Leveling with the Gods

C422

Goo-ong-.

Beyond the immense Demon Energy covering Valhalla Castle, the sky occasionally glimpsed through the windows was dyed red.

Some of the Rankers struggled to breathe and, unnaturally, covered their mouths and breathed.

"What's happening?"

"Could there be a fight outside?"

"Who dares to do this...?"

This place was Asgard.

And among them, it was a place where the High-Rankers of various Great Guilds gathered to unite.

They decided to step out onto the balcony to resolve the situation immediately.

Of course.

Even though no one dared to think of it because of the significance of the red sky.

"Everything will be fine."

A word from Odin filled the audience.

The Rankers who were about to move stopped. And right after Odin's words fell like lightning, the sky's color changed again.

Swooosh-.

Gugugug-.

The Demon Energy pressing down on their bodies disappeared, and the sky turned blue again.

The gazes turned back to Odin.

As if he was watching the situation outside from here. Odin already knew that the fight was over.

"So, may I continue?"

When Odin stepped onto the stage to give a speech, the audience nodded one by one.

A formality.

A greeting for the Rankers from the Great Guilds who had illuminated this place and were scattered throughout the castle.

It was dull, but as the king of a nation, he couldn't help it.

'That guy has started moving too.'

Odin, who casually looked outside with a sidelong glance, nodded his head.

Vishnu and Shiva had met.

Everyone present might think of this place as an occasion for a speech aimed at harmony, but it wasn't.

The historic moment wasn't here but outside, where the red sky extended.

"You're Vishnu from Deva, aren't you?"

When he first met Vishnu.

Mimir, who was traveling with Odin, took his hand and said.

"A half-man."

Odin looked at Mimir as if asking him what he was talking about.

A half-man.

It was a word that could have been disrespectful, but he didn't think that Mimir, who was smarter than anyone in this Tower, would say such a thing without reason.

Or perhaps not.

"I suppose you're like me. Mimir."

Vishnu told his story as he spoke.

Odin, who listened with his ears wide open while hearing his story, was finally able to shake off the doubts he had harbored for a long time.

"...So that's what happened."

Mimir was also surprised. Although he didn't have the ability to see fate like Vishnu due to the Curse of Knowledge, he had been anticipating most of the future events due to his knowledge.

However, even he had not anticipated a story like Vishnu's this time.

"But why is he telling us this story?"

"Someday that moment will come."

"And when it comes?"

"If something goes wrong, you might have to intervene."

What kind of fate would Vishnu have seen back then?

At that time, that conversation seemed more like an omen of a dark future, not just a mere illusion.

At this moment, during the Meeting, Odin felt a sense of unease in his chest, perhaps because of the red sky created by Diablo.

'There hasn't been a single time when this negative hunch has been wrong.'

Normally, the premonitions of a High-Ranker like Odin were dismissed as mere intuitions, but sometimes they were more accurate than objective facts or evidence.

However...

-Beeeeeeeeeh.

He couldn't ignore that creature's bleating.

Odin resumed his speech after a brief pause. Although his mouth kept talking, the thought that crossed his mind didn't easily fade.

And so, the first day of the Meeting passed.

After Odin's speech,

The reception continued as a place for friendship among various Guilds.

Grand General Lee Rangjin, who rarely appeared in crowded places, smiled outwardly but had a bitter expression inside.

'What chaos.'

As the leader of the Celestial Realm, he had faced all kinds of problems over the years.

But undoubtedly, no fight was as difficult as having to put on an expression he didn't want to and say words he didn't feel in front of the people.

He hadn't undergone a trial like this before.

So, he drank expensive wine that he didn't like in front of the Rankers from various guilds.

"Grand General Lee Rangjin."

Someone approached Lee Rangjin and offered him a bottle of clear, strong liquor.

"It's a pleasure to see you again after so long."

A handsome man with black hair and a bright smile.

It had been about a thousand years since he had seen that face.

"Shiva? You've changed a lot."

"One has to take care of their appearance when they're in a place like this."

Shiva laughed merrily as he shook the bottle of liquor.

Lee Rangjin put his glass on the table and took the bottle Shiva offered. It was liquor that the Celestial Generals used to enjoy.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome. You've suffered drinking that tasteless liquor all this time."

"Each floor has its own liquor. Valhalla's wine is excellent too."

Despite his words, Lee Rangjin smiled as he received the bottle from Shiva.

Valhalla's liquor really tasted bland in Lee Rangjin's mouth.

"Ha, it's good to see you enjoy it!"

After enjoying the liquor, Lee Rangjin finally noticed the green-haired man who was with Shiva.

He bore a resemblance to Shiva somewhere, but his gaze and atmosphere were entirely different.

"Who is he?"

"Oh, let me introduce you. This is Vishnu."

"Vishnu?"

Lee Rangjin's eyes lit up.

Vishnu was the leader of the Deva Guild, considered one of the oldest Rankers alongside Odin. Although he hadn't been active for a long time, the Administration had ranked him third in the Ranking, after Odin.

