Chapter 383
[Wait. Advanced magic?]
The ghost was startled. Taesan quietly stared at the book in his hand.
[Advanced Magic: Grimoire of Great Collapse]
[A grimoire containing the advanced magic, Great Collapse, which disintegrates matter and space. Only those who pass the required qualifications and trials can wield its power.]
Since entering the labyrinth, Taesan had met many powerful beings.
Among them, only one had ever used advanced magic.
“Have you ever seen advanced magic?”
[I have… but they were all apostles of the God of Magic. Outside of that, the only one who used it was that guy, Shayan, whom you fought.]
Shayan’s five demonstrations of ruin.
Even though Taesan had grown far stronger since then…
Could he now completely counter that power?
The answer came quickly. No—he couldn’t.
With abilities like [Boundary Line], [Eternal and Undying Faith], or [Beyond the Boundary], he might be able to block or retaliate. But without them, it was impossible. Even with everything he had, the damage would be unavoidable.
The value of advanced magic was incomparable to intermediate spells.
And now, Taesan had the chance to obtain that kind of power.
“What do you mean by qualification?”
[Just what the word means.]
A voice echoed. It wasn’t the ghost’s. A powerful presence revealed itself through the book.
“…God of Magic.”
[Hello, adventurer.]
“It’s been a while.”
Taesan respectfully greeted him. It had been some time since the God of Magic last spoke to him directly.
The God accepted his greeting and continued.
[Advanced magic holds great meaning for even me. It’s not something just anyone can obtain. You need to be properly qualified.]
“Qualified, as in…”
[It’s nothing grand. Just this—whether I like you or not.]
Zervand spoke as if it were trivial.
[In that regard, you’re qualified. That’s why I opened the passage for you.]
“Did you like Shayan as well?”
Shayan, the Grand Magician and Guide of Sin, had also wielded advanced magic.
[His ideology didn’t suit me, but… he was a child who devoted everything to magic. If I didn’t shelter such a pitiful child, who would?]
What the God of Magic valued most was a pure desire for magic.
It was evident from how he gave Lilith—who lacked talent—a chance to obtain magic through tribute.
[More than anything, that child unraveled something I once left behind out of boredom—through something close to madness. A shortcut, really. But in your case, you’re earning it properly.]
“So I have to pass a trial for it.”
[Advanced means it’s worth that much. From there, it leans closer to the fundamental laws. Without proper control, it will consume you. You’ll understand if you obtain it.]
“What’s the nature of the trial?”
A trial to acquire advanced magic.
There was no reason to hesitate. Taesan was already planning to take it.
The God of Magic chuckled quietly.
[Take care of what you need to first. You’ll be leaving here soon, right?]
“You know about that.”
Only a few days remained before the return to Earth.
[I’m watching with interest. Settle things there first. We’ll talk afterward.]
“Understood.”
[Then I’ll be looking forward to it. Maybe we’ll even meet over there.]
With that, Zervand’s presence disappeared.
[Even a maniac of magic is granting advanced magic to someone who isn’t his apostle…]
The ghost muttered, but didn’t seem too surprised.
Having seen countless events unfold at Taesan’s side, the ghost had grown numb—no longer shocked by anything.
Taesan continued to roam the Library of All Things in the time remaining.
He accumulated knowledge and gathered information. He tried to analyze the [Grimoire of Great Collapse] in his spare time, but it was locked—like a sealed artifact—and he couldn’t read a thing.
Time passed.
And now only a few hours remained until the return.
[Kim Hwiyeon [Hard] : Whew. This is the sixth time, so I should be used to it… but I’m still nervous.]
[Geum Jung-geun [Hard] : That’s only natural. We never know what to expect. How’s Junhyuk?]
[Kang Jun-hyuk [Solo] : I’m good. Used to it by now. But Taeyeon-noona seems a bit uneasy.]
[Lee Taeyeon [Solo] : Ugh. Shut up.]
Everyone was quietly trying to calm each other’s nerves. Taesan asked Kim Hwiyeon:
[Kang Taesan [Solo] : How did things go with the other countries?]
Since it was likely they’d encounter other nations again like last time, it was better to establish contact and exchange information early.
Most of all, Taesan himself didn’t know much about this return.
Too many things had changed compared to his previous life. People who should’ve died were alive, and nations that should’ve fallen still stood. His past memories were now largely useless.
[Kim Hwiyeon [Hard] : Taesan… about that…]
Kim Hwiyeon trailed off.
[Kang Taesan [Solo] : Sounds like it didn’t go well.]
[Kim Hwiyeon [Hard] : No, we did talk. We even shared a fair amount of information.]
[Kang Taesan [Solo] : Then what’s the problem?]
After a moment of hesitation, Kim Hwiyeon replied.
[Kim Hwiyeon [Hard] : They don’t trust us.]
Taesan froze at the unexpected statement.
[Kang Taesan [Solo] : Don’t trust us?]
[Kim Hwiyeon [Hard] : Yes. And the reason is… they say it’s because of you.]
[Kang Taesan [Solo] : Because of me?]
[Kim Hwiyeon [Hard] : I think it’d be faster if you saw it for yourself in the community.]
Following her suggestion, Taesan entered the community. There, Korean players and what appeared to be Indian players were actively arguing.
[Lee Chaea [Hard] : I’m telling you, Taesan saved us! He’s a savior! Why do you keep denying that?!]
[Gulsan Grovehard : It’s not that I deny it. As you say, this Taesan fellow must be impressive.]
