Ascension Through Skills

Chapter 55: Earth, Return (3)

All of them had died then. The ghost continued to grumble.

[How did they survive this far when they couldn't even catch a single Big Rat?]

“They survived because, unlike me, they’re in an easier labyrinth.”

[Easier labyrinth? Where's that?]

Taesan explained. They had options for Easy Mode, Normal Mode, Hard Mode, and Solo Mode. They chose one and entered the labyrinth.

After a moment of silence, the ghost spoke.

[There are different kinds of labyrinths?]

“Yes.”

[...What are you talking about?]

It was a voice full of confusion.

[There's only one labyrinth. It can't be divided into modes like that.]

“But what if it’s actually like that?”

Easy, Normal, Hard, Solo.

Each mode had different monsters and bosses per floor. The only commonality was the form of the floors and the limit of 100 floors.

After a long moment of contemplation, the ghost managed to articulate.

[At least, as far as I remember, the labyrinth wasn't separated. There were rare times when the gods split the dimensions, but they mostly returned to normal.]

Taesan looked up at the sky.

Monsters were pouring out of the open hole.

[Did someone artificially create it?]

The Easy, Normal, and Hard modes were created by someone other than a wizard.

In other words, the only real mode was the Solo Mode.

It was an unknown truth, but he wasn’t surprised. He had already suspected it. He predicted that NPCs, Named characters, and gods only existed in Solo Mode, so it must be something different from the start.

“Is that even possible?”

Great wizards and transcendents were involved in the design of the labyrinth. The ghost then spoke indifferently.

[The labyrinth was difficult to design because of its density. Each floor is akin to a dungeon. If you just crudely copy and paste it, it's not technically impossible. But it would still require a lot of power.]

At least a transcendent, then.

Perhaps something beyond that.

[But it's surprising. Even if we exclude the essence, given the size, it would require a lot of power... and they created three of these? What was their purpose?]

The ghost, who spoke softly, distorted its voice abruptly.

[Anyway, can't we head straight to the destination? I hate seeing those things.]

“No.”

Taesan cut him off leisurely.

“There’s nothing to do even if we go.”

Until more than half of the people arrived at the city hall, a new quest did not start. There was no reason to rush.

[Sigh.]

The ghost let out a deep sigh.

Nothing much changed after that.

The ghost remained silent as if displeased, and Junggeun kept slaying monsters.

Whenever a multitude of monsters appeared, Taesan blew them away with a stone.

When this was repeated multiple times, people realized that something was strange.

“Aren’t the monsters disappearing strangely?”

When Junggeun engaged one and another tried to attack them, the attacking monster would suddenly disappear.

It was clearly a strange phenomenon.

However, they were not able to find the answer because their stats were not high enough to see Taesan’s movements, and since a stone was not a viable target of the Airak Martial Arts, there was no damage assessment.

“Can a multitude of monsters not move together?”

In the absence of information, they could only speculate like this.

During this idle progress, the ghost spoke.

[Why are you helping in such a strange way? You could just rush to the destination with everyone. You like helping others, don't you?]

“I don’t particularly enjoy it.”

[Huh?]

The ghost asked as if it didn’t understand.

[You seemed to help others quite diligently.]

“I don’t just help anyone. I only help those with potential.”

[Then why don't you let these people die?]

“I can’t do that.”

He was the kind of person who would go to lengths for those who had shown him kindness. Junggeun was one of them.

He didn’t care if they died, but if they did, Junggeun’s morale would collapse.

Since they had plenty of time, it became a sort of diversion.

It was mealtime, and everyone began eating with weary expressions.

“Ugh… No taste at all.”

“Can’t we get something from the convenience store?”

“What if we run into a monster?”

For safety’s sake, everyone reluctantly ate the meat of the monsters they had brought from the labyrinth.

Taesan pulled out a can of Spam. He had brought quite a bit from the convenience store. When An Jeonghui saw the golden can, she let out an exclamation.

