Leveling Up With Skills - Chapter 309: The Fifth Return, Earth (5)

“Damn it.”

Inside the luxurious tent, Jinryong’s face twisted in frustration.

This wasn’t how his plan was supposed to go. He intended to summon the leaders of Korea and Japan, showcase his overwhelming power, and subjugate them. At the same time, he planned to bring Korea’s strongest individuals to their knees.

He had been confident. He had the power to make it happen.

And it almost worked—until Taesan disrupted his plans.

“…Did that guy also make a contract with a great being?”

Jinryong scowled.

While delving into the labyrinth, a being had approached him.

A being of insatiable greed had proposed a contract to Jinryong.

In exchange for a minor price, he had gained power of an entirely different magnitude.

With that power, he descended further into the labyrinth. Monsters couldn’t stand in his way. Even the so-called Guides, who occasionally appeared, were no match for him.

The leaders of the Guides, upon encountering him, simply clicked their tongues and retreated.

– “A slave. Just leave him be.”

That was all the higher-ups said about him.

“Hmph.”

Jinryong sneered.

To him, their reaction was nothing more than the petty jealousy of those unchosen by the gods.

They were undoubtedly stronger than Jinryong at the time, but he attributed it to their head start in entering the labyrinth, not a deficiency on his part. He believed no one from Earth, much less the labyrinth, could ever rival him.

Even when he heard chatter on the community forums, his opinion didn’t change. Though some humans seemed to have grown powerful, none could possibly reach his level.

But the power Taesan displayed was nothing short of terrifying.

“How dare a lowly human…?”

Jinryong’s lips curled into a grimace. Though he didn’t realize it, the twisted energy within him was beginning to seep out, gradually corrupting his mind.

Jinryong left the tent.

As he gazed upon his domain, every Chinese player who saw him knelt and chanted praises to his majesty.

Jinryong looked upon them with satisfaction.

“Yes.”

I am a god.
I am an absolute being.

Taesan might be strong, but it didn’t matter. He was just a human.

Jinryong turned his attention to his skill.

[Life Devourer]

A skill he had obtained through his contract. It was the ultimate proof of his worth.

He was an Apostle of the Great Being, chosen directly by a god to serve as its right hand.

Taesan might have a contract with a great being as well, but Jinryong was confident that his standing was superior.

At least, that’s what he believed.

No matter how strong Taesan’s power was, Jinryong could overturn it by devouring other players. A satisfied smile spread across his face.

—

“‘A slave,’ huh.”

Meanwhile, a ghostly voice murmured with intrigue.

[A Beast That Craves Life. That’s the one who made a contract with an adventurer from Earth?]

“You know who it is?”

[A beast perpetually starving, devouring the world, consuming all existence to claim overwhelming power and rise to immortality. Yet even then, it couldn’t satisfy its hunger.]

The voice lowered its tone.

[It continues to consume life endlessly, seeking to fill an unfillable void, viewing all mortal beings as mere prey.]

“So, such a creature made a contract with Jinryong.”

The disappearance of the North Korean Hard Mode players, coupled with Jinryong’s unstable power, made it easy to connect the dots.

Although Taesan wanted to confirm his suspicions with force, the quest’s rules prevented direct conflict between players.

For now, he had no choice but to wait.

—

During this time, the Korean and Japanese players observed and analyzed the Chinese players.

Although they refused to speak, their expressions, behavior, and gazes revealed fragments of their thoughts and emotions.

After a day of observation, they noticed something unusual.

The Chinese players were divided into four rigid social classes:
– Slaves: Easy Mode players who performed menial tasks and served others.
– Commoners: Normal Mode players who focused on their own survival but showed disdain toward the slaves.
– Nobles: Hard Mode players who wielded significant authority.
– The Emperor: Jinryong himself.

The hierarchy was strictly enforced. Slaves didn’t dare oppose commoners, and commoners couldn’t resist nobles.

While such stratification wasn’t unheard of—Korea had its own advocates for separating players by difficulty—the level of extremity in China was shocking.

Slaves slept on bare ground, forbidden to create even simple shelters. Those who disobeyed were taken away and never returned.

