreat.

He kept his mind intact and faced the Goshins.

[.......]

For a moment, the gaze that was directed at Taesan disappeared. And then, something crossed over from the portal.

[The seventh fragment of the World Crusher has appeared.]

It was a drop of blood.

A red, intensely crimson drop of blood.

But it was far too large to be a simple drop of blood. It was big enough to fill a small lake.

Soon, the drop of blood began to distort.

Crack!

A massive arm pierced through the drop of blood and shot up into the sky. The arm slowly descended and touched the ground.

Boom!

With that, the earth collapsed. Montana crumbled, and even Canada was affected. Taesan clicked his tongue and launched himself forward.

Boom!

The being inside the blood droplet revealed itself.

It was a giant.

A giant whose entire body was soaked in pitch black, it stood proudly, crushing the earth beneath it.

“Ah...”

The faces of the people who had fled to the farthest reaches of the United States turned pale. Even those on the opposite side of the country could see the full figure of the giant.

Its head was hidden by the clouds and was out of view. It was an overwhelming size beyond comprehension and common sense.

Rumble...

The giant lowered its head. With that motion alone, the sky twisted, and a storm began to rise. The clouds were wiped away, and the face of the giant emerged.

Its face was smooth, almost egg-shaped.

There was no nose, mouth, or ears—nothing at all.

In the center of its face, however, there was a single blood-red eye.

“Ugh.”

The people held their breath.

The blood-red eye, staring toward Earth.

With just that gaze, the Earth slowly began to die. People collapsed to their knees.

And at that moment, the pillars across the United States activated.

[Zervand’s Absolute Defense activated. Zervand’s interference zone has decreased.]

The pillars synchronized with each other and amplified their power. People barely managed to exhale. The pillars, under Goshin's influence, protected the dying Earth.

But the pillars didn’t stop there. They began to fiercely press against the giant.

The influence was reduced, and its movements became restricted.

The giant raised its foot as if it were annoyed. Kang Taesan, standing before it, quickly distanced himself.

The foot came crashing down.

With just that step, the earth was deeply torn apart.

A giant crater appeared as if a meteor had fallen. A tsunami of dirt surged across the land.

The world trembled. The atmosphere surrounding the Earth distorted. Had the pillars not restrained the aftermath, the power would have been enough to destroy the Earth.

The people screamed. Even the battles they had fought up to this point were beyond their comprehension, but this was something else entirely.

[You have activated the Destruction of Greed.]

Taesan, who erased the aftermath of the attack with his skill, chuckled.

With just a single stomp, cracks spread across several pillars.

“So, we have to take it down before all the pillars are destroyed, huh?”

[......Can you do it?]

Bardray, who quickly returned to Taesan’s hand, groaned.

[That’s a Goshin.]

It was not their avatar or Apostle-like being.

It was Goshin itself, the being trying to kill the transcendents and destroy the world, descending upon Earth.

Taesan gripped his sword.

“This isn’t the real Goshin. It’s just a fragment.”

[Even so, it’s a being with an unfathomably high level. Can we really defeat it?]

“We can win.”

If they couldn’t win, he would make sure they could.

[The opponent is !@#%$^]

[Your massive will has been activated.]

[Your Goshin’s enemy has been activated.]

[Your Demi-God theory has been activated.]

...

The King’s Vessel. Avatar of Nature. Apostolicization.

All of the buffs Taesan could use were activated. In an instant, his power and status reached the highest levels.

With the divine power of Earth backing him, he could even face off against someone like Ain'tzhar.

Taesan focused all his power and rushed forward.

[You have activated Forced Descent.]

Forced Descent. A skill that lowers the target’s stats. Taesan targeted the giant.

But the activation was canceled.

As if the giant wasn’t a valid target, the skill itself was erased.

The giant raised its fist and looked at Taesan.

Boom!

The fist came down rapidly. Taesan covered himself with divine energy and dodged.

Boom!

The force of the attack brushed past Taesan.

Even so, the divine energy that enveloped Taesan wavered unsteadily.

Taesan tried to increase his divine energy, but it didn’t change anything. The giant swung its foot. With a speed that was far too quick for its size, Taesan chose defense over evasion.

[You have activated the Sword of the World.]

A massive sword that pierced the sky appeared in Taesan’s hand.

Taesan swung it toward the giant’s leg.

The clash of powers created an explosive sound.

Taesan’s eyes shook.

The Sword of the World shattered. Unable to withstand the force, it fragmented and scattered in all directions.

Taesan quickly activated magic.

But it couldn’t even touch the giant’s skin. The physical force of the giant’s movements pushed it away before Taesan could even get close.

Taesan was kicked in the giant’s leg.

Boom!

[Your first attack !@#!%#]

The attack nullification activated.

But something was different. There was no damage, but the giant’s body didn’t return to its state before the attack.

It was closer to a damage nullification effect than just attack nullification.

[You have activated Landing.]

Crash!

Taesan used a skill to forcibly keep his feet on the ground as he was about to be sent flying into space. He immediately drew on black energy and magic.

[You have activated the Great Collapse [Negative].]

A pitch-black sphere flew toward the giant.

The giant casually reached out with its arm and grabbed the Great Collapse. The attack was nullified without causing any harm.

