Ascension Through Skills

The people of Yongin in Easy and Normal Mode seemed somewhat tense.

They refused to converse in a gloomy atmosphere. The only ones who seemed confident were the Hard Mode players.

“…It must be the difference in strength.”

Hard Mode could survive without problems. However, it was not the same for Easy and Normal.

Kim Hwiyeon thought of this difference with a troubled face.

Time passed. After two days, people from other regions began to arrive one by one.

“Sob, sniffle.”

Their number was noticeably low. It was because many died during the journey as there was no one who could cover the entire area alone, like Taesan.

Kim Hwiyeon brought them into Yongin City Hall with a pity-filled face.

Slowly, the vast area was filling up.

Taesan sat lazily on the roof of a building.

He had nothing to do.

There was nothing actively to do for a week until the special quest ended. Going to save people from other areas was also impossible as they were barred from going outside as soon as they arrived at Yongin City Hall.

It meant they had to wait quietly at the city hall for two days.

Taesan, who was idly looking at the ground, saw a dispute in his line of sight.

Lee Taeyeon and Kang Junhyuk were having a verbal fight with those who seemed to be Hard Mode players of Yongin.

When he focused, he could hear their voices.

“What did you say?”

“Are you deaf? I said, don’t act out because you are in Solo Mode.”

“It’s not acting out, it’s just blocking…”

“It IS acting out.”

At Lee Taeyeon’s words, the face of the Hard Mode man twisted.

“How we treat the Easy Mode guys is our freedom, our right. And you guys are trying to stop us?”

“Why is the community so noisy? What’s all the fuss about?”

Kang Junhyuk’s face tightened at the insult.

He tensed the hand holding his sword.

“You guys…”

“What? A kid who still has blood on his mind is rolling his eyeballs where?”

“Stop.”

A blunt voice resonated. The Hard Mode players turned their gaze, and their faces brightened.

Seo Jangsan approached with a scrunched face.

“What’s the commotion?”

“Ah. My king.”

“King?”

Kang Junhyuk frowned. King, huh. It was a word that did not suit modern society, but Seo Jangsan calmly responded.

“Yes. What happened?”

“It’s nothing. They violated the law set by the king.”

“I violated? I was just saying where was the need to…”

Lee Taeyeon stuttered with a mournful face. Seo Jangsan ignored her words and stroked his chin.

“You can’t break the law. Then you have to be punished.”

Seo Jangsan sent a cold gaze towards Lee Taeyeon and Kang Junhyuk. It was a gaze never shown when he was with Kim Hwiyeon.

Kang Taesan felt that gaze was like that of an arrogant king.

After a moment of consideration, Seo Jangsan nodded his head.

“Originally, this would call for capital punishment…”

“Capital punishment?”

Lee Taeyeon let out a sharp cry.

“It was done unknowingly, so we cannot give such severe punishment. So, it will be simple…”

“What are you talking about?”

At the voice coming from behind, Seo Jangsan hastily turned his body.

Taesan was looking at them with a slight smile.

“Can I join in too?”

“Who are you to dare…”

“Stop.”

Seo Jangsan cut off the Hard Mode player, who failed to recognize Taesan’s identity.

Seo Jangsan slowly backed off.

“… It’s nothing. We were just discussing her violation of the law.”

“Law? Who determines that? You?”

Taesan scoffed.

“You might be the owner of this place, but you are not the king. I would prefer it if you didn’t force your laws on us.”

“This!”

At his mocking words, a Hard Mode player moved. He drew his sword and slashed at Taesan. Taesan moved his body with an annoyed face.

“What’s this now?”

“Th, Threat!”

The Hard Mode player did not stop and continued to swing his sword.

His speed was definitely fast. The movement easily transcended human limits, as he had survived in Hard Mode.

But it didn’t even graze Taesan.

Taesan was avoiding everything by merely swaying his body slightly on the spot.

“Wh, What?”

Shock appeared in the eyes of the onlookers. The attacking man was frenzied.