Similarly, the groups were segregated by mode. Easy Mode players were relegated to the outer areas, where monsters frequently appeared, while Hard Mode players occupied the safe inner zones.

The nobles even mocked the Easy Mode players as they fled from monsters.

Had the Korean and Japanese players not intervened, some might have died.

It was bizarre. Even in stratified systems, perfect segregation was nearly impossible. Families often consisted of members across different modes—some in Hard Mode, others in Easy Mode.

But among the Chinese players, such familial ties seemed nonexistent.

“What is going on here?”

Kim Hwiyeon sighed. Cooperation was necessary, yet the Chinese players showed no willingness to collaborate. The situation was frustrating.

“Let’s eat,” she said, pulling out some corn as it neared mealtime.

The Japanese players, eyes glinting with interest, hesitantly approached.

“Um…”

“Come on over. We have plenty of food to share.”

“Ahaha…”

Eika scratched her head awkwardly as she stepped closer. Her eyes widened at the sight of the vegetables scattered on the ground.

“Wow, look at this…”

She couldn’t suppress her amazement.

“Really… it’s amazing.”

Although preserved food from the labyrinth existed, it was bland and expensive. If a quest showed signs of dragging on, it was difficult to consume such rations freely.

However, the Korean players faced no such food issues.

They had an abundance of fresh vegetables and were eating comfortably. For the Japanese players, who hadn’t had proper meals in a long time, it was enviable.

The Korean players invited their Japanese counterparts to join them.

Thanks to this, the Japanese players, who got to eat fresh vegetables, were overjoyed.

“You called it simplified cultivation? It’s such an incredible skill.”

“Isn’t it?”

Kim Hwiyeon nodded while boiling corn. Their supply was essentially limitless. No matter how long the quest lasted, they wouldn’t go hungry.

“You’re growing it with the seeds we gave you, right?”

“Ah, yes.”

“Take your time growing them. As long as they sprout, it’ll be enough.”

“Thank you so much…”

Eika expressed her heartfelt gratitude.

Sharing a skill like simplified cultivation without asking for anything in return was surprising. But Kim Hwiyeon simply shook her head.

“I just passed it on. I learned it from Taesan.”

“Taesan taught you… What kind of person is he, really?”

“No idea.”

Kim Hwiyeon responded with a wry smile.

Even to them, Taesan’s power remained a complete mystery.

As they slowly began eating, the meal was satisfying despite the lack of seasoning, thanks to the fresh vegetables.

—

While they were eating, Kim Hwiyeon noticed a gaze from afar.

“…Is that a Chinese player?”

“Huh? What are they doing here?”

The Korean and Japanese players had set up camp near Mount Baekdu. The Chinese players, appearing uninterested in associating with them, hadn’t come near.

Yet now, a child-like figure stood at a distance, staring intently at their meal.

“Hey there…”

Kim Hwiyeon started to speak, but the child flinched and stepped back.

However, they didn’t run away.

Instead, their eyes remained fixed on the corn in Kim Hwiyeon’s hand.

“…Let’s finish eating. Leave the area as it is.”

“Huh? Oh, okay.”

The group nodded and left the site.

After they left, the child cautiously approached.

From then on, the child kept returning.

Each time, Kim Hwiyeon finished her meal and left the area untouched.

As the meals continued, the child began to approach closer, until they were within arm’s reach.

“Here. Eat this.”

The child devoured the corn hungrily.

“Th-Thank you…”

It wasn’t until three days later that the child spoke.

It was the first word they’d heard from a Chinese player.

Gradually, the child began to open up. The group learned that the child was an Easy Mode player who had lost their parents.

While stroking the child’s head, Kim Hwiyeon asked,

“Couldn’t you afford food with gold?”

“N-No. I have gold. But slaves are only allowed one meal every two days…”

The child’s words silenced them.

The child continued quietly.

“A-Actually, I’m not supposed to talk to you. It’s His Majesty’s command. If they find out, I’ll…”

The child trembled violently, as if overcome with fear.

Kim Hwiyeon comforted the child gently.

“It’s okay. If anything happens, we’ll protect you.”

The child’s trembling gradually subsided.

With a calm voice, Kim Hwiyeon asked,

“Can you tell us? What happened in China?”

