Chapter 463
The moment Taesan stepped into the new world, the first thing he felt was an intense ripple of power.
Ruuuuumble…
The world quaked from the clash of forces. Two massive entities were engaged in battle.
“This is a mess.”
On the far side of the planet, the collision of power continued unabated.
At the level of an immortal, even a single being could destroy a world.
Now, with two such beings opposing each other, it was no surprise the world wasn’t in a normal state—but this far exceeded Taesan’s expectations.
The aftershocks of battle shook the ground and distorted the sky. The ripple of overwhelming force blanketed the world, making it nearly impossible for ordinary life to survive.
Taesan suppressed his power.
He sealed off his essence and kept his strength from leaking beyond his physical body.
For now, he intended to scout the world and assess the situation.
Taesan turned his gaze beyond the horizon.
Everything in the world entered his field of vision.
‘Its size is similar to Earth.’
But the number of living beings was extremely low—barely over a billion at best.
The immortals were likely involved in that.
One continent away, he sensed the presence of many mortals.
They were split into three groups.
Two camps facing off against each other.
And a third group far removed from them.
[You have activated [Teleport].]
Space opened, and his body leapt.
Taesan arrived on the opposite side of the continent.
He saw people killing and being killed.
“Waaaaaaaah!”
“Die!”
“For the great Paragup!”
“For Keboruak! Kill the unbelievers and offer their blood to Lord Keboruak!”
Those clad in blue and red armor swung weapons while chanting the names of the ones they served. Madness and blind faith filled their eyes.
[Looks like they’re worshipers of the immortals.]
Hundreds of people stood over corpses, killing one another.
As they slew and were slain, they shouted:
“All for Paragup!”
The intensity of their cries revealed their faith in the immortals. But the glow of that belief felt unnatural.
‘Is it brainwashing?’
The battle was reaching its peak. Taesan crossed his arms and watched silently.
“Hey!”
A voice called from the forest behind him.
“Mister! That place is dangerous! Come this way!”
The one calling out was a small boy who looked to be around fifteen.
The boy waved frantically at Taesan. After watching him for a moment, Taesan walked over. The boy hurriedly pulled him along.
“Do you have a death wish? Why are you just standing there watching those fanatics fight?”
“It looked interesting.”
“Interesting, my ass. Those bastards will drag us off if they catch us.”
The boy grumbled and scanned Taesan up and down.
“Never seen clothes like that… Are you from some other region?”
“From very far away.”
Taesan answered. The boy lowered his voice.
“Anyway, come with me. We need to get away while those crazies are busy killing each other.”
The boy pushed through the forest.
After some time, a group of anxious people waiting in hiding brightened upon seeing the boy.
“Jeratine!”
“Where have you been? We were worried!”
“Sorry. I saw this guy just standing and watching the fight, so I brought him along.”
“…Huh?”
“Someone unfamiliar…”
As one woman observed Taesan, her face turned pale.
“Could he be a follower of those people—”
“No, look at his clothes. They’d never take off the ceremonial armor they cherish more than their lives.”
“Ah…”
Relief returned to her face. A man, who appeared to be the group’s leader, picked up his belongings.
“Well, now that everyone’s here, let’s move. We need to get as far away as possible while the fanatics are killing each other.”
“Yes.”
The group stood with grim expressions. Taesan silently joined them.
‘The two immortals seeking godhood.’
He assessed the situation quickly.
‘Two groups that worship those immortals.’
The ones in blue and red armor.
They were chanting what sounded like the names of the immortals as they fought.
‘And this group, trying to get away from them.’
They despised the combatants, calling them madmen. They clearly didn’t worship the immortals.
“Damn those bastards…”
“How long must we keep wandering…”
Rather, they hated and resented them. Sighs and grumbles filled the air.
“Mister.”
Jeratine approached Taesan with a curious look.
“But, Mister.”
“What.”
“Where did you come from? You weren’t scared at all when you saw the fanatics earlier. Are you planning to join them?”
“No. That’s not my intention.”
People glanced warily at Taesan. Suspicion and caution were in their eyes.
After a moment of thought, Taesan spoke.
“I used to live in a small village deep in the forest.”
“A v-village?”
The group’s faces went wide.
“W-where? There’s still a village not taken over by the fanatics?”
“No. I left because those guys in armor showed up. Something felt off, so I ran.”
