Ascension Through Skills

“I accept.”

Taesan nodded.

There was no reason to refuse the additional reward.

Above all, Taesan felt anger. This event seemed like a deliberate attempt to interfere with his meeting with the God of Magic.

It came across as a petty tactic to prevent him from gaining strength through the God of Magic.

[Subquest accepted.]

The God of Magic smiled contentedly.

[Good. When you return, seek out the pitiable, miserable child. Then, I will grant you the trial of intermediate magic.]

“Understood.”

The God of Magic clenched his fist, intensifying the tremors in Taesan’s body. Just before he was about to return to Earth, the God of Magic spoke.

[They will try to kill you.]

There was no need to ask who ‘they’ were.

Soon after, Taesan was back on Earth.

He gasped for air first. He noted the distinct quality of Earth’s atmosphere, so different from the Labyrinth’s.

Taesan shifted his gaze.

“Wait, just a moment.”

“What’s this? Why so suddenly?”

The return to Earth usually entailed a long delay, so the abruptness startled everyone.

Taesan surveyed the crowd for Kang Jun-hyeok, Lee Taeyeon, Kim Hwiyeon, and Geum Junggeun.

Amidst the confusion, someone recognized Kang Taesan and shouted.

“Kang Taesan nim!”

“Nim?”

Taesan frowned at the title, and all eyes turned to him.

“It’s Kang Taesan nim!”

“Taesan nim! Please grant me salvation!”

They swarmed toward Taesan like zealots drawn to their prophet.

“Taesan nim! Taesan nim!”

“Please! Just let me touch you once!”

Bewildered by their manic behavior, Taesan stamped his foot.

He moved swiftly, scaling building walls as people below him cheered.

The voices that echoed around him made Taesan click his tongue.

‘What is this, really?’

[Your Divine Power has increased by 1%.]

“Why is it increasing?”

He grumbled and moved to the tallest building to activate his reconnaissance. He quickly located Lee Taeyeon, Kang Jun-hyeok, Kim Hwiyeon, and Geum Junggeun.

“Whoa!”

He grabbed them and brought them to the rooftop of a building.

They couldn’t resist, were dragged along, and looked at Taesan with dazed expressions.

“Brother, you’re really like lightning. Why are you so fast?”

Geum Junggeun let out a hollow laugh. He was proud of having become stronger, but he couldn’t even react. The forgotten gap in their abilities came back to mind.

“Forget that. What’s with those people?”

Taesan frowned and looked down from the building.

People were cheering towards Taesan.

“Did you see the Community?”

“I did, but I didn’t expect it to be this extreme.”

Their feelings for him were not just simple admiration or gratitude.

It was literal worship.

“That’s the thing,”

Kim Hwiyeon spoke with an ambiguous expression.

“Originally, it wasn’t like this.”

According to her, people initially saw Taesan as a benefactor.

Having received the talents of struggle and death, they could clear floors they normally couldn’t. It was something anyone would be grateful for, and Taesan’s name started circulating among people.

Then, at some point, followers of Taesan began to emerge.

At first, there weren’t many. The following wasn’t too extreme either. However, the number of Taesan’s followers rapidly increased.

The trend that started in Easy Mode was now spreading astonishingly fast, regardless of Normal or Hard Modes.

“Because of that, I’m in trouble too. They ask what Taesan nim talked about with me. What guidance did he give? Things like that.”

“In our Solo Mode, we don’t have such issues.”

“But isn’t the Community noisy? Others were in a frenzy, right?”

“Ah. That’s true.”

Kang Jun-hyeok nodded reluctantly. People in the single-digit floors of Solo Mode who were struggling were asking a lot from Lee Taeyeon and Kang Jun-hyeok.

“It’s too much. It’s a nuisance to both Taesan and us. But there’s no way to stop it.”

“Can’t you say something, hyung? Tell them to ease up a bit.”

They wished people wouldn’t worship Taesan so much. Junggeun, who had been listening quietly, finally spoke up.

“Do we really need to do that?”

“Huh?”

“There’s no need to stop the worship, I think.”

“Aren’t you annoyed? It’s a disturbance.”

“But thanks to that, they’ve found peace of mind.”

At Junggeun’s words, Kim Hwiyeon paused. He continued with a bitter smile.

“For strong-willed people like hyungnim, noonim, Taeyeon, or Jun-hyeok, maybe it’s different. But ordinary people need a place for mental refuge.”

“I’m not strong…”

Lee Taeyeon mumbled, but everyone ignored her. Kim Hwiyeon spoke again.

“God is….”

“Have we come to believe in God in this situation?”

Monsters covered the Earth. The Labyrinth. The occasional forced returns and a broken Earth.

All this could not have happened if a god had been protecting them. Those who believed in religion either died or harbored disbelief as they descended into the Labyrinth.

Taesan was the same. At first, he called out to God. But eventually, he erased the existence of God from his mind.

People wanted to believe in God, but they couldn’t.

Taesan muttered to himself.

“So, I’ve become the object of their belief.”

“Probably. You’ve been a source of strength for us.”

People had found a place of mental refuge in the existence of Taesan.

Taesan looked down at the people gazing up at him from below.

Their faces showed no signs of despair or gloom.

Only admiration for Taesan was visible.

The expressions of people during his third return in his previous life weren’t like this. When the return quest appeared, many left suicide notes on the Community and took their own lives.

