Ascension Through Skills-Chapter 309: Fifth Return to Earth (5)

“Damn it.”

In the lavish tent, Jinryong’s face contorted in anger.

This wasn’t how he had planned things. He was supposed to summon the leaders of Korea and Japan, flaunt his power, and make even the strongest Korean players kneel before him.

He had been confident, possessing the power to do so. And it had almost gone as he intended.

But Taesan had disrupted his plans.

“...Did that bastard also form a contract with a powerful being?”

Jinryong’s face twisted in frustration.

As he had descended into the labyrinth, a certain entity, driven by insatiable greed, had approached him and offered a pact.

With just a small sacrifice, he had gained a power on a completely different level from what he had known before.

Trusting in that power, he had ventured deeper into the labyrinth, unimpeded by monsters. Even those who claimed to be guides stepped back, muttering among themselves as he passed.

“He’s a slave... just leave him.”

Those were the words uttered by the higher-ups when they saw him.

“Hmph.”

Jinryong scoffed.

To him, their words were nothing but the jealous grumbling of those who hadn’t been chosen by the divine. He believed he was superior.

Though those others were stronger than him, he reasoned that it was only because they had entered the labyrinth earlier, not because they were inherently superior. And he couldn’t imagine anyone from Earth being able to surpass him.

Even when he watched the bustling discussions in the community, his opinion remained unchanged. No matter how powerful these lesser beings appeared, they couldn’t reach him.

But Taesan’s display of power was beyond anything he had anticipated.

“To think... a mere human dares...”

He sneered. Without realizing it, a twisted energy leaked from him, slowly clouding his mind.

Jinryong stepped out of the tent.

As he gazed down from his elevated position, all the Chinese players below him lowered themselves, chanting his praises.

Jinryong looked upon them in satisfaction.

“Yes.”

I am a god.

I am an absolute ruler.

Taesan is powerful, sure. But it doesn’t matter. After all, he’s just a human.

Jinryong glanced at his own skill.

---

[Devourer of Life]

---

This was the skill he had received from his pact. The skill that proved his worth.

He was the apostle of a great being, the chosen right hand of a god.

Though it seemed Taesan, too, had a contract with a powerful entity, Jinryong was convinced he hadn’t been treated as highly.

Or at least, Jinryong chose to believe that.

Taesan’s strength could easily be surpassed by devouring other players. Satisfied with his reasoning, Jinryong smirked.

---

---

“A slave...”

The spirit within Taesan murmured, evidently intrigued.

[A beast that hungers for life. Did such a creature really form a pact with an adventurer from Earth?]

“So, you know what it is?”

[A beast eternally starving, always consuming life and claiming all it touches to satiate itself. It once rose to the seat of immortality through sheer force but still couldn’t fill its insatiable hunger.]

The spirit spoke in a hushed tone.

[It sees all mortal beings as nothing but prey, devouring them in its endless quest to quell a hunger that cannot be satisfied.]

“So this thing made a pact with Jinryong, huh?”

The North Korean hard-mode players who had vanished... and the chaotic nature of Jinryong’s powers...

The pieces seemed to fit, but Taesan couldn’t be certain. He would have liked to confirm it by force, but the current quest prohibited players from direct conflict.

For now, he would have to wait.

In the meantime, the Korean and Japanese players kept observing the Chinese players, analyzing them.

Even though the Chinese players avoided conversations, their expressions, attitudes, and glances still hinted at their thoughts and emotions. After observing them for a day, a peculiar pattern began to emerge.

The Chinese players were divided into four distinct classes: slaves, commoners, nobles, and Emperor Jinryong.

The slaves were easy-mode players who served the others, doing menial tasks.

The commoners, who were normal-mode players, carried out their duties with a sense of superiority, looking down on the slaves with disdain.

The nobles were hard-mode players.

The differences in status were clearly evident. Slaves didn’t resist anything the commoners did, and commoners dared not defy the nobles.

They were bound by an unbreakable hierarchy.

