Ascension Through Skills
Chapter 429: 84th Floor, Levynenoff’s World (2)

The ash-haired girl sat quietly with her eyes closed.

She held her breath, as if trying to sense something, regulating her breathing.

“…I can feel it. You are coming here.”

The girl murmured. Her voice carried both joy and anticipation.

“How will you react? Will you curse me? Or will you show sympathy? Will you spit out your fury and order him to kill me?”

She giggled, as if she would be satisfied no matter the outcome.

“I will not back down. So hurry and come here, my prince.”

In front of the girl stood something in human form.

Taesan stepped onto the 84th floor.

[Defeat the Abyss that Corrodes Everything.]

[Reward: Weapon Engraving.]

[Hidden Reward: ???]

And at that moment, Balbabamba appeared.

“You’re showing up quite often.”

[That only means you’ve done many things. I can’t just let you enter the 84th floor as it is. The normal 84th floor would be too easy for you.]

The wizard had once said that the difficulty of the Labyrinth would be adjusted to match Taesan. It seemed the 84th floor was undergoing such a change.

[Ainzhar happened to provide something suitable. The quest that Ainzhar gave you—I will modify the 84th-floor quest to match it.]

[84th Floor Quest Begins.]

[Complete Ainzhar’s Quest.]

[Reward: Weapon Engraving.]

[Hidden Reward: ???]

Kugugung!

The Labyrinth shifted. It shook and moved, adjusting itself to Taesan. Then, the movement stopped.

[You’ll see it once you pass through the passage.]

Following Balbabamba’s words, Taesan stepped into the altered Labyrinth.

After passing through an appropriately long corridor and opening a door, he found a shimmering spatial passage.

And beyond it lay a collapsed world.

Levynenoff’s ruined world, completely swallowed in blackness.

It was the first time he had seen a world entirely destroyed by a High God.

[To be honest, I don’t want to send you there.]

Balbabamba spoke. Though he was the administrator, he showed reluctance toward this quest.

[That place was devoured by the High Gods. It is no longer a part of this world. It’s closer to their domain. Thus, their influence there is stronger than ours.]

The world beyond the passage felt extremely alien. It was similar to the domain of the High Gods he had seen in Arulia.

[Their gazes are gathered there. The moment you step in, they will react.]

[Of course, it will be dangerous. But wasn’t the Labyrinth meant for life-and-death struggles?]

[He will not die there.]

Balbabamba spoke with calm certainty.

[And that is precisely the problem.]

“…Are you saying the High Gods won’t kill me?”

Thinking back, it had been the same before.

The High God he had met in the Demon Realm—the ancient Demon God—

They had not tried to kill him.

They had tried to capture him, as if killing him was not their objective.

[Personally, I believe you should be left alone. But the wizard and the gods seem to think differently. They want you to learn the truth.]

The truth.

[But as you are now, you won’t last in that world. So, we shall grant you divine protection.]

Balbabamba’s authority manifested. As the administrator of the Labyrinth, he acted on behalf of the gods to bestow a blessing upon Taesan.

[You should have already figured out how to use it. It’s a one-time blessing, so use it wisely.]

The blessings of the gods Taesan had encountered now resided within him.

[Even so, if a High God seriously targets you, the blessings will be meaningless. So the gods will personally intervene.]

Screeeeeech!

A tearing sound echoed beyond the passage. The clash of immense powers could be felt.

[The gods will prevent the direct intervention of the High Gods. They won’t be able to hold out for long, so finish quickly and return.]

“…Is this really necessary?”

It was the first time since the battlefield of the gods that so many deities had intervened.

Even if they favored Taesan, it seemed excessive for just completing a quest.

[This quest holds meaning for the gods as well. Levynenoff is a god tainted by the High Gods. Even the transcendents couldn’t do anything about it. If there’s even a chance to confirm something, it’s worth the investment.]

That made sense.

Ever since Levynenoff took root in the Labyrinth, the wizard and the transcendents must have tried various means, but Levynenoff had never recovered.

If Taesan could succeed where they had failed, it was worth the gods expending their power.

[And they likely want you to realize the truth for yourself. Hearing it from someone else is one thing, but experiencing it firsthand is the best way to understand.]

Balbabamba expanded the passage.

[The rest, you will have to see for yourself. Now go, and return safely.]

Taesan stepped through the passage.

At that moment, an utterly alien sensation engulfed his entire body.

It felt as if he were being hurled into outer space—a place where the laws of the world did not apply, where gravity vanished, and friction ceased to exist.

Taesan enveloped his body in divinity and crossed through.

And then, he set foot in the blackened world.

At first glance, the world appeared intact.

The forests, rocks, and plains retained their original forms, except that everything was dyed black.

But nothing could be felt. There was no scent of vegetation, no breeze of nature. It was completely empty.

This was a world destroyed by a High God.

Taesan looked up at the sky.

There, colossal beings were clashing. The mere shockwaves radiating from their battle held enough power to shatter stars.

He had to complete the quest before their battle ended.

The quest required him to find Levynenoff’s relic, which remained in this ruined world.

The destination was easy to locate.

