Ascension Through Skills

“Damn.”

Inside the luxurious tent, Zhenlong contorted his face in frustration.

His plan wasn’t supposed to unfold like this. He intended to summon the leaders from Korea and Japan, demonstrate his power, and make even the strongest in Korea submit.

He was confident. He had that much power. It almost worked.

But Taesan had twisted his plan.

“…Did that guy also make a contract with a great being?”

Zhenlong frowned.

A being had descended to him as he ventured deeper into the labyrinth.

This being, filled with endless greed, made a contract with Zhenlong.

He trusted this power and ventured deeper into the labyrinth. Monsters could not stop him. Nor could the beings claiming to be Guides who appeared along the way.

Even those who seemed to be leaders among them stepped back, clicking their tongues at Zhenlong.

‘Just a slave. Leave him be.’

That was what the leaders had said.

“Hmph.”

Zhenlong scoffed.

The ugly jealousy from those not chosen by the gods toward him, who was chosen.

Though they were indeed stronger than Zhenlong, it was only because they had entered the labyrinth earlier, not because he was lacking. He believed there was no one on Earth who could reach him.

Even when the community was buzzing, his opinion did not change. These lowly humans might have power, but still, they couldn’t reach him.

However, the power shown by Taesan was astounding.

“How dare such a lowly human.”

He twisted his lips. Unbeknownst to him, a warped aura began to seep out, consuming his mind.

Zhenlong exited the tent.

Looking down at the world below, all the Chinese bowed, starting to praise his majesty.

Zhenlong looked on with satisfaction.

“Indeed.”

He was a god.

He was the Absolute.

Taesan was undoubtedly strong. But it didn’t matter. After all, he was just a human.

Zhenlong examined the skills he possessed.

[Life Devouring]

This was the skill he had obtained through his contract—a skill that proved his worth.

He was the apostle of the great ones, the right hand of the god who came down personally.

Taesan might have made a contract with a great being, but he would not receive the same treatment.

At least, that’s what Zhenlong believed.

Taesan’s power, or that of any other player, could be overturned by devouring them. Zhenlong smiled contentedly.

“A slave.”

A beast that craved life.

The ghost seemed intrigued and muttered.

[A beast that craves life. Has this creature made a contract with an adventurer of Earth?]

“Seems like you know who it is.”

[Always starving, a beast that devoured the world and everything in it, making it its own, ascended to immortality through overwhelming power but still couldn't satisfy its own hunger.]

The ghost whispered softly.

[It keeps devouring life, trying to satiate its unfillable hunger. A being that sees mortal beings as nothing more than prey.]

“So such a being made a contract with this guy Zhenlong.”

The hard mode players from North Korea had disappeared, and Zhenlong had these mixed powers.

It was guessable but not confirmable. He wanted to check by force, but player conflicts were impossible during this quest.

He had no choice but to wait.

Meanwhile, players from Korea and Japan were observing Chinese players and analyzing them.

They refused to talk, but their expressions, attitudes, and glances also gave away their thoughts and feelings. After a day of observing, they noticed something odd.

China was divided into four classes: slaves, commoners, nobles, and the emperor Zhenlong.

Slaves were easy mode players, doing menial tasks for other groups.

The normal mode players appeared to be commoners. They lived doing what they needed to do. However, they despised the slaves and looked down on them with contempt.

Nobles were hard mode players.

The class disparity was clear. Slaves couldn’t resist whatever the commoners did, and commoners couldn’t resist the nobles either.

They were bound by untouchable rules.

This much was understandable. Even Korea had Seo Jangsan advocating for separation based on difficulty.

But they were too violent.

Commoners could simply make a dwelling, but slaves had to sleep on the ground. Those who defied were taken away and never returned.

The separation by mode was also distinct. Easy mode was located on the outskirts where monsters often attacked, while hard mode was safely inside.

And they laughed at the easy mode players being chased by monsters.

If Korean and Japanese players hadn’t intervened, there might have been fatalities.

It was very strange. Even though separation by mode was implemented, it couldn’t be perfect. There were plenty of families split between hard mode and easy mode.

But such a thing was not at all visible among Chinese players.

“What could it be?”

Kim Hwiyeon sighed. Cooperation was necessary, but they had no intention of cooperating. It was frustrating.

“Shall we eat?”

It was about time for a meal. Kim Hwiyeon took out some corn.

Japanese players, eyes sparkling, quietly came over.

“Just…”

“Feel free to come. We have leftover food anyway.”

“Ahaha.”

Eika scratched her head as she approached and was amazed at the spread of vegetables on the ground.

“It’s really… impressive.”

The labyrinth had preserved food, but it tasted bland and was expensive. If a quest seemed to drag on, it was burdensome to eat carelessly.

However, Korean players had no issues with food.

They had various vegetables ready and were eating leisurely. For Japanese players, who hadn’t eaten proper food in a long time, it was extremely enviable.

Korean players invited the Japanese players.

Thanks to that, Japanese players who ate fresh vegetables were very happy.

“Did you say this was portable cultivation? It’s a really impressive skill.”

“Right.”

Kim Hwiyeon nodded as she boiled the corn. It was virtually infinite food. No matter how long the quest went, they wouldn’t starve.

“You’ve been growing it from the seeds we gave you?”

“Ah. Yes.”

“Try growing it slowly. It just needs to sprout.”

“Thank you…”

Eika expressed her deep gratitude.

For Kim Hwiyeon to teach such a skill as portable cultivation without any cost, she shook her head.

“I received it too.”

“Taesan taught you, didn’t he? That person is something else.”

“Well.”

Kim Hwiyeon grimaced.

Taesan’s power was an unknown even to them.

They slowly began to fill their stomachs. There were no seasonings, but the fresh vegetables alone made for a satisfying meal.

