Ascension Through Skills
Chapter 384: The Sixth Return, Earth (2)

A golden domain, centered on a collapsed ruin, manifested into existence.

“Ooooh…”

People instinctively felt it. That place was a domain created by Taesan. They knew that the golden light would protect them.

People cried out Taesan’s name in worship, sending powerful reverence his way. Their faith became the foundation that sustained the sanctuary.

“Oh.”

At the same time, Taesan realized something.

His existence, situated on the border of divinity, was now extending its reach beyond it.

‘I can reach it faster than I thought.’

Taesan went to find Kim Hwiyeon again. She was utterly shocked by the sanctuary Taesan had created.

“Taesan! What is that exactly?”

“A sanctuary.”

“Sanctuary?”

“Ordinary monsters can’t invade it. Inside, injuries heal rapidly, and it blocks mental interference too.”

“How long will it last?”

“There’s no limit. As long as you continue to worship me unwaveringly, it will remain forever.”

“…You’re a real god now.”

Kim Hwiyeon murmured in a daze. She knew Taesan had supernatural power, but creating something like a sanctuary was beyond her imagination.

“Enough. Give me a report. If people are coming from all over Asia, which countries are involved?”

“Ah, yes.”

Kim Hwiyeon composed herself and began to speak.

“From what we’ve confirmed on the community, the main countries gathering here are India and Russia.”

During the last return, Korea, China, and Japan converged in one location.

The same was true for other nations. Russia and Mongolia gathered on Russia’s side, while the rest were heading toward India.

“That’s convenient, not having to bother with the small stuff.”

“What are you going to do, Taesan?”

She was asking whether he would help guide them as he had before. Taesan shook his head.

“I’m not going to help them. They’ll arrive without issue.”

The rift in the sky was quiet. Taesan recognized it as the calm before the storm.

The high gods were gathering their strength to kill him.

In such circumstances, they wouldn’t waste energy targeting players from other countries. To the high gods, anyone besides Taesan was less than dust.

Taesan judged that they would arrive without issue, even without interference.

“Isn’t there something else to worry about? Won’t there be at least hundreds of millions coming?”

“Probably… yes?”

“Then where are you going to house them all?”

“That’s also an issue.”

Even now, there were too many people, and some were sleeping on the streets. With the population increase, finding space for them would be a monumental task.

“Is it difficult to expand the sanctuary?”

“Impossible. The current size is the limit.”

As the sanctuary grew, the consumption of divine energy increased exponentially. Considering the people’s faith, a size twice as large as the current one would be the maximum.

Taesan stood up.

“It’s not that complicated, right? Let’s just clear some land.”

“…I don’t think it’s going to be ‘just’ clearing land.”

Kim Hwiyeon spoke reluctantly.

Taesan entered the sanctuary he had created.

The sanctuary had formed around the collapsed Mount Baekdu. Debris from the mountain filled the space.

Clearing that and restoring it to its original state.

It wasn’t difficult. The sanctuary was his domain, and within it, his will became reality.

He spoke with resolve.

“Restore.”

[You have activated the Declaration of Restoration.]

Kugugugung!

“Huh, huhhh?”

The people resting in the sanctuary were startled and stood up. The ground began to tremble.

“Waaah!”

Surprised, the people hurriedly moved away from Mount Baekdu, staring at it in a daze.

Kugugugung….

Cliffs rose, scattered waters floated into the air, and trees began to sprout, filling the space with vibrant colors.

The collapsed Mount Baekdu was being restored.

As the tremors subsided, people were speechless.

The mountain, which had lost its form entirely, regained its original appearance.

When people climbed to the summit, they found that even the caldera lake was restored to its pristine state.

“…Oh god.”

Someone murmured in a voice filled with awe.

Taesan then moved to clean up other locations beyond the sanctuary.

It wasn’t difficult. Having contracted with the King of Spirits, Taesan exerted absolute influence over nature. Additionally, with the Word of Command, he could easily reshape the entire land.

In no time, all obstacles blocking the view were cleared.

Space was secured to accommodate the population influx of hundreds of millions.

People neither cheered nor exclaimed.

They simply knelt quietly and prayed to Taesan. Pure, untainted faith enveloped Taesan’s entire being.

Time passed, and then they came.

“They’re here.”

“Hi-hi.”

Taesan stopped his sword. Lee Taeyeon and Kang Junhyeok collapsed onto the ground.

Taesan was looking into the distance. Barely catching their breath, the two turned their gaze in the direction Taesan was staring.

“…There’s nothing there?”

“They’re beyond your field of vision. Tell Kim Hwiyeon they’ll be here soon, so get ready.”

“Yes…”

Lee Taeyeon staggered to her feet and headed toward Kim Hwiyeon.

Before long, Kim Hwiyeon and the other key players stood with tense expressions, looking in the direction Taesan had indicated.

Soon, even they could discern that the opponents were approaching.

“There are so many of them!”

“Wait a second. How many people are there?”

People gasped in shock. They couldn’t count the number. It was endless, as if there was no end in sight.

The number was overwhelming, even compared to when they first encountered the Chinese players. But this time, it was even greater.

The group waited anxiously for their arrival.

The approaching group stopped at a certain distance.

“…What’s this?”

Kim Hwiyeon’s eyes wavered.

The group kept their distance and began setting up their encampment.

“What are they doing?”

It was highly unusual. These were survivors of a world that had faced destruction. Survivors often clashed or excluded others for personal gain.

