Ascension Through Skills

Chapter 389: The Sixth Return, Earth (6)

"...You! You! You!"

The hard mode player, who had belatedly regained his senses, pointed his finger at Taesan.

"You crazy bastard! Attacking us! Are you out of your mind?"

As the commotion spread, people started to slowly reveal themselves. Hard mode players, as well as those from the lower castes like the Chandalas and Sudras of India, had somehow gathered around, watching them.

"I told you. They’re trying to become my people. You tried to kill mine. I’m just retaliating."

Taesan responded in an indifferent voice, as if asking what the problem was.

"...This is war!"

The hard mode player grit his teeth and shouted.

"This is war now! How dare you touch us! We won’t let this slide!"

The hard mode players glared at Taesan with murderous intent.

They pulled out their weapons, sending killing intent toward Taesan.

Taesan spoke quietly.

"Really?"

"Of course! You’re going to die here..."@@@@

The words were never finished.

The once aggressive faces of the hard mode players froze.

"Huh, huh?"

In the forced silence, all that could be heard was desperate breaths.

"If you really want to fight me, I won’t stop you, but it’s better if you don’t."

"Ugh... Ah..."

The hard mode players began to drool. Their bodies lost control over their minds. Some couldn’t bear it and collapsed to the ground, even starting to cry.

"You are nothing."

Taesan spoke leisurely.

He wasn’t demonstrating direct strength or showing his will to crush them.

He merely exuded a very small, fragmentary aura.

That alone was enough to make the hard mode players bow their heads, powerless to resist.

"Ah..."

The aura focused only on the hard mode players, so the others didn’t feel it as strongly, but they could still tell. They could sense that Taesan’s aura was suppressing them.

"I don’t plan on messing with you. You have the freedom to resist me and bear the consequences."

The aura pressing down on them grew stronger. It became so intense that they couldn’t even breathe properly, their faces turning pale. Some couldn’t hold on and fainted.

Taesan then sealed the aura.

"Hah!"

People exhaled in relief as they collapsed. Around them, people started retching and crying.

"Choose whatever you like. As you wish."

Taesan said leisurely.

No one answered.

After the Clash with Taesan:

After the clash with Taesan, the hard mode players of India fell silent. They had realized that resisting Taesan was useless.

Many Indian players had watched the scene unfold.

Rumors quickly spread. In less than a day, every player in India knew the truth.

The hard mode players of India could no longer protect themselves.

Taesan had crushed them all and had the power to protect himself.

People in India began to leave in droves.

Literally uncountable numbers of people flocked to the Korean formation. The Korean players welcomed them without discrimination.

"Come here! We have food!"

"Oh, oh..."

"We have corn! Corn!"

"Fruit too?"

"We have infinite food! Eat as much as you want!"

They had been discriminated against and couldn’t get proper rations, but Korea had its own growing system. With fresh vegetables and fruits, they were very happy.

Hearing this, more people began to escape even faster.

One hard mode player, unable to hold back, drew his weapon.

"I’ll kill them all!"

He couldn’t accept that someone with absolute power had been humiliated by Taesan. He couldn’t stand that he was unable to do anything against Taesan. Even if it meant dying, he wanted to make Taesan suffer.

So, he decided to kill those trying to escape with Taesan. He thought that Taesan would try to stop him, but he aimed to kill as many people as he could before that happened.

The moment he was about to strike down those who were screaming in fear...

A black lightning struck from the clear sky. The lightning pierced through him without affecting anyone else around.

He burned black and collapsed.

"Ooohhh..."

Anyone who opposed him would suffer divine punishment.

It was like a miracle from the gods.

Among them, there were even double-digit monsters. The people gritted their teeth and prepared for battle.

Crack.

"...Huh?"

A voice full of confusion was heard.

The monsters didn’t rush at the people.

Instead, they began to rush toward a tiny black orb among them.

Crack.

The monsters that reached the orb were crushed and sucked into it. But the monsters didn’t stop. Hundreds of monsters, even two-digit ones, were all absorbed into the orb.

Soon, the monsters that had filled the horizon were vastly reduced in number.

And in proportion to that, the orb grew larger. What had been a speck of dust was now the size of a person.

Despite the monsters disappearing on their own, no one was celebrating.

An instinctive sense of dread spread throughout them.

Crack.

The last monster was swallowed, and the orb trembled.

The orb distorted and shook, turning into a formless monster.

Thud.

It landed on the ground. Taesan grimaced.

"This is troublesome."

[!#$!# appeared.]

"...Huh?"

The Indian hard mode players froze in their tracks.

They had planned to charge at the monsters, showing off their strength. But now, they realized something was wrong.

The monster that had swallowed the others showed no strength.

Yet, instinctively, they realized the danger. They understood, on a subconscious level, that this monster had reached a dimension they couldn’t comprehend.

"Run..."

As they turned to escape, the monster's gaze fell upon them.

"Uh."

The moment their eyes met, their faces froze.

Their faces turned pale, their legs giving out beneath them. Blood flowed from their eyes and noses.

"Ugh..."

"Save... us..."

The Indian hard mode players collapsed.

They would never rise again.

"...Huh?"

Only then did people realize something was wrong. Lee Taeyeon trembled.

"What... what is that?"

An instinctive rejection overwhelmed her. Something deep inside her screamed.

It was a fear and terror she had never felt before.

"Ugh..."

Taesan glanced at Lee Taeyeon. It wasn’t an incomprehensible reaction.

‘Even if time goes backward, does something remain?’

The formless monster.

Taesan had seen that before in his previous life.

That monster was the very one that had killed both Taesan and Lee Taeyeon — Goshin’s Apostle.

"Did you send that thing yourself?" Taesan revealed his teeth. A smile of joy spread across his face, as if he couldn’t contain himself.

The monster turned its gaze toward them.

[!#$!#’s Gaze.]

[You will die instantly.]

Its gaze washed over them.

The people’s breath stopped. Their souls tried to leave their bodies.

It was a death gaze. An absolute will, which no one but Taesan could resist.

The moment Taesan tried to use his divine power to block it...

A massive presence enveloped the people. The gaze of death faded away.

"Hah, hah!"

"This..."

"Mm?"

Lee Taeyeon’s eyes widened.

Taesan spoke.

"Are you already descending?"

[It’s the right time for it.]

The god appeared, accompanied by a relaxed voice.

[The God of Choice. Maria descends upon Earth.]