While continuing the meal, Kim Hwiyeon felt a gaze from a distance.

“…Isn’t that a Chinese player?”

“Huh? Why is he here?”

Korean and Japanese players had settled near Mount Baekdu, and the Chinese seemed to dislike being near them so much that they didn’t even come close.

But now, a little away from them, a Chinese child seemed mesmerized by their meal.

“There…”

As Kim Hwiyeon tried to say something, the child was startled and stepped back but didn’t run away.

Instead, he stared intently at the corn in Kim Hwiyeon’s hand.

“…Shall we finish the meal soon? Let’s not clean up.”

“What? Oh. Yes.”

People nodded and left.

After they vacated the spot, the child approached stealthily.

After that, the child kept coming back.

Each time, Kim Hwiyeon would finish eating and leave the cleanup undone.

With each meal, the child came closer. Now, he was within arm’s reach.

“Here, eat this.”

The child devoured the corn in a hurry.

“Th-thank you…”

It took three days before the child spoke.

That was the first response they had heard from a Chinese player.

“Afterwards, the child gradually began to talk more. They learned that he was a player from easy mode who had lost his parents.

Kim Hwiyeon stroked the child’s head and asked,

“Didn’t you manage to gather enough gold for food?”

“Ah, no. I have gold. But as a slave, I’m only allowed to eat once every two days…”

Upon hearing the child’s reply, they fell silent.

The child somberly said,

“I, I really shouldn’t be talking to you. It’s the emperor’s order. If this gets out, I will…

The child trembled like a leaf.

Kim Hwiyeon soothed the child.

“It’s okay. If anything happens, we’ll protect you.”

The child’s trembling slowly subsided.

Kim Hwiyeon asked in a calm voice,

“Can you tell us how China has changed?”

The child stammered and began to speak.

“Zhenlong was a solo mode player.”

He was talented. Instead of being stuck at the entrance of solo mode, he meaningfully progressed through the labyrinth.

However, he did not possess the one-man army power of someone like Taesan or Amelia.

He was undoubtedly talented and strong, but not enough to overcome multiple hard mode players. Nor did he have the charisma to lead people.

In the vast country of China, he was merely a slightly outstanding solo mode player.

“But during the third return, he suddenly became powerful and came back.”

Literally, Zhenlong returned to Earth with a power that no one could approach.

And with that overwhelming power, he began to conquer China.

He killed all the monsters that appeared and anyone who disobeyed his orders, along with their families and acquaintances, were all ruthlessly eliminated.

There were leaders in each region of China, but Zhenlong killed them all. The mere reason was that they dared to act as if they owned China.

There were those who resisted. Those who tried to rise in rebellion.

But they all died.

A rule drenched in blood and fear was established.

People listening to the story were deeply shocked. The child quietly continued,

“But… paradoxically, the number of deaths actually decreased.”

Because an overwhelmingly powerful being had appeared, fewer people died in disputes. Even the monsters could not surpass Zhenlong’s overwhelming power. He alone dealt with the waves, so there were hardly any deaths from monsters.

The owner of overwhelming power. Opposition was impossible.

The players of China began to worship him.

They believed he was a god, an incarnation of a dragon.

“Kind of like Mr. Taesan,”

Kim Hwiyeon said while relaying the child’s story to Taesan.

Zhenlong, as if it were natural, accepted people’s worship.

He established a hierarchy. Even if they were family, if there was a class difference, they had to follow the rules unconditionally.

There were those who resisted or were uncomfortable,

But all were erased by Zhenlong’s hand.

People became accustomed to oppressing those from different groups.

Slaves were not treated as humans, and they themselves began to see such treatment as normal.

A group formed for just one person.

“Knowing that such a world is possible…”

Kim Hwiyeon trembled slightly after finishing the story. Taesan too could have done exactly what Zhenlong was doing. Taesan’s power was of that magnitude.

However, Taesan had delegated all authority to her and did his utmost for their survival.

Thanks to China, they were able to realize anew how altruistic Taesan was.

“Hmm.”

Taesan quietly sorted out the story.

If he truly made a contract with an immortal, an ordinary player could not resist.

“So, it’s dominion by power, is it?”

Taesan, having sent Kim Hwiyeon back, muttered with a cold expression.

“Not much to it.”

Mind control. Or contamination of thought.

He had expected something along those lines, but it was merely worship by power. Trusting such shallow power to rule over people.

He could somewhat understand what had happened.

Zhenlong, while descending in solo mode.

He must have hit his limit, and a beast craving life approached him.

Why it had chosen Zhenlong, he couldn’t know. The psychology of immortals was not easy to understand. But what’s certain was that he traded human lives for power through a contract.

‘A beast craving life.’

And the mixed, innumerable powers Zhenlong possessed.

Kim Hwiyeon mentioned that they couldn’t find the North Korean players who went to China.

They must have all been killed by Zhenlong. And that’s not all. A significant number of dead Chinese players must have been sacrificed to the immortal.

“Given that it didn’t exist in my previous life, did my presence allow the immortal to intervene?”

The gaze of the High Gods was focused on Taesan alone. And to that extent, other countries were able to escape the influence of the High Gods.

It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say it was the best situation for an immoral immortal seeking life to intervene.

“Faith.”

Taesan looked towards Zhenlong’s residence in the celestial realm.

With his divinity, Taesan could see the immense, hundred-million-strong belief converging there.

The power contained in that belief surpassed the faith Taesan was receiving.

But the power of faith was wavering aimlessly. Zhenlong was not the vessel to receive that faith.

That faith was a power without a master.

Zhenlong was receiving worship by power.

If there were someone stronger than Zhenlong, that object of worship could change.

“Is it worth a try?”