Ascension Through Skills

After the Apostle was defeated, there were no major difficulties.

Whenever danger arose, Taesan moved personally and dealt with the monsters. From then on, not a single person died.

That in itself was strange.

From his judgment, the Old gods had the power to send another Apostle. They had the reserves to do so.

But no such move came.

Even the number of S-class monsters dropped sharply, leaving the defenses unchallenged.

Taesan understood the Old gods' intent.

"They're conserving strength."

The quest's description had warned: the more pillars destroyed, the greater the disadvantage in the next quest.

But those who didn't know this rejoiced, thrilled by the ease of victory.

They struck down monsters with fiery determination.

So time passed without issue, and the quest ended.

[Quest Complete.]

[In one week, the next quest will begin. Until then, recover from the damage and prepare for the battle ahead.]

"Waaaaah!"

"We won!"

"We're victorious!"

The survivors cheered in joy at having repelled the monsters' assault.

Taesan approached the exhausted Diana and Beldenkia.

"Well done."

"Ugh. That was tough. I don't have the stamina I used to."

Beldenkia grumbled, worn out.

Diana's expression didn't change much, but her breathing was visibly strained.

"This is hard. So this is what it means for a world to face the Old gods' invasion."

"Thanks to you, many survived. You have my gratitude."

While Taesan fought the Apostle, S-class monsters appeared without pause.

Had it not been for Diana and Beldenkia, Lee Taeyeon would have faced them alone. No matter how strong she'd become, that would have been impossible.

Without those two, annihilation might have followed.

"No need to thank me. I wanted this. If anything, I should be grateful."

Diana smiled softly as she looked at the survivors.

They were rejoicing at still being alive.

For her—who had once failed to save those she should have protected—the sight was a great comfort.

"Is it over now?"

"No. A new quest begins in one week. But for now, rest."

They had been given seven days. Barely enough to assess the losses, but after a month of brutal battle, rest was essential.

Diana and Beldenkia accepted his words.

They went among the people.

"Oooh!"

"The princess and the magician have come!"

"Thank you! My son survived because of you!"

The people greeted them with joy.

At first, Diana and Beldenkia had drawn suspicion.

When it was revealed they weren't of Earth, many doubted them, feared they were spies of the monsters.

But as the quest went on, those doubts vanished completely.

Now, gratitude poured in.

They had fully become part of humanity here.

Though flustered at the praise, they smiled, happy.

The people celebrated.

They rested, sharing cooked meals for the first time in ages.

Though ingredients were scarce and dishes humble, satisfaction was clear.

Even the leaders did not forbid it. They knew rewards were necessary.

And while others celebrated, Taesan tested the new power he had gained.

［Black Magic: Fragmentation］

［Proficiency: 1%］

［Allows division and control of fragments of oneself.］

It was the first skill categorized as "Black."

Likely a power unique to beings at the Apostle's level. Its effect was easy enough to guess.

[You have activated Fragmentation.]

Something burst from him.

[What the—?]

Bardray was startled.

Before Taesan appeared a wavering human-shaped aura, identical in size to himself.

It was Taesan himself.

[…Master has split apart.]

Even Akasha muttered in shock.

Taesan examined the divided presence.

It bore no will of its own, but it was undeniably him.

"Part of my power, rank, divinity… even Black Magic—it all carries over."

[But it's so small. Even now, I could erase it easily.]

He ended Fragmentation.

The skill worked as described: splitting and controlling a fragment of oneself.

But what it could truly achieve, he didn't yet know.

In time, he would discover uses.

[But… how do you explain that?]

Bardray's voice was uneasy.

For Taesan was standing atop a building in Las Vegas, and around it—

Countless people knelt with heads bowed.

The entire city, packed to overflowing.

Millions prostrated, worshiping him.

In defending against the Apostle, he had raced back and forth across the U.S., defeating it again and again. The people had seen it with their own eyes.

And he had brought Diana and Beldenkia to save them as well.