The Great Collapse of Negative energy was one of Taesan’s most powerful magics.

For it to be blocked like that meant that none of Taesan’s magic could have an effect on the giant.

Boom!

Taesan barely dodged the swinging fist. The divine energy distorted with the shockwaves, and damage began to seep in.

“Is this really happening?”

Taesan’s divine energy did make small scratches on the giant’s body.

But the giant was so massive that the damage looked almost insignificant. If it were a human, it would be like a nail piercing the bottom of the foot. It was certainly painful, but not a wound that could be considered fatal.

At this rate, before dealing a fatal blow to that massive body, Taesan’s black energy would be completely depleted.

That body itself was the giant’s power.

It was Goshin’s divine authority, something that twisted the very concepts of the world and couldn’t be interfered with by anything.

“If a fragment is this powerful, what’s the main body like?”

Taesan muttered and moved forward. With unwavering determination, he charged at the giant.

***

The earth trembled.

The sky distorted as the aftermath of the impact sent debris soaring into the clouds.

If the pillars hadn’t protected them, they would have been long dead. People screamed, collapsing to the ground, overwhelmed by an overwhelming sense of fear.

“This is...”

“No, this can’t be...”

Veldenkia’s face went stiff. Diana looked at the giant with a pale face. Lee Taeyeon bit her nails, muttering incessantly.

The three of them now understood exactly what the giant that had descended was.

It was a Goshin.

Though it was just a fragment, it was still part of the true Goshin’s being. It was, in every sense, an opponent of a completely different level.

No matter how strong Taesan was, victory seemed impossible.

“No. What are the transcendent beings doing?”

Lee Taeyeon bit her lips.

“Curious?”

At that moment, a voice echoed from behind her. Lee Taeyeon quickly turned around.

There was a young man standing behind her.

From him, there was nothing tangible. Even though he was physically there, he felt almost like an illusion.

Lee Taeyeon recognized him immediately.

“...Zervand?”

Zervand nodded.

Veldenkia and Diana hurriedly bowed their heads. Zervand waved his hand dismissively.

“Treat me normally. I came in a concealed state to not reveal all my power.”

Zervand looked toward the giant.

“A World Crusher, huh? If it’s wrong, his physical body could be destroyed, but focusing on his soul might be the better choice. Not a bad option for us either.”

“Excuse me?”

Lee Taeyeon was taken aback.

How could it be a good thing to focus on an entity that could crush Taesan’s Boundary Line and even interfere with his skills?

But Zervand’s face remained calm and serious.

“It’s just simple physical power, isn’t it? His divine power is limited to the body. It’s better than those who would try to erase experience and power or devour entire planets.”

“....”

“Still, it’s gotten considerably smaller. The size is now something manageable by one planet. With that, it’s possible.”

“Impossible...”

It sounded utterly ridiculous.

Zervand casually spoke as if it was a trivial matter.

“You’ll understand once you reach your destined place. She has high expectations of you.”

“Zervand-sama.”

Lee Taeyeon said, her voice steady.

“If you’ve descended, that means you can help Taesan, right?”

“Correct.”

Zervand nodded.

“If I intervene directly, it would be quite strange, wouldn’t it? This time, we’ve been granted permission for direct interference. I’ve come as a representative.”

“Then please. Help Taesan.”

Lee Taeyeon bowed her head.

Zervand was a transcendent being, one of those who had exiled the Goshin. If he helped, Taesan would surely be able to defeat the Goshin.

But Zervand answered with a smile.

“No.”

The answer was a refusal.

“I won’t intervene. Not for now.”

“What?”

Lee Taeyeon raised her head in confusion.

“Why...?”

“First, there’s no need for me to interfere yet.”

Boom!

A loud sound shook the air. People screamed.

The battle was not over.

Taesan was holding his ground against the Goshin.

“He’s strong. Stronger than you think. Even a World Crusher like that, even in the seventh fragment form, can’t be taken down so easily. Maybe when he’s in danger, but not now. If I interfere directly, it could distort the plan.”

“The plan...?”

Instead of answering, Zervand waved his hand.

This chapter is updat𝙚d by freeweɓnovel.cøm.

At that moment, a massive screen appeared before the people.

It was the image of Taesan fighting the Goshin.

Zervand was using his powers to project the battle’s footage.

“Ah...”

“Ugh...”

Soft groans escaped the people’s lips. They had been terrified beyond belief, but now they watched the battle, transfixed by the overwhelming power they saw.

Boom!

The earth was crushed. The surface cracked open, revealing the mantle. The giant’s arm swung. The storm tore through the atmosphere.

A monster of cosmic proportions.

And against this monster, Taesan did not retreat.

He fought, advancing toward the giant.

People unknowingly knelt. They closed their eyes, praying.

Among them were those who had still doubted Taesan.

Lee Taeyeon realized what Zervand was aiming for.

“Are you trying to make Taesan the god of Earth?”

“Sometimes, it’s absolute fear, not a great leader, that unites people. There’s no reason to intervene and distort the opportunity they’ve been given, right?”

Zervand laughed joyfully.

“Aren’t you curious? What your faith will lead to, and what he, who has received it, can do.”