“Ah…”
Disappointment quickly spread across their faces.
From their reaction, Taesan realized something important.
‘No proper village or city remains.’
Those who didn’t believe in the immortals were now wandering without any fixed home. Organizing the information, Taesan continued.
“What are those people, anyway?”
“You must’ve really been isolated. If you were still around until recently and didn’t know…”
“Exactly. I don’t understand the situation. Could you explain?”
“Hmm… Where should I even begin…”
“Allow me to explain.”
The man who appeared to be the leader approached Taesan.
“To think there was still a village untouched by the fanatics… That’s unfortunate.”
“What happened?”
The man gave a bitter smile.
“If you’re unfamiliar with the fanatics, I suppose I should start with the history.”
He began explaining.
“I only heard the story myself, so I can’t say it’s entirely accurate. But supposedly, our world wasn’t always like this.”
“What do you mean?”
Ruuuumble…
The clash of power echoed.
The wave of force emitted by the immortals was something no mortal could endure. People flinched and collapsed, gasping in fear.
The man winced and spoke with effort.
“There weren’t thunderous crashes echoing all day like this. The land was fertile, the sky peaceful, and people lived in their homes until old age.”
“Was there really such a world? It’s hard to believe.”
“I can’t say for sure—it’s just what I’ve been told.”
The man turned back to Taesan.
“Then one day, the crashing began, and the world started shaking. Just as people were panicking, two beings appeared in this world.”
[I am Paragup, the one who treads upon the earth. Worship and serve me. Otherwise, you will lose your lives and your souls will suffer.]
[I am Keboruak, master of the skies. Worship and serve me. Otherwise, I’ll see to it that you never die and suffer for eternity.]
Each demanded faith in themselves.
Soon, they began battling one another.
They forced their faith onto the people and punished anyone who didn’t believe.
“Even the royal family became their slaves. Every village and city in this world now belongs to them—mere puppets.”
The man clenched his fist.
His face was full of anger and grief.
“Those of us who don’t believe in them can no longer settle anywhere. We live in hiding, constantly on the run.”
“They sound powerful. Is it really possible to stay hidden from them?”
“At some point, they began focusing on their fight with each other. That’s why we’ve been able to survive.”
The man gave a bitter laugh. After quietly organizing his thoughts, Taesan asked:
“Then why are you running? If the cities still function, doesn’t that mean you could live there? Just pretend to worship them and—”
“No!”
Jeratine shouted. His face was twisted in rage.
“Those things! They’re not gods! They kill people like toys just for not believing in them! Worship them? I’d rather die!”
He poured out intense emotion—pure hatred and fury. The man whispered softly:
“Jeratine lost his parents to them.”
“I see.”
“Some of the people here feel the same way. Even if it means death, they refuse to believe.”
“You said ‘some.’ So there’s another reason.”
“Well, that is the main reason, but…”
The man looked conflicted.
“Some couldn’t endure the hardship and eventually chose to worship them. They claimed it was just a façade and that they’d come back to help us. But most never returned. And those who did… came back looking exactly like the fanatics. Pretending to worship them meant losing oneself. That’s why we continue to wander.”
One by one, the people who had found a place to rest began falling asleep.
Taesan offered to keep watch for them and stepped into a quiet area.
[Have you grasped the situation?]
“Roughly.”
The two immortals were trying to use the lives of this world as stepping stones to become gods.
They forced people to believe in them and killed those who refused.
But coercion had limits. True faith had to come from within. No matter how loudly one cried out in worship, faith born from fear wasn’t enough. They would never attain what they sought.
So they chose brainwashing.
Whether it was a special ability or simply using their immortal rank to crush minds, they forcibly drew out faith from people.
In that way, they expanded their following.
And those who came to believe began attacking others, dragging away unbelievers just like the immortals themselves.
[Such a crude method.]
Akasha spoke quietly.
[But it is also rational. An ordinary immortal cannot reach Transcendence without such shortcuts. Foolish, yes, but not wrong.]
Taesan looked at Akasha.
Her voice was calm. The level of immortality clearly didn’t impress her.
[What will you do, Master?]
“That method doesn’t sit right with me.”
Rumble…
The ground shook. Startled from their sleep, people cursed and groggily laid back down.
“They told me to bring stability. I should do just that. And pick up a few gains while I’m at it.”