Ascension Through Skills-Chapter 434: 85th Floor, The Ashen Lady. Societ Gardenia (2)

The Return to Earth.

This was the seventh occurrence. As soon as the system window appeared, the community erupted in chaos. Players from around the world engaged in heated discussions.

[Oliver Khan (Hard): This time, all the players on Earth are likely to gather together, right?]

[Kim Hwiyeon (Hard): That seems highly probable.]

[Daniel Darmont (Hard): Hmm... I can’t quite grasp how this will play out.]

During the sixth return, players had split into three groups: Europe, America, and Asia. Now, it seemed almost certain that all players would be united this time.

Anxiety and trepidation spread among the players. However, the Asian players were not afraid.

They were confident. Confident in their victory.

[Baek Sanghun (Normal): Taesan is with us!]

[Gulshan Devaya (Normal): As long as Taesan is here, we will win! We cannot lose!]

They chanted Taesan’s name, pouring unwavering trust and devotion into him.

[Oliver Khan (Hard): ...We’ve witnessed your power firsthand, though you didn’t show your full strength then. I wonder if we, too, will come to revere you like they do. It’s hard to imagine.]

[Kang Taesan (Alone): Whether you believe in me or not is entirely up to you.]

Taesan had never demanded faith or devotion.

[Kang Taesan (Alone): But there’s no harm in worship, is there? In fact, it might even benefit humanity.]

[Oliver Khan (Hard): Worshipping you, you mean?]

[Kang Taesan (Alone): Yes.]

In a world brought to the brink of annihilation by the Old Gods, Taesan had become the object of universal faith, ascending as its ruler. The same could happen on Earth.

But faith wasn’t something that could be forced. True belief had to come from the depths of the heart, beyond Taesan’s control.

He shifted the conversation.

[Kang Taesan (Alone): How far has everyone progressed?]

One by one, players began to answer. Korea’s hard mode players had reached the mid-70s. American players were at the early 70s. Players from other regions were at similar levels.

The progress of hard mode players was about what Taesan had anticipated.

The most critical part was the Alone mode players.

[Kang Junho (Alone): I’m in the mid-50s.]

[Amelia Aerin (Alone): I’ve reached the 64th floor.]

[Kamal Hassan (Alone): I’m in the late 40s.]

Other Alone mode players, previously not well-known, also began to speak up.

Overall, they had advanced further than Taesan expected. At this rate, even Alone mode players could become significant assets.

[Kang Taesan (Alone): What happened? You’ve progressed faster than I thought.]

[Kang Junho (Alone): We’ve been sharing information diligently. Plus, my sister’s help was invaluable.]

[Amelia Aerin (Alone): I’ve been carefully analyzing the labyrinth, but she seemed to know the details even better than I did. How did she manage that?]

[Lee Taeyeon (Alone): Hard work. Nothing more.]

Lee Taeyeon posted her progress.

[Lee Taeyeon (Alone): You asked about our floors? I’ve reached the 69th.]

[Amelia Aerin (Alone): ...You’re absurdly fast.]

Amelia grumbled. She had thought no one but Taesan could rival her. Yet, Lee Taeyeon had rapidly caught up and even surpassed her.

Despite this, Amelia felt no hostility or jealousy. Her confidence had already been shattered by Taesan, and she had grown close to Lee Taeyeon through frequent conversations.

Her curiosity, however, remained.

[Amelia Aerin (Alone): Something must have changed, but you won’t tell me what.]

[Lee Taeyeon (Alone): It’s just a difference in mindset. Nothing special.]

[Kang Taesan (Alone): A deep zone? That shouldn’t be an issue for you.]

Taeyeon was more than capable of navigating deep zones without Taesan’s help.

The conversation continued, ranging from floor strategies to methods for acquiring certain skills. Taesan shared detailed explanations and advice.

[Kang Junho (Alone): ...Even hearing it again, it sounds impossible. Is it really attainable?]

[Kang Taesan (Alone): With effort, some of it is achievable. Don’t get too obsessed.]

