Ascension Through Skills
Chapter 417: 82nd Floor, Lemegeton (6)

At the moment Taesan was about to walk towards the throne—

Several presences rapidly approached. Taesan stopped walking and turned his head.

“Huff! Huff!”

“We… we made it!”

Four figures appeared, gasping for breath. Their entire bodies were covered in wounds.

The other contractors had sensed the intense ripple of power from Taesan’s battle with Belial’s remnants. Realizing that was their destination, they had sprinted straight here without looking back.

As a result, they had taken considerable damage, but they had managed to reach their goal.

“Ooooooh!”

“The throne!”

They gasped in awe upon seeing the throne.

An immense power could be felt emanating from it.

A power completely beyond their reach—transcendent in the literal sense.

This was the demonic power they had come to claim.

They barely noticed Taesan standing nearby. All of them were entranced by Belial’s throne.

And at that moment, Halid moved.

Halid unleashed demonic energy toward the old man. The old man reacted immediately.

Crash!

“Kugh!”

The old man hastily formed a barrier. The demonic energy collided with it, scattering in all directions.

“You bastard!”

Halid smirked darkly.

“Thanks for your hard work!”

Boom!

Dark magic exploded.

The contractors clenched their teeth and charged at Halid.

“Did you think I’d just stand here and take it?”

“Hahahaha!”

They had expected Halid to ambush them the moment they arrived and were prepared to fight back.

However, they had already suffered too much damage breaking through Belial’s domain.

Halid, on the other hand, was clearly stronger and had fully conserved his strength. Even though it was four against one, the battle was one-sided. In an instant, all the other contractors were defeated.

[At least you’re clear about your desires.]

“How admirable.”

Such dedication to his own desires—it was almost praiseworthy.

“Hahahaha! I did it! I made it! I’m going to become a demon!”

Having defeated everyone, Halid burst into manic laughter. His eyes were filled with excitement.

“Belial’s domain is mine!”

“Not if I have anything to say about it.”

Taesan muttered quietly. Halid, finally noticing Taesan’s presence, turned his head.

“…The unchosen one? How did you get here?”

Halid frowned, twisting his lips into a sneer.

“I see. So that’s your ability.”

Since the very beginning, Taesan had perfectly concealed his strength.

Halid assumed that Taesan’s power specialized in hiding. He must have evaded the domain’s attacks and snuck his way here.

“I have no business with you. Die.”

Halid swung his fist through the air. Black demonic energy rippled through the space, surging like waves towards Taesan.

Without sparing another glance, Halid began walking toward Belial’s throne.

Taesan expressionlessly extended his hand.

He grabbed the surging wave of demonic energy and clenched his fist.

Boom!

The wave shattered into fragments.

Halid, who had dismissed Taesan, spun around in shock.

“What the hell?”

More waves of demonic energy rushed toward Taesan. But he didn’t block them. Simply walking forward was enough to make the waves disperse.

Taesan reached out and grabbed Halid by the neck, flinging him away.

Crash!

“Kugh!”

Halid coughed up blood.

He glared at Taesan in disbelief before gritting his teeth.

“…Damn it!”

Halid realized it then.

Taesan was far stronger than him—so strong that comparison was meaningless.

Whether Taesan had been hiding his power or had already reached a level they couldn’t even perceive, one thing was certain: he stood on a much higher plane.

‘I made it this far!’

Halid seethed with rage but quickly analyzed the situation. He began inching away from Taesan.

“You’re quick-witted.”

Taesan murmured, watching him.

Halid racked his brain, searching for a way to win.

‘There’s no way I can beat him in a normal fight.’

He had already used up his trump cards fighting the other dark magicians.

Then—

Having made up his mind, Halid acted.

He sprinted toward Belial’s throne.

Crack!

The space around Taesan distorted, attempting to restrain him. But it wasn’t strong enough to stop him—just to slow him down.

‘If I can just sit on the throne!’

Everything would be solved then.

Taesan took a step forward.

With that alone, the spatial distortion vanished.

He could have caught Halid at any moment, but he didn’t.

Just like Halid had used the other dark magicians, Taesan had something he wanted to confirm.

Without interference, Halid reached the throne.

“Finally! I…!”

He would ascend to greatness.

With an elated expression, Halid sat on the throne.

At that moment, power descended upon him.

“Ooooooh…!”

Demonic energy surged through Halid’s body.

He felt a fullness and omnipotence he had never experienced before.

Grinning twistedly, Halid looked at Taesan.

