“...”

Se-Hoon was frozen, blankly staring at the notification message that had abruptly appeared in front of his eyes. He had been reading Ludwig’s research journal in Lea’s hospital room when, right as dusk settled, that message appeared.

Checking the notification that all of humanity’s wishes had been synchronized twice, Se-Hoon’s heart began pounding violently. At last, after so long, the moment had arrived.

“Se-Ha.”

“Yes.”

“The wish synchronization is done. Tell everyone to get ready.” 𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞

“Yes—huh?! Ah, understood. I’ll let them know right away!”

The preparations for the Ascension Project were finally completed. Se-Hoon stood up, closing Ludwig’s research journal, and looked toward the silently sleeping Lea.

“...”

She looked so peacefully asleep. Se-Hoon watched her for a moment, as if waiting for her to wake up, then placed Ludwig’s journal beside her.

“You can read it when you wake up later. There’s a lot in there you’d like.”

That book would keep Lea plenty entertained if she woke first. Thinking such, Se-Hoon turned and teleported to the central plaza.

Whoosh!

The hospital room changed into a wide-open plaza, where under the glow of sunset, softly swaying white flowers filled Se-Hoon’s vision.

“...Breathtaking.”

The central plaza, now used as Babel’s memorial site, had only been partially used just recently. From the looks of it, once rumors spread that it would become the center of the Ascension Project, people had come from even outside the city until the entire plaza was filled.

The memorials in the other major cities are probably the same.

Taking in the sight that reminded him just how many people had followed his plan and how heavy their wishes were, Se-Hoon stood there silently overlooking the sea of white for a long while.

It was only once the sunset tinting the white flowers had completely faded that everything was ready to start.

“Administrator. The preparations are complete.”

“Let’s begin.”

Accompanying Se-Hoon’s declaration was every single Tower of Heroes across the world shining white—and a translucent notification that appeared before every single human.

[Trial “Ascension” is now open.]

Woong-

Bathed in light, the Towers of Heroes connected heaven and earth like colossal pillars. The night sky was illuminated by countless lines stretching towards the stars, each then connecting to form a gigantic magic array.

All across the globe, people looked up towards the heavens at the cosmic-sized spell that connected the entire planet with Babel as the center.

Has it started...? Please... Dear God... Is this really okay?... I seriously have no idea... It’s pretty... Damn it, why’d you wake me up... So magic arrays like that exist too... Once this is over, I’ll propose... It’ll be okay...

Countless murmurs whispered into Se-Hoon’s ears.

All of humanity was becoming synchronized, with their thoughts becoming more and more vivid through the Akashic as progress increased. The flood of impressions seeping into Se-Hoon’s mind was uncountable.

Fear, desperation, anxiety, vagueness, irritation, admiration, excitement—countless emotions could be felt from people’s thoughts. However, despite there being that many, Se-Hoon realized there was one common core.

They’re all anxious.

Although they all agreed to the Ascension Project, that didn’t mean they all believed with certainty that Se-Hoon would succeed. Most feared the possibility of failure; some didn’t trust him, and others felt powerless since it was a situation where all they could do was watch.

To Se-Hoon, their anxiety was the greatest threat to the Ascension Project. He was certain of it now that he had been feeling those emotions through the Akashic for a while now.

And the further the project progresses, the worse it’ll get.

If things went even the slightest bit wrong, the synchronized wishes themselves could become unstable—which Se-Hoon expected. That was why the activation sequence Ludwig had originally devised for the Ascension Project was torn apart and reworked by him.

“Akashic.”

Woong!

The orange sunset glow that had vanished beyond the horizon reappeared within the light from the Towers of Heroes and spread across the sky. Slowly, that orange aurora unfurled mystically above the enormous magic array.

To the people below—to humanity—it granted a fragment of the infinite knowledge dwelling within it.

[Skill ‘Seed of Ascension (C)’ has been acquired.]

Hearing something a hundred times is not as good as seeing it once; seeing it a hundred times is not as good as trying it once. Likewise, trying it a hundred times is still not as good as learning it as a skill.

Thus, the answer was simply to make the knowledge into one. And with the Towers of Heroes, that was completely possible. Thanks to the skill distributed by the Towers, humanity could now understand the Ascension Project, naturally allowing them to join in on the ritual.

“Step one. Strengthening foresight through the Blessing of Foresight.”

The gathered power from across the planet moved toward the north of Babel, and guided by storming white arrows, it raced forward while merging to become a single stream.

Crackle-

Where one should go, what one should pursue, and the direction of the future that had once seemed unclear—all of it became vividly perceptible through foresight. Even those who had used the Blessing of Foresight previously were experiencing such a sensation for the first time.

The Blessing of Foresight through the Northern Special District was honing the precognitive ability of humanity to the extreme, allowing the seeds they gained to sprout.

