[Wait a moment. Advanced Magic?]
The ghost was taken aback. Taesan stared blankly at the book in his hand.
[Advanced Magic: The Grimoire of Grand Collapse.]
[A grimoire that possesses advanced magic capable of collapsing matter and space. Only those who have passed the qualifications and trials can wield its power.]
Since entering the Labyrinth, Taesan had encountered many formidable opponents.
Among them, there was only one who could use advanced magic.
"Have you ever seen advanced magic?"
[I have, but... they were all apostles of the God of Magic. The only other being who could wield it was the one you faced, Shayan. He was the first.]
The five demonstrations of destruction that Shayan had wielded.
Taesan was in a much stronger state now than when he had faced Shayan.
Could he perfectly counter that power in his current form?
The answer came swiftly. It was impossible.
If it involved manipulating boundaries, eternal faith, or anything beyond the threshold, he could block or counter it. But if not, it was impossible. Even if he did his utmost to defend, he would inevitably suffer damage.
The value of advanced magic was incomparable to that of intermediate magic.
Now, an opportunity to obtain such power had come to Taesan.
"What do you mean by qualifications?"
[It means exactly what it says.]
The voice resonated. It was not the ghost's voice. A powerful being was revealing its presence through the medium of the book.
"...O God of Magic."
[Greetings, Adventurer.]
"It's been a while."
Taesan quietly paid his respects. It had been quite some time since the God of Magic had spoken directly to him.
The God of Magic accepted Taesan's greeting and continued.
[Advanced magic holds significant meaning for me as well. Not everyone can obtain it. To gain it, one must possess legitimate qualifications.]
"And the qualifications?"
[It's nothing particularly grand. Just that I find it pleasing. That's all.]
Jervand spoke as if it were nothing.
[In that sense, you possess the qualifications. That is why I have opened the pathway for you.]
"Did Shayan also please you?"
The great mage Shayan, who had been a guide of sins, had also wielded advanced magic.
[I did not like his ideology, but he was a child who dedicated everything to magic. If I do not embrace that poor child, who else will?]
The God of Magic valued the passion for magic above all else.
This could be seen in how he granted the talentless Lillis the opportunity to obtain magic by offering tributes.
[Above all, that child unraveled something I had carelessly cast aside long ago with near-mad obsession. It was merely a backdoor. In contrast, you obtain it through legitimate qualifications.]
"So, I must pass a trial for that."
[Advanced magic holds that much value. From there, it approaches more fundamental laws. If you lack the power to control it properly, it will devour you. Once you obtain it, you will understand.]
"What is the content of the trial?"
A trial to learn advanced magic.
There was no reason to delay. Taesan intended to pass the trial immediately.
The God of Magic smiled quietly.
[First, finish what you have to do. You're about to leave this place, right?]
"You know."
The return to Earth was now less than a week away.
[I’m keeping a close watch on it as well. Solve things there. We can talk afterwards.]
"Understood."
[Then, I will be looking forward to it. Perhaps we may meet there.]
With that, the presence of Jervand faded away.
[A madman for magic granting advanced magic to someone who is not even his apostle...]
The ghost muttered. However, it did not seem overly surprised.
Having witnessed numerous events by Taesan's side, the ghost had become so accustomed that it was no longer easily shocked.
Taesan continued to roam the Library of All Things during the remaining time.
He amassed knowledge and gathered information. Occasionally, he tried to interpret the grimoire of advanced magic, but it was as if it were locked away; he could read nothing.
Time passed.
Only a few hours remained until the return.
[Kim Hwi-yeon [Hard]: Huh. Since it’s the sixth time, I should be getting used to it, but I’m still trembling.]
[Geum Jung-geun [Hard]: It’s only natural not to know what to expect. How about you, Jun-hyuk?]
[Kang Jun-hyuk [Alron]: I’m quite used to it. It seems like Lee Tae-yeon is a bit anxious, though.]
[Lee Tae-yeon [Alron]: Ugh, it’s noisy.]
People were quietly soothing each other's anxieties. Taesan asked Kim Hwi-yeon.
[Kang Taesan [Alron]: How did the discussions with other countries go?]
Since there was a high likelihood of meeting other countries again, it was better to exchange information beforehand.
Above all, Taesan himself did not know much about the upcoming return.
There had already been too many changes from his previous life. With those who should have been dead and countries that should have perished still remaining, the memories of his past life were largely useless.
[Kim Hwi-yeon [Hard]: Taesan, that is...]
Kim Hwi-yeon trailed off.
[Kang Taesan [Alron]: It seems things didn't go well.]
[Kim Hwi-yeon [Hard]: No, we did manage to talk. We exchanged some information to a certain extent.]
[Kang Taesan [Alron]: Then what's the problem?]
After a moment of contemplation, Kim Hwi-yeon posted again.
[Kim Hwi-yeon [Hard]: They are distrustful of us.]
The unexpected statement made Taesan pause.
[Kang Taesan [Alron]: Distrustful?]
[Kim Hwi-yeon [Hard]: Yes. And the reason... they say it’s because of you, Taesan.]
[Kang Taesan [Alron]: Because of me?]
[Kim Hwi-yeon [Hard]: I think it would be quicker for you to see it directly in the community rather than me explaining.]
Following Kim Hwi-yeon’s suggestion, Taesan moved to the community. There, players from Korea and India appeared to be engaged in a heated discussion.
[Lee Chae-a [Hard]: So, you’re saying Taesan saved us! He’s our savior! Why do you keep denying it!]
[Gulshan Grover [Hard]: We are not denying it. As you say, Taesan must indeed be extraordinary.]
[Lee Chae-a [Hard]: I know! So...!]