This much was understandable. Even within Korea, there were players like Seo Jangsan who advocated for division based on difficulty levels.

But their stratification was disturbingly extreme.

Commoners could build makeshift shelters, but slaves slept on the bare ground. Any who disobeyed were dragged off and never seen again.

Their territories were equally divided. Easy, normal, and hard modes were perfectly separated. The easy-mode players, facing constant monster attacks, were placed on the outskirts, while the hard-mode players enjoyed the safety of the inner regions.

They even laughed at the easy-mode players as they struggled to fend off the monsters.

Without the help of the Korean and Japanese players, some might have died.

It was highly unusual. Separating players by mode was one thing, but complete segregation was nearly impossible. Families were often split across different difficulty levels.

Yet, there was no sign of such division among the Chinese players.

“What could be going on?”

Kim Huiyeon sighed. Cooperation was necessary, yet these players had no intention of working together. It was beyond frustrating.

“Should we just eat for now?”

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

The Japanese players, their eyes lighting up, began to approach.

“Um...”

“Come over, no need to be shy. We have plenty of food.”

“Haha.”

Eika scratched her head and approached, her gaze fixed on the fresh vegetables spread before her.

“This... is amazing.”

Labyrinth-preserved food existed, but it wasn’t particularly tasty, and it was costly. Eating it freely was difficult, especially if the quest was likely to last.

But the Korean players had no such concerns.

They had a variety of vegetables and enjoyed their meals with ease. The Japanese players, having gone so long without proper food, were envious.

The Korean players invited the Japanese players to join.

The Japanese players, now able to enjoy fresh vegetables, were overjoyed.

“You call this ‘instant cultivation’? It’s an incredible skill.”

“Right?”

Kim Huiyeon nodded as she boiled corn. The food supply was practically unlimited, and no matter how long the quest lasted, they wouldn’t starve.

“You’re using the seeds we gave you, right?”

“Oh, yes.”

“Just take your time growing them. As long as they sprout, you’re good.”

“Thank you so much...”

Eika expressed her gratitude sincerely.

It was surprising that they were willing to share a skill like instant cultivation without asking for anything in return. Kim Huiyeon shook her head.

“It’s nothing, really. I learned it from someone else, too.”

“Taesan taught you, right... Who is he, exactly?”

“Who knows?”

Kim Huiyeon chuckled wryly.

Taesan’s true abilities were still a mystery to them.

They gradually filled their stomachs. The meal was simple but satisfying, even without seasoning, thanks to the fresh vegetables.

As they ate, Kim Huiyeon noticed a distant figure watching them.

“...Is that a Chinese player?”

“Huh? What are they doing here?”

The Korean and Japanese players had set up camp near Mount Baekdu. The Chinese players, on the other hand, hadn’t come near, seeming almost repulsed by their presence.

Yet now, a child from the Chinese side stood some distance away, watching their meal with wide eyes.

“Hey, there...”

As Kim Huiyeon called out, the child flinched, stepping back in alarm.

But he didn’t run away.

Instead, he kept his intense gaze fixed on the corn in her hand.

“...Shall we finish up our meal and leave the leftovers?” Kim Huiyeon suggested.

“Huh? Oh, yes.”

The others nodded and left.

Once they vacated, the child cautiously approached the food.

---

---

From that day on, the child returned regularly.

Each time, Kim Huiyeon left the leftovers for him.

With each visit, he came a little closer. Now he was close enough to reach out and touch her hand.

“Here, eat up.”

The child devoured the corn ravenously.

“Th-thank you...”

It wasn’t until the third day that the child finally spoke.

It was the first response they had received from a Chinese player.

Gradually, he opened up, and they learned he was an easy-mode player who had lost his parents.

As Kim Huiyeon gently patted his head, she asked, “Were you unable to gather enough gold for food?”

“N-no, I have gold. But as a slave, I’m only allowed one meal every two days...”

His answer left them silent.

The child continued in a hushed tone.

“I-I’m not supposed to talk to any of you. It’s an order from His Majesty. If this is found out, I’ll be...”