[Skill ‘Seed of Ascension (C)’ has been absorbed under ‘Pursuit of Ascension (B)’.]

Humanity’s standard had risen. Moving on, Se-Hoon guided all the power toward the west of Babel.

“Step two. Strengthening the body through the Blessing of the Eternal.”

The power refined once over entered Gehenna, the Western Special District. Within, the black towers erected throughout scattered the Netherworld’s mana, which seeped into the very roots of each strand of power.

Swish-

A chill that soaked through skin and muscle, bones and blood vessels, and even the soul. The humanity of the past would have experienced a horrifying sensation reminiscent of death, but the new generation had already experienced resurrection through the Blessing of the Eternal. They were familiar with the power that preserved the body.

No one resisted the chill sinking into them, entrusting themselves to it. Because of that, they gained immortal bodies poised at the boundary between life and death—and the qualification to once more advance their class.

[Skill ‘Pursuit of Ascension (B)’ has been absorbed under ‘Refinement of Ascension (A)’.]

“Step three. Strengthening consciousness through the Law of Repentance.”

Unlike before, Se-Hoon didn’t need to guide the power stream. It naturally headed towards the Southern Special District, to Paradise.

Woong!

The leaves of the gigantic Divine Tree growing at its center turned golden and fell like blessings to those waiting below, to those wishing fervently for their desires to come true.

They, who struggled with the fear of failure at the start, had learned. The consecutive enhancements had opened their eyes, deepening their understanding of the Ascension Project, and allowed them to gain confidence in themselves.

Woong-

And so, humanity’s strength was once more amplified exponentially in response.

[Skill ‘Refinement of Ascension (A)’ has been absorbed under ‘Awakening to Ascension (S)’.]

“Step four. Strengthening the synesthetic mindscape through the Blessing of the Sacred Lantern.”

The single stream of power split, scattering toward the Eastern Special District.

Fwoosh!

The land, engulfed in flames of five colors, purified the wandering streams of their stray thoughts. Only pure synesthetic mindscapes would be left behind, all of which gathered atop the massive mountain at the center while giving off a dazzling brightness.

[Skill ‘Awakening to Ascension (S)’ has been absorbed under ‘Ascension (S+)’.]

Their arrival at the mountain, having passed through all four Special Districts—the trials Se-Hoon had prepared—meant one thing: they now had both the strength and knowledge needed to challenge ascension.

Of course, not everyone passed through smoothly. That was why, stationed in each region, Se-Hoon’s companions stepped forward to help the lost find their way or struggled.

“Hmm... I think these people should be sent over there.”

“Understood.”

Jake used the power of Premotion to assist Seon-Woo’s observations, showing the path to those unable to see the future.

“It’s been a while since I’ve felt cold like this.”

“It’s been a while since I’ve felt symptoms of anemia.”

“I'd rather just die because this is way too tiresome for me.”

Amir and Meirin used Frost Alchemy and Demonic Blood Art respectively to assist Richard’s necromancy, further strengthening those with weaker bodies.

“Come on, focus! I told you not to think about anything else right now!”

“Please trust us one last time.”

“We ask this of you.”

Luize led the former archbishops of the Pilgrimage Church—including Kamal and Jane—and used Incantation Magic to awaken those whose wishes were wavering.

“...”

“...”

“...I’m bored.”

“Shhhhh. Be quiet.”

The flames created by Sung-Ha and Eun-Ha were refined into the Sacred Lantern by Li Fei and the Vermillion Bird, then scattered like rain over places where the flames had weakened to revive them.

WOONG!

Thanks to Se-Hoon and his companions’ support, not a single person was left behind. And so, one by one, all of humanity attained enlightenment and the qualifications for ascension. Then, when the final one arrived, making the moment the entirety of humanity reached a class comparable to tower conquerors, the magic array trembled violently.

RUMBLE-

All of Babel shook as the light shooting from the Towers of Heroes intensified even further, making nearby space convulse. Looking at it, it was as though space was resisting the radiance that was trying to swallow them.

“Still... not enough.”

Yet Se-Hoon continued to restrain those seeking to ascend, accumulating more and more power. Despite being able to launch the planet toward the summit of the Tower of Heroes immediately—to the place above, where the Golden Ring existed—he didn’t.

“A little more...”

After all, he had yet to see a future where everyone could ascend. Thus Se-Hoon continued to stare up at the heavens, accumulating more and more power which slowly but surely was making Babel rise above the sea.

Eventually, the power Se-Hoon had been suppressing reached its breaking point, converting into a single point in order to break free from him—

“Now!”

A line piercing through the gap between dimensions and touching the Golden Ring had appeared in the sky.

