Ascension Through Skills C.235: Fourth Return, Earth (2)

“Hmm.”

Taesan caressed the ground. In the parched earth of this planet, he had planted a flower from the labyrinth.

“It felt something like this.”

Taesan raised his head.

There was no change at city hall.

Taesan clicked his tongue and pulled out the flower he had planted. Kim Hwiyeon, who had just arrived, tilted her head in confusion.

“What are you doing right now?”

“Creating a domain. I learned something useful in the labyrinth, trying to see if I can use it here, but it’s not working well.”

Taesan took out another flower from his inventory.

“A domain… does it affect the entire city hall?”

“That’s right.”

Kim Hwiyeon stared blankly and muttered,

“Really, Mr. Taesan, you’re becoming less and less human.”

“Is that so?”

He had thought so himself.

But he wasn’t particularly concerned. After all, his goal was to transcend mortality. Kim Hwiyeon smirked at Taesan’s indifferent attitude.

The inside of the city hall was in chaos. The composed-looking man in front of her was the reason.

Kim Hwiyeon raised her head.

Kuuung!

A monster was right in front of her.

Its strength was such that even she couldn’t guarantee victory. By previous standards, it was a D-class monster. There were dozens like it.

Kuuuuung!

And all of them were stopped by a barrier.

The barrier was incredibly solid, without a hint of trembling.

“Looking at them like this, these creatures are strangely shaped.”

“They resemble insects or animals but are different. There’s nothing inside when dissected. They are truly alien.”

He had already dissected several monsters in a previous life. However, all he found inside was darkness, nothing of substantive information.

“Really.”

Kim Hwiyeon murmured with a strange expression.

“I never thought I’d be evaluating monsters like this right in front of me…”

After the first attack, monsters continued to appear.

At least a dozen, and at most, dozens rushed at them.

But before reaching the city hall, they were stopped by a barrier erected by Barkaza.

[These are weak.]

Barkaza said dismissively.

[Probably the bottom feeders of the monsters that the High Gods command. Even hundreds of thousands like these can’t harm me or my master.]

“That’s really… remarkable.”

If hundreds of thousands of D-class monsters appeared, the Earth would be doomed. Other countries might be different, but Korea would definitely be annihilated.

It meant that Taesan was overwhelmingly stronger than any other player in Korea.

It had been true before, but they only truly felt it since this return.

“High Gods, huh.”

Kim Hwiyeon muttered the word.

Taesan had explained the general situation to those in charge, including Kim Hwiyeon and Geum Junggeun.

The beings attacking Earth were the High Gods, and they were beings defeated by the current gods. They did not accept their defeat and had been destroying numerous worlds.

“Earth is one of those… and the gods called us to the labyrinth.”

The reason for the separation of difficulty levels was not discussed. It was judged that even she would not easily accept that the labyrinth she belonged to was created by the beings they were attacking.

“Such despicable things. They tampered with my world and ruined yours too.”

Minerva grumbled. Kim Hwiyeon chuckled hollowly.

“It’s really huge. Too much.”

The existence called gods. And the labyrinth. Everything surrounding them.

She closed her eyes.

Her eyebrows quivered for a moment.

And when her eyes were visible again, they were more settled than before.

“And Mr. Taesan, you have even spoken directly with the gods.”

“Not often.”

[That's enough. There has never been a mortal who formed a relationship with a transcendent like you since I entered the labyrinth.]

The ghost quibbled. However, since Kim Hwiyeon could not hear his voice, she shook her head.

“My head is too complicated. But… I understand. No. Actually, I like it.”

Kim Hwiyeon giggled.

“It’s kind of grand that we ended up like this, right? I thought it might just be someone’s trivial prank, but I’m glad that’s not the case.”

“A prank?”

“Yes. You know, like the whole world is just the dream of some transcendent being. We are merely remnants of that being’s dream. I had kind of thought that too.”

Kim Hwiyeon seemed to have had many thoughts of her own. She kicked a stone with her foot.

“Thank you, Mr. Taesan, for sharing this.”

“I was going to tell you from the start, so don’t worry about it.”

In her previous life, Kim Hwiyeon had tried desperately.

And she died without knowing anything.

Taesan wanted to tell her the truth.

And he had faith. He believed that Kim Hwiyeon and Geum Junggeun would not be mentally shaken even if they knew the truth.

Taesan planted a white flower. Then, he sprinkled blue powder around it.

Wooung.

Synchronization occurred. Kim Hwiyeon was surprised as the area around Taesan became distinctive.

“Did it finally work?”

Keeying.

A blue domain appeared, centered around the city hall.

“Eh?”

“Monster?”

People panicked at the sudden change. Thinking that a monster had breached the barrier, they drew their weapons but then realized the anomaly.

“Ah.”

“My power…”

The blue domain was enhancing their power.

Taesan dusted off his hands.

“Barkaza. Send in a monster.”

[Got it.]

Part of the curtain was breached, and a monster that had been pounding came in without any resistance. Startled by the sudden entry, the monster looked around briefly and assessed what it needed to do.

Slithering.

The monster approached Taesan.

“Try it.”

“Eh?”

Taesan stepped back. Left alone in front of the monster, Kim Hwiyeon hastily drew her weapon.

Clang!

A sudden battle began.

Kim Hwiyeon fought earnestly. The monster in front of her was one she could not easily guarantee victory against.

Clash!

But her sword strike made the monster’s body shake significantly.

She didn’t miss the opportunity and pressed the monster hard.

Crack!

Minutes later, the monster fell. Kim Hwiyeon caught her breath, astonishment etched on her face.

