Ascension Through Skills-Chapter 506: 93rd Floor, Demons (5)

Thirty-eight. Including Belial's domain, which Taesan had originally possessed, the total rose to thirty-nine.

Thirty-nine demon domains, each belonging to beings that had existed since the dawn of creation, were now fused into Taesan.

He took a deep breath, steadying himself, and began to inspect the changes within.

Something new had settled inside him—vast, boundless.

Taesan raised his hand, and in an instant, demonic energy surged forth.

Boom!

Black magic exploded into the world.

Roots that could split the earth, fiery substances capable of melting stars, and massive spikes sharp enough to pierce continents—all of them materialized simultaneously.

The sheer force shook Baal's domain. Baal's expression brightened with interest.

[Well now...]

Taesan opened his skill window.

[Dark Magic]

You can freely wield the powers within your domains.

The skill descriptions had simplified drastically. There were no longer skill proficiency levels, but it wasn’t a downgrade.

Instead, it had transcended those mechanics. Dark magic was now wholly his, seamlessly integrated into his being.

Unlike before, the system window no longer appeared when he used dark magic, much like when he used his physical body to attack—it was no longer something external but an intrinsic part of himself.

Except for Baal’s magic, every other trace of dark magic had disappeared from the skill window.

Taesan quietly gazed at the changes in the system.

[A Fragment of Malice]

The remnant of all evil. What it becomes depends on your choices.

The term "demon" had vanished entirely from the description. With their eradication, the concept of "demon" had been wiped from the system.

In its place, an anomaly—the amalgamation of every demon's domain—remained.

[What do you think?]

Baal’s voice broke the silence.

“I’m not sure yet.”

Taesan shook his head. The new power was too vast to comprehend in such a short time. He would need more time to fully understand its nature.

[When primordial domains fuse and intertwine, this is the result. It’s been a very long time since I last saw something like this. How fascinating.]

Baal clapped his hands together.

[A satisfying outcome. Thank you.]

“You intended to kill them from the beginning, didn’t you?”

[I told you, defective creations needed to be removed.]

Baal turned his gaze to the devastated plains. The battlefield bore no remnants of the demons or their power.

The evidence of their existence had been completely erased.

Baal’s face displayed clear satisfaction.

[They’ve returned to where they belong. You’ve done well, Taesan.]

“Won’t this cause significant repercussions? The aftereffects could be severe.”

The demons’ power had been integral to the balance of the world, particularly through the demonic magic they provided to the demonic races.

With the demons now erased from existence, demonic magic would no longer be accessible.

[There’s no need to worry. The Demon Lord and I have already accounted for that.]

“...I see.”

This meant that the Demon Lord had been fully aware of this plan from the start.

[Besides, the only benefit they ever provided was that single aspect, and even that can be easily handled with our powers. There won’t be any issues.]

Baal laughed heartily, genuinely delighted.

[Finally, I’ve rid myself of those pests I’ve always wanted gone. Thank you.]

“Now, I’d like to hear your explanation.”

Baal and the Demon Lord had orchestrated the demons’ demise, but Taesan still didn’t know why.

[There are many reasons, but primarily, I wanted to see for myself.]

“To see what?”

[I’ve always despised those vermin.]

Baal’s voice dripped with contempt.

[Born as they are, immutable and eternal. Beings without purpose. Yet it was impossible to eliminate them. They cannot die.]

“You couldn’t erase them yourself?”

Though Baal wasn’t part of this world, akin to the Old Gods, it seemed odd that he couldn’t handle the demons. But Baal shook his head.

[I couldn’t. When the Old Gods were exiled, I forged contracts with the demons. Direct interference was forbidden. Over time, I managed to use loopholes to eliminate a few here and there, but many still remained.]

Baal stomped his foot, and the world folded like paper.

[No one in this world could erase them. But you... You can.]

The world collapsed into neat folds, revealing a white, luminescent space.

[You can erase them. You’re capable of completely destroying the exiled Old Gods.]

“So, this was a test?”

[I’d heard the stories but never witnessed it myself. Before they return, I wanted to be certain.]

Baal raised his hand, gathering a force so immense it bent space and time.

[Now, let me show you the truth of this world.]

Baal clenched his fist.

The condensed power erupted, shattering the dimensions of space and time. The world distorted, propelling them into an unknown realm.

[Ooh...]

[Ah...]

Both Bardray and Akasha gasped, their souls beginning to fragment.

[Ah, I forgot you two wouldn’t be able to handle this. Rest for now.]

Baal’s power enveloped them, stabilizing their forms.