[Gulshan Grover [Hard]: But do not impose that faith upon us. We did not worship a pitiful human like you.]
[Sajid Khan [Hard]: How pathetic it is for humans to worship other humans.]
[Lee Chae-a [Hard]: Wh-what?]
The overall atmosphere of the community was similar. The Korean players spoke of Taesan's greatness, while the players from other countries expressed their aversion. They had one common refrain.
We survived through our own strength and have our own faith.
We did not escape and shift everything onto someone else like you.
"Is that so."
Taesan understood what had happened.
Goshin had focused his power on Taesan.
As a result, players from Korea, China, and Japan had been targeted heavily by Goshin's power.
Consequently, other countries had not received as much of Goshin's power.
Thus, they had the leisure to maintain their beliefs.
The pride of being human could still be preserved.
It didn’t matter. They would learn during this return.
As time flowed, the quest began.
Taesan stepped into the space beyond.
What appeared was a crumbled world and numerous players.
“Oh!”
“Taesan!”
Upon spotting Taesan, they rushed in with exclamations. Bowing their heads, they offered absolute reverence.
A deep, profound faith began to flow into Taesan.
Receiving their worship, Taesan moved.
---
* * *
Kim Hwi-yeon organized the information of the survivors. Since she had roughly categorized it during the previous return, it did not take long.
“Surprisingly, the damage is small, isn’t it?”
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Kim Hwi-yeon murmured with a bright face. The number of deaths while breaking through the labyrinth since the last return was far fewer than she had expected.
“With the blessings of the gods we received, there shouldn't be any deaths as long as we are cautious.”
Taesan said. The blessings they had received from the gods were numerous. They were not insignificant even in Alron mode, let alone in other modes.
“How far have you advanced?”
“We just entered the 70th floor.”
The hard mode players had reached the 70th floor. It was indeed a fast pace. In his previous life, they had barely reached the 40th floor at this time. Now, memories of his past life were not particularly useful.
“However, the difficulty suddenly increases from here. I almost died after advancing carelessly.”
“Take it slow. From there, it’s the real deal.”
“Of course.”
Kim Hwi-yeon nodded.
Taesan then met with Geum Jung-geun, and sought out Lee Tae-yeon and Kang Jun-hyuk.
As Taesan drew his sword, the two raised their weapons in response.
Taesan sparred with them. He refrained from using magic, dark magic, or even held back his swordsmanship as much as possible. He adjusted their stats to be equal
, giving them a fair chance in the duel.
“Gah!”
“Ugh!”
However, they could not even graze the hem of Taesan’s clothes. Kang Jun-hyuk grumbled, dusting himself off.
“We’ve gotten a lot stronger, but we still can't land a hit.”
“You said you were getting close to the late 40s of the 40th floor?”
“Yes. At this rate, we will reach the 50th floor before long.”
The 50th floor.
For a moment, Taesan contemplated what awaited there.
“There will be a village on the 51st floor. A place where the broken-hearted live. It’s fine for a short rest, but be careful not to get lost in it.”
“A place to rest...”
Lee Tae-yeon muttered, sprawled on the ground. Unlike in her previous life, now she should be able to pass through the 51st floor without any issues. She had grown that strong.
As Taesan briefly observed Lee Tae-yeon, he realized something.
‘...What is that?’
Within her, there was a mysterious power.
It was a small force that could only be seen now, having barely surpassed mortality.
It was different from a blessing. It was distinct from divine rewards.
As Taesan briefly examined that power, he could understand.
That was a link.
Something was connected to Lee Tae-yeon.
As Taesan stared at her intensely, Lee Tae-yeon subtly averted her gaze.
“W-What’s wrong? Did something get on me?”
Just as Taesan was about to ask her what it was, a quest window appeared.
---
**[Special Quest Initiated]**
[This quest is a joint quest of the continent.]
[Designated continent: Asia.]
[All players of the designated country must gather in one location. Overcome the hardships encountered while gathering and meet players from other countries.]
[This quest has no time limit.]
[The greater the impact on encounters between players, the more points you will earn when returning to the labyrinth.]
---
* * *
A sudden quest window caused a commotion.
Lee Tae-yeon and Kang Jun-hyuk also looked at the quest window.
“Across Asia? It suddenly got huge!”
“It will take a significant amount of time just to gather. Ah, Taesan, weren’t you going to say something?”
“No.”
Taesan turned his gaze. The power within Lee Tae-yeon was too small to matter. It was not an issue that needed immediate attention.
“Let’s talk later.”
He planned to sort everything out first before checking it properly.
Taesan sought out Kim Hwi-yeon. She was quickly processing the sudden quest window with her mind.
“If it’s the whole of Asia... it’s too much. Ah! If I had known this would happen, I would have talked to more countries!”
There were too many issues to sort out. Kim Hwi-yeon rapidly reviewed the quest details.
And she realized one fact.
“The gathering place is right here?”
She sighed in relief at the fact that there was no need to move to another location. Taesan also checked the contents.
“Then this is it.”
Taesan moved his body, stopping right in front of the sky.
Those who saw Taesan bowed deeply in unison.
As he received their faith, Taesan gathered his strength.
This place was the objective of the quest. There was no need to move elsewhere.
In that case, it would be fine to establish a base here.
Kiiing!
A golden light burst forth into the world.
It enveloped the heavens and the people. The light spread out towards the world, turning heads from afar.
“Oh, oh...”
“Ah...”
People unknowingly knelt. An awe-inspiring feeling, as if witnessing a divine miracle, overtook their entire being.
Taesan unleashed his power. The gold spread from the heavens, creating a realm.
[You have activated the Creation of a Holy Land.]