Lee Taeyeon had managed to acquire rare skills like Guaranteed Hit and Addition. The others had potential, too.

After answering their questions, Taesan closed the community.

He began his preparations for the return. For one, he could take Beldenkia and Diana with him to Earth.

Diana was a powerful ally on the edge of the Boundary. Despite being weakened, Beldenkia was still at a leadership level. Together, they could significantly enhance humanity’s survival chances.

Then there was dark magic.

Taesan, having acquired his own domain within the demonic realm, could create unique dark magic.

Could he share this magic with Earth’s players?

It seemed possible, though he hadn’t tested it yet. If successful, it would undoubtedly be a formidable asset.

‘Now that I think about it...’

The labyrinth was separated by the Old Gods.

While transcendent entities were unaffected, NPCs were likely left stranded. Beldenkia and Diana were probably still in someone else’s labyrinth, unable to fulfill their goals.

‘I should ask Balbabamba about this.’

He decided to investigate later. For now, Taesan knew the Old Gods’ intentions. They would no longer conceal their desires. Their primary target wasn’t Earth—it was him.

And he would prevail against them.

Taesan made his way back to the 85th floor. This time, the quest window finally appeared.

The ghost seemed startled as he read the contents.

[85th Floor Quest Activated.]

[Defeat Societ Gardenia.]

[Reward: Savage Broken Sword.]

[Hidden Reward: ???]

Societ Gardenia.

The Ashen Lady was the target of the floor’s quest.

“Did Balbabamba change this?”

The usual 85th floor was no longer sufficient to challenge Taesan, so the labyrinth’s quest had been altered.

This meant that Societ herself was deemed a fitting opponent for someone of Taesan’s caliber.

[She was a princess of a kingdom,] the ghost muttered.

[One day, for no apparent reason, she drew the ire of a planetary god. Her entire kingdom was cursed. Her father sacrificed himself, begging for his people to be spared, but it was in vain. Every last being, down to the dogs, was slaughtered.]

Transcendents were notoriously capricious. Just as Hamon had tried to annihilate the Bekveseta demons without reason, something similar had likely happened in Societ’s world.

[She survived, thanks to the help of a few loyal subjects. But no one accepted her. Instead, they placed a bounty on her head, hunting her down. Barely clinging to life, she eventually reached the labyrinth. And there, she met me.]

The ghost sighed.

[I pitied her. I felt a sense of kinship. We were both royalty who had lost everything and survived alone. So I helped her, taught her much, and supported her. But...]

“She killed you.”

The one who had first proposed killing the ghost within the guides—the leader of that faction—was none other than Societ Gardenia.

The ghost fell silent.

Taesan moved forward, passing through the corridor. He opened the door and stepped inside.

There, he saw Societ.

She was dancing.

Dressed in a pristine white gown, she waltzed alone. Her movements exuded an undeniable elegance.

Taesan silently observed. Soon, the waltz ended.

Societ turned, a gentle smile on her face. Extending her hand toward the ghost, she looked every bit the princess choosing a partner at a ball.

“Hello, my prince. Would you care to dance?”

[The Ashen Lady, Societ Gardenia, has appeared.]

***

[Sorry, but thanks to someone, I’m stuck in this state. Dancing isn’t exactly an option for me.]

“Is that so? What a shame.”

Societ spoke with genuine regret, her expression tinged with sorrow.

‘She’s twisted.’

Taesan, possessing the Will of All Things, could sense it clearly. Societ’s emotions were a chaotic mess, interwoven with contradictions he couldn’t fully unravel.

Resentment.

Longing.

Regret.

And something else.

[I really was blind. I never imagined you would betray me.]

“You weren’t the only one. Even I didn’t think I would.”

[Why did you betray me?]

The ghost’s voice was sharp.

[You weren’t like the other guides. They were all mad, but you... you were different. You were deeply human.]

The other leaders were all warped in some way. Societ, however, was an exception. That was why the ghost had grown close to her.

[Not to praise myself, but we were rather close, weren’t we?]

“You’re right.”

