Leveling with the Gods

C462

YuWon followed Odin. Pandora lived alone in a mansion that was surprisingly spacious, even for her, who used to live alone.

There was something astonishing that Odin mentioned. But why was there something like this here?

"It was Zeus who brought it. It was after you disappeared."

Was fate approaching? Odin began to speak.

"You know it too. Who is Zeus? Do you really think he gave this mansion to Pandora because he felt guilty for what he did to her?"

Now that I think about it, it's true.

Who is Zeus? If he really felt guilty, he wouldn't have done what he did to Pandora in the first place.

So, why?

The answer didn't take long to come.

"To protect her."

"Your intellect is still impressive."

An affirmative answer.

Pandora was a prominent High-Ranker in Olympus. If her position and power were set aside, her military strength was comparable, or even superior, to Hades.

By giving something to Pandora, it could disguise as a common mansion, or, on the other hand, it could make Pandora protect it.

"How important is that?"

"If you look at the item alone, it's surprising but not that astonishing. It's not as good as my Gungnir or the ring you have."

"But..."

"The important thing is 'where' it comes from."

Where?

Even YuWon couldn't easily guess this time. Although many items passed through his mind, none seemed to fit with what Odin was saying.

In the end, there was only one way to find out: see it with his own eyes.

Kiiing-.

The door leading to the basement of the mansion opened. When the door opened for the first time, the first thing he perceived was a pungent aroma that pricked his nose.

'A hallucinogen?'

A hallucinogenic drug that alters vision and affects the senses. And, as if that wasn't enough, all around the door were magical circles that seemed to be created by Odin.

"You did it loudly."

Zzzip-.

A black light burst from the Uranus Heart that YuWon held in his hand. It cut through the illusory scent and the magical circles.

Huuung-.

The view inside was revealed.

"...It was built robustly."

Gray walls. They were entirely made of mithril, and this alone seemed to be one of the strongest fortresses in the entire Tower.

It was as if he had crossed a portal and arrived in another world.

"They say it was originally the prison that imprisoned Pandora."

"So, this is why..."

In YuWon's view, scratched marks appeared everywhere on the walls.

They were nail marks that had scraped something. From the look of the marks, it seemed she had been tied to something.

Of course, for a High-Ranker like Pandora, breaking a mithril wall would be nothing difficult.

That meant...

'They probably took additional measures so that she couldn't use her strength.'

YuWon glanced at Pandora, who was glued to his back.

Tremble, tremble~

That woman who had said she would kill Zeus even if he were in front of her was now trembling.

She probably had been trapped here for quite some time.

'Trapping Pandora in a place like this...'

He didn't know if Zeus knew it or not, but...

'He's still trash.'

Although it seemed he had changed a bit, Zeus always showed his trash side when he needed to.

He didn't care about the means or the method, as long as he achieved his goal.

Of course, that was what YuWon knew to be "typical of Zeus."

"If you feel uncomfortable, go out for a bit."

--Clack! --

Upon hearing that, Pandora grabbed YuWon's clothes even tighter.

Did she not want to let him go?

"I'm not going anywhere. I'll be back after finishing the matter, so..."

"If you go in, you won't be able to come out."

It was a statement that was probably based on experience. Indeed, Pandora must have been trapped here for thousands of years.

So, the current concern was not unfounded.

But...

"Don't worry."

YuWon raised his head and released her hand.

"I'm stronger than you, and there's someone even stronger by my side."

With the phrase "someone even stronger," YuWon pointed to Odin.

So, after a brief moment of hesitation, Pandora nodded. In the moment he thought Pandora would fall, she took one step further into the room.

Clack-.

"Oh-."

Odin slightly admired Pandora's actions.

"Certainly, these days people are bold."

"Do you already feel old?"

"Yes, I've aged, but only I can say it, not you."

Thus, the brief commotion passed.

Finally, YuWon entered the room along with Pandora.

A quite spacious room, about 40 square meters.

And in the middle of the room floated a sword.

It wasn't difficult to figure out what that "item" Odin mentioned was, as the only thing in the room was that sword.

"Is that it?"

It was a somehow familiar sword.

A long sword with a black blade and a crescent moon-shaped rounded hilt. Beside it floated the sword's sheath, which had nothing extraordinary in its appearance.

It was the design that Hephaestus used to use frequently.

"It looks like it was made by Uncle Hephaestus."

Could it be something that Hephaestus sent?

If that were the case, it would undoubtedly be a valuable item. Hephaestus put his heart and soul into every item he created, and his items were considered treasures.

However...

"Sorry, but I don't think this is an item worth causing all this commotion for."

"Take a closer look. Only you can recognize it."

"Only me...?"

When he demanded a visual explanation, Odin shrugged.

