“I accept.”
Taesan nodded.
There was no reason to refuse the additional reward.
Above all, Taesan felt anger. This event seed like a deliberate attempt to interfere with his eting with the God of Magic.
It ca 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 interdiate 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 mont.”
“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, soone 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 salvation!”
They sward toward Taesan like zealots drawn to their prophet.
“Taesan nim! Taesan nim!”
“Please! Just let 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 beco stronger, but he couldn’t even react. The forgotten gap in their abilities ca 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 extre.”
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 sothing anyone would be grateful for, and Taesan’s na started circulating among people.
Then, at so point, followers of Taesan began to erge.
At first, there weren’t many. The following wasn’t too extre 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 . 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 sothing, 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 ntal refuge.”
“I’m not strong...”
Lee Taeyeon mumbled, but everyone ignored her. Kim Hwiyeon spoke again.
“God is....”
“Have we co 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 sa. 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 beco the object of their belief.”
“Probably. You’ve been a source of strength for us.”
People had found a place of ntal 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 ntal 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, sothing 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 burdenso 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 ti, 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 ans...”
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 erged, 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.
“Co 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. Co 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 seed 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 overco 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 ti they acquired at least one or two useful skills.
“Rember 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, chid 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 sa. 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 deanor.
“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, ti slipped away.
A week went by, and they began their journey towards Seoul.
Reviews
All reviews (0)