Now, he could sense Taesan’s power—something he hadn’t been able to feel before.

It was certainly strong, but compared to the overwhelming energy now flowing through him, Taesan’s strength seemed inferior.

Halid decided to fully absorb this power before killing Taesan.

As the intense energy continued to pour into him, Halid was intoxicated by it.

Taesan silently watched Halid.

“So, this was the meaning…”

“…Huh?”

Halid’s face hardened as he continued absorbing power.

No matter how much he accepted, the absorption wouldn’t end.

“Ugh… Ah…”

Something was slowly consuming his consciousness.

“Hahahaha!”

Belial’s servant, who had appeared unnoticed, burst into manic laughter as he looked at Halid.

“Foolish and lowly beings! This is your fate!”

“Ugh…”

Halid let out a dying groan.

Sanity faded from his eyes, replaced by something else.

Taesan knew exactly what was happening.

Belial. A demon believed to be long dead.

The demon was now taking over Halid’s body.

He had somewhat expected this.

Demons, by nature, were beings that transcended mortality.

Stronger than even Taesan.

There was no way a mortal like Halid could truly accept that kind of power. It was obvious he was merely being used as a vessel for Belial’s resurrection.

“My master, I apologize for allowing such a lowly creature to serve as your vessel!”

Belial’s servant knelt and begged for forgiveness.

Taesan walked toward Halid, whose body was slowly breaking apart.

The servant sneered at Taesan.

“What a pity! You wasted too much time! Had you acted sooner, you might have claimed Belial’s power yourself, but now it’s too late!”

“No.”

Taesan placed his hand on Halid’s body.

Immediately, the demonic energy surged, trying to resist Taesan.

“Even now, trying to interfere is pointless! The fusion has already begun!”

“But they haven’t fully merged yet. The balance between power and vessel is still unstable. That makes it easy.”

A dark aura flowed from Taesan’s hand, crushing the demonic energy trying to break free.

“W-What?!”

Taesan pressed down harder.

With a gruesome sound, Halid’s body was torn away from the throne.

“AAAAAH!”

The descent was canceled. The power that had been embedding itself into Halid returned to the throne.

“Ugh… ah…”

Halid collapsed onto the floor, drooling.

The shock of being overtaken by the power had shattered his mind and consciousness. But Taesan didn’t care.

He spoke calmly.

“I know you’re watching. Why don’t you come out?”

[You noticed?]

A languid voice echoed as Baal descended.

---

“Baal.”

Belial’s servant bowed deeply in panic, but Baal paid him no attention. Taesan spoke up.

“Was this a trap from the start?”

The quest’s reward was Belial’s power and essence.

Clearly, Taesan and the other contractors had the chance to obtain it.

But there was never a promise they could acquire it without issues. The other dark magicians would have suffered the same fate as Halid—consumed and transformed into Belial.

[It wasn’t a lie. You all could have obtained that power.]

“But you hid the truth.”

[Blame the other demons, not me.]

Baal gazed at Belial’s throne.

[They were the ones who concealed the truth.]

“Is this a resurrection?”

[Demons are beings from beyond this world. Death doesn’t apply to them as it does to mortals. However, their bodies can be destroyed, forcing them back into the demon realm. To resurrect, they need a suitable vessel.]

“So that’s what Lemegeton is for.”

If a dark magician successfully sat on Belial’s throne, they would lose their mind and intellect, becoming a vessel for the demon.

That’s what a “direct contract” truly meant.

[I don’t particularly like this method. They can do as they please, but it’s not the outcome I would’ve chosen.]

“That’s why you called me here.”

It became clear—while giving Taesan a trial, Baal also aimed to thwart the plans of the other demons.

[You executed my plan perfectly. I thank you. Now, you can claim Belial’s power and domain.]

Baal spoke calmly.

[Unlike the others, you’re strong enough to contain that power.]

Taesan placed his hand on the throne.

Immediately, Belial’s power and essence surged toward him, trying to consume him. Taesan quickly pulled his hand back, shaking his head.

“You really love your games.”

[I have no idea what you mean.]

But Baal’s face bore a smile.

[You can claim Belial’s power and essence without losing yourself. That’s the truth.]

“At the cost of losing my own strength.”

The power Taesan was being offered was everything Belial had.

And that strength was far greater than his own.

Of course, he could devour it. As someone who had already reached the level of an immortal, Taesan could repel Belial’s will and absorb only the power and essence.

But even if he succeeded, he would still lose much of his accumulated strength in the process.