Myers Style Star Sword Technique: Dimensional Severance

Aria—who had already conquered the Tower of Heroes—sent out a slash of sword aura elevated to the domain of Perfect Ones. By drawing both Dawnlight and Primal Unity at the same time, she had been able to use the synesthetic mindscape skill Linked Star Unity to elevate her attack perfectly.

And through the gap she opened, Earth ascended towards the Golden Ring.

RUMBLE!

Everything was swallowed by light; gravity multiplied dozens, then hundreds of times over, crushing the planet with thunderous force—all sound vanished suddenly.

Nothing could be seen anymore. Nothing could be heard. Only the endless sensation of rising upward and the terrifying pressure bearing down on flesh, mind, and soul alike were present.

“Agh!”

Bearing the pressure of ascension head-on at the very front, Se-Hoon clenched his teeth as he continued to increase the acceleration of the planet endlessly along the line that touched the Golden Ring.

However, slowly but surely, the distant Golden Ring that seemed unreachable had finally started drawing closer. Simultaneously, the pressure crushing his entire body faded gradually. Yet strangely, so did the speed of Earth, which had been soaring upward at overwhelming speed.

The first thought would be that the project had failed. Se-Hoon, though, quickly calmed down and realized what was going on.

It’s not actually slowing down...? Does it only feel that way because we’re catching up to the Ring?

The Golden Ring was infinitely expanding at the edge of the universe. Compared to its rate of expansion, there was simply nothing faster. And because the ascending Earth had now reached that speed, everything around it looked frozen in place due to relativity.

Then... has the Ascension Project succeeded?

Ordinarily, moving at the same speed would mean one could never catch up. However, once they entered the same dimension, he could simply leap the remaining gaps with the power of Space and gradually catch up that way.

There shouldn’t be any variables left.... I’ve already fixed the future in place with the powers of Premotion and Perception.

Even if the Golden Ring suddenly tried to interfere now, full ascension could no longer be stopped. In other words, for all intents and purposes, the Ascension project had succeeded.

Realizing that, Se-Hoon let out a sigh of relief and looked around.

The others... don’t seem able to react.

Not a single person was moving, as if time itself had stopped.

But considering that, in the first place, the Ascension Project had been structured around Se-Hoon as the representative of humanity’s wishes, that made sense. Everyone else had simply been pushed into the background.

So this is like a stage meant only for me and the Ring.

Once he established a system to control the Golden Ring and stabilized the planetary environment, everything would return to normal. Thus, no longer particularly worried, Se-Hoon looked up at the Golden Ring drawing ever closer as he prepa—

“So you really came.”

Se-Hoon’s eyes widened, hearing the voice that shouldn’t be possible from behind him. Not believing it, he slowly turned around.

“...!”

There stood the back of an old man, gazing up at the heavens.

“I believed that you, of all people, could pull it off. If I am to be honest, though, even I thought this part would be impossible. Ascending all of humanity is a feat that can never be accomplished by the strength of one person alone.”

“...”

“And yet the fact that you are hearing this voice means your capability has far surpassed even my wildest expectations. I offer you my respect for this grand achievement.”

The old man turned his head and looked at Se-Hoon, making Se-Hoon’s expression shift.

“Chairman...”

But how could Ludwig, who had died in the Garden of the Void, be here? On top of that, he seemed to have been waiting? How did he know about the attempt at the Ascension Project?

Left with far too many questions, Se-Hoon observed Ludwig carefully for more clues and quickly found one answer.

“You’re not the real one.”

“As you have probably already guessed, I am not the real Ludwig Schubert. I am but a projection of the past, sealed away in the Whitespace. Simply put, I cut out a portion of a recording and arranged for it to play when you arrived here.”

“...”

“If I had the time to leave a will, I might have used that method instead... though I can’t say for sure. This projection was left before the final battle began.”

“...How did you know I would come here?” Se-Hoon inadvertently asked, despite knowing the figure was a remnant left behind by the Ludwig of the past, like Baek-Yeon’s will.

A projection, little more than a trace of the past, wouldn’t ever be able to understand his question.

“You were always bound to come here someday.”

And yet, contrary to Se-Hoon’s expectations, Ludwig’s projection met his gaze and answered.

“Your power—the power to return to the past—must have existed to change a tragic future. It is only natural that you would seek and eliminate the source of that tragedy. Inevitably, that meant you would come here.”

What was the true source of every tragedy that existed in the world that Ludwig mentioned? Before the emergence of the Towers of Heroes, many answers might have existed depending on one’s values or beliefs. Unlike the past, however, post-cataclysm humanity had a unanimous one.

“The Golden Ring...”

The origin of the world, the thing that had created both the Towers of Heroes and the Abyss of Demons. That Ring, which scattered blessings and disasters without will of its own, could truly be described as the root of all misfortune.

That was why Ludwig had assumed Se-Hoon, who had suffered so much because of it, would one day arrive before it. And so, he had left behind a projection of the past whose seal would be broken if the Ascension Project ever succeeded.