But they were deliberately avoiding any contact, as if they wanted nothing to do with them.

This baffled Kim Hwiyeon. She couldn’t understand what the other group was thinking.

While she hesitated, a lone man from the opposing side approached.

The man appeared somewhat frail. As he came closer, he quietly introduced himself.

“I am Kamal Hassan, a Solo Mode player from India and leader of the Asian Union.”

“Asian Union?”

“A group formed primarily around my country, India. It doesn’t have an official name, so we call it that for convenience.”

Hassan fell silent after that. Kim Hwiyeon gathered her composure and spoke.

“I am Kim Hwiyeon, leader of the Korean group.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you. Are you the leader of this group?”

“For now, yes.”

Hassan looked past her.

There stood the golden sanctuary.

Hassan’s eyes wavered.

“Is that… something you created?”

“Me? No, that was made by Kang Taesan over there.”

“Kang Taesan…”

Hassan turned to look at Taesan.

After contemplating something briefly, he spoke.

“I came to speak with you. May I?”

“Of course.”

Kim Hwiyeon nodded enthusiastically. Unsure of how to handle the distance the other group maintained, she saw this as an opportunity to gather information.

“May I ask why you’re keeping your distance? If monsters appear, it would be better to combine our strength…”

“I think so too.”

Hassan gave a bitter smile.

“But there are people who oppose that idea. It’s something beyond my control.”

“What?”

Kim Hwiyeon was taken aback by Hassan’s words.

“You’re the leader, aren’t you? And yet, you’re saying you can’t enforce your will because some people oppose it? What does that mean?”

If the majority were against it, she might understand. But for the leader to bow to a minority? Kim Hwiyeon found it incomprehensible.

“…I lack the strength.”

Hassan closed his mouth with a sorrowful expression.

Kim Hwiyeon wanted to press him further, but he refused to answer any more questions.

She led Hassan to the sanctuary. Those who saw Taesan knelt in prayer.

Watching them, Hassan spoke.

“So, as the community said, they truly revere Taesan.”

“Yes, they do. Taesan saved us. Without him, none of us would have survived.”

It wasn’t an exaggeration. The monsters that appeared were beyond their capability. If Taesan hadn’t intervened, no life would have remained in the area.

Hassan seemed flustered by her words.

He turned to Kim Hwiyeon.

“You’re a Hard Mode player, aren’t you? How far have you progressed?”

“I just reached the 70th floor.”

Hassan’s pupils dilated.

“70th floor?”

“What’s wrong?”

Kim Hwiyeon tilted her head, puzzled. She didn’t think the 70th floor was particularly surprising. Many other Hard Mode players had reached the same level.

However, Hassan seemed as if he’d just heard about an impossible feat.

Hassan, struggling to regain his composure, asked again.

“Taesan, you’re a Solo Mode player, correct? May I ask what floor you’ve reached…?”

“What was it last time? You mentioned the 77th floor, right?”

“78th floor.”

“Wow. You’re unbelievably fast.”

Kim Hwiyeon exclaimed in admiration. But Hassan’s reaction was far more intense. His eyes widened as though they might pop out of their sockets.

“78th floor…?”

“What’s wrong?”

Kim Hwiyeon tilted her head again. Hassan couldn’t close his gaping mouth.

“How… how is that even possible…?”

“It’s not just Taesan. Lee Taeyeon and Kang Junhyeok are also clearing Solo Mode at a rapid pace.”

“Those two…?”

“They’re probably in the late 40s, floor-wise. Something like that.”

Hassan was at a loss for words.

‘What is this…?’

He had just entered the early 40s floors of Solo Mode himself.

Meanwhile, the other Indian Hard Mode players had only recently reached the 60th floor. The gap was overwhelming.

‘…And yet, they say that if Kang Taesan weren’t here, they would’ve been annihilated?’

“Why… why is that?”

For a moment, fear flickered across Hassan’s face. Kim Hwiyeon cautiously asked. Hassan quickly composed himself.

“It’s nothing.”

His cryptic response left Kim Hwiyeon bewildered. She had no idea what was going through Hassan’s mind.

“This is the place.”

Kim Hwiyeon led Hassan to the entrance of the sanctuary.

Hassan stared blankly at the golden domain before asking.

“May I step inside?”

“Do as you wish.”

Taesan replied.

Hassan took a step into the sanctuary.

“Ah…”

A soft groan escaped Hassan’s lips.

The golden energy enveloped his entire body. A sense of fullness he had never experienced before surged within him, and his mental fatigue vanished completely.

‘This…’

Power that didn’t seem human.

Hassan stared at Taesan, awestruck and unable to say a word.

“What on earth is this?”

Kim Hwiyeon grumbled.

Hassan remained silent for a long time, his face still filled with shock, before quietly leaving.

Kim Hwiyeon tried to stop him, but it was no use.

She couldn’t figure out what he was thinking or what he wanted.

“Does he want to cooperate with us or not?”

“You’ll find out soon enough.”

Taesan replied calmly.

Before long, the players from Russia and Mongolia arrived.

Unlike the Indian players, they didn’t completely keep their distance.

However, their gazes weren’t particularly friendly either.

Although it wasn’t clear without further conversation, there was a faint sense of contempt and disdain in their demeanor.

Amid the confusion, all the players finally gathered.

A system window appeared silently.

[Special Quest Initiated] [The first wave begins.] [Countdown to start: 1 week.] [Eliminate all incoming monsters.] [Rewards will vary based on performance upon returning to the labyrinth.]