Societ agreed, a sad smile gracing her lips.

“Our relationship was good. Very good. But, Bardray...”

Her slender finger pointed toward the ghost.

“You never truly understood me.”

[...]

“You see, Bardray. You felt a connection to me. But I never felt the same about you. If anything, I felt distant.”

[What?]

“The connection you felt came from the fact that we were both princes and princesses of ruined kingdoms. But aside from that... we were far too different.”

Societ bit her lip.

“You wanted to restore the fallen kingdom. You even asked me to join you. But I... I never wanted to save the kingdom.”

[Why not?]

“Because I was a cursed child.”

Societ spoke with calm detachment.

“From the moment I was born, I was abandoned by the kingdom. I was born with a power that could not be tolerated. My existence was erased from the kingdom’s records, and my mother, who bore me, was executed. The only reason I survived was the possibility that my power might be useful in war.”

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The ghost’s form trembled. Societ smiled bitterly.

“This is the first you’re hearing of this, isn’t it? Of course. I lied to you. I told you, just like you, I was loved by my kingdom. That even though I was cursed, everyone loved me.”

[That was a lie?]

“When the god trampled the kingdom, it wasn’t my father who offered himself in sacrifice to save his people. No, he dragged me by the hair, threw me off a cliff, and shouted that he would offer me in exchange for their survival. I just altered the story to make it sound better.”

Societ hummed softly.

“The kingdom fell, and I survived. But nothing changed. Every human in the world rejected my existence. I ran and ran, and after endless fleeing, I finally reached the labyrinth. That part, at least, was the truth.”

[...]

After a brief silence, the ghost spoke with a tone of disbelief.

[Why did you lie to me?]

“That’s simple.”

Societ smiled faintly.

“It’s human nature not to want to reveal one’s scars to someone they love.”

The ghost’s form shook violently, far more than before.

Societ watched him with a knowing expression.

“You really didn’t know? I figured as much. Back then, you were consumed by your goals.”

[You... loved me?]

“I love you.”

Societ’s voice trembled with the excitement of a girl experiencing her first love.

“And that hasn’t changed. Even now, the only one who cared for me, worried about me, supported me, and focused solely on me... was you.”

[Then why?]

The ghost spoke, his voice barely steady.

[Why did you kill me?]

“Because you weren’t looking at me.”

Societ’s face turned blank, her voice monotone.

“Your goal was always to restore the fallen world and live with your fiancée. Do you know how unbearable it was for me to sit beside you and listen to her stories while pretending to be supportive?”

She clenched her teeth.

“There was no place for me in your life. Once you cleared the labyrinth, I would have been nothing more than a girl you felt some kinship with. A fleeting memory, forgotten once you found happiness.”

Her face twisted in anguish.

“You, Bardray, are everything to me.”

The girl who had never been loved, who had only known hatred, desperately clung to the one kindness she had ever received.

“I wanted to remain in your heart. To never be forgotten. To become something more than a mere fragment of memory. Something that would define your life. And how could I achieve that?”

[...]

“I know this is twisted. I know it’s wrong.”

Societ smiled faintly.

“But this is my love for you, Bardray.”

***

The ghost said nothing.

It remained silent, unmoving.

“Judging by your lack of response, I’d say I’ve achieved my purpose. You’ll never be able to forget me now. But... this isn’t enough.”

Societ’s lips curled into a twisted smile.

“I want to consume you. To fill you with nothing but me.”

Snap.

Dark energy began to emanate from her body. It was neither demonic magic nor the power of the Old Gods.

It was something entirely different—profound, heavy, and oppressive.

Dressed in her white gown, Societ stood amidst the encroaching darkness.

“I love you. More than anything else in this world. That much, at least, is the absolute truth.”

Rumble.

From the dark energy, corpses began to rise.

Knights and mages, their hollow forms animated by her power, stood ready. Societ’s voice was steady and resolute.

“And so, I’ll fill your existence with nothing but me.”

The undead moved in unison, their hollow eyes glowing with malice, as they surged toward Taesan and the ghost.