Haltingly, the child began to speak.

—

Jinryong had been a Solo Mode player.

He was talented—not someone who struggled at the entrance to Solo Mode, but one who progressed meaningfully through the labyrinth.

However, he was far from the level of Taesan or Amelia, who possessed overwhelming strength capable of taking on hundreds alone.

He was strong and gifted, but he couldn’t overpower a group of Hard Mode players. Nor did he have the charisma to lead people.

In a massive country like China, he was merely a slightly exceptional Solo Mode player.

“But during the third return, he suddenly came back much stronger.”

Jinryong returned to Earth with power that no one could challenge.

With his overwhelming strength, he began to dominate China.

He killed all the monsters that appeared and mercilessly eradicated anyone who opposed his orders, even going as far as uprooting their families and acquaintances.

China’s regional leaders were no exception. Jinryong killed them all, accusing them of pretending to rule over China.

Some resisted and tried to rise against him.

They all died.

Thus, a reign of blood and terror was established.

Hearing this, the group was shocked. The child continued quietly.

“But… fewer people died because of it.”

Ironically, the presence of someone with overwhelming power reduced the number of deaths caused by internal strife. Even the monsters couldn’t surpass Jinryong’s strength. He singlehandedly stopped entire monster waves, leaving little opportunity for casualties.

An invincible figure who allowed no opposition.

The Chinese players began to revere him.

They believed he was a god, the Incarnation of the Dragon.

“Just like how people revere Taesan,” the child added.

After relaying the story to Taesan, Kim Hwiyeon continued.

Jinryong accepted the people’s faith as a matter of course.

He established a strict hierarchy. Even families were forced to adhere to the rules if they were of different ranks.

Those who resisted or struggled against the system were eliminated by Jinryong himself.

Gradually, people became accustomed to oppressing those of different ranks.

Slaves were no longer treated as human, and even they came to accept this as normal.

A society formed entirely to serve one man.

“I knew it was possible in this world, but…”

After finishing the story, Kim Hwiyeon shivered slightly. She realized that Taesan, too, had the power to create such a system. He had enough strength to enforce it.

However, Taesan entrusted all authority to her and focused entirely on ensuring their survival.

Thanks to China, they once again realized just how selfless Taesan was.

“Hm.”

Taesan quietly summarized what he had heard.

If Jinryong truly made a pact with an immortal being, ordinary players wouldn’t be able to resist.

“So, it’s governance through sheer power?”

Taesan muttered with a detached expression after sending Kim Hwiyeon back.

“It’s nothing special.”

Mind control? Corruption of thought?

He had considered such possibilities, but it turned out to be mere domination through force. To think Jinryong was relying on such shallow power to rule over people.

It wasn’t difficult to grasp what had happened.

Jinryong must have hit a wall while descending in Solo Mode. At that moment, the Beast That Craves Life likely approached him.

Why Jinryong was chosen remained unknown. Understanding the mind of an immortal was no easy task. However, one thing was certain—Jinryong had traded human lives in exchange for power.

‘The Beast That Craves Life.’

And the mixed, chaotic power Jinryong now possessed.

Kim Hwiyeon had said that the North Korean players who went to China were nowhere to be found.

They had likely all been killed by Jinryong. And not just them—many of the dead Chinese players had probably been offered as sacrifices to the immortal being.

“This didn’t happen in the past. Is it because my existence allowed the immortal to intervene?”

The gaze of the gods was fixated on Taesan. Because of this, other nations had avoided the direct influence of the gods.

It wasn’t an exaggeration to call this the perfect situation for a corrupt immortal targeting life to interfere.

“Faith, huh.”

Taesan looked toward Jinryong’s residence in the distance.

As someone who wielded divine power, Taesan could see it—the immense force of faith, driven by the belief of hundreds of millions, converging there.

That faith carried a power far greater than what Taesan received from his followers.

However, the energy of that faith wavered aimlessly. Jinryong was not a vessel capable of accepting such faith.

That faith was a power without a master.

Jinryong was worshipped through sheer force.

If someone stronger than Jinryong were to appear, the object of that worship would inevitably change.

“It might be worth trying.”