Chapter 373

The two cities worshiped Kang Taesan perfectly.

As a result, those who ruled other cities grew anxious. It wasn’t like they had done nothing. They had already investigated Malbre’s movements and sent scouts in advance.

Thanks to that, they had been able to witness the one-sided fight between Taesan and Malbre.

Taesan had defeated the [Red Incarnate] alone.

That meant he was a powerhouse none of them could ever hope to defeat individually.

They were terrified. Someone with that kind of power wouldn’t simply sit still. They believed he would surely crush them and their cities.

But they didn’t want to submit to Taesan either. They had no intention of giving up their positions as rulers.

So they made a decision.

They would form an alliance and take down the tiger known as Taesan.

[Blue Dew], [Martial God], and [Kalleyat] joined forces.

Together, they moved toward the city once ruled by the [Red Incarnate].

“…We heard the rumors, but they were true.”

Upon arriving at Taesan’s city, their expressions twisted. The city was bustling with energy. People’s faces were healthy, and the dwellings looked sturdy.

“Let’s go.”

They entered the city. The citizens shuddered at the sight of them.

“Huh?”

“W-What the…”

As the rulers and officers of the three groups entered simultaneously, the people trembled with fear.

Enjoying the frightened gazes, they went to find Taesan.

“So you’re the one who defeated Malbre?”

The ruler of [Blue Dew] spoke arrogantly as he looked at Taesan.

They surrounded Taesan as if to box him in.

“I have a proposal for you. Join hands with us.”

The ruler of [Blue Dew] said boldly.

He already knew Taesan was strong.

But he believed they were not weak either. With the combined strength of the three factions, they could inflict considerable damage. That was why he was proposing an alliance.

“The two cities you rule—those are yours. We acknowledge that. So don’t interfere with ours.”

They believed Taesan wouldn’t refuse. They thought they had enough power to warrant such terms.

Taesan replied.

“What if I say no?”

The man’s face twisted.

“In that case, unfortunately, we have no choice. Kill him!”

A deafening explosion erupted. The officers of each faction simultaneously charged Taesan, smashing through buildings.

Taesan stared at them blankly.

The people who had been anxiously watching the building where Taesan stood screamed and ducked at the sudden roar. When they looked up, Taesan was already fighting the other factions.

“Die!”

The ruler of [Kalleyat] shouted as he unleashed his power.

At the same time, an invisible force struck Taesan, pushing him backward.

“Hahaha!”

He burst into crazed laughter, swinging his hands roughly. The invisible force continued to press down on Taesan.

‘Is it a power similar to telekinesis?’

An invisible, formless force. It wasn’t magic or black magic. There was no sign of its activation, and it was difficult to read where it was being manifested from.

It was a very unique power. Not only [Kalleyat]’s ruler, but even his officers wielded similar abilities.

“Crush him!”

At the ruler’s command, the officers simultaneously slammed their hands down.

Taesan’s body crashed to the ground. The earth cracked and began to collapse under the pressure.

“Interesting.”

It was quite a unique power. Entertaining to observe.

The ruler of [Blue Dew] also used his power.

In an instant, a sphere of water enveloped Taesan’s face.

His vision was blocked, and his breathing was cut off by the water. Though he shook his head to break free, another sphere formed immediately.

And that wasn’t all. Pillars and walls of water formed around Taesan, trying to restrict his movements.

The ruler of [Martial God] moved in as well. He was fast and powerful. His sword strikes were sharp, and his movements were efficient without waste.

But it wasn’t his own strength.

Watching him closely, Taesan realized something was clinging to his entire body, forcibly optimizing his movements.

The other officers had unique powers as well. Observing them, Taesan understood why.

There wasn’t just one god who had scattered [Divinity] in this world.

Several gods had bestowed their power upon this world to protect it. Depending on which god’s [Divinity] one received, the resulting abilities varied.

‘If I had Divinity, I wonder what kind of ability I would gain?’

He was curious. Right now, it was impossible, but if enough time passed and he fully acquired [Divinity], he too might be able to wield it like they did.

“Ah, aaah!”

Those watching cried out in despair.

To them, it seemed Taesan was being overwhelmed and constantly pushed back.

They shut their eyes and desperately prayed.

The ruler of [Kalleyat] bared his teeth.

‘We can win!’

Even though they had never trained to coordinate as a group, their synchronization was flawless. The euphoria of glimpsing a higher plane of power consumed him.

They pressured Taesan even faster and harder.

At that moment, the formless power violently gripped Taesan. The ruler of [Kalleyat] shouted.

“Kill him!”

As if this were their chance, they all charged in. The ruler of [Kalleyat] too dashed in with a formless blade.

Taesan nodded.

“Not bad.”

They were quite strong.

From his perspective, they were merely scraps, yet they wielded that power with near perfection.

They must have fought desperately.

Endured bone-crushing hardships. Won countless life-threatening battles, and sometimes gambled everything on a sliver of luck.

Such power could not be earned otherwise. Though they were merciless tyrants, the effort and struggle in their movements were real.

But overwhelming power had a way of crushing all of that.

As they reached striking distance, Taesan flicked his hand.

