Leveling with the Gods

C490

"That face has a lot of history behind it."

Son OhGong once again took out a fruit whose name he didn't know and put it in his mouth.

He stared at YuWon's face and asked perplexedly, "Or is it a face that hides something?"

Although he thought there were no changes in YuWon's expression.

YuWon met the gaze of Son OhGong and Hercules. Even though he had carried the Golden Cinder Eyes for over a thousand years without using its ability, his visual acuity was impressive.

But it wasn't the time to say unnecessary words here.

"Me?"

In response to YuWon's brazen question, Son OhGong opened his eyes and asked, "The one from before."

Fortunately, Son OhGong's question wasn't related to Zeus.

"What was it exactly? Or rather, who was it?"

"Ah, that."

He had already tried to say it even before Son OhGong asked.

"Do you remember the little one I used to carry with me?"

"Danpung? That one with the weird name?"

"Yes."

"...So, it was him?"

The image of Danpung, who used to stick to YuWon's side, came to Son OhGong's mind.

Hercules was also in the same situation.

At first, he was a small figure the size of a palm, a tiny doll. Although he had grown a bit, he still looked about three or four years old at most.

And now, that guy was the one who inhabited YuWon's body a moment ago.

"The one I saw was a bit different."

"In a strict sense, he's a bit different. His appearance, his power, his Name."

"But why?"

"Because Danpung is a part of him."

There wasn't much to say about Azathoth.

YuWon also had to learn more about him.

However, the only certainty was that his existence was like a bomb.

"Are you okay?"

"What?"

"This is not something new, it seems."

YuWon had experienced similar situations several times.

In the fight against Shub-Niggurath and in the battle against Tulzscha, someone else had joined YuWon's body.

Danpung had said it clearly.

It would be dangerous.

He probably referred to this 'danger.'

But.

"Now I know that guy's name."

Even so, something had changed.

"It won't be the same as before."

Name.

Until now, YuWon didn't fully understand the importance of Names.

But now he knew.

He knew the power a Name held.

Where it came from and who granted it.

Once he knew, it was undoubtedly different.

'Azathoth.'

When he first heard that Name through Pandora, YuWon didn't find it so strange.

He was sure he had heard that Name somewhere.

Azathoth, that was the Name Danpung murmured.

'If I could make this Name mine-.'

Azathoth.

Azathoth.

Azathoth...

He repeated it several times in his mind, as Danpung had done.

'We might win this battle.'

For the first time in YuWon's mind, he imagined a battle in which he would emerge victorious.

Tock, tock, tock...

Everyone was asleep.

Hercules remained seated in his place.

Son OhGong, after filling his stomach, fell asleep immediately. The way he snored was so loud that Pandora, who was listening, covered Son OhGong's nostrils with her fingers.

Hercules also needed to rest.

He felt this sense of exhaustion for the first time. Beyond the completely depleted Arcane Power, he felt heavy as if he had consumed a lot of water.

"Everyone is asleep."

Hercules, who was staring at the fire, raised his head upon suddenly hearing a voice.

It was YuWon.

YuWon: "If you have something to say, say it."

Hercules: "What is there to say?"

YuWon: "Zeus."

Hercules's lifeless eyes hesitated at the mention of that name.

Zeus.

That name shook Hercules's inner being.

But...

"I have nothing to say."

As he did before Foolish Chaos, Hercules concealed his thoughts once again.

YuWon, as if he had expected it, clicked his tongue briefly.

"There must be something."

"There's nothing!"

"I've heard about it once, but I'll listen again."

Those words left Hercules speechless.

YuWon already knew how Hercules felt about Zeus. He couldn't deceive him even if he tried.

Hercules let out a long sigh.

"I hate my father."

"I used to hate my father."

Time was the only thing that differed; still, they were the same person.

The following conversation was similar.

"My mother died because of that bastard's plans. How could I feel good about it?"

Hercules's mother, Alcmena.

Zeus never loved her for a single moment.

"My father never loved anyone. Neither my mother nor me."

"Yes. That's why you abandoned him, right? As his son."

"Damn it. You know it well."

An uneasy curse escaped his lips.

Thus, it was the second time he heard a curse from Hercules.

Probably, the reason they used the same curse in the same situation was that there were no words that better represented Hercules's feelings.

"Yes, I did. I abandoned him then. I couldn't forgive him. So we fought."

In Hercules's mind, he recalled the day he fought against Zeus for the first time.

Destruction of Olympus.

On that day, he fought against Zeus with the help of Poseidon, Hades, and Kim YuWon.

When he thought about how he felt in that fight, the current feeling was truly incomprehensible.

On that day, Hercules really intended to kill Zeus.

But he couldn't do it.

It was because of Asgard.

"Afterwards, I tried not to think about it. I had brought down my father with my own hands, so I thought I should stop. That we should become strangers."

Hercules was calling Zeus 'father' again, as he used to.

It was as if nothing had changed.

"But my father kept looking at me. I was created by him. From my birth, I was called the Hero of the Gigantomachy, and I inherited this power."