He was moving ever so slightly. And even that movement was at a visibly slow pace.

But his attacks were not landing at all.

Being able to avoid even while moving slowly meant the gap was staggeringly huge.

“Die!”

With a shout filled with rage, the sword was brought down on Taesan’s head.

Taesan reached out and grabbed the sword. The man’s body jerked to a halt.

“Self-defense?”

Taesan clenched his fist. Without using full muscle strength, he swung as slowly and as weakly as possible.

The Hard Mode player flew back as if struck by a cue stick.

[51 damage to Kim Guhwan.]

The stricken Kim Guhwan writhed. Seo Jangsan was involuntarily shocked.

“51?”

Unimaginable damage was displayed to him. Taesan swung his gauntlet and muttered.

“Controlled it well.”

He said with a slight smile.

“Want to continue?”

“…No, never mind.”

Seo Jangsan struggled to hide how disturbed he was.

“I’m sorry. I will make sure he is duly punished for attacking you rashly.”

As he retreated, taking the fallen Hard Mode player with him, Taesan spoke lazily.

“This is the last time for acting up. Next time, it will be death.”

Startled.

Seo Jangsan’s body flinched momentarily.

The Hard Mode player who suddenly rushed was under Seo Jangsan’s influence.

Lee Taeyeon and Kang Junhyeok knew that they were similar to Hard Mode players, but Taesan was an unknown factor.

He had asked Kim Hwiyeon various questions but only heard baseless stories, so it was his intention to ascertain how strong Taesan really was.

Taesan knew this and said he would let it slide this time.

“……Remember this.”

He said, swallowing, and then left.

Kang Junhyeok, who had been quiet, burst out in anger.

“Those trashy guys!”

It was the first time the always smiling, confident Kang Junhyeok showed anger.

“Why are you just listening quietly, Sister!”

“Bu, But I don’t want to fight……”

“They started the fight! What can we do by avoiding that!”

Kang Junhyeok seemed frustrated and was pounding on his chest. Lee Taeyeon bowed her head deeply.

Taesan asked with a smile,

“What happened? Explain to me.”

Kang Junhyeok began to explain with an excited tone.

“We were walking in the park when Sister was cornered by those guys. I didn’t know what was happening, so I was quietly listening, but then they started talking rudely. I couldn’t stand it, so I intervened. Sister, tell me. What was it about?”

“No, it’s nothing……”

Lee Taeyeon slowly explained. As she did, Kang Junhyeok’s face slowly twisted, and by the time she finished, he couldn’t hold back his anger.

“You did the right thing! Why are they acting so righteous!”

Lee Taeyeon’s explanation was as follows.

She was walking in the park when she saw a group of men harassing a woman.

At first, she was scared and didn’t want to intervene, but as things escalated, she hastily stepped in.

She managed to send the woman away, but since then, the men have been pressuring her, claiming she violated the law.

“They said they violated the law? Seo Jangsan, the ‘king’ of this place or whatever, said something similar.”

Kang Junhyeok spat out with a twisted face.

“Brother, isn’t this place strange?”

“Why do you think so?”

“There’s no Solo Mode, fewer Easy or Normal Mode, and everyone is acting strange. At first, I just let it go, but it’s getting more and more annoying.”

“If it’s strange, it’s strange. If not, it’s not. Just rest for now. After the beating, they won’t bother you again.”

“Ah, okay.”

“Th, Thank you. Mr. Taesan.”

Taesan bid them farewell and left them.

Indeed, compared to Lee Taeyeon, Kang Junhyeok was more perceptive.

He went back to the rooftop and looked down again.

After observing for a while,

Someone approached Taesan.

“Brother.”

“What brings you here?”

Junggeun opened his mouth with a bitter smile.

“I heard there was a disturbance earlier.”

“There was something like that.”

“I’m sorry.”

Junggeun spoke with a sorry face.

“There seem to be several Hard Mode players with aggressive tendencies. When I spoke to Jangsan, he said it’s difficult because he can’t control them either.”

