Chapter 535

Invitation to the Pantheon.

Taesan stared at the Magician. The Magician began to explain, slowly and evenly.

“You know the balance is broken, right?”

“How could I not?”

The Usurper and Essence had broken the seals the Transcenders used to banish the Old Gods.

As a result, the Old Gods’ energy was slowly encroaching on the universe.

“For now, the Transcenders are gathering to suppress it, but you can’t put a broken glass bottle back together. Their influence will probably keep growing. So… we need to prepare.”

The Magician spoke calmly.

There was only one preparation.

War with the Old Gods.

“I knew they would return someday, but I didn’t expect it to start this soon. Essence… I want to tear him apart and fling him to the far reaches of the universe.”

“I understand the situation, but what does that have to do with me going to the Pantheon?”

“Because you’re involved too.”

The Magician’s reply was short.

There was a troubled look in his eyes as he watched Taesan.

“Most of the Gods of the Labyrinth—including me—like you. You could even say we favor you. We would never be hostile toward you. But… the Gods outside are different.”

It wasn’t new. The God of Death had already been wary of Taesan and tried to kill him. It wouldn’t be strange if other Gods felt the same.

“You are an Irregular, Taesan.”

The Magician pointed at him.

Distorted and twisted—neither a being of this world nor a being of the other side. Something the Transcenders couldn’t properly define.

“The majority of the Gods think you’re on the side of the Old Gods.”

“Me?”

Taesan’s voice was quiet. The Magician shook his head.

“Of course, those of us who’ve watched you think differently. But they don’t. The Transcenders outside are arguing you should be dealt with. As the Rift breaks and the Old Gods try to show themselves, they say we have to deal with internal instability first.”

It wasn’t entirely wrong.

If the Old Gods directly influenced the world, Taesan’s existence would become unstable. Essence—a Transcender—had already betrayed the universe. It was only natural to be suspicious of Taesan, who was even more alien than him.

“It’s going to be a pain.”

“So we’re trying to prevent that.”

The Magician clapped his hands. A door appeared in the air. Beyond it, a brilliantly shining golden aura could be felt.

“If you prove yourself in front of the Gods, they won’t interfere with you anymore.”

“Is that what the Pantheon is for?”

“That’s right. And to be honest… I think we need your help.”

A distorted being.

Taesan could kill the Old Gods and remove the contamination from the world. The Magician didn’t know where the limits of that heterogeneity lay, but he was sure it would help.

“If this goes well, the Transcenders won’t interfere with you either. You’ll be free.”

It wasn’t bad for Taesan.

Eventually, once he left the Labyrinth, he would inevitably clash with the Transcenders. If he could sort it out now, so much the better.

“Okay.”

Taesan nodded. The Magician grinned.

“Good. Then there’s one problem… whether you’re qualified to enter the Pantheon.”

“Is qualification required? When Maria called me before, I went without any problems.”

“That’s because Maria called you—a mortal—to her own temple. This is different. This time, it’s calling you to the Pantheon itself. Anyone unqualified can’t enter.”

The Magician looked at Taesan with an ambiguous expression.

“It would be right to say you’re qualified now.”

“You don’t know either?”

“I don’t know. I can’t read it.”

Like the God of Essence, the God of Magic couldn’t grasp Taesan—where he had reached, and what that realm truly was.

“You have the Divine Power of Physical Force. I guess we can say you’re qualified.”

“Physical Force, huh? That should be enough, but…”

The Magician’s expression turned strange.

The Divine Power of Physical Force itself wasn’t surprising. What Taesan had shown on Earth was a Physical Force even the Magician had never seen before.

It was closer to a Divine Power than Physical Force. It was only natural that Taesan would obtain something related to it.

But Taesan’s ability to dominate the concept of Physical Force was only possible because the Labyrinth’s system existed.

It was fair to say a Transcender had been born from his system.

“Amazing… truly.”

The Magician murmured.

Taesan stepped toward the door. The brilliant gold swallowed him.

He passed through without resistance.

“Is this it?”

And Taesan arrived.

A vast space—darkness filled with dozens, then hundreds of temples.

[The Pantheon welcomes you.]

—

It was different from when he had come at Maria’s invitation. Back then, he had only seen Maria’s temple. Now, he could see the temples of other Gods as well.

“…There are a lot.”

There were many.

Temples spaced at regular intervals—well over dozens, close to a hundred.

All of them were Transcenders who controlled concepts.

And the moment Taesan arrived, he felt their gazes.

Most were filled with wariness and hostility. And murderous intent.

The Transcenders’ direct killing intent washed over Taesan.

That alone was an attack.

An Immortal wouldn’t even be able to resist. They would be trampled to death by sheer status and presence. It was no different for a Faith God. Dozens of high-status beings were projecting typified emotions all at once. Even if someone endured with Divinity, it would be consumed in an instant and crushed.

“Hmph.”

Taesan wasn’t impressed.

The [Immutable Self] covering him didn’t waver.

The killing intent became meaningless the moment it touched him. Taesan muttered calmly.

“It’s brutal.”