Craack, craaack-le.

A Lightning Bolt emerged from Hercules' hand.

Normally, aside from his Gigantification, he didn't use special abilities. Although he possessed Arcane Power, he had no affinity, and Hercules was known as the representative of strength in the Tower.

However, Zeus transmitted his Lightning Bolt to him.

That's how Zeus finally completed Hercules.

"Isn't it ridiculous? Calling this 'father.'"

Creating a child to satisfy one's own desires. Zeus showed no consideration for Hercules during that process.

Neither the affection a father should give nor the respect that should be received as a person.

But Zeus and Hercules were different.

"My father didn't love my mother or me. But still..."

Hercules, at a loss for words, lowered his head.

"But it seems my father was my father. From what I see."

Blood ties. Family. Son. Father.

The relationship that begins with birth has a spell that is not easy to break.

Hercules tried to cut it.

In the end, he couldn't.

'Is it good or stupid?'

The Zeus known to the world was clearly a great king.

He established Olympus along with Hades and Poseidon, and he pioneered various regions of the Tower, contributing to ensuring the safety of Players and residents.

But he wasn't a great father.

Although others didn't know it, Hercules had no reason to mourn Zeus's death.

"Still, after saying it, I feel a little better. A little."

"Well then."

"..."

Thud, clank.

Hercules fell silent again.

Both of them stared at the campfire for a while. It would probably take quite some time to calm these complex feelings.

During that time, YuWon thought of staying by Hercules' side.

Drrrrrrr.

The sound of Son OhGong's snoring could be heard from afar.

Far away, Hargan woke up from sleep and complained about Son OhGong's snoring.

After the serious conversation, this comedic situation made YuWon laugh. Hercules also chuckled lightly.

Then, suddenly.

'But something is strange.'

YuWon remembered a fact he had forgotten until now.

He turned his head to look at Son OhGong. Son OhGong still hadn't woken up, even with Pandora holding his nostrils.

‘If Zeus died here, why is he still alive in the future?’

Purple-covered sky.

Under that sky, on the black-tinted earth, Odin's face faintly reflected in a small pond.

"Mimir, that guy..."

With white hair, he grabbed a fishing rod and muttered with displeasure.

"What the hell does he want me to do here looking at this?"

Odin looked at the fishing rod in his hand.

It was a memento from Vishnu, who did not return from the battle against Foolish Chaos.

YuWon had returned to the past half a year ago, and, a month later...

Mimir, who suddenly woke up, asked Odin.

"Where is Vishnu's fishing rod?"

"The fishing rod? Why are you looking for it?"

"Quickly go to a nearby pond with that. Go and fish."

"What are you suddenly talking about?"

"No nonsense..."

Mimir, who had forcibly awakened, fell asleep again.

Had he awakened forcibly in this way?

If he even resisted the Curse of Knowledge, waking up for a moment, he must have had a valid reason.

With that in mind, several months had passed since he arrived at the pond with the fishing rod Vishnu left.

"It's boring."

"So it seems."

Thump!

Suddenly, a figure approached behind Odin.

It was a quite large sound of footsteps. It came closer and sat beside Odin.

It was Hercules.

"How's the fishing going?"

"I don't know. What the hell am I supposed to fish in a pond where not even a fish lives?"

"Even so, others envy you. Is it easy to fish idly in this world?"

"I don't do it because I want to."

"Is that so?"

Hercules picked up a random stone and threw it into the pond.

Although he threw it lightly, the stone bounced several times on the water's surface and sank.

"Kim YuWon went to the past half a year ago."

"Half a year? Has it already been so long since I've only fished here?"

"It seems like time flies when you spend it quietly."

"Really?"

It wasn't a fun conversation at all. Moreover, Hercules wasn't someone who made conversations entertaining.

However, because it had been so long since he talked with someone, even this conversation seemed quite amusing to Odin.

"Son OhGong decided to be the next one."

At Hercules' words, Odin frowned.

"Aren't you the one?"

"That's right."

"That monkey guy is quite unstable."

After YuWon, the next to be sent back to the past.

The candidate was obviously one of Son OhGong or Hercules. Initially, there were three candidates, but now only two remained.

Personally, Odin recommended Hercules. But curiously, Hercules recommended Son OhGong, and the next on the list was decided as Son OhGong.

"He'll be better than me."

"Because you don't have the confidence to fight Zeus when you go back?"

"I don't deny that."

"How cowardly. Ugh."

Odin still seemed displeased with the idea of sending Son OhGong.

Certainly, Son OhGong was strong, but he also had an unpredictable side, like a bomb. Hercules knew that, but he trusted YuWon, who had already gone.

"Anyway, I plan to send Son OhGong as soon as Mimir wakes up. It'll be within a month, so make sure to say goodbye before that."

"Even without that, I've been thinking of stopping fishing in this annoying pond. What could I catch anyway...?"

Plash!

At that moment...

After several months of inactivity, there was a sign that something hooked onto Vishnu's fishing rod.

"Did you catch something?"