In this world where nothing could be felt, there was a place radiating divinity.

That was where Levynenoff’s relic was.

Taesan propelled himself forward.

As he moved, the darkness pervading the world began to stir.

It clung to his body, trying to taint him with its color.

He tried to resist using his divinity, but even the divinity was being dyed black, making it inefficient.

After a brief consideration, Taesan unleashed the blackness.

A dark aura enveloped his entire body.

Then, the darkness no longer approached.

Taesan quickly advanced toward his destination.

Levynenoff’s world was larger than Earth, but physical distance was no longer an obstacle for him.

A massive structure resembling a temple came into view.

Like everything else, it was stained black, yet divinity emanated from within.

Taesan stepped inside.

There, someone had been waiting for him.

“Nice to meet you.”

A man of darkness greeted Taesan.

[The Hollow Horror’s Incarnation has appeared.]

He was a man with a striking appearance.

In terms of looks, he could be considered handsome. His refreshing smile was enough to earn people’s favor.

But he was not a living being.

Though he had the form of a human, he was merely a grotesque imitation of something monstrous.

‘Immortal?’

No, that wasn’t it. Though traces of it were visible, his existence was twisted, as if it had been fused with something entirely different.

Seeing the black aura surrounding Taesan, the man let out an exclamation.

“Amazing. There are quite a few beings in this world who have devoted themselves to them, but ones who wield their power as freely as you do are extremely rare.

And you didn’t even offer yourself. I can understand why they would find you interesting.“

Taesan drew his sword. The being before him was an agent of the High Gods—in other words, an enemy.

The man hastily raised his hands.

“No need to be so hasty. You and I… could be on the same side, you know?”

“Bullshit.”

“Aren’t you curious why the gods sent you here?”

The man smirked.

“There’s no need to rush, right? Why don’t we have a little chat first?”

After a brief moment of thought, Taesan lowered his sword without hesitation.

“Fine.”

Seeing no resistance, the man seemed slightly unsettled.

“…Well, alright. If you’ve come to this world, then there’s only one thing you must be after. Come with me.”

The man stepped into the temple.

Taesan followed without any hesitation.

“This is what you seek, isn’t it?”

At the deepest part of the temple lay a relic.

A sacred artifact shaped like a small pillar.

Within it resided the remnants of a transcendent being—one far beyond Taesan’s current level.

‘With this…’

It was possible to restore Levynenoff.

The moment Taesan reached for the relic, the man blocked his path.

“Before that, let’s talk.”

“What is it you want from me?”

“It’s simple, Kang Taesan. A being of mixed existence.”

The man smiled as he made his offer.

“Why don’t you join us?”

“You want me to side with the High Gods?”

“I won’t deny it.”

“Nonsense.”

Taesan dismissed it outright.

The High Gods had destroyed his world and were targeting him.

He had no reason to join them.

“I understand your feelings, of course. They are the destroyers of worlds. They ruin and break everything in their path. You must have suffered because of them as well. But think about it from a different perspective.”

The man raised his hand.

“You are alive. The ones who died have nothing to do with you. Put aside your personal feelings—there’s no problem at all, is there?”

Taesan silently stared at the man.

The man twisted his lips into a grin.

“More importantly, you’re mistaken. It’s not their fault. The real issue is this fragile world. Don’t you think this world is unbearably weak?”

His face twisted in frustration.

“Humans die meaninglessly, even those who reach great heights fall to the whims of the gods. Even immortals are no different! With a mere flick of a transcendent’s hand, everything they have built and struggled for disappears!”

He shouted, his voice filled with rage.

“This world is flawed! It’s a mistake!”

Taesan did not deny his words.

Even the God of Descent had been an example of what he was describing—blocking the potential of countless talented mortals, treating them as mere playthings.

And it wasn’t limited to the God of Descent.

The demons of Vekveta had been pushed to extinction by their god, Harmon.

Then, Harmon and Vekveta were both crushed under the might of the Demon God.

Countless lives must have been lost in that process.

Most transcendents held no respect for mortals.

That was the conclusion Taesan had reached.

Even the Demon God only cherished demons—humans were of no concern to her.

Taesan looked at the man.

“You were once immortal.”

“Yes. But because of a damnable transcendent’s meddling, I nearly lost everything. And in that moment, a great one saved me.”

The man gave a chilling smile.

“I devoted myself to them. I became the incarnation of the great one’s will. That is what I am.”

“And what does that have to do with me?”

Taesan spoke indifferently.

“The High Gods are exiles. They manage to interfere with this world here and there, but in the end, they are still losers.”

“No.”

The man smiled.

“Taesan, you must have felt it. Their influence is growing stronger as time passes. Do you know what that means? It means that the seals placed by the transcendents who exiled them are weakening.”

Kuuuuung!

A massive wave of power erupted from beyond the sky.

Blackness from beyond the universe began to engulf the world.

The transcendents tried to suppress it, but the darkness left a scar upon the world that could never be erased.

The man burst into manic laughter.

“They will return soon! They will come back to the world from which they were exiled! And they will trample everything underfoot, restoring the world to its rightful form!”

Search the lightnovelworld.cc website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.