“It’s Spam! Where did you get it?”

“Before I joined up.”

“Wow……”

She looked at him enviously but didn’t ask for any. Although weak, she was a player who survived in the labyrinth. She understood very well that there were no exchanges without a price. Cases like Junggeun’s were very rare.

“Ugh. I want to exchange, but I have nothing to exchange with.”

Not just her but everyone else also looked at him with envy, but no one said anything. Those who would, were the ones who were shamelessly bold.

“Hey. Give me some.”

A muscular man approached Taesan. He stretched out his hand as if it was his own. The rose tattoo on his forearm was striking.

Taesan looked at him coolly and put another piece in his mouth. The man’s face twisted.

“Are you crazy?”

“Who are you?”

“I, I…”

An Jeonghui could not keep her calm as her face paled. The man puffed out his chest.

“I am the executive of the strongest guild in Normal Mode. I’m Lee Changseok from the Athena Guild!”

“So?”

Taesan asked indifferently. Lee Changseok let out a hollow laugh.

“Hey. Do you want to go back and die? Are you thinking of opposing the Athena Guild?”

“I wonder.”

Taesan muttered.

“Will you be able to go back?”

“What?”

The Athena Guild. It existed in his previous world as well. It was said to be the biggest guild in Normal Mode. It was known to be the type that controlled the labyrinth through strong-arm tactics.

‘Didn’t they all die during the second return?’

That was Taesan’s memory of the Athena Guild.

As Taesan didn’t react, Lee Changseok’s face reddened.

“This bastard. He really wants to die.”

Just as Lee Changseok raised his hand.

“Stop there.”

“Ah.”

The pale face of An Jeonghui brightened.

“Junggeun…”

Junggeun came over with a blank expression. Lee Changseok flinched for a moment but soon puffed up his chest.

“Why?”

“Just stop.”

A subdued voice echoed. His cold, expressionless face turned toward Lee Changseok.

Lee Changseok choked.

“Who do you think you are?”

“You think you’ve become something just because you brought us here? Why should I listen to you?”

Lee Changseok was confident. And he had calculated things to a certain extent.

‘This guy is a pushover.’

While leading them, he didn’t ask for anything in return. He risked his life for them, always smiling sadly.

Lee Changseok believed that those with power had corresponding rights. But he couldn’t understand and didn’t want to understand someone who generously gave without asking for anything in return.

Geum Junggeun was a good person. Even when he got tough, he was a person who had some things he wouldn’t do.

They were the kind who could be found occasionally in their previous world, and Lee Changseok had made a business of leeching off them. People may call them good-natured, but they were nothing more than pushovers to him.

“This is a personal matter between us. You should stay out of it.”

“Haa.”

Junggeun sighed.

His gaze was filled with annoyance.

He reached out and grabbed Lee Changseok by the head.

“He, hey! You! Aren’t you going to let go?”

Lee Changseok struggled with a rigid face, but the hand did not waver. Junggeun lifted his arm and hoisted Lee Changseok up. The muscular man felt incredibly light.

“Hey, hey! You!”

“I know what kind of thoughts you have.”

Taesan watched with an aloof expression.

If Lee Changseok had a misconception, it was one thing.

Junggeun was not the pushover he imagined.

“Regardless of the intentions you hold, if those lead you to cross the line…”

Junggeun punched Lee Changseok in the chest. Lee Changseok sprawled out, gasping for breath.

“I can discard someone like you at any time.”

“Cough, cough.”

The damage wasn’t too severe for a fist attack, but the shock was fully felt.

As Lee Changseok was unable to scream from the pain, Junggeun, who was coldly looking down at him, lifted his head.

People turned their heads, shivering. They couldn’t meet his gaze. To them, Junggeun smirked bitterly.

Crackle. Crackle.

The campfire burned.

The city hall was only a few hours away, no matter how far the distance from any part of Annyang, but due to the large number of people, they couldn’t arrive until nightfall.