“You don’t have to worry too much. The ones already showing their emotions are just the ones who don’t have the right to decide anything about you.”

“…I see.”

The Transcenders projecting killing intent weren’t very strong.

Without comparing them to Maria or Rakiratas, there was still a clear gap even compared to Essence.

Taesan understood what kind of Transcenders they were.

Not ones who controlled a single vast concept—rather, Transcenders who ruled over small, narrow concepts. Those were the ones barking at him now.

“You don’t have to worry about them. Just follow me.”

Taesan walked through the black-and-white space. A massive building stood ahead.

“We have something to take care of right now. Wait a moment. We’ll handle it, then call you again.”

“Should I wait here?”

“For now. It’s a temporary residence made for you. I’ll call you soon.”

“Is this okay?”

Taesan glanced back.

The hostility and killing intent were still there.

The Magician spoke indifferently.

“You don’t have to worry. We don’t intend to make it a problem. If it bothers you, you can handle it yourself. That’s up to you.”

“If that’s the case.”

Taesan nodded.

—

The interior was lavish.

Brilliant walls. Curtains that looked like light itself had been embroidered into them. Sofas soft and springy.

It was the finest room one could imagine.

But there were no chairs.

The moment Taesan noticed, a chair appeared in front of him.

“Oh.”

He was intrigued.

The phenomenon itself wasn’t surprising. It was probably the Divine Power of one of the Gods settled in the Pantheon. A Transcender with creation-related authority wouldn’t be strange.

What intrigued him was that, for an instant, he could grasp the process.

Taesan thought of something, and that thought synchronized with Divine Power—forces and concepts chaining together to create a chair.

He could read it.

‘Where did he reach?’

Taesan sat down. Bardray muttered, trembling.

[I… never thought I’d enter the Pantheon.]

“You’ve been here before, haven’t you?”

When he met Maria, Bardray had been there too. Bardray denied it immediately.

[That wasn’t the Pantheon. We only saw Maria. Even counting Rakiratas later, that makes two. But this… this is the Pantheon in the true sense.]

The gathering place of all Gods in the universe. Bardray’s voice still wouldn’t calm.

[The most important, greatest space in the universe. I never thought I’d come here in my life.]

[I don’t remember coming here either.]

“I told you—only those who are qualified can enter. I don’t even know if I’m qualified.”

It was ambiguous.

The Pantheon had accepted Taesan, but he couldn’t be called a God.

‘I have some time.’

Taesan observed himself again, trying to understand himself.

But it didn’t work.

He could read his own inner self—he knew what he was—but he couldn’t properly judge the realm he had reached.

‘I need an opponent.’

He stopped observing.

The surrounding senses he had blocked off returned.

And with them, Taesan immediately knew.

Someone was approaching.

And that person carried hostility toward him.

‘I remember that presence.’

Taesan opened the door.

A man with a twisted expression stood there—an existence ornately decorated in gold.

[You.]

A gaze full of hostility locked onto Taesan.

[You have encountered Ehilliye, the God of Sword, ornately decorated.]

—

Ehilliye.

He looked human—handsome features, except he was bald.

But everything about him was gold.

Fingertips, eyes, lips—every part of him gleamed with the same color.

Like a fortress made of gold, given human shape.

“It’s been a while.”

Taesan spoke calmly. Ehilliye was a Transcender Taesan had confronted on the battlefield of the Gods—only for him to fail to get what he wanted.

Ehilliye’s face twisted at Taesan’s greeting.

[It’s been a while?]

Anger was packed into the words. The typified emotion pressed down on Taesan.

[How dare a distorted being like you set foot here. You don’t know your place.]

“I didn’t walk in. The Magician invited me.”

[How dare you talk back?]

Anger poured out. Rough momentum swept toward Taesan.

When they had first met, Taesan had felt pressure from Ehilliye.

An absolute power and status—something unreachable, something impossible to resist.

But now—

Taesan stared at Ehilliye.

“You’re annoyed.”

[What?]

“You’re angry and impatient. It’s not just hostility toward me.”

[…How dare you say that.]

“I see.”

Taesan nodded.

“You’re afraid of me.”

On the battlefield of the Gods, Ehilliye had tried to kill Taesan.

It wouldn’t be strange if Taesan sought revenge.

And conflicts between Transcenders were rarely interfered with. Even if Taesan decided to kill Ehilliye, no one would stop him.

That was what Ehilliye feared.

He was afraid Taesan would attack him—so he barked first, like a scared dog.

‘I can read this.’

He could pick up the emotions leaking from a Transcender, little by little.

It was a strange sensation.

Taesan cut off the thought and spoke.

“You don’t have to worry. I’m not interested in you anymore.”

[…You.]

“No. Should I start speaking informally now?”

Taesan’s voice was indifferent.

“I don’t care anymore, so you don’t have to worry about it.”

That incident was too small to matter to Taesan now.

Ehilliye’s face hardened.

Kiiiiing!

Golden swords materialized. Brilliant light began to dye the world.

Ehilliye’s Divine Power aimed at Taesan.

And that fact wasn’t particularly impressive to Taesan.