[You have activated Marbas’s Pitch-black Wave.]

Darkness instantly engulfed them.

“…Huh?”

The ruler of [Kalleyat] opened his eyes.

“Ah, ah…?”

He blankly rose to his feet and looked around.

Everything around him had been destroyed.

“Everyone…”

There was no one.

The officers who had followed him with absolute faith were nowhere to be found. The only ones visible were the rulers of [Blue Dew] and [Martial God], who shared his dazed expression.

“What the… What happened…”

“You’re alive?”

A voice echoed.

“I didn’t even open a proper passage, so I didn’t expect you to survive. You’re more useful than I thought.”

Taesan was looking at him with a calm face.

Only upon seeing that face did the ruler of [Kalleyat] recall what had happened.

His power had restrained Taesan, and they had believed it was their chance. Everyone had charged in together. He, too, had tried to pierce Taesan’s chest with a formless sword.

The moment they closed the distance, Taesan had lightly flicked his hand.

Darkness had manifested in that instant.

Seeing that darkness had given the ruler of [Kalleyat] goosebumps. Terrified, he had wrapped his body in formless power.

And then he had lost consciousness.

When he came to, everything was already buried in darkness.

“…What the hell!”

He swung his hand roughly. The power he spewed out in denial carried all the strength he had left.

Taesan neither dodged nor blocked it.

He simply flicked his finger lightly.

That alone nullified the attack.

“You were decent. I’ll make it painless.”

Step.

Taesan stepped forward.

Panicking, the man tried to unleash more power.

His force struck Taesan’s body—and disappeared without a trace.

He tried to flee, unable to withstand it. But his body didn’t move.

“Move! I said move!”

“You won’t be able to move in that state.”

“W-What…?”

After struggling for a long time, the ruler of [Kalleyat] finally realized his body wasn’t moving.

His lower half was buried in darkness, and the sensation in it had vanished.

He wasn’t the only one. The rulers of the other surviving factions were the same. They were all dying.

“Ah… aaaaah…”

Only then did he realize.

The enemy hadn’t failed to respond to their attacks—he had deemed them unworthy of response.

They hadn’t realized that, and had foolishly believed they could win.

He no longer resisted.

Taesan effortlessly finished them off.

“O-Ooooooooh!”

Only then did the people, grasping the situation, erupt into cheers. They wept and praised Taesan.

“Savior!”

Those they had thought of as monsters—who had oppressed and toyed with them—had been helplessly slaughtered at Taesan’s hands.

The tyrannical groups that had ruled through fear were completely annihilated.

People cried out Taesan’s name.

“Ooh!”

“God!”

No one called Taesan a messenger of the gods anymore. No one called him a savior either.

They called him a god.

They believed he was a god who had personally descended to save them.

After wrapping up the situation, Taesan moved.

Countless people followed behind him.

He traveled to the remaining city. There, he set up [makeshift cultivation] for food and built shelters.

At first, the people distrusted him. But the followers who came with Taesan showed fervent belief, and Taesan never demanded anything in return—so the people soon began to worship him.

Now, more than half of the survivors in this world worshiped Taesan.

“Hmm?”

In that moment, Taesan felt it.

Something had changed in the faith flowing into him.

“What is this?”

It was hard to describe. But whether it was influence, or presence, something had definitely shifted.

He couldn’t yet define it clearly.

Perhaps once he resolved the other two cities, he would understand.

Taesan addressed the issues in the last two cities as well. He provided food and created shelters.

Now, every person in the five cities worshiped Taesan.

All survivors worshiped him as a god.

“Huh?”

At that moment, Taesan could sense it.

The faith gathering toward him had qualitatively changed.

[You possess rightful qualification. You have obtained the concept skill [Master of Faith].]

[Your Divinity proficiency has increased by 3%.]

* * *

“Hm?”

Minerva, walking beside Taesan, widened her eyes. The ghost froze as well.

“Master?”

[Uh… you’re different somehow.]

Even before they said anything, Taesan could feel it too.

A strange sensation ruled his entire body. It was an utterly unfamiliar and mysterious feeling he had never experienced before.

“You suddenly feel incredibly distant.”

Minerva muttered with a blank face. She meant it literally. Though Taesan stood beside her, he felt as though he were in a different dimension altogether.

Taesan opened his skill window.

[Concept Skill: Master of Faith]
[Proficiency: 1%]
[One who is worshipped by all people of a single world.]

It was a very simple description. Taesan raised his hand and willed his intent.

In that moment, the flow of air changed.

Even Minerva, the [Spirit King], could only purify an area the size of a city because of the pollution devouring the earth.

That limitation on the ruler of nature was a testament to how corrupted the planet was.

“W-What…”

Minerva was stunned.

The air was being purified.

The pollution caused by the [Old gods] was vanishing, and countless plants turned green along with the air.

The people realized they could breathe far more comfortably than before.

“…What is this?”

The purification itself wasn’t that impressive.

Taesan already had enough influence over nature that he could purify small areas.

But this time, it wasn’t just the city that was purified.

The purified air spread beyond the city and across the entire world.

Taesan realized it.

He had become the god of this planet.