[Isn’t that a fair trade? Belial’s power is immense—far beyond your current reach. Even if you lose what you’ve built, you’ll gain something greater.]

Baal’s whispers echoed like the temptations of a demon.

[You would wield a demon’s pure power. This place would become your domain. You’d be able to command true dark magic. It’s not a bad deal.]

“No.”

Taesan shook his head firmly.

“I have no intention of doing that.”

He had grown strong by relying on his own power.

Belial’s strength was something he couldn’t reach so easily, but it wasn’t worth giving up everything he had built. There was no reason to hesitate.

[I see. That’s unfortunate. You cleared the trial but won’t be able to claim the reward.]

Baal chuckled as if it didn’t matter.

“I’m not taking that path.”

Taesan stood before the throne, raising his sword.

[Soul Ascension, is it?]

Baal smiled quietly.

[With that skill, you can extract some of Belial’s power without losing your own. But you know it, don’t you? Most of the power will be lost in the process.]

Soul Ascension couldn’t steal everything.

While Taesan had earned the right to claim Belial’s full power, using Soul Ascension would result in significant losses.

[That’s still not a wrong choice.]

Baal didn’t seem to care what Taesan chose. His gaze was filled with curiosity and amusement.

‘He’s certainly twisted.’

Taesan recalled what the Demon God had once said.

No choice would lead to complete satisfaction. Even if he made a decision, regret would follow.

Baal seemed to enjoy watching mortals struggle with such dilemmas.

But Taesan had no intention of playing along.

Belial’s throne was a condensed form of his power and essence.

Taesan’s sword pierced the throne.

Rumble!

The power stored within exploded outward. At the same time, Soul Ascension activated, beginning to extract a portion of Belial’s power and essence.

Taesan gripped his sword tightly, focusing his mind.

[…Hmm?]

Baal’s amused expression briefly faltered.

Soul Ascension was a force Taesan couldn’t fully control.

But Taesan had obtained a skill called Seed of Life, which supported Soul Ascension.

At first, it wasn’t significant. But after defeating Hafran’s world, its proficiency had reached 40%, unlocking new possibilities.

Crack.

Taesan interfered with the energy flowing into him, digging deeper.

Crackle.

Baal’s eyes trembled.

He had expected Taesan to take only a fraction of Belial’s power.

It wasn’t a wrong assumption. Even a fragment of a demon’s power was immense. Choosing to avoid losing his own strength seemed logical.

But Taesan’s actions suggested something else.

He murmured toward the essence of Belial’s will trying to invade him.

“I don’t need your power or essence.”

He didn’t want a strength that would consume his identity.

Belial was undoubtedly stronger than Taesan, with a gap that couldn’t be closed easily.

But that was all.

He would surpass that gap someday—using only his own strength.

Most importantly, Belial’s power would never truly be his.

Taesan had realized something after obtaining several powers of immortals.

Even if Soul Ascension allowed him to steal their abilities, he could never reach the original wielder’s level.

It would be the same with Belial’s power. Even if it was strong, it wouldn’t be his own, and thus would have clear limits.

What he needed now wasn’t power or essence.

Rumble!

Belial’s throne began to rampage. Unlike before, it now rejected Taesan, lashing out violently as if unwilling to lose something precious.

What Taesan sought was qualification.

The demon’s seat itself.

[This is…]

Baal finally understood.

Belial’s domain was shaking violently, on the verge of collapse.

[…Incredible. You’re aiming for one of the 72 seats.]

Baal laughed dryly.

Belial’s servant, who had been silently watching, panicked.

Something was going terribly wrong.

The very essence that maintained this place was twisting.

“N-No!”

He lunged at Taesan, desperate to stop him before the entire domain collapsed.

[It’s getting interesting. Don’t interfere.]

But Baal bared his teeth and unleashed his power on the servant, erasing him without a trace.

Kiieeeeng!

Belial’s will rampaged, resisting the extraction. But without a body, its power alone couldn’t stop Taesan.

Taesan focused even harder.

He used Soul Ascension to delve deeper into Belial’s essence, reaching the source of its power.

He didn’t need anything else—just that core.

Taesan reached out.

Grasping the swirling energy around Belial’s throne, he yanked it out.

Crack!

Something was ripped free from the throne.

Belial’s will scattered into the void with a shriek, and the domain began to collapse.

Taesan clenched the extracted essence tightly as it burst and merged with him.

[Your Soul Ascension has activated. "Lemegeton" has transformed into "Throne of Lemegeton."]

At the same time, Belial’s domain started to change.