Considering that a high proportion of deaths among those who descended into the Labyrinth was due to suicide, it was evident that people had found mental stability, and Taesan was very likely the reason for this stability.

“There’s no need for hyungnim to intervene on their behalf. Just pretend you don’t see it. Let them have their place of solace, something to depend on.”

Junggeun spoke with a bitter expression. The others couldn’t muster a word after that.

“Of course, it’s a bit heartless. Everyone already leans on hyungnim, it would be burdensome to add this responsibility… Do as you wish, hyungnim.”

“Forget it.”

Taesan shook his head.

“Ignoring it? That’s not so hard. No worries.”

Junggeun’s face lit up.

After that, Taesan didn’t actively engage with the people but didn’t shun them either.

He accepted their veneration with equanimity and acted accordingly. Consequently, their devotion to him intensified.

[Your Divine Power has increased by 1%.]

Once more, his proficiency in Divine Power improved.

By this time, it was clear.

Whenever people worshipped him, his Divine Power grew.

“Nevertheless, it’s utterly useless.”

At present, Divine Power holds no value. It appeared to be an ability that required linkage with another skill to be effective, but he had no idea what that skill was.

Yet, watching it consistently increase wasn’t an unpleasant sensation.

As Taesan accepted their worship without fuss, the people gradually began to focus on their tasks.

At last, their temporary cultivation bore fruit.

“Wow!”

The people were amazed at the vegetables that grew rapidly.

In just five minutes, the corn matured perfectly.

“The taste is good too!”

“This means…”

The people rejoiced at having solved their food problem. They regarded Taesan, the introducer of the temporary cultivation technique, with increased esteem.

A new special quest emerged, disrupting their tranquil life.

[In one week, head towards Seoul City Hall.]

“Finally, Seoul.”

The people started to make preparations. They collected weapons and provisions. With Taesan’s presence, there were few who felt fear or apprehension.

And Taesan had his own tasks to attend to.

He swung his sword.

“Come on.”

Lee Taeyeon, with a frightened face, picked up her sword.

“You learned swordsmanship, didn’t you?”

“My proficiency is zero percent…”

“I’m trying to raise that. Come here. I’ve set our stats equally, so why are you scared?”

Urged by Taesan, Lee Taeyeon hesitantly made up her mind and rushed toward him.

“Yahp!”

Taesan swung his sword, smoothly deflected hers, and struck her shoulder.

“Ugh!”

“That’s not how you do it,”

Taesan spoke with frustration.

“You learned ‘Flow Skill’ and ‘Strong Blow,’ right? Bring out the sensation you felt when you learned those and then apply it to the sword.”

“Even if you say so…”

Lee Taeyeon looked uncertain.

Taesan stroked his chin while the ghost laughed mischievously.

[Difficult, isn't it?]

“I don’t think I can be a good teacher.”

He had created the swordsmanship known as ‘Ability Sword.’

The title of ‘Sword Master’ suggested that it was possible to transmit the technique.

One of his goals for this return was to teach swordsmanship. Given the effectiveness of Ability Sword, if one could master it, the possibility of clearing levels would significantly increase. Therefore, Taesan was currently instructing Lee Taeyeon and Kang Jun-hyeok in Ability Sword.

Skills couldn’t be learned outside the Labyrinth, but since Taesan had created Ability Sword, it seemed there was no issue in teaching it.

However, that wasn’t the problem.

When Taesan first learned ‘Stormscar’ swordsmanship, his proficiency also started at zero percent. The ghost had told him that raising proficiency would require a great deal of effort, which Taesan had overcome with a proficiency increase potion.

But Lee Taeyeon and Kang Jun-hyeok didn’t have special items like proficiency increase potions, so they had to improve their proficiency on their own.

“Next, it’s your turn.”

Kang Jun-hyeok approached, his eyes gleaming.

Taesan blocked his sword and offered advice.

“You learned ‘Flow Skill,’ ‘Strong Blow,’ and ‘Counter,’ right?”

“Yes!”

They had descended beyond the 10th floor. It was high time they acquired at least one or two useful skills.

“Remember when you acquired the skill. Then unfold that feeling with the sword.”

Taesan’s sword moved fluidly. He deflected Kang Jun-hyeok’s sword and struck his chest.

“Ugh!”

Kang Jun-hyeok fell. Taesan muttered without emotion.

“It’s not easy.”

“Even if you say to release it with the sword…”

Kang Jun-hyeok grumbled as he rose to his feet. Kim Hwiyeon, who had been observing, chimed in.

“Still, I’m envious. We can’t even learn it.”

Taesan had attempted to impart the Ability Sword to Kim Hwiyeon and Geum Junggeun, but the transmission itself failed.

“Is it because we’re on Hard Mode?”

“It’s not only that. Other Solo Mode players couldn’t learn it either.”

He had tried to teach players still on the single-digit floors of solo mode, but the transmission had failed just the same. The only ones who managed to learn were Lee Taeyeon and Kang Jun-hyeok.

“Regardless, you two must learn it.”

Taesan picked up his sword with a calm demeanor.

“That’s the only way to prevent deaths.”

He couldn’t manage everything by himself.

He could save a few, but not the masses.

That was why he needed Lee Taeyeon and Kang Jun-hyeok’s assistance even more.

Both clenched their jaws and lifted their swords.

And with that, time slipped away.

A week went by, and they began their journey towards Seoul.