Ascension Through Skills-Chapter 499: The Forgotten Goddess (1)

[I...]

Akasha slowly began to speak.

[Something is... coming back to me. But I can’t piece it all together yet. Just a little more... just a little longer...]

“Hmm,” the magician mused, stroking his chin as his gaze drifted away from Akasha.

“Curious as I am, it’s not my place to pry. After all, your master is him,” the magician said, nodding toward Taesan. “Take your time to sort it out.”

“I plan to,” Taesan replied.

The magician, sensing that his business here was concluded, stepped back toward the swirling void.

“Well, I’m quite busy myself. You can return to the labyrinth through that passageway.”

At the magician’s fingertip, a glowing portal appeared. A faint pulse of labyrinthine energy radiated from within.

“Before I go, though, do you have any final questions?”

“How’s the progress on the project I entrusted to you?”

“Ah.”

The magician snapped his fingers as if suddenly recalling it.

“It’s moving faster than I expected. It won’t be long before it’s at the level you envisioned.”

“Already?”

Taesan was genuinely surprised. He had anticipated the process might take decades, but the magician was progressing far quicker than expected.

“At first, I struggled to get a feel for it, but using the Celestial Stone provided the breakthrough I needed. It won’t be an exact match for your ideal, but it’s close enough, and it won’t take much longer.”

“That’s good to hear,” Taesan said, smiling. His goal was coming to fruition much sooner than he had hoped.

“Then, until next time,” the magician said, vanishing into the portal.

Taesan had much to confirm. Opening his skill window, he began his review.

[Divine Power] [Proficiency: ???]

A mark of one who receives the faith of the world. A stable position unshaken by any force. One who has reached this realm undoubtedly deserves to be called a god.

The skill description had changed. Previously, it had suggested that Taesan had achieved one of the qualifications to be called a god. Now, it unequivocally stated that he was worthy of the title.

The new designation of a "stable position" was significant, and Taesan could feel the shift within himself.

His transcendence had stabilized to a remarkable degree.

Faith could now only strengthen and solidify his standing; it could no longer weaken or destabilize him. As long as even a single believer remained, Taesan would retain his status as a god.

“Good.”

It wasn’t a new power or an entirely new realm, but the ability to maintain stability in any situation was a monumental gain in itself.

The proficiency remained marked as “???,” but based on previous growth patterns, he estimated it to be at least 60%.

“Even at this level, it’s not 100%?”

What lay beyond this point remained an enigma even to him.

He had also acquired much.

Remidaos, though a god of divine power, had not displayed any unique authority during their fight. Initially, Taesan had thought it was being concealed, but now he understood the truth.

[Soul Skill: Divine Power] [Proficiency: 1%]

Divine power born from burning one’s essence. It is brighter than any other and has no bottom. It is a power painstakingly attained by one who burns their all to ascend to the highest realm.

Remidaos’s authority was his divine power.

Authority reflects the essence of what one has built. For Remidaos, a god of unparalleled faith, it was only natural that his authority was entirely tied to his divine power.

Taesan had stolen that power.

By taking the divine power and skill associated with Remidaos’s accumulated faith, Taesan’s total divine energy had nearly tripled. With this reserve, it was unlikely he would ever run out in any battle.

And the pool of divine power would only grow. As long as faith continued to flow toward him, it would remain inexhaustible.

“The balance is broken,” Taesan muttered.

While his divine power had grown exponentially, his "black energy" lagged far behind. Unlike divine power, black energy could only be obtained by defeating high gods, which lacked a consistent source.

“I need to find a solution for this,” he thought, setting the issue aside for now as he continued his review.

[Passive Skill: Godslayer] [Proficiency: 1%]

One who has slain a god. The presence and power of any god who opposes you will be slightly diminished. When you face a god, your strength and status will inevitably rise.

The Godslayer skill, gained by defeating Remidaos, caught his attention.

The wording “inevitably rise” stood out.

As a God of Faith, Taesan had reached a plateau—a wall between his current status and the next realm, the domain of Conceptual Gods.

But the promise of inevitable growth implied he wouldn’t remain stuck at his current level.

“What will that look like?”

The exact nature of this progression was unclear, but it was something he intended to explore.

Having finished his assessment, Taesan turned to Bardray.

“What about you?”

[Not bad. No, actually... it’s amazing. I’ve never felt anything like this before.]

Bardray’s voice carried excitement. Some of the power from defeating Remidaos had been absorbed by him, resulting in significant growth.

[Prince of a Fallen World: Bardray]

The prince of the fallen empire of Cavert. Reborn with a blade as his body.

[Attack Power +3626]

[Greatly increases proficiency with all swordsmanship skills.]

[Harnesses holy energy to enhance himself and support his master.]

