Ascension Through Skills-Chapter 492: 92nd Floor. Faith (3)

“Hahaha! Great! Absolutely great!”

The shopkeeper burst into laughter. His emotions surged uncontrollably, expressing themselves with intense vigor.

Since it seemed that asking any further questions would not yield answers, Taesan turned to Balbabamba.

“Well, I have one question.”

[Ask away.]

“While you were stealing the faith of multiple planets, didn’t other gods intervene?”

[By other gods, you mean the Concept Gods, right?]

He explained that invading other planets and stealing their faith was possible for anyone who had enough power. There were no restrictions preventing such actions. Balbabamba continued.

[It’s simple. Most Concept Gods don’t care much about such small matters.]

“That small, huh?”

[From a universal scale, a few planets being taken over is quite a small matter. However, there are definitely Concept Gods who disapprove of such things. Normally, they would intervene and stop it, but in this case, it’s difficult for them to do so. There’s a Concept God backing that transcendent.]

“A Concept God is backing them?”

[Not all transcendent beings who dominate concepts are solitary and aloof. Some of them seek to grow their power and expand their influence. That's how that transcendent was able to invade multiple planets.]

Balbabamba seemed displeased as he spoke.

[If they gather too much power, other Concept Gods might start moving. Because of this, things have been relatively quiet lately.]

“So, who is this Concept God?”

[We don’t know. They’re hiding their presence.]

“I see.”

Taesan stroked his chin thoughtfully. As if reading his mind, Balbabamba spoke plainly.

[There’s no need for you to worry. If it were a Faith God, it would be different, but since it’s a Concept God personally involved, it would take away the meaning of the trial. The transcendent beings watching over you will take care of it.]

“In that case.”

Taesan nodded.

While this conversation was unfolding, the shopkeeper seemed to regain his composure, his face now flushed with excitement. He approached Taesan eagerly.

“Well, I suppose I’ve shown you an undesirable side of myself. Now then...”

“The conversation is over.”

The shopkeeper grinned.

“Then, Balbabamba.”

[In the end, it looks like it’s up to me.]

Balbabamba grumbled, then opened a portal. Taesan stepped forward and entered it.

As Taesan was about to move to a new world, the shopkeeper quietly spoke.

“I’m looking forward to it.”

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Taesan stepped onto the new world.

[You have activated Stealth [Chaos].]

[You have activated Baal’s Overlapping Darkness.]

First, he concealed his body. Taesan’s form was shrouded in ash, erasing his presence in the world. Even if a Faith God approached, it would be impossible to detect him unless they were very close.

Then, he extended his senses.

He instantly grasped everything about the world he had arrived in. Information about the planet flooded his mind.

The planet’s size was about half that of Earth. The majority of the land was inhabited by primates smaller than humans.

Probably dwarves, he thought. Their strength didn’t seem very impressive. Aside from a very small number, they didn’t seem much different from ordinary humans.

Amidst them, however, was a tremendous power.

An immortal.

‘Is that the planet’s ruler?’

He didn’t sense the presence of a transcendent. Taesan gathered mana.

[You have activated Teleport [Chaos].]

Taesan’s body shot out of the planet, leaping into space.

In the pitch-black expanse of space, shining stars came into view.

The distance between the stars was immense. Even Taesan couldn’t properly perceive the scale of the distance now. It wasn’t a range that could be sensed with simple sensory extension.

Then.

[You have activated Focus Detection [Chaos].]

The gray power of detection stretched across the universe.

Surpassing the speed of light, Taesan gathered the information he sought beyond his visual range.

As a result, he learned the truth.

There were a total of ten planets.

From these planets, immense faith was flowing out.

And that faith was being gathered at a white star located between the planets.

‘Is the transcendent there?’

The faith of all ten planets was converging. It was a sight Taesan had never imagined.

“Impressive.”

After confirming the details, Taesan returned to the planet.

The transcendent was at the white star.

This meant there was no transcendent on the planet. Taesan could move freely.

