Ascension Through Skills-Chapter 464: Floor 88: Those Who Aspire to Godhood (3)

The next day, the group resumed their journey.

Their goal was clear: escape the immortals' reach and establish a place they could call their own. The leader of the group spoke with determination.

“If what you said is true, Taesan, then there are still some remote areas untouched by those beings. That’s where we need to go.”

“I know of a place,” one person chimed in. “It’s so remote that no one ever goes there. The immortals likely haven’t reached it yet.”

The group began to discuss dense jungles and treacherous terrains, eventually agreeing on a destination. With their path set, they pressed onward.

Taesan naturally blended in with the group, but his intentions were clear.

[Are you just going to follow them like this?]

“No.”

Bardray’s quiet question was met with a shake of Taesan’s head. There was no need for him to act just yet. Soon, they would come to him.

Neigh!

The sharp cry of a horse echoed from the distance, growing louder with every passing second.

The expressions of the group shifted drastically. The leader’s face turned pale as he shouted in alarm.

“Everyone! Into the forest! Run!”

The group scattered in panic, racing toward the nearby woods. But their pursuers were faster.

“There you are!”

A thunderous voice boomed across the clearing.

“Wretched heretics! Where do you think you’re running off to?”

“Aaaaah!”

Knights surrounded the group in an instant. People screamed and collapsed to the ground in fear.

“Ah... no...”

The leader’s face turned ashen as he watched the inevitable unfold. Taesan, meanwhile, observed the scene silently.

Neigh!

A troop of knights clad in shimmering blue armor approached, their mounts kicking up dust.

The one wearing the most ornate armor stepped forward.

“I am Kantara, loyal knight commander of the great Paragup!”

His proclamation sent waves of despair through the group.

The immortals rarely hunted non-believers themselves. Instead, they relied on loyal subordinates to capture dissenters and force them into submission.

When caught, the only options were to fight to the death or scatter in the hope of escape. Lesser followers could sometimes be evaded or defeated, but the knight commanders were a different matter entirely.

Commanders like Kantara were granted power directly from their gods, making them near-superhuman. One alone was enough to wipe out an entire group of refugees.

The group, realizing the futility of resistance, huddled together, trembling in fear.

Kantara surveyed the group with a satisfied smirk.

“There are so many of you. Paragup will be pleased!”

He raised a massive lance and drove it into the ground with a thundering crash.

“If it were up to me, I’d kill every last one of you for daring to flee from Paragup’s light!”

His tone shifted to one of mock benevolence, as if he were doing them a favor.

“But the great Paragup is merciful. He grants even wretches like you the chance to see his glory! Come with us to the holy sanctuary, and witness his magnificence for yourselves!”

The group remained silent.

Everyone knew the fate of those taken to the sanctuary. None ever returned, or if they did, they were hollow shells of their former selves.

People instinctively backed away from Kantara, but knights closed in from behind, pulling their reins menacingly.

Kantara clicked his tongue in frustration.

“I don’t understand. Faith in a god is the greatest happiness one can attain. If you won’t come willingly, I’ll simply have to drag you there.”

He unsheathed his sword with a cruel grin.

“Seize them!”

Knights moved swiftly, grabbing several people by the hair and throwing them before Kantara.

“There are too many of you to take at once,” he said, his smile twisting cruelly.

The knights numbered in the dozens, but the group of refugees was nearly a thousand strong. Even under heavy guard, some were bound to escape.

“So, I’ll show the rest of you what happens to those who run.”

He raised his blade and looked down at the terrified captives.

“Let’s begin with a demonstration. Shall we?”

“No! Please, no!”

“Help!”

The captives struggled and screamed, but Kantara merely chuckled.

He loved this—their fear, their pain. Torture was both his duty and his delight.

As the blade descended toward its first victim, Kantara savored the anticipation of their screams.

Then, his arm stopped.

“What...?”

Someone had grabbed his wrist.

The black-haired man from the refugee group was holding his arm firmly, his expression calm and unyielding.

“How dare you.”

Kantara’s face contorted with rage.

“Do you want to be a hero? Fine. I’ll make you one myself.”

He swung his sword with inhuman speed and strength, aiming to sever the man’s head in a single strike.

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Clang!

The blade struck Taesan’s neck—and was repelled, sending sparks flying.

Kantara staggered back, his hand trembling from the impact.

“W-What... What are you?”

Taesan didn’t answer. Instead, he stared at Kantara, his gaze piercing through him.

In that instant, Kantara felt as though every part of him was exposed.

“I sense divinity.”

“What nonsense are you spewing?”

“It’s incomplete,” Taesan mused, his voice detached. “You’ve been fighting for centuries, haven’t you? You’re partially crossing to the next stage. But you’re far from it.”

“Shut up!”

Kantara clenched his sword, shouting to his men.

“Kill him! Kill that heretic!”

“Y-Yes, Commander!”

The knights hesitated, sensing something unnatural about Taesan. None dared move.

Taesan sighed.

“Let’s keep this simple.”

The task was clear: bring stability to the world. The immortals sought to ascend through faith.

So, he would destroy that faith.

Releasing the restraints on his power, Taesan let his presence erupt.

A colossal aura spread across the battlefield, seeping into the fabric of the world.

“Ah...?”

“What...?”

The people froze, their jaws slack with astonishment.

They had felt the overwhelming power of the immortals daily, but it had always been terrifying, monstrous.

This was different.

Taesan’s presence exuded majesty. Simply looking at him inspired reverence, compelling their bodies and souls to bow.

For the first time, they felt the presence of a true god.