“How could… I won so easily.”

Her movements were quicker than usual, while the monster’s were sluggish and feeble. Taesan dusted off his hands.

“That went well.”

A domain created through alchemy. It amplified the people’s powers and diminished the monsters’.

It was his first attempt at using it, and the results exceeded his expectations.

“So this was what Mr. Taesan was working on?”

“Yes.”

“Wow…”

Kim Hwiyeon grimaced.

“This is going to cause even more chaos.”

“Wow!”

The blue domain surrounding them. Its effects were bolstering them and weakening the monsters.

Realizing this, people’s admiration grew, and they began to worship Taesan.

“Wow! Wow! Wow! Wow!”

“Lord Taesan!”

“Please protect us!”

As Taesan passed by, they clung to his clothes and prayed. Countless hands and wishes were directed towards him.

Overwhelmed by their adoration, Taesan spread his wings. As he took flight, their cries intensified.

[Your divine power proficiency has increased by 1%.]

“Why does this keep increasing?”

Taesan muttered, annoyed. He glanced down towards the city hall.

Looking up at him, people knelt and prayed.

It was as though they were worshipping a deity.

“Huh?”

“Brother, you’re here?”

Lee Taeyeon and Kang Junhyuk, who were sparring, greeted Taesan. Lee Taeyeon joked,

“How does it feel to be worshipped?”

“It’s weird.”

Taesan grumbled. Kang Junhyuk spoke calmly,

“It’s a natural reaction. You’ve done more than just one or two significant things.” 𝒻𝘳𝓮ℯ𝑤𝘦𝒷𝓷𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝑐𝑜𝓂

He stopped monsters and empowered people. He delivered dark magic and bestowed divine blessings upon them.

At this point, among the people of Seoul, only a minority did not worship Taesan. The vast majority were praying to him.

“Everyone needed something to rely on. It just happened to be you.”

“Honestly, it’s a bit overwhelming for me too. Just how much stronger are you going to get?”

Lee Taeyeon looked admiringly at Taesan’s companions, Minerva and Barkaza. These spirits wielded powers even stronger than those of Lee Taeyeon herself.

She had grown strong in her own right, yet Taesan had become incomparably mightier. Being in the same labyrinth, she felt an insurmountable gap between them.

Taesan then spoke.

“I don’t know about the contract with the spirit, but if I continue, I could become even stronger than I am now. Of course, by then, you will have become stronger too.”

“Is that even possible…”

“It is.”

Taesan confidently reassured a doubtful Lee Taeyeon. His words were filled with trust, visibly moving both Lee Taeyeon and Kang Junhyuk.

For Taesan, who already knew about Lee Taeyeon’s future, his statement was obvious.

Suddenly, seeing Lee Taeyeon stirred something unusual in him.

The Lee Taeyeon that had been created by the God of Despair held vast knowledge.

How many times had she returned to the past? What had she witnessed? And what had become of Taesan in those timelines?

Lee Taeyeon flinched under Taesan’s intense gaze.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

“It’s nothing.”

Taesan drew his sword.

“Then, after a long time, let’s have a match. Draw your weapons.”

Lee Taeyeon and Kang Junhyuk eagerly prepared themselves.

“You’ve become quite mentally resilient.”

Both Lee Taeyeon and Kang Junhyuk were quickly overpowered by a single strike from Taesan.

In the past, Lee Taeyeon would have found a way to escape, and Kang Junhyuk would have charged in recklessly.

But this time, Lee Taeyeon adopted a defensive strategy, seeking Taesan’s vulnerabilities, while Kang Junhyuk attacked aggressively, constantly searching for counterattacks.

They fought desperately against an overwhelming adversary, striving for victory.

Three hours later, both were soaked in sweat, yet their expressions bore no signs of displeasure.

They had learned a great deal from sparring with Taesan.

“Not bad.”

After they went to rest, Minerva commented.

“They are still frail and delicate, yet they possess talent and potential. Most importantly, they are mentally trained. If fortune smiles upon them, they could grow quite strong.”

“That’s how I designed them. They can’t just perish easily.”

[Your divine power proficiency has increased by 1%.]

“This is real.”

Taesan frowned.

“What exactly is this?”

“Divinity. It’s the will and faith of the people who believe in you.”

Minerva turned her head.

Inside the city hall, numerous beliefs were converging towards Taesan.

“When life believes in someone, that belief becomes a force that flows to the object of that faith. When it accumulates sufficiently, it becomes divine and transforms into a kind of power. But I don’t recall any mortal gaining such clear divine power…”

Though Minerva was not old, she had acquired all the knowledge necessary to become a spirit king, thanks to the orb.

“How can this be used?”

“That? Unless you possess divinity, you can’t utilize it, think of it like that.”

Minerva asserted.

“You could forcibly twist the level and make it work through a loophole… but the risk is too high. If you’re not a transcendent, you can’t use it. Don’t worry about it. I’m more curious about how you even came to possess such a thing.”

A mortal becoming a transcendent. In the labyrinth where the strongest of many worlds gathered, it was nearly an impossibility.

But Taesan harbored other thoughts.

Handling power itself was not impossible. It was merely near impossible.

Then someday, he might obtain it. Just as he had acquired many skills before.

Taesan continued training Lee Taeyeon and Kang Junhyuk for two days.

The worship directed at him did not cease, and divine power continued to accumulate, but he paid it no mind.

And then the time arrived.

[Quest Start]

[People from various regions are moving to Seoul. They are risking their lives to come here.]

[Protect them and ensure their safe arrival in Seoul.]

[Additional rewards will be given based on performance.]