Taesan leaped into action.

***

First, Taesan needed to understand the atmosphere of this place, the feelings of its people toward their transcendent, and the nature of the Immortal on the planet.

Only then could he determine how to act and what his goals might be.

In an instant, Taesan arrived at the nearest city.

The city was stunning.

The architecture was unlike anything seen on Earth, with colossal statues and beautifully crafted city structures.

This was likely the world of the shopkeeper.

Taesan landed in the central lake of the city. The sun was slowly setting behind the horizon, and darkness was beginning to fall.

It was evening. On Earth, this would be the busiest time of day, when people crowded the streets.

But not here.

No one could be seen.

Apart from some dwarves who seemed to be guards, there were no people on the streets. The entire atmosphere of the city felt dark and subdued.

It was as if the city was a prison disguised as a city.

Taesan gazed at the city for a moment before stepping forward. In an instant, his body moved to the outskirts of the city.

“Ahhh!”

A scream echoed from one of the houses.

Dwarven guards, their faces filled with anger, stormed into the house. The scream was loud, surely audible to the surrounding houses, but no one appeared. Instead, there was a hushed silence, as if everyone was deliberately avoiding involvement.

Taesan entered the house. Since he was hidden, no one noticed his presence.

“Wait!”

A dwarf family, likely the residents, desperately tried to stop the guards. But the guards overpowered them and turned the house into chaos.

“I found it!”

One of the guards shouted roughly, throwing something away.

It was a poorly made small statue.

“How dare you not believe in the rightful ruler, Karak-sama!”

“Ah! No, it’s not like that!”

“I have proof!”

The guard roughly drew his sword.

“Take them all! It’s the noose for them!”

The dwarf family screamed, but no one came to their aid.

A small dwarf child, dragged away in fear, struggled desperately. The child managed to break free from the guard’s grip and clutched the discarded statue, muttering softly.

“Ah, Remidaos-sama... Remidaos-sama... Remidaos-sama... Please save us...”

“How dare you!”

The guard, with a twisted expression, grabbed the child by the hair.

“How dare you speak that name! You heretic! You are to be executed immediately!”

The man drew his sword. The dwarf child’s face went pale. The family screamed in terror.

The guard raised his sword, preparing to strike.

But his arm couldn’t move.

“What... What’s happening?”

The guard looked around, bewildered.

He saw Taesan holding his sword.

“Huh?”

Other guards, the dwarf family—they all stared wide-eyed. Taesan had suddenly appeared between them.

“You... Who are you?”

The guard tried to pull his arm free, but the sword was stuck in the rock, as if it was embedded there. In the calm gaze of Taesan, the guard’s face filled with fear.

“Kill him!”

Clash!

The other guards hastily drew their swords, but Taesan simply moved his hand.

Crack!

The guards didn’t even have time to scream before they were slammed into the floor and walls. With a simple flick of his hand, Taesan turned to the dwarf family.

“Uh...”

The dwarf family looked up at Taesan blankly.

“Remidaos...-sama?”

They suddenly collapsed, unconscious.

[They’ve fainted.]

[It seems they couldn’t follow the sudden change in situation.]

Taesan didn’t wake them up and instead picked up the broken statue.

The statue was not of a dwarf. It was of a human.

When Taesan first sensed the information about this planet, he knew there were no humans here.

Yet, the dwarf child was worshipping this figure.

A short time later, the dwarf family slowly regained consciousness.

They looked around with dazed expressions, then gasped in shock upon seeing the fallen guards and Taesan, huddling together in fear.

“Who... Who are you...?”

Taesan remained silent. The child, looking up at him with trembling eyes, asked carefully.

“Um... Are you... Remidaos-sama?”

Taesan did not respond.

After a moment, the child, as if having confirmed something, hesitantly bowed his head.

“Ah... So it is you... You’ve come to save us... Please, please save us...”

The child was already convinced that Taesan was Remidaos. Taesan, however, didn’t know who that was or what the situation here truly was.