[Lee Chaea [Hard] : Then you admit it! So—]
[Gulsan Grovehard : But don’t force that faith onto us. We don’t grovel and worship another human like you do.]
[Sajid Khan [Hard] : Humans worshipping another human… pitiful.]
[Lee Chaea [Hard] : W-What?!]
The overall tone of the community was the same. Korean players were speaking of Taesan’s greatness, while players from other countries voiced their discomfort. They all echoed the same sentiment:
They survived through their own strength and their own faith.
They didn’t abandon everything and rely on someone else.
“So that’s what it is.”
Taesan understood what had happened.
The Old Gods had concentrated their power on him.
As a result, players from Korea, China, and Japan bore the brunt of the Old Gods’ assault.
And so, other countries weren’t hit as hard.
That gave them breathing room.
Room to hold onto what they believed in.
Room to maintain their human pride.
It didn’t matter. They would learn during this return, too.
Time passed, and the quest began.
Taesan stepped into the space beyond.
What he saw was a ruined land and countless players.
“Ooh!”
“It’s Taesan!”
Upon spotting him, they rushed toward him with cries of awe, bowing their heads in worship.
A deep, powerful faith flowed into Taesan.
Receiving their reverence, Taesan moved.
—
Kim Hwiyeon organized data on the survivors. Since a rough list had been made during the previous return, it didn’t take long.
“The casualties are smaller than I expected.”
She murmured with a bright expression. Since the last return, not many had died while progressing through the labyrinth. Far fewer than she had anticipated.
“They received many divine blessings. As long as they’re cautious, there’s little reason to die.”
Taesan replied. The blessings they received were considerable. Even in [Solo Mode], they were powerful—so in other modes, they were even more valuable.
“How far have you gotten?”
“We just reached the 70th floor.”
The [Hard Mode] players had entered the 70th floor. It was impressive progress. In his past life, they had barely reached the 40th floor by this time. His memories from that life were no longer very useful.
“But the difficulty suddenly spikes from here. I almost died after pushing ahead carelessly.”
“Take it slow. That’s where the real trial begins.”
“Of course.”
Kim Hwiyeon nodded.
Taesan also spoke with Geum Jung-geun and sought out Lee Taeyeon and Kang Jun-hyuk.
When Taesan drew his sword, the two responded in kind with their own weapons.
Taesan sparred with them. He used no magic or [Black Magic] and suppressed his swordsmanship as much as possible. He also matched their [stats], making it a fair fight.
“Kyaa!”
“Gah!”
Even so, neither of them could so much as graze Taesan’s clothing. Kang Jun-hyuk dusted himself off with a groan.
“We’ve gotten a lot stronger, but we can’t even touch you.”
“You two are in the upper 40s now, right?”
“Yes. At this pace, we’ll reach the 50th floor soon.”
The 50th floor.
Taesan thought briefly about what was there, then spoke.
“There’s a village on the 51st floor. It’s a place where those who’ve lost heart dwell. It’s a good place to rest—but don’t get trapped in it.”
“R-Resting place…”
Lee Taeyeon muttered from the floor. In her past life, it might’ve been different—but now, she should have no trouble passing the 51st floor. She had grown that strong.
As Taesan observed her, he suddenly realized—
‘…What’s that?’
Inside her was a mysterious power.
It was faint—only now visible to him after transcending mortality in a limited sense.
It wasn’t a [blessing]. Nor was it a reward from a god.
After studying it for a moment, Taesan understood.
It was a [link].
Something was connected to Lee Taeyeon.
As Taesan stared at her, she averted her gaze.
“W-Why are you looking at me like that? Do I have something on my face?”
Just as he was about to ask her what it was, a quest window appeared.
[Special Quest Started]
[This is a Continental Joint Quest.]
[Designated Continent: Asia.]
[All players from designated countries must gather in one location. Overcome the hardships encountered during the journey and meet with players from other nations.]
[This quest has no time limit.]
[The greater your influence during the encounter, the more points you will receive upon returning to the labyrinth.]
*
*
The sudden quest window caused a commotion.
Lee Taeyeon and Kang Jun-hyuk also checked the quest details.
“The entire continent of Asia? That’s a massive area.”
“Just gathering will take forever. Ah, Taesan—weren’t you about to say something?”
“Forget it.”
Taesan looked away. The power inside Lee Taeyeon was far too small to worry about now. It wasn’t an immediate concern.
“I’ll talk to you later.”
He planned to sort things out and confirm everything properly afterward.
Taesan found Kim Hwiyeon. She was already analyzing the quest window that had appeared.
“All of Asia… That’s way too many people. Ugh! If I had known, I would’ve contacted more countries!”
There were too many issues to organize.
Kim Hwiyeon quickly reviewed the quest.
And she discovered one important detail.
“The gathering point is here?”
Relieved that they didn’t need to relocate, she let out a sigh. Taesan confirmed it as well.
“Looks like it.”
Taesan moved and stood at the very front of the devastated landscape. Upon seeing him, everyone bowed at once.
Receiving their faith, Taesan gathered power.
This was the target location of the quest. There was no need to go elsewhere.
In that case, making this place their base wouldn’t be a problem.
Screeeech!
Golden light radiated into the world.
It enveloped the ruins and covered the people. Even those far away turned their heads as the light spread outward.
“O-Oh…”
“A-Ah…”
People instinctively fell to their knees. A sense of reverence, as if witnessing a divine miracle with their own eyes, overtook them.
Taesan unleashed his power. Gold radiated outward from the ruins, forming a [domain].
[You have activated Sanctuary Creation.]