The thunderous clashes of the immortals ceased. The two great beings turned their attention to Taesan, their gazes filled with shock.

“I am a god.”

Taesan’s voice rang out, calm yet overwhelming. It was a declaration of absolute authority.

Kantara wanted to deny the claim, but his lips wouldn’t move.

The divinity Taesan radiated engulfed them all. Everyone instinctively recognized him as the true god.

Taesan stepped forward, the wind bending to his will, gently embracing the refugees.

Kantara stood frozen as Taesan placed a hand on his forehead.

Through that contact, Taesan glimpsed Kantara’s soul—a vile being who would have slaughtered countless even without Paragup’s influence.

“I sentence you to punishment.”

With a single motion, Kantara’s body collapsed like a puppet with its strings cut.

The knights watched in horror, paralyzed by fear. Even if Taesan had driven a sword through their chests, none would have dared resist.

“You follow false gods,” Taesan said, his voice steady. “You deserve punishment, but I will grant you mercy.”

“Th-Thank you...” one knight stammered, falling to his knees. The faith they held for Paragup shattered, replaced by the awe Taesan inspired.

“I have come to restore this world and punish those who falsely claim divinity. Go. Spread the word: a true god has arrived to set things right.”

The knights scrambled away, their terror driving them to flee.

As Taesan turned back, the refugees stared at him in a daze. Even their leader and Jeratin were at a loss for words.

Taesan’s calm voice broke the silence.

“Follow me.”

He began walking, the air around him shimmering with power.

“Follow, and witness the world change as it should.”

Entranced, the people nodded and followed without hesitation.

***

Taesan marched forward, revealing the full extent of his presence.

The people following behind him stared in awe, their gazes fixated on his every step.

[You’re changing the way you speak on purpose, aren’t you?]

Taesan nodded. Bardray’s voice carried a hint of curiosity.

[I mean, you’re a god now, so adopting a divine tone fits, but that’s not really your style. Are you aiming for something here?]

“There’s a purpose. These people need to believe I’m a real god. Adjusting my tone to match their expectations helps with that.”

[So, like on Earth, you’re gathering faith from everyone?]

“Not quite. It’s more about something Balbabamba said.”

Balbabamba had mentioned that one way to ascend as a god was through imprinting—becoming a divine presence etched into the collective memory of the world.

Taesan had achieved divinity on Earth through the extreme method of universal worship, but this method lacked stability. By engraving himself as a god in the minds of Mariseion’s people, he intended to solidify his divine status.

“And it’s also an opportunity to destroy what they’ve built,” he added with a faint smirk.

Before long, they reached a massive city.

“What’s this city?” Taesan asked.

“It’s... a commercial hub,” the leader answered hesitantly, his tone almost reverent.

“This used to be the continent’s largest trade center. Merchants and artisans from across the land gathered here. But now...”

“Intruders!”

“The heretics have come!”

A commotion erupted from within the city. Soon, figures wielding hammers and axes burst out from behind the gates.

“Seize them!”

“Drag them to serve Keboruak!”

The leader’s face darkened.

“Now... they call this Keboruak’s holy sanctuary.”

“Sanctuary?”

Taesan let out a derisive chuckle.

“This garbage heap?”

The fanatics charged toward him, their eyes filled with fury, but they stopped in their tracks as soon as they saw Taesan.

“W-What...?”

“I... I...”

[You activated Restricted Blink.]

In an instant, Taesan teleported forward, grabbing the foremost fanatic by the collar.

The man trembled violently, his face a mixture of awe and terror. He couldn’t utter a single word.

Taesan studied him closely, quickly realizing the truth.

“It’s brainwashing.”

These people weren’t driven by genuine faith. The immortals had forcibly twisted their minds to instill devotion.

The solution was clear.

Buzz!

A golden light radiated from Taesan, expanding outward and enveloping the entire city in mere moments.

Crash!

The crude divinity spread by Keboruak to control the city shattered instantly.

Taesan unleashed his power further, letting it seep into the minds of the people.

“Ooooh!”

“Ahhhh!”

The force of Keboruak’s influence crumbled. The citizens clutched their heads, groaning in pain as the oppressive weight of the false god’s power disappeared.

“W-Where am I?”

“What... happened?”

Their expressions shifted from confusion to relief as the haze lifted. The madness in their eyes was gone.

The leader of Taesan’s group stared in shock, his pupils dilating.

“This is...?”

“Pathetic,” Taesan muttered as he strode into the city.

The people, now free of Keboruak’s control, turned to him, their gazes filled with a mix of reverence and disbelief.

Taesan addressed them in a commanding voice.

“Follow me, those who have suffered and been oppressed.”

The sky trembled.

A massive force began to gather above, its presence heavy with rage. Everyone could feel it—a furious power descending upon them.

It was Keboruak.

The citizens’ faces turned pale with fear, their voices trembling as they screamed.

“It’s divine punishment!”

A concentrated windstorm swirled above the city, aiming to crush everything beneath it.

As death loomed over them, the people braced for the end.

But Taesan raised his golden light once more.

His power surged upward, slamming into the storm.

Boom!

The divine wind faltered, breaking apart under the sheer force of his radiance. The golden aura pierced through the heavens, dispelling the storm and illuminating the world below.

“I’ll be coming for you soon. Wait patiently,” Taesan murmured, his gaze fixed on the remnants of Keboruak’s power as they dissipated.

The people stared at Taesan in stunned silence, their eyes wide with awe.

Without hesitation, Taesan took a step forward.

“Follow me,” he declared.

“Witness as I set this world right.”

Enthralled by his words and presence, the people nodded, their expressions filled with newfound hope as they followed their god.