Despite their immense strength, even Bardray and Akasha couldn’t endure this space without disintegrating.

Taesan himself couldn’t hold out unprotected and shrouded himself in chaos energy.

The place they had arrived at was twisted and alien.

Even Taesan, who had confronted gods and fought Old Gods, found this space utterly foreign.

‘...Massive, and overwhelmingly powerful.’

Here resided forces that transcended comprehension—fragments of strength that could shake the universe.

Among the chaos, Taesan sensed familiar presences.

Maria, Zervand, Lachiratas, Lucifer.

Not just the gods he knew but countless others, equally powerful, filled the space.

Taesan’s gaze shifted.

Beyond the swirling chaos stood a single, imposing wall.

‘...Wait.’

He suddenly realized what that wall was.

The power of the Old Gods had created it.

The chaotic energy around them was nothing but the remnants of that wall’s creation.

Beyond the wall, something loomed.

Finally, Taesan understood where they were and what this place was.

“The Boundary of Exile.”

[Correct.]

Baal nodded.

[This is where the Old Gods were banished. The boundary of their seal.]

***

Baal slowly approached the wall.

[You know about our past, don’t you?]

“Yes.”

Long ago, the Transcendents and the Old Gods waged war for dominance over the world.

The victors were the Transcendents, though it came at a great cost.

Yet the Old Gods, immutable and eternal, could not be killed. They were beings beyond the reach of anything in this universe.

[We did win, but since even I couldn’t destroy the Old Gods, we chose to exile them from this universe. There were some minor interventions from beyond the seal, but nothing we couldn’t handle.]

The Old Gods' interference had always been manageable. Even Taesan, when he was weaker, had been able to withstand it.

[But now, we have a problem.]

Something stirred beyond the wall.

A formless entity, warped and indescribable by any language or understanding of this universe, watched Taesan and Baal.

Boom...

It moved, its immense form pressing heavily against the wall.

Instinctively, Taesan braced himself for impact.

CRAAAACK!

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The wall shook.

The boundary, created by the combined might of every Transcendent, rippled.

Baal chuckled.

[Still persistent. Never tires.]

The being beyond the wall stared at them for a moment, then slowly retreated.

Taesan relaxed, lowering his guard.

That wall was absolute—no single conceptual god could even scratch it.

But despite knowing this, Taesan’s instincts had forced him into a defensive stance.

“An Old God...”

The warped, indescribable entity was the true form of an Old God.

And Taesan noticed something troubling.

Where the Old God had struck, a tiny crack marred the wall’s surface.

It was almost imperceptible, so faint that one had to focus to even see it.

But it was undeniably a crack.

[Nothing in this universe lasts forever.]

Baal ran his hand over the new fracture, speaking softly.

[The banishment of the Old Gods, created by all the Transcendents working together, is absolute. But as time flows, even the absolute begins to fade.]

Taesan’s eyes scanned the entire wall.

There were hundreds, thousands—no, tens of thousands of cracks.

So many that finding an intact portion of the wall was nearly impossible.

[The seal is weakening, and quickly.]

“I thought there was supposed to be plenty of time left.”

The Magician had once told him that the seal would last until a bright star burned out.

The only way to accelerate that process drastically was through Taesan’s unique skill, Boundary Line. That’s why the Old Gods had targeted him.

[Originally, that was true. But at some point, the seal began weakening faster than expected. Honestly, it’s alarming. If this continues, the seal might not hold for much longer.]

“Do you know why?”

[Many Transcendents have sought the answer, but none have found it. We don’t know if our calculations were wrong or if something else is interfering.]

Taesan remained silent as Baal continued.

[Even if it’s unexpected, we can’t just sit idly by. That’s why I dealt with the demons. There’s no reason to leave potential threats unchecked.]

Baal withdrew his hand from the crack.

[That’s all I can tell you. For the rest, you’ll need to speak to the Demon Lord and other Transcendents.]

Taesan nodded solemnly, his expression dark.

Baal pointed a finger at him.

[In a way, I deceived you.]

The initial quest Baal had proposed was simply to attend the gathering.

But his true goal had been the extermination of the demons—a purpose he hadn’t disclosed to Taesan.

“I don’t mind. I gained what I needed.”

[I figured you’d say that. But there’s someone who’d be furious if I didn’t give you an adequate reward. Consider this my way of making amends, though it’s far from an apology.]

Baal’s power flowed into Taesan.

It was something alien, entirely unlike anything that existed in this universe.

[Take it. It’s a fragment of my power from when I first came into existence.]

[You have acquired Advanced Dark Magic: Baal’s Shattered Fragment.]