“Even if you found the Ascension Project research journal, I knew you would carry it out completely differently. You would take help from others, yes, but in the end you would stand as the representative and shoulder the entire burden yourself.”

“...”

Se-Hoon stared blankly. Ludwig’s words were so spot on that it seemed more likely that he had seen the future—or perhaps it wasn’t even a projection but the real man himself. Maybe Ludwig had just pretended to be dead and hidden himself somewhere?

“If my guess is right, there’s no need to be so surprised. Just as you observed me, I too observed you and tried to understand you. I should at least be able to figure out this much. If I’m wrong, just pretend you didn’t hear any of it.”

Hearing that familiar playful tone, Se-Hoon let out a faint chuckle.

“To return to the main point, the Ascension Project was a trace left behind by the past me, born of the desire to resolve the source of all tragedy—just as you have done now. More precisely, it was a trace of failure.”

“...”

“That is why I abandoned it long ago.... Regardless, since you have succeeded and reached this place, I will teach you the true meaning of ascension.”

Ludwig, who had been looking at Se-Hoon, turned once more to gaze at the Golden Ring visible beyond the heavens.

“Before I became a Perfect One, I believed that once I reached the top of the Tower, every trial that had befallen us would end. At the time, I knew nothing, so it was only natural that I would make such a mistake in a way.”

“...”

“With such a misunderstanding, I reached the top. That was when I came to realize the ultimate contradiction contained within this world.”

“The ultimate contradiction...?”

It was a notion Se-Hoon had never heard.

“As you must have come to realize after acquiring your powers, every Perfect One fundamentally pursues ‘infinity.’ They become the laws of the world and, like the Ring itself, infinitely expand their wish—the concept that belongs to them.”

“...”

“But can that truly be called infinity?”

Stretching his hand toward the heavens, Ludwig pointed at the Golden Ring.

“When every force in this world, every law, is trapped within that Ring, how can one call any of it infinite?”

The Golden Ring was the source and container of the universe they knew. Yet, contradictorily, having a container meant that “infinity” couldn’t exist.

“At the top, I understood: the trial imposed on humanity by the Ring was neither climbing the Tower nor erasing the Abyss.”

Ludwig clenched his fist tightly, as if to seize the gold beyond the heavens in the sky above.

“To surpass that Ring barring our way—that golden sky itself—that is the true trial!”

Ludwig’s passion could be heard. The sky he had sought to reach was not the sky as seen from Earth, nor the Golden Ring beyond it. The sky he wished to reach was beyond even the Golden Ring itself—a realm that even Perfect Ones could not see.

“But I lacked the power to overcome that trial. The moment I completed the Tower, that possibility disappeared entirely.”

Letting his fist fall weakly, Ludwig turned back to Se-Hoon.

“But you... if it is you who reached this place through your own power alone, then perhaps you may be able to shatter the Ring and reach the sky beyond.”

“Shatter the Ring...? That...”

“This is not a matter of destroying the world.” Having seemingly expected Se-Hoon would object, Ludwig did not give Se-Hoon much time to talk.“It is a matter of liberating humanity—which possesses infinite potential, yet remains trapped within the Ring and toyed with by it—into the true sky beyond.”

“Liberating...”

“You already know it too, don’t you? That this world would be better off if the Ring did not exist.”

“...”

Se-Hoon could say nothing. He had planned to stop at controlling the Golden Ring through the Ascension Project only because there had been no safe way to destroy it. If there were a way, a safe way....

“If you wish to achieve true ascension, then take my hand. I will pass on to you all the knowledge I did not leave in the research journal.”

Ludwig held out his right hand and waited for an answer.

Staring at Ludwig, who looked so alive that he was finding it hard to believe he was merely a projection of the past, Se-Hoon looked up at the sky and used the powers of Omniscience and Perception to see how the future would be if he shattered the Ring.

“Your plan...” Se-Hoon made a bitter smile. “It can’t be done. If we collide head-on with the Ring, then no matter what we do, there will be casualties.”

Controlling the Golden Ring indirectly versus destroying it through a direct clash—there was no need to say which of the two was more dangerous. No matter how good the result may be, casualties were unavoidable.

And if the Ring is destroyed immediately after that... the Blessing of the Eternal might be affected too, and they may not even be able to resurrect.

Regardless of whether Ludwig was right about the Golden Ring being a trial humanity would one day have to overcome, it was still too early for the humanity of the present.

“...I see. So it turned out that way,” Ludwig said bitterly, with a sigh.

Upon being firmly refused, Ludwig’s projection had faltered. Had he accounted for the possibility of being refused somehow? Curious, Se-Hoon met Ludwig’s gaze.

“Destroyer of Heavens.”

Thud!

A black blade forged from the Void suddenly burst through Se-Hoon’s chest.