He trembled as he spoke.

Kim Huiyeon reassured him, “It’s okay. If anything happens, we’ll protect you.”

Slowly, his trembling subsided.

In a gentle voice, she asked, “Can you tell us? How has China changed?”

Hesitantly, the child began to talk.

Jinryong was a solo-mode player.

He had talent, progressing steadily through the labyrinth

’s early stages, but he hadn’t reached the levels of power held by people like Taesan or Amelia.

Though strong and skilled, he couldn’t defeat numerous hard-mode players, nor did he possess the charisma to lead.

In a vast country like China, he had been just another notable solo-mode player.

“But on his third return, he suddenly came back incredibly powerful.”

Jinryong returned to Earth with a power that no one could match.

With that overwhelming strength, he began his conquest of China.

He annihilated any monsters that appeared and ruthlessly eliminated anyone who defied him, eradicating their families and friends to the last.

China, of course, had regional leaders, but Jinryong killed them all, simply for daring to claim authority over his domain.

Some resisted, some rose up.

But they all perished.

A regime born of blood and fear took hold.

The people listening were shocked. The child continued in a quiet voice.

“But... fewer people are dying now.”

Ironically, with the emergence of an overwhelmingly powerful figure, fewer died from internal strife. Even the monsters couldn’t surpass Jinryong’s strength. He singlehandedly quelled entire waves, so deaths from monsters were nearly nonexistent.

A ruler with overwhelming power. Defiance was impossible.

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Chinese players began to worship him.

They believed him to be a god, the incarnation of a dragon.

“He’s like Taesan, in a way.”

After relaying the child’s story to Taesan, Kim Huiyeon spoke.

Jinryong accepted the people’s worship without question.

He established a hierarchy where, even among families, status differences had to be observed.

Anyone who resisted was eliminated by Jinryong.

People became accustomed to oppressing those in lower ranks.

Slaves weren’t treated as humans, and even they started to accept this treatment as normal.

An entire system created to serve one individual.

“I knew it was possible in this world, but...”

Kim Huiyeon shivered slightly after finishing her story. She realized just how selfless Taesan was. He held similar power yet had delegated authority to her and did his utmost for everyone’s survival.

China’s methods highlighted Taesan’s altruism even more.

“Hm.”

Taesan listened to the story quietly, his mind whirling.

If Jinryong had truly made a pact with an immortal being, then no ordinary player could stand against him.

“So, in the end, it’s rule through raw power?”

After sending Kim Huiyeon back, Taesan muttered with a look of disinterest.

“Nothing special.”

Mind control, or perhaps ideological corruption—he had expected something along those lines. But it turned out to be nothing more than worship through brute strength. To rely on such shallow power to rule...

The picture was clear.

Jinryong must have hit his limits in solo mode, and that’s when the ravenous beast sought him out.

Why the beast chose Jinryong was beyond comprehension; understanding the motives of an immortal wasn’t easy. But it was clear that Jinryong was offering up people’s lives in exchange for power.

“A beast hungering for life.”

And Jinryong’s chaotic, fragmented power...

Kim Huiyeon had said they couldn’t find the North Korean players who had gone to China. Likely, they had all perished at Jinryong’s hand. And they weren’t the only ones; a good number of Chinese players had probably been sacrificed to the immortal, too.

“Since the beast wasn’t in my past life, could it be my presence has allowed it to interfere?”

The attention of the High God was focused solely on Taesan. This focus might have shielded other nations from the High God’s influence.

In a way, it was the perfect opportunity for a depraved immortal to intervene.

“Faith...”

Taesan gazed at Jinryong’s dwelling on the horizon.

With his divinely bestowed sight, he saw the immense power of belief pooling there from countless worshipers.

It was a faith even greater than the one Taesan himself received.

But it was unfocused, wavering. Jinryong was unworthy of fully absorbing that faith.

The power of belief was masterless.

Jinryong’s worship was sustained purely by fear.

If a stronger figure appeared, the worship could easily shift to a new target.

“Might be worth testing.”