His attack power had skyrocketed, and he had gained holy energy, further boosting his abilities.

Akasha, too, had gained power and holy energy but was visibly distressed.

“Are you remembering something?” Taesan asked.

[Yes... but these memories... they’re...]

Akasha seemed deeply conflicted, unsure if it was the content of the memories or their fragmented nature that troubled her.

[Could you wait a little longer? I need more time to sort this out.]

“All right.”

With everything else confirmed, Taesan stepped through the portal and returned to the labyrinth.

A loud, joyous laugh greeted him.

“Hahaha! Hahahahaha! You’re back! You’ve returned!”

The source was a dwarf—the shopkeeper—who rushed toward Taesan with bloodshot eyes.

Taesan instinctively stepped back.

“Did you kill him? Is that bastard dead?”

Taesan gave a silent nod.

The shopkeeper’s face contorted with a single, overwhelming emotion.

“Ooooh! Oooooh! Finally!”

The dwarf stomped his feet, the force of his excitement shaking the labyrinth.

“That damned thing is finally dead! Gone for good! Excellent! Wonderful!”

Grabbing Taesan’s shoulders, the shopkeeper exclaimed:

“Thank you! Truly, thank you! You’ve fulfilled my deepest wish!”

He quickly produced a crystal from his pocket and hurled it into the air. The crystal shattered, opening a portal.

Beyond it lay the world of the dwarves where Taesan had first arrived.

“Wait for me, my people! Your true king has returned!”

The shopkeeper shouted as he charged through the portal, leaving Taesan alone in the labyrinth.

[What just happened?] Bardray muttered, bewildered.

At that moment, the ground trembled, and Balbabamba appeared.

[Unbelievable. Even after achieving his goal, he leaves without fulfilling his obligations as a contractor.]

The labyrinth overseer shook his head in exasperation.

[There’s still so much left to handle, and now it’s all dumped on me. What a pain.]

“Is it over?” Taesan asked.

[For him, yes. Having achieved his wish, he has no further business here.]

“And the reward?”

[Don’t worry about that. I’ll handle it.]

A system message appeared:

[92nd Floor Quest Cleared.]

[Rewards will be determined in consultation with Balbabamba.]

Unlike before, the quest’s system seemed less rigid.

R𝑒ad lat𝒆st chapt𝒆rs at free𝑤ebnovel.com Only.

[The reward for this quest isn’t fixed. It will depend on your performance and choices.]

The 92nd-floor rewards primarily revolved around equipment from the shopkeeper’s inventory. But Balbabamba made it clear there would be limitations.

After a moment’s thought, Balbabamba said:

[Wait here. I’ll check on things and return shortly.]

“All right.”

Balbabamba disappeared, leaving Taesan alone once more.

Turning to Akasha, Taesan noticed her emotions were settling.

“Have you sorted it out?”

[Yes.]

Akasha’s voice was calm but tinged with gravity.

She, too, had absorbed some of Remidaos’s power, triggering fragments of memory to resurface.

“What did you remember?” Taesan asked.

[...A part of myself.]

Akasha paused before continuing.

[Pieces of my memory. Fragments... of what I did, of what happened in that place... They’ve begun to surface.]

“Does that mean you’ve regained your memory?”

[No. It’s fragmented and scattered. I still don’t know who I was or what emotions drove me. But among the fragments, I remembered something important—someone I once served.]

Akasha hesitated for a moment, as if gathering her thoughts, then spoke slowly:

[I... remembered her name.]

The one Akasha served.

The forgotten goddess who had given Taesan his quest.

“What is it?” Taesan asked.

Akasha seemed reluctant, as though speaking the name would trigger something significant, even dangerous.

Taesan waited in silence.

After a long pause, Akasha finally said:

[Her name is... Arilnan.]

A name carries immense value, especially for one whose status transcends mortal limits.

The name of the forgotten goddess echoed through the world.

A being erased from existence was called forth once more.

As the name etched itself into the cosmos, Taesan felt something stir within him.

Something he couldn’t identify or comprehend rippled out, as if reclaiming lost power.

Radiant light shone brilliantly.

At the center of the light, energy coalesced, forming a shape.

[Uh...] Bardray murmured in astonishment as Taesan stepped back.

Screeeeech!

The energy solidified, forming a resplendent figure.

A woman, her body curled like a fetus, hair flowing endlessly, shone with an otherworldly brilliance.

“...Ah,” she sighed softly.

Her voice carried the awe of someone seeing the world for the first time after a long imprisonment.

Slowly, she unfolded her body.

“At last, you’ve found me.”

She smiled warmly, her gaze fixed on Taesan.

[The Forgotten Goddess, Arilnan, has appeared.]