Ascension Through Skills-Chapter 463: Floor 88: Those Who Aspire to Godhood (2)

As Taesan stepped into the new world, the first thing he felt was an intense wave of power.

Rumble...

The very world trembled under the clash of two enormous forces. Two colossal beings were locked in combat, shaking the fabric of the planet.

"What a mess."

On the opposite side of the planet, their confrontation raged on.

When one reaches the level of an immortal, the ability to destroy a world single-handedly is within reach. With two such beings opposing each other, it was no surprise that the world was in a state of disrepair—but even Taesan hadn’t expected it to be this extreme.

The ground quaked, and the skies warped under the sheer force of their battle. The rippling waves of energy suffused the world, making it nearly impossible for ordinary life to survive.

Taesan cloaked his presence, suppressing his aura and preventing any of his power from leaking out.

His first priority was to survey the world and grasp the situation.

Taesan cast his gaze toward the horizon.

The entirety of the world unfolded before his eyes.

"It’s about the size of Earth."

But the number of living beings was strikingly small—barely surpassing a hundred million.

No doubt the immortals’ actions were the primary cause.

On a continent far away, Taesan sensed the presence of countless mortals.

They were divided into three groups.

Two groups stood against each other.

The third group kept its distance.

[You activated Teleportation.]

Space bent, and Taesan’s body leapt across the distance.

He arrived on the other side of the continent, where he saw people locked in bloody combat.

"For Paragup the Great!"

"For Keboruak! Kill the heretics and offer their blood to Keboruak!"

Those clad in blue armor and red armor screamed the names of their respective deities as they swung their weapons. Their eyes burned with madness and unwavering faith.

[They’re worshipers of the immortals, it seems.]

Hundreds of people trampled over corpses, slaughtering one another.

Even as they killed and died, they cried out:

"All for Paragup!"

Their fervent declarations of faith revealed their devotion to the immortals, a belief that seemed almost unnatural.

"Is this brainwashing?"

The battle raged on. Taesan crossed his arms and watched the chaos unfold.

“Hey, you!”

From the nearby forest, someone called out to him.

“Sir! It’s dangerous there! Come over here, quickly!”

The voice belonged to a boy who looked no older than fifteen. He was frantically waving at Taesan to follow him. Taesan stared at him briefly before walking over. The boy grabbed his arm and pulled him away in a panic.

“Are you crazy? Why are you standing there watching the fanatics fight?”

“It looked interesting.”

“Interesting, my foot! Those lunatics are trying to drag us into their mess!”

The boy grumbled, scanning Taesan from head to toe.

“I’ve never seen clothes like that before... Are you from another region?”

“Very far away,” Taesan replied. The boy crouched and whispered.

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“Anyway, come this way. While those crazies are busy killing each other, we need to run.”

Pushing through the forest, the boy led the way. After some time, they reached a small group of people waiting anxiously. Their faces lit up upon seeing the boy.

"Jeratin!"

"Where have you been? We were so worried!"

"Sorry! I saw this guy standing there watching the fight and thought I should bring him along."

"...What?"

The group turned their attention to Taesan, their expressions ranging from curiosity to suspicion.

One woman paled as she scrutinized him.

"Could he be one of their lackeys...?"

"No, look at his clothes. They call their ceremonial armor their ‘holy garb.’ There’s no way they’d take it off, even if their lives depended on it."

"Oh..."

Relief washed over the woman’s face. A man who seemed to be the leader of the group spoke up.

"If everyone’s here, let’s move. We need to get as far away as we can while the fanatics are killing each other."

"Understood."

The group stood with grim determination, preparing to leave. Taesan silently joined them.

"Two immortals aspiring to godhood," Taesan mused, analyzing the situation.

Two groups clad in blue and red armor, fighting fervently in the name of their respective immortals.

And a third group—a collection of mortals—desperately fleeing from it all.

This third group appeared to abhor the combatants, calling them lunatics and avoiding any association with them. They didn’t seem to worship the immortals.

"Damn them..."

"How much longer do we have to keep running?"

The mortals in this group were filled with hatred and despair, muttering complaints under their breath.

“Hey, mister.”

The boy, Jeratin, approached Taesan with a curious expression.

“What?”

“You said you’re not with the fanatics, but where are you from? You didn’t even flinch watching them fight. Were you planning to join them?”

“No, I have no intention of doing that.”

The group cast cautious glances at Taesan, their eyes filled with suspicion and unease.

After a moment of thought, Taesan spoke.

“I lived in a small village deep in the forest.”

"A... village?"

Their eyes widened in shock.

"W-Where is it? Is there really a village that hasn’t been destroyed by the fanatics yet?"