"So, you're associated with a colossal figure."

"Haha, and aren't you a colossus too? You lead the Celestial Realm."

"Well, that's a good thing. Anyway, it's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Lee Rangjin."

"I'm Vishnu."

Vishnu shook the hand Lee Rangjin offered. The hand was as delicate and smooth as that of a small child, and Lee Rangjin looked at Vishnu for a moment, his eyes sparkling.

"It was a pleasure to meet you. I hope to see you often in the future."

Lee Rangjin quickly concluded his greeting and waved the bottle of liquor he held.

"I'll drink this gladly."

"Alright then. See you later."

Shiva nodded to Lee Rangjin and went to greet other Rankers.

As he watched Shiva greet others, the General next to Lee Rangjin muttered:

"He seems much more polite than I had heard."

"Well, who knows, really."

Lee Rangjin looked at the bottle of liquor Shiva had given him.

"Is it sincerity, or is it hypocrisy?"

During the peak of the Meeting,

YuWon hurried back to his lodging.

Hercules, who shared the room with him, hadn't returned yet.

It was understandable.

After all, he was an Olympus prince and was attending the meeting.

'He must be going through a hard time.'

Hercules' uncomfortable expression, who stood next to Zeus, was still fresh in his memory.

At one point, they had a hostile relationship and sought each other to kill. It wasn't surprising that Hercules still harbored deep anger toward Zeus, whom he blamed for the death of his mother, Alcmena.

YuWon lay down on the spacious bed he had chosen.

From his more comfortable position, a dark shadow loomed.

"What's going on?"

Susanoo looked around as soon as he appeared.

There were no enemies in sight, and the lodging seemed safer than any other place.

It was strange to be called upon to bring forth what was once known as the best swordsman in the Tower, in a place like this.

"I have a task for you."

"What?"

"Please, stay by my side for a moment."

"What?"

A look of disgust formed on Susanoo's face.

Had he really been called to give such an absurd order?

Susanoo, one of the most powerful swordsmen in the Tower, was being used as little more than a simple bodyguard.

"Call someone else. I don't want to get involved in something that doesn't fit my position."

"I can't call anyone else."

"Why not?"

"Because, apart from you, I don't fully trust anyone else."

"…What?"

A muffled sound.

Susanoo slightly raised the corners of his lips, returning to his original expression for a moment, before nodding.

"If you ask that way, fine."

Susanoo positioned himself in front of YuWon, looking quite imposing.

YuWon didn't know that a simple compliment could change Susanoo's mind.

'It's surprisingly simple.'

YuWon was confident that, anyway, Susanoo was bound to follow his orders. However, due to the nature of undead summoning, Susanoo was usually more efficient when performing tasks he wanted to do himself.

That's why he had issued the request.

'Well, as long as he does it this way.'

With Susanoo guarding his side, YuWon felt safe enough.

Even if the true entity of Foolish Chaos were to try to attack him, at least for a while, he could rely on Susanoo to protect him.

So YuWon sat on the bed with his eyes open.

Brrring-.

['Eyes of Foreknowledge' is activated]

By using the ability, YuWon experienced a vision entirely different from anything he had seen before.

Initially, the differences were very subtle. Susanoo, who used to roam around YuWon, occasionally looked out of the window.

1 second, 2 seconds, 3 seconds...

The events that would eventually unfold after a short time.

Dozens, even hundreds of possible futures unfolded before YuWon's eyes.

'The important part starts from here.'

YuWon activated his Golden Cinder Eyes ability and, among the countless possibilities presented to him, he selected the ones that seemed most likely and relevant. Among all these options, he chose one in particular.

And what he needed to verify was the "fate" that Vishnu had seen for the next day.

'This is the first time I've seen such a distant future...'

From seconds to minutes, and then to hours in the future, as YuWon began to glimpse events that would occur in the distant future, he began to experience a persistent headache.

A sharp and persistent pain.

Even though his body had been considerably strengthened thanks to the Physical Enhancement Ritual and gaining Divinity by breaking through the Tower's ceiling, seeing the distant future was not an easy task.

'It's not simple.'

However, YuWon comforted himself with the fact that he would eventually master the use of Eyes of Foreknowledge without experiencing these pains.

It wasn't unbearable.

It felt like he was time-traveling.

Although his body was still sitting on the bed, he didn't feel like he was actually there. He navigated the dark, gravity-less universe as the threads of time passed around him.

Night turned into day, and so came the next day, the day when the prominent High-Rankers of the guilds invited by Odin would gather.

'This is...'

The headache intensified.

It became increasingly difficult to endure.

Thus, the many possibilities that had presented themselves earlier began to fade, and only one scene surrounded YuWon.

[Proficiency of 'Eyes of Foreknowledge' increases significantly]

'This is not just a simple possibility.'

After spending a long time using Eyes of Foreknowledge and concentrating intensely, YuWon finally reached a conclusion about what would happen the next day.

Chik!

Finally, the door swung open wide.