It was more of a reaction suggesting to see directly rather than listening.

"Definitely, it would be better to see it directly."

Somehow, he didn't know why Odin was so surprised by that weapon.

Since it was a sword, it would be much easier to understand the identity of the item by holding it, at least to some extent.

Step by step, YuWon approached the sword.

Although Pandora tried to follow him closely, Odin blocked her path with his arm.

"Wait a moment."

A gesture indicating that she couldn't pass.

Just one hand blocking the way wasn't enough to prevent passage. But that was just the beginning.

Pandora knew how much she differed from Odin, who stood in front of her.

If she tried to cross the line he had created, Odin would dominate her immediately.

Finally, biting her lips, she had to settle for watching YuWon's back as he walked away.

Unnoticed, YuWon had already reached the center of the room where the sword floated.

Whether from afar or up close, there wasn't much difference in appearance. At this distance, he couldn't see anything he couldn't see before.

However, he was confident.

'It definitely looks familiar.'

This item was one he knew. However, there are many other items with similar designs from the same manufacturer.

But even if he already knew the item, there wasn't enough reason for Odin to bring it so hastily.

'Still, I should check the status of the item....'

Without hesitation, YuWon reached out and grabbed the sword.

[Name: ?]#This is a sword that Hephaestus carved with his own bones as a hammer. It contains the essence of another world.#?#? ? ?#?--

A description that seemed quite damaged somewhere.

But that was enough to understand the object.

'Why...?'

"Is this here?"

The question he had thought of escaped his lips without warning. Now he could see why Odin was so sure he would be so surprised.

This was undoubtedly an item that shouldn't be here.

"Do you know this item?"

Odin approached YuWon after giving him a brief moment.

Apparently, he only knew half the story about this item.

"I know it."

With a responsive tone, YuWon spoke while feeling the familiar sensation in his hands.

"Because I used to use it."

"You?"

Hephaestus used to give simple names to the items he created himself. His masterpieces, such as the Lightning or the Sun Chariot, usually had intuitive names based on their appearance or abilities.

The name of the sword was "Otherworld Sword" (劍異界), created a long time ago from Hephaestus's hammer.

"It was at the end of the battle. Eating and drinking were luxuries, and by fighting every day, even our weapons wore away to nothing."

The fight was tough. Forges capable of repairing equipment had disappeared, and obtaining materials to make items was nearly impossible.

Even the best blacksmith like Hephaestus couldn't create nonexistent materials.

"Son OhGong's Ru Yi Bang broke in half, and Hercules' club did too. Even your Gungnir was heavily worn at the tip."

"It was quite... difficult, wasn't it?"

"Very difficult..."

Similar expressions but with different nuances. The struggle they had faced couldn't be simply described as difficult.

"Probably no one was sure of surviving tomorrow in those fights."

They didn't consider the disappearance of a comrade who was smiling yesterday and today vanished while sleeping with death as a pillow to be special.

Anyway, everyone was prepared for it.

"...It's the first time I've heard that story."

For Odin, it was the first time he had heard that story from YuWon.

Son OhGong's Ru Yi Bang broke, there was no food, and a future without weapons.

Seeing the surprise on Odin's face, YuWon asked:

"Why are you surprised? What did you think about the future?"

"I didn't think it would be so beautiful. Since I saw that goat on the first floor."

Odin looked up at the ceiling with nothing, with a surprised face and not daring to face YuWon.

"I thought you had come here carrying a lot. That's why, in the end, I felt sorry for the others who had left you to carry everything..."

"Compared to those who stayed there, I'm in a flower garden now."

YuWon's response contained not a single empty word.

He really felt that the few years he had returned to the past were like a flower field. Even if he fought for his life, in the end, he could enjoy hot water and tasty food. Compared to the future, this place was almost a paradise.

And so it was.

"Now I understand why you were moving so busily."

The reason YuWon had whipped himself even more.

"Do you feel sorry for those left there?"

Klunk.

YuWon remained silent as he looked at the sword in his hand.

He didn't deny it. Sometimes, silence can be a stronger response than a nod or a word.

For the first time since he met YuWon, Odin felt sorry for him.

Somehow, YuWon had never said he was tired, even when his body was about to tear apart running.

No matter how breathless he felt as if his lungs were about to burst, the reason he couldn't say it was hard was that his comrades were fighting in hell, supporting the path he was running on.

"...This was a sword forged by Uncle with his own hammer."

Changing the subject, YuWon lifted the sword.

"There were no other hammers, so he used his own hand as a hammer and struck it."

Although the System's explanation was a mess, it was evident the moment he held it in his hands.

An item that shouldn't exist in this world.

Therefore, it was clear "where" it came from.

"How is it possible that it came from the future?"

KO-FI