Taesan approached Junggeun, who was sitting in front of the campfire.

“Are you going to keep watch tonight?”

“Everyone else must be tired.”

“You must be the one who’s tired.”

Junggeun had fought over five battles on the way.

The others did nothing but spectate or flee out of fear.

Junggeun didn’t respond but gave a bitter smile. Taesan sat opposite him.

“People seem to be scared of you.”

Ever since Junggeun punished Lee Changseok, people had become extremely cautious in their actions. They were not only avoiding the monsters but also watching Junggeun’s reactions.

Having only seen his gentle face, they were now finding him unfamiliar and frightening. Everyone had somewhere in their hearts the thought that Junggeun would definitely protect them, so his action of breaking that belief scared them.

“It couldn’t be helped. It was something that needed to be done at least once.”

He poked at the campfire with a stern face.

“There are too many people. We’ve been in danger multiple times.”

If Taesan hadn’t been there, they would’ve probably lost more than twenty people.

“I had to get everyone to follow my instructions at least once. Thank you. Thanks to you, I had a good opportunity.”

Junggeun was suspicious of Taesan.

His too-calm attitude and unruffled face were unusual for someone in Normal Mode.

He didn’t waver even a bit when monsters appeared. His attitude was too stable to be a normal person. He even suspected that he was a disguised monster.

But he couldn’t find any more anomalies.

He couldn’t see Taesan throwing the stones because Junggeun was locked in his own fierce battle.

Even if he was at ease, the stat difference would have made it impossible to notice.

‘What a pointless thought.’

Junggeun chuckled lightly. Taesan was an ordinary person. There was no way he could be a disguised monster. It was then that he decided to abandon his suspicions.

“Is there a need for that?”

“Pardon?”

Taesan spoke casually.

“You could reach the city hall without any issues.”

“……are you suggesting that I should abandon all of these people?”

A crowd of more than a hundred people.

Junggeun asked in a trembling voice at the suggestion that he should leave them all to die. Taesan looked at him with cold eyes.

“You must know this if you’re a Hard Mode person. Those who will live, live. Those who will die, die.”

Junggeun bit his lip.

Hard Mode was a mode with a 1% survival rate. If you survived there for three months, you naturally learned this.

Those who would live, live. Those who would die, die.

Even if someone helped, that standard did not change. It may prolong life for a while, but eventually, it leads to death not long after.

“Why don’t you just go alone?”

In reality, they had met a few players while heading toward the city hall. Those confident in their strength saw Junggeun and his group, clicked their tongues, and left without looking back. Some blatantly called them crazy.

“Why are you so obsessed with lives that are bound to end anyway?”

“You…”

Junggeun looked at Taesan in response to the emotionless voice.

Chills.

Junggeun felt a momentary shiver.

He could discern what kind of person someone was to some extent by looking at their eyes.

Although it could be said to be a skill he gained while growing up, Junggeun considered it a superstition similar to physiognomy and had always ignored it.

The eyes of Taesan that he saw were endlessly dimmed.

A human who has witnessed countless deaths and could no longer afford emotions for them. A human who faced the end and let everything go.

Not a human of Normal Mode. Junggeun clenched his sword.

“Who are you?”

Eyes full of caution.

Eyes observing a stranger.

The Junggeun who had greeted him with an awkward smile was no more.

‘It’s like I am seeing you for the first time.’

“I wonder.”

Taesan stood up. Seeing his back, Junggeun was taken aback.

“We’re going to the city hall anyway, aren’t we? I’ll tell you then.”

Junggeun slowly lowered his sword.

Dawn broke.

They started moving again—their faces were bright since they only had about an hour’s journey left.

However, they were oblivious to one fact.

The monsters had been ordered to attack humans heading to the city hall.

In other words, once they reached the city hall, the monsters would not attack.

Those who moved alone were already either there or dead.

Naturally, the monsters began to swarm near the city hall.