“No. The reason I left was because those armored lunatics showed up. Something felt off, so I ran.”

"Oh..."

Disappointment quickly spread across their faces.

From their reactions, Taesan gleaned an important fact.

"There are no intact villages or cities left."

Those who didn’t worship the immortals seemed to have been driven into a nomadic existence. Processing this information, Taesan pressed for more details.

“What are those people fighting for?”

“You really don’t know? You must’ve been living in total isolation. I guess that’s why you’re clueless.”

“Exactly. Enlighten me.”

“Where do I even begin...”

“I’ll explain.” The group’s leader stepped forward.

“If your village was untouched by the fanatics until now, that’s a miracle. But I’ll tell you what happened.”

“Please do.”

The man sighed and began recounting the tale.

“I don’t know the full details myself. It’s all hearsay. But I’ve been told our world wasn’t always like this.”

“What do you mean?”

Rumble...

Another wave of energy pulsed through the air.

The immense power of the immortals caused the people to stumble and gasp in fear. The man grimaced and continued.

“Apparently, the world used to be peaceful. The ground was fertile, the sky serene, and people lived out their days in their homes, growing old and dying in peace.”

“Hard to believe a world like that ever existed,” Jeratin muttered.

“I can’t say for certain either. It’s just what I’ve been told.” The man turned back to Taesan.

“But one day, thunderous roars filled the skies, and the world began to quake. Two beings appeared in our world.”

[I am Paragup, the Treader of Earth. Worship and serve me, or lose your lives and suffer even in death.]

[I am Keboruak, the Master of the Sky. Worship and serve me, or I shall ensure you never die, trapped in eternal torment.]

The two beings, each demanding devotion, soon turned their wrath on each other.

They waged war, forcing their beliefs on the people and punishing those who refused to comply.

“Even the royal family became their slaves. Every city and village now belongs to them. They’re nothing more than puppets.”

The man clenched his fists, his face a mix of anger and sorrow.

“Those of us who refuse to worship them are left to wander, hiding wherever we can.”

“From what I’ve heard, they’re incredibly powerful. How do you manage to stay hidden?”

“Eventually, they became so focused on fighting each other that we were able to slip under the radar. That’s the only reason we’ve survived.”

The man gave a bitter smile. Taesan, deep in thought, asked:

“Why not pretend to worship them and stay in the cities? Wouldn’t that be easier?”

"No way!" Jeratin shouted, his face twisting in anguish.

“Those monsters aren’t gods! They kill people like playthings just for not believing in them! I’d rather die than worship them!”

His voice dripped with hatred and fury. The man quietly added:

“Jeratin lost his parents to them.”

“I see.”

“Many here share his sentiments. They’d rather die than worship those so-called gods.”

“You said ‘many.’ That implies not everyone feels that way.”

“Well, yes...” The man hesitated before speaking.

“Some couldn’t bear the hardship and went to the fanatics, pretending to worship them in exchange for aid. Most never returned. Those who did... came back as hollow shells, fanatics themselves. It’s as if pretending to worship them causes you to lose your very soul. That’s why we choose to keep running, no matter how hard it is.”

***

As the group settled down for the night, one by one, the people drifted off to sleep.

Taesan volunteered to keep watch in their place and quietly made his way to a more secluded spot.

[Have you figured it out?]

“More or less.”

The two immortals were using the lives of this world as the foundation for their bid to become gods.

They demanded unwavering faith from the people and killed those who refused to comply.

But there was a limit to coercion. True faith had to come from the depths of one’s heart. The faith born of fear, no matter how loudly it was proclaimed, wasn’t the kind of devotion the immortals needed.

So, they chose another path: brainwashing.

Whether through some special ability or by wielding the sheer weight of their immortal presence to crush minds, they forcibly instilled faith in the people.

By doing so, the two immortals expanded their influence.

Those who came to believe in them began attacking the other side’s followers and forcibly dragging non-believers into their ranks.

[A vulgar method,] Akasha commented softly.

[Yet, it is rational. An ordinary immortal cannot ascend to transcendence without resorting to such shortcuts. Foolish, but not without merit.]

Taesan glanced at Akasha.

Her voice was calm, devoid of any strong emotion. It was clear that beings at the level of immortals didn’t impress her in the slightest.

[What will you do, Master?]

“It’s not a method I particularly approve of.”

Rumble...

The ground trembled violently. The sleeping refugees stirred in a panic, some cursing under their breath before reluctantly settling back down.

“Since the quest told me to bring stability to this world, I’ll do just that. And I’ll make sure to take whatever I can while I’m at it.”

Taesan’s tone was as calm as ever, but his smirk betrayed a hint of anticipation.