From what Taesan saw, it seemed like Seo Jangsan was leading, but Junggeun seemed unaware of this.

“I told them to be careful from now on. It shouldn’t happen again.”

“I don’t really care. It’s not something you need to apologize for.”

“Still, we are both Hard Mode players. It’s not like I don’t know them.”

Most Hard Mode players knew each other. The ones who had a quarrel with Lee Taeyeon this time were also acquaintances of Junggeun. That was why he felt sorry.

Junggeun left with an apologetic face till the end.

Taesan looked down at the ground.

Below, the scenes that Lee Taeyeon described were unfolding.

Hard Mode players harassing and tormenting Easy and Normal Mode players.

It was like a relationship between nobles and slaves.

“It was the same in the previous world.”

[Disturbing.]

There was irritation in the ghost’s tone.

[Just like the Guides of Sin. Base and vulgar beings are everywhere.]

“Aren’t you sorry for comparing them?”

At least the Guides of Sin respected the strong. On the contrary, Seo Jangsan only accepted Hard Mode players, which was even worse.

Hard Mode players. They were the strongest entities, excluding Solo Mode players.

They were varied. Some, like Kim Junggeun, were those who despaired in reality, and some, like Kim Hwiyeon, wanted to save everyone.

And there were those who wanted to seize power.

Claiming they had to lead everyone.

Insisting that only Hard Mode could save the world.

Desiring a return to the medieval ages, where strict discipline and order prevailed, suppressing Easy and Normal players and elevating Hard Mode to the status of nobility.

That was Seo Jangsan.

To such a Seo Jangsan, Solo Mode players were thorns in his side because they, who were stronger than him, negated his plans by simply existing.

He must have wanted to oppress and subdue using numbers. Indeed, in her previous life, Lee Taeyeon obediently submitted. Her nature meant that she didn’t like fights and couldn’t handle all the Hard Mode players alone.

But now, it was impossible for that to happen.

Not just Lee Taeyeon, but Kang Junhyeok and him were also present.

“A stupid act.”

Even without that, Seo Jangsan’s plan was doomed to fail.

Easy and Normal Mode were indeed weaker. Depending on when they cleared, they could never beat a Hard Mode player.

However, that was the story for when they cleared the labyrinth.

Now, the difference between them wasn’t much. Even Easy players could kill Hard players if they risked their lives.

Choi Junghyeok was the proof. Despite being an Easy Mode player, he held power and survived for a long time, longer than Seo Jangsan.

“But he won’t give up.”

[Those guys cling to what they have until the very end.]

Taesan’s information was all from the previous world. The current Seo Jangsan must be full of confidence. He might be thinking of nothing but subjugating Taesan and becoming the leader of the group.

“There won’t be any regrets since I warned him it’s the last time.”

Taesan stood up.

And two days passed.

It was the last day of the quest to gather in Yongin.

Twenty cities in southern Gyeonggi. A total of twenty groups had to arrive, but they didn’t.

Groups that barely survived with mere hundreds.

Or groups not arriving at all.

Groups lucky enough to arrive without much damage due to proximity.

As time went by, the number of arriving groups decreased. On the last day, contrary to their expectations, the number barely exceeded a hundred thousand.

A gloomy atmosphere spread throughout the city hall. They were sad about their friends not arriving and disappointed that all of southern Gyeonggi was just what was there.

But the atmosphere didn’t last long.

A special quest appeared before them, dispassionate and cruel.

[Special Quest Started.] [Choose your king.] [The king can assign roles to people. Following roles have great benefits. There will be disadvantages if you continually disobey the king's orders.] [Killing the king will result in severe penalties.] [Once you have chosen a king, survive.] [Create food and protect your land. Build barricades and block the monsters. Waves will come at regular intervals.] [Survival Period: One Month.] [Rewards: Based on your performance, differential rewards will be given when returning to the labyrinth.] [There are a few cases where you can change the king.] [When changing the king, the one most involved will receive great benefits.]