Ascension Through Skills
Chapter 418: 82nd Floor, Lemegeton (7)

The remnants of Belial that had spread across the entire domain disappeared.

The sea urchins guarding the domain, along with the small minions that scattered to block the intruders, all vanished.

One by one, the traces proving this was Belial’s domain disappeared. The throne slowly corroded.

And now, this place began to transform into Taesan’s domain.

“Phew.”

Taesan caught his breath. Baal murmured with a surprised yet understanding expression.

[So this is your true self.]

With those words, Baal stomped his foot.

The world flipped. In the blink of an eye, Taesan was transported into a space filled with thick darkness.

[This is my domain. I hadn’t planned to bring you here, but I suppose it doesn’t matter now.]

There was nothing but darkness in Baal’s domain. Yet, he could still distinguish objects. It was as if the darkness served the role of light.

Baal clapped his hands.

[Congratulations, hybrid being. You are now the first human to claim the domain of an ancient demon.]

The Demon’s Domain.

Taesan raised his hand. He could feel a sensation coursing through his body that he hadn’t experienced before.

He now held a demon’s domain.

“But I don’t feel like I’ve become a demon.”

Though he could sense the power and instincts of a demon, he was still human.

[That’s what’s surprising.]

Baal chuckled as he spoke.

[Had you inherited Belial’s power and title entirely, your very essence would have transformed into that of a demon. You would’ve become one of our kind. But instead, you only stole Belial’s domain. As a result, your core remained unchanged.]

Taesan was still human.

[You acquired only the demon’s domain while staying human. That’s why you received the skill Throne of Lemegeton.]

He didn’t become a demon—he had simply stolen a demon’s domain. The skill Throne of Lemegeton represented that fact.

[It’s truly astonishing. And amusing. I didn’t expect something in this world to defy my predictions.]

Baal smiled as he spoke.

[You now possess a demon’s domain. That means your name is now inscribed among the 72 demons. You understand the significance of that, don’t you?]

Only 72 demons could possess a domain.

And Taesan had taken one of them.

It meant that Belial’s name was now overwritten by Kang Taesan’s.

Baal chuckled as if he truly found it amusing.

[A demon that existed since the beginning has perished, and now the master of that domain has changed. Truly, this is bewildering.]

“You don’t look that bewildered.”

[I am surprised. But more than that, I’m enjoying this situation immensely.]

Baal gazed at Taesan with a look full of excitement.

[I never expected someone to forgo power and stature, just to claim a seat.]

“Power isn’t important to me.”

The Apostle of the High God who had killed Lee Taeyeon and defeated him, and the top guides who once blocked his path, were now beneath him.

Power and rank could eventually be reached by conquering the labyrinth. But qualifications were different.

The Demon’s Domain. This opportunity would never come again. From the moment he saw the throne, Taesan’s goal was not power but the seat itself. With the Seed of Life partially controlling Soul Ascension, he could claim the Demon’s Domain.

[So, has anything changed? I’m curious, as this is the first time anyone has obtained a Demon’s Domain.]

“I feel the demonic energy closer.”

He could now control demonic energy as if it were an extension of his body. Baal nodded as if it were obvious.

[A demon is the master of demonic energy. Controlling it perfectly is only natural.]

“And… I feel something inside me.”

It was still empty, but incredibly vast.

“This must be the domain of a demon.”

[Correct.]

Baal stroked his chin, looking at Taesan with a curious expression before speaking again.

[The reward for this trial was Belial’s domain and his seat. There was nothing more planned… but you’ve piqued my interest. I want to see where you’ll end up. So, I’ll give you a little extra.]

The darkness filling Baal’s domain wrapped around Taesan’s body.

[Be grateful. You’re the first to receive my black magic.]

[You have acquired the intermediate black magic Baal’s Rushing Abyss.]

[You have acquired the intermediate black magic Baal’s Overlapping Darkness.]

[Your demonic energy has permanently increased by 3,000.]

[Your proficiency in black magic has increased by 5%.]

“…Is it really okay to give me this much?”

A 3,000 increase in demonic energy.

That was more than the amount Taesan currently had. Baal spoke nonchalantly.

[I am a Great Demon, after all. Besides, you’ll need a vast amount of demonic energy from now on. This much won’t mean much.]

Baal waved his hand, signaling the end of their business. Darkness parted, revealing a path.

[Go through there. Lucifer is waiting for you.]

Taesan looked at the path.

But he didn’t step forward yet.

Instead, he opened his mouth and asked Baal.

“I have a few questions. May I ask them?”

[Hmm… I’ve shown you something interesting, and we’re no longer strangers. Go ahead. I’ll answer as much as I can.]

“What exactly are you beings?”

Demons were similar to High Gods.

And High Gods were beings exiled from this world.

Now that he possessed a Demon’s Domain, he could sense their power more clearly. And that power felt extremely alien.

It wasn’t of this world.

[…I suppose it doesn’t matter.]

Baal murmured after a moment of contemplation.

[You’ve probably guessed already. And at your current level, it’s fine to tell you. We are beings that existed before creation.]

Entities that had been around before the universe itself was born.

That was what demons and High Gods were.

[It’s only natural that we can twist the laws of this realm. We existed before such laws were established. Rules created afterward mean nothing to us.]