Now, save for a handful, they all revered him—truly like a god.

When he tried to close the fissure he had torn into the ground while killing the Apostle, the people objected.

Their reason:

"This is the mark Lord Taesan left in saving us. We must preserve it, pass it to future generations."

"…Is that so."

So he left it.

His Divine Power proficiency had reached 99%.

It felt as though the very limits of divinity had vanished.

At this point, he believed he could cover the entire U.S. with divinity, if only at some strain.

But he was still 1% short.

He knew why.

Most worshiped him—but a minority resisted.

"Strong, yes, but not a god."

Pure unbelievers.

Those who, as humans, refused to believe in gods.

"Could anyone be that strong? Maybe he's colluding with the enemy."

Skeptics.

Those who suspected him, imagining ties to the Old gods.

And others with varied doubts, refusing to worship him.

Only when he gained even their faith would proficiency reach 100%.

"It won't be easy."

In the world that had fallen to the Old gods, he had been worshiped by all—but that was when numbers were fewer and desperation greater.

Back then, those who didn't believe had all fought him and died. That was why it was possible.

Akasha spoke quietly.

[Master. The problem is those who don't believe, isn't it?]

"In a way, yes."

[Then the solution is simple. Kill them. You could do it without anyone ever knowing.]

Taesan looked at the spirit on his finger.

"That's… a bit extreme."

[But rational. The unbeliever's heart rarely bends. Better to erase than to persuade.]

"I won't take that path."

His voice was firm.

If killing were the answer, easier methods had always been available.

But he had rejected them all to be here.

[Is that so.]

After a pause, Akasha asked quietly:

[Am I strange?]

[Not exactly normal.]

Bardray muttered sourly.

[Kill the unbelievers? That's the thinking of a fanatic.]

[…I see.]

"Have your memories returned?"

Defeating the Apostle had greatly strengthened Bardray's power.

Akasha, too, who grew with every battle, could easily have changed.

［Not exactly. But thoughts come back naturally—feelings, impulses. In my human days, I must have been cold-blooded.］

［Well, you were a servant of a god. And by the sound of it, quite a cruel one.］

［So this sensation… is cruelty? How strange.］

Akasha murmured.

"Your way may be faster. But I'll find another. I have my own method."

Taesan spoke with resolve.

Time passed.

The survivors began assessing damage.

The first matter was the number of destroyed pillars.

"Fourteen out of 108 were destroyed."

"Is that good or bad?"

"Not bad."

Taesan replied. He had expected more than twenty would fall. Fourteen was within tolerance.

At the sites of destruction, something strange lingered.

"…What is that?"

It was a black substance.

Pitch-dark matter lodged in space itself.

Instinctively, none dared approach.

Taesan stepped forward.

He reached out and touched it. Onlookers gasped.

But nothing happened.

'A barrier?'

He examined carefully but could not tell. He considered using the Boundary, but the Old gods also knew of that.

Mishandling it might work to their advantage. So he merely sealed the area.

"Leave it for now."

"Yes. But… the intact pillars remain, even though the quest ended."

"Then maybe they'll be used in the next one."

"In that case, we should base deployments around them."

Kim Hwiyeon answered calmly.

The death toll was not massive.

Around twenty million—ten percent of the whole. Costly, but after billions had already been lost, humanity quickly overcame grief and pressed on.

The cleanup ended swiftly.

All expected the next quest to be the last.

And all knew it would be the hardest.

But none doubted they could overcome it.

They steeled themselves and waited.

A week passed.

The quest began.

［Special Quest Begins.］

［14 pillars destroyed.］

［Checking conditions…］

［Conditions confirmed.］

Craaaack!

The black substance shattered.

Seeping black energy gathered into one.

"Ah…"

People shivered instinctively.

Something was descending.

It was not an Apostle.

Neither terrible nor alien—because words could not define it at all.

It was beyond comprehension itself.

［Condition: Defeat the Old god that has descended before all pillars are destroyed. Failure means extinction of humanity.］