Normally, he would have woken the guards to get information and ask the family about their situation.

But that was no longer necessary.

He had Complete Reconnaissance now.

[You have activated Complete Reconnaissance.]

[This city is one that must forcibly serve Karak.]

[This family does not truly worship Karak.]

[This family worships someone named Remidaos.]

[This city persecutes those who worship Remidaos.]

[This family worships Remidaos because he appeared in their dreams and promised to save them.]

...

In that moment, waves of information, things he didn’t know and couldn’t have known, flooded his mind.

He understood their lives, how they lived, and the emotions they harbored. All of it, everything, was laid bare before him.

This was Complete Reconnaissance.

It wasn’t an exaggeration to say he knew everything. If his ability allowed it, he could even understand everything about the world.

In an instant, Taesan understood the situation.

The Immortal ruling this planet.

He was forcing the dwarves to worship him.

He demanded their faith, killing and torturing those who refused.

‘Just like those guys.’

The Immortals on the 88th floor. Two Immortals who clashed, forcing their faith on others. They too had oppressed people in the same way. It wasn’t much different from that.

But such a coercive approach would never gain true worship. On the surface, people might pretend to serve, but deep down, they would resist and reject it. The faith gained this way was worthless.

In such circumstances, people would seek a figure to truly believe in.

That’s what Remidaos was after.

Remidaos appeared in their dreams, promising them salvation, to lead them and free them from their persecution, much like Moses in the Bible.

If it was only one person’s dream, it could be dismissed as mere escapism. But when many had the same dream, it became a revelation.

In their oppression, the people turned to a transcendent. Remidaos became their figure of hope.

It was a brilliantly orchestrated play. Because the Immortal ruling this place was also Remidaos’ subordinate.

The Immortal oppressed the people on the surface, forcing them to worship. Meanwhile, Remidaos managed their suffering, gaining the deep faith that came from the hearts of the people.

Carrot and stick.

It was the most efficient method. Taesan’s method of gaining faith had been similar. He had gained the true faith of people by dealing with those who oppressed them.

Unlike Taesan, however, Remidaos had orchestrated the entire play, but the people didn’t know that. The difference wasn’t significant.

‘Clever.’

So, how could he use this knowledge?

The answer came quickly.

“Um...”

The child’s growing anxiety was evident as Taesan stayed silent.

“Could it be... Remidaos-sama...?”

“No.”

Taesan shook his head.

“I am Remidaos.”

Taesan opened his inventory invisibly. A pearl appeared in his hand.

[You have activated the Sphere of Transformation.]

Taesan’s form changed. His black hair and eyes turned gold, his body glowing brightly as golden, embroidered robes adorned his form.

“Ahhh...!”

The child’s eyes widened. The parents looked no different.

Taesan’s appearance now perfectly matched the Remidaos they had seen in their dreams.

Any doubts they had were completely erased. The dwarf family bowed their heads to Taesan. Their faith now clearly directed toward him.

The faith they had built up over time had now shifted to Taesan.

‘This is good.’

Now, to make them serve him. To gather their faith. While it sounded good, the method wasn’t without its complications. Faith wasn’t something that could be easily amassed. The circumstances and conditions had allowed it, but if they truly worshipped Remidaos, there was no way to steal that faith.

But Remidaos was accumulating faith in the wrong way.

On the surface, he used the Immortal to oppress and demand worship. Behind the scenes, he appeared in dreams, siphoning their faith. To maximize the faith, he had never shown himself in person.

In that case, it was possible to steal the faith Remidaos had gathered.

Remidaos ruled over ten planets.

Most of them were likely in similar situations.

Currently, Taesan was unstable.

In the worlds where he was worshipped, he was a complete transcendent, but outside of those worlds, his status was very low.

To truly become a transcendent, he had to receive faith from many people over a long time, stabilizing his rank.

But with the faith of ten planets...

He could possibly compress the time needed for divine stabilization and achieve the status of a true transcendent.

That was Taesan’s goal for this journey.