Bastards Ascension: A Playground of Gods
Chapter 55: God candidate

Chapter 55: God candidate

According to Jane, Death Wall was an incredibly powerful talent.

When Kim first awakened it, most people dismissed him. They assumed it was just a defensive ability—SSS-ranked, yes, but still just a glorified shield. Unbreakable, maybe, but useless in a real fight.

A talent called Death Wall, and yet it couldn’t kill?

It sounded like a cruel joke.

Many mocked him.

’Maybe he’s meant to die hiding behind his own wall—just like the coward he is.’

But everything changed when the talent evolved.

That was when Kim discovered Death Wall wasn’t just for defense. It had offensive potential—deadly offensive potential.

He could now trap his enemies inside the indestructible barrier and compress them until they were nothing but pulp. When these new abilities awakened, his reputation skyrocketed.

In no time, Kim’s name spread far and wide.

He became an unstoppable force.

Factions scrambled to recruit him, but Kim had already pledged himself to the AFO and had no intention of leaving.

After achieving several historic feats and helping maintain order with the Council of the Awakened, he was promoted to Vice President.

’I wonder what his power looks like when he uses it...’ Kieran thought, a chill running down his spine.

The idea of being crushed inside a wall meant for protection was terrifying enough. Even worse, Kim didn’t need to be anywhere near to trigger it.

"This is the Tower of the Demiurge," Kim suddenly announced, just as the shimmering blue wall around them vanished into thin air—gone, as if it had never existed.

The wind stilled.

They were standing once more on barren red earth.

Then they looked up.

A behemoth tower loomed in the distance, its peak piercing into the thick, blood-red clouds.

Its obsidian surface was smooth and carved with strange, glowing symbols. It radiated an ethereal energy—alien and foreign, as though it didn’t belong in this world.

At the base of the tower were two glowing gateways.

Swirls of blue light spiraled within the openings, humming with spatial energy. It was a realm gate, but unlike any they had ever seen.

Kim walked forward, stopping before the portal. He turned to the recruits.

"From here, you’ll be grouped into teams of five. Each team will be led by an Iron-ranked Awakened. Listen to them. Follow their instructions inside the tower. Am I understood?"

The crowd nodded silently.

"Alright then, Captains, begin organizing the recruits," he ordered, stepping aside.

Surprisingly, it wasn’t Jacob who came forward this time—it was Anita.

She walked confidently to the front, hugging a tablet to her chest.

"I’ll be handling the team assignments," she said, finally lowering the tablet to look at the screen. "Each team will also be assigned an Awakened guide."

"Stan Joshua," she called.

A scrawny, short boy squeezed out of the crowd.

"Excuse me—sorry—I’m the one. Coming through," he muttered as he pushed past others.

He reached her side and stood there nervously.

Anita didn’t even glance at him. She simply moved on, calling out the next name.

One by one, the names came.

Kieran stood waiting, Henry at his side.

"Man, I hope we end up on the same team. That would be awesome," Henry said, beaming.

"I guess," Kieran replied casually.

Anita was nearly done with the first team—only one more name to go.

She paused for a moment, then looked directly at Kieran.

He noticed the glance and smiled, remembering how she’d defended him back at the academy.

Anita blushed immediately and looked away.

"K-Kieran Marcoth," she said, voice unsteady.

Kieran raised an eyebrow, surprised.

"Damn! We’re not on the same team," Henry muttered under his breath.

’I guess I’m in the first group,’ Kieran thought, stepping forward to join his new teammates.

"Steven, you’ll be assigned to this group," Anita said, turning to one of the Iron-ranked Awakened.

The man approached lazily, looking mildly annoyed, though he didn’t make it obvious. He took his place beside Kieran and the others.

Anita moved on.

Henry ended up in the second group. Natasha was placed in the third.

’I see... They’re spreading out the high-potential talents. They’re really going all in on keeping us safe,’ Kieran thought, quickly catching on to the pattern.

Before long, the entire room had been organized into teams.

Kim returned to the front.

"Alright. I believe we’re all set. You won’t be entering all at once. As you can see, there are only two entrances, and they’re not large enough to handle everyone at the same time. That’s one of the reasons we split you into groups."

He paused, taking a long breath.

"You’ve waited long enough. Since everything is clear, you may now enter the tower."

The Origin Families were the first to go, moving in pairs.

The Ravenspare family caught everyone’s attention immediately.

Unlike the others, they wore no battle suits.

Instead, they were dressed in white traditional garments—like monks—seeming entirely detached from modern technology.

Without hesitation, they entered the portal and vanished.

Next came the Hilmond family, then the Aurian family, and finally... the Nelkon family.

Kieran watched closely as Frank stepped into the portal, his lackeys following behind him like shadows.

’Good. Stay together... It’ll make burning you all that much easier,’ Kieran thought, eyes narrowing with rage.

Kim turned to the remaining factions.

The higher-ranked groups moved next, entering the portal one by one. Then, finally—Blue Fang Faction.

Kieran’s team approached the glowing gateway.

He stared at the swirling blue waves with fierce determination.

He had a new mission now.

’I’m going to kill those bastards today. I don’t care what anyone thinks about it,’ he thought as he stepped forward.

Unbeknownst to him, the moment his foot touched the portal, his blade gleamed with a brilliant white light.

The realm gate pulsed and rippled as he passed through.

---

Inside the tower...

In the waiting lobby, two boys from the Origin Families were casually chatting.

"Let’s see who does better. No way you’re killing more beasts than me!" one said with a cocky grin.

"In your dr—" The second boy vanished mid-word.

Suddenly, others began disappearing, one after another.

"What’s going on?! The trial wasn’t supposed to start yet!" an Iron-ranked Awakened shouted—before vanishing too.

Meanwhile, Kieran—unaware of the chaos—found himself standing in darkness.

{Ding.}

{God Candidate Detected!}

----+

{Author’s Note:

First, I want to extend my heartfelt thanks to every single one of you who’s continued reading this story. Your support means the world to me. A special shoutout to XiiTai—thank you for coming back, even after everything that happened. It truly means a lot.

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