It wasn’t shocking. He had already guessed as much from the Library of All Things.

If anything, this only raised more questions.

“Then what is your purpose?”

Beings that existed before creation had survived until now, tainting the world.

Was there any purpose behind that?

“Do you exist to destroy the world? Or is there no meaning at all?”

Baal spoke ambiguously.

[Purpose, huh? That’s a tough one… because it’s our original sin.]

“Original sin?”

[Consider us as beings who defy the flow of time. Though I am the master of demons, I didn’t stop Belial’s destruction.]

In fact, Baal had used Taesan to thwart the plans of other demons who tried to revive Belial. It meant Baal had no intention of bringing Belial back.

[We used to be far more numerous—enough to blanket the world itself. But due to various events, only this few of us remain.]

Baal shook his head.

[That’s enough. You’ll have to find out the rest on your own.]

“…Understood.”

Original sin. Beings who defied the flow of time.

It was new information, but Taesan still couldn’t grasp the whole picture. He organized his thoughts.

[So, are your questions done?]

“I have one more. You called me a ‘hybrid being.’”

[It’s exactly as I said. Did you really think a being of this realm could wield the power of a High God and seize a demon’s domain?]

Baal spoke as if it was only natural, as though it had always been that way.

[Belial’s seat has never once been unclaimed since our birth. We are beings from before creation itself. It should be impossible for someone born after creation to interfere with such qualifications. And yet, you intervened easily, forcefully overwriting Belial’s name with your own.]

“When did it start?”

Taesan had known for a while that he wasn’t an ordinary person.

But if he was truly a hybrid, when did it happen?

Baal chuckled quietly.

[The labyrinth’s magician are still frantically searching for that answer, but they won’t find it easily. So… I’ll give you a hint. Think back. Recall your journey.]

With those final words, Taesan’s body was forcibly pushed into a portal.

The world flipped, and Taesan arrived in a vast, empty wasteland.

“My journey?”

Taesan shook his head. Just like Baal said, he couldn’t find the answer right now.

He lifted his gaze.

A world with nothing in sight.

What was once Belial’s domain was now Taesan’s.

He walked through his new domain. He had acquired domains before—when he altered the world through partial transformations or became the master of faith—but this felt completely different.

It was pure. Eternal. A world that was entirely his, untouched by anything else.

Taesan gathered his will.

Rumble!

The empty world responded to his will and began to shift.

The barren land shook, forming cliffs and mountain ranges.

Though it reshaped nature itself, he felt no drain of power.

[This is your domain. This world belongs to you. Do as you wish.]

A calm voice echoed. The Demon God, Lucifer, had stepped into Taesan’s domain.

“Greetings.”

[So, this is a demon’s domain… I thought it was possible.]

Lucifer crossed her arms, seemingly deep in thought.

[Well, this isn’t a bad outcome.]

Having come to a conclusion, she extended her hand to Taesan.

[Let’s make a pact, Taesan. Not as a human, but as the master of a demon’s domain.]

Darkness flowed out, enveloping Taesan.

“What kind of pact?”

[Demons exist beyond the laws of this world, but they still wield black magic. That’s possible because of a contract with me.]

Lucifer continued.

[Through a contract with me, you can create your own black magic. You’ll also be able to access the essence of demonic energy and strengthen this world. In return, the black magic you create will be shared with black magicians and demons.]

“That’s fine by me.”

Taesan agreed, and darkness gently seeped into him.

[You have acquired the contract skill Demon God and Demon.]

[You have learned Black Magic Creation.]

[You have acquired the special passive skill Lord of Darkness.]

[You have acquired the special passive skill Master of Black Magic.]

[An excellent choice.]

Lucifer smiled, and Taesan could now feel a direct connection to her.

Satisfied, she spoke.

[Right now, you only have the seat. You still lack the power and stature to match it. You’ll have to build that up over time. Demons, by nature, are immutable and don’t grow stronger. But you’re different—you’ve only claimed the domain, so you can still grow.]

Taesan’s essence remained human. He hadn’t become a demon; he simply wielded the power of a demon’s domain.

[From here on out, I can’t help you.]

This was Taesan’s world.

A place that only he could shape with his own power.

[I’ll be cheering for you. Make it into whatever you want.]

With that, Lucifer disappeared.

“My domain, huh.”

[What will you do?]

“I have too much to process right now.”

First, he needed to confirm what he had gained. Taesan opened his skill window.

[Throne of Lemegeton]

[You have acquired the Throne of Lemegeton after obtaining a demon’s domain. You can now grant Lemegeton to your minions.]

After claiming Belial’s domain, he had obtained the Throne of Lemegeton. As a high-tier skill, it even allowed him to bestow Lemegeton upon his minions.

[Contract Skill: Demon God and Demon]

[A contract between the Demon God and a demon. The Demon God lends her power to demons, while demons, in turn, can directly influence the world.]

He remembered what Lucifer had once told him—black magic was made possible by borrowing the power of demons. This skill was the key to that.

[Black Magic Creation]

[Proficiency: 1%]

[You can use some of the power from your domain to create new black magic through your contract with the Demon God.]

Creating black magic.

Until now, Taesan had relied on various black magics created by other demons.

Their power had been instrumental in helping him conquer the labyrinth.

But now, he had the ability to create his own black magic.