Leveling with the Gods

C469

Zeus lifted his head and looked up.

Eyes shining in the sky.

He had seen many Outers, but this one had a slightly different feel.

"Should I give it a try?"

Zeus reached out.

Crack! A giant Lightning Bolt formed in his hand.

The King of Olympus.

The result of his Divinity encapsulated in a spear.

In the next moment...

Flash! When Zeus threw the spear, the world turned golden again.

The spear flew towards the half-open eyes.

Unfortunately, the light emitted from the spear's tip disappeared quickly.

"You don't blink, do you?"

The expected result.

From the moment the eyes appeared, he didn't think it would be so easy to handle.

It felt that way.

It seemed like it would be the biggest obstacle in this fight.

"You should have brought Hades with you."

In response to the voice that echoed from behind, Zeus replied without turning his head.

"Do you know anything about that guy?"

"Half."

"If you know, you know, right?"

As if not liking the answer, Zeus finally looked at YuWon.

There were already many Outer bodies on the ground. Amidst them, YuWon walked, stepping on the bloodstains stuck to the ground.

"That's not important now, is it?"

As soon as those words were spoken...

['The Star That Brings Destruction' sings a song.]

Uuung-.

The star's song echoed, inaudible to human ears.

Crunch-.

Crunch, swish-.

The bodies of the Outers lying dead on the ground began to move. At first, they were small twitching movements, but soon, they regained life as if resurrected from death.

Most of those Outer corpses were the work of Zeus.

Zeus's eyebrows moved as he watched the Outers resurrected by the star's song.

"Are they alive?"

"The song kills the living and resurrects the dead. Heaven and earth turn upside down, the end begins, and misfortune and sadness cover the world."

"That's a pretty detailed explanation. You said you only knew half."

"You see. I think I know enough."

What kind of nonsense is this?

Facing Zeus's expression that didn't seem to understand, YuWon looked up and said:

"It's kind of a firecracker."

"Firecracker?"

"Yes. A firecracker that announces the beginning of the battle."

"Explain a little more."

"It means the game is bigger than we thought. Because of them."

YuWon's gaze turned to the resurrecting Outers.

It wouldn't end with their resurrection. Ultimately, this fight would end when those eyes were eliminated.

But why?

Crack-!

"Is that so?"

Zeus, in turn, nodded at those words.

"That's convenient."

"...?"

It's nice that the fight is bigger.

That was something Son OhGong or Asura would say.

'It's not that his personality has changed.'

Maybe it was thanks to having traversed many battlefields with guys like Sun Wukong and Asura.

He could understand the expressions of those who went crazy for the fight. In their faces, there was often excitement and anticipation for the upcoming battle.

But not in Zeus's eyes.

If anything, it seemed more like longing or relief.

"What do you plan to do?"

Zeus asked, creating Lightning Bolt again in his hand. It was too obvious a question.

Firee~

As if in response to Zeus's Lightning Bolt. The purple flames that rose around Yuwon twisted and spread around.

['The Dancer Who Dances With Fire' rules over 'The Flames of Death and Corruption'.]

Clack~

The world turned into a sea of flames again after a gesture.

Those engulfed by the flames twisted their bodies, screaming in agony as they were consumed by the fire.

The power to instantly turn an area the size of a city into a sea of flames, a power that could easily encompass an entire city, was released all at once.

Looking at those flames, Zeus narrowed his eyes.

'This is the same as before...'

Certainly, these were the flames that had set the city on fire before, even if it was only moments ago.

The power of the Outers coming from the Tower.

However, now that power manifested from YuWon's hands.

"Let me respond with this."

"Still, it seems like it will be a nuisance."

"Nuisance?"

['The Black Goat of the Woods with a Thousand Young' calls the sheep]

Amidst the burning flames.

"Do you think I'll be a nuisance even now?"

Beeeh...

Beeeh...

A familiar bleating sound was heard. In an instant, Zeus felt all the hair on his body stand on end upon hearing that cry.

That bleat...

Although a year had passed, he remembered it clearly. In Zeus's mind, countless sheep and the face of Shub-Niggurath appeared.

Bang, boom!

Lightning striking from the sky.

He knew.

The sheep that appeared now were not the descendants of Shub-Niggurath.

But...

Beeeh...

Seeing the sheep appearing around YuWon and bleating, he couldn't help but recall something unpleasant.

'I wondered what you've been doing for this past year.'

Flash...

Beeeh...

Covered in purple flames, YuWon led hundreds of sheep.

Seeing his figure, Zeus couldn't help but let out a wry laugh.

'It seems like you didn't waste time.'

Fortunately.

That's what he thought.

Turning his body so it wouldn't be seen in YuWon's eyes, Zeus smiled faintly, and the Lightning Bolt he held in his hand rose to the sky.

Bang!

With that Lightning Bolt that illuminated the entire sky, the start of the battlefield was announced.

Bang, boom!

In the distance.

In a place so far that it can't even be seen with the eyes, flashes of fire and Lightning Bolts could be seen.

The Rankers gathered in the 11th-floor administration office looked at the battle with confusion.

"Uh, what should we do?"

"...Well, what can you do? Stay still."

"Still, this is within our jurisdiction, isn't it?"

"Whether it's our jurisdiction or not, how can we intervene in that single-digit Ranker battle?"

"Is that so?"

It was a confrontation between High-Rankers, and moreover, single-digit High-Rankers.

There was nothing the Rankers residing on those lower floors could do to meddle in that fight.

The only thing they could do at this moment was to rescue the residents and Players and request support from other High-Rank Players.

"And the support? Where is it?"

"As much as you request support, who's going to arrive so quickly-?"

"It seems they're here."

A deep voice was heard from behind.

Turning around to see what it was, the Olympus Ranker who had spoken was surprised.

"H-Hades-nim?"

"Hades-nim?"

The Olympus Ranker who first noticed Hades's presence attracted the gazes of the other Rankers busy in the administration office.

"Greetings to the Throne of Death!"

Thud, thud-.

The Rankers who came to a halt knelt before him. No matter how busy he is, Hades is a High-Ranker playing a role in Olympus.

It was an inevitable task to show respect towards him.

"The formalities are over. Now is not the time for that."

"Yes."

"Evacuation of the residents?"

"We'll handle it as soon as possible."

"Still haven't handled it?"

Hades's eyebrows twisted.

It was a subtle change in expression, but the Ranker in front of him realized that his life was at stake.

The brief silence from Hades felt eternal. Hades opened his mouth towards the Ranker who nervously bowed his head.

"Expand the evacuation area. We don't know how far the battlefield will extend."

His emotionless voice resonated with authority. The Ranker, aware that making a mistake could cost him his life, responded with tension in his body.

"Yes! Understood!"

"Hurry."

"I'll keep that in mind. But, how... is the Throne of Death here?"

It was a cautious question.

When the purple sky appeared on the 11th Floor and a great battle ensued, the Administration had already contacted the Olympus Rankers.

Of course, the news should have reached Hades, who temporarily took on the role of the leader of the Olympus guild.

However, at this moment, not even a few hours had passed since then, and that he was here was clearly something unusual.

Of course, the same could be said for Zeus.

"I came following a younger brother who lost his way suddenly."

The reason for Hades's presence.

He said it while observing the glow of the Lightning Bolts unleashed by Zeus.

"The situation is serious."

"Yes. You guys aren't sitting idly either."

Puff-.

Black smoke dispersed in the place. Until a moment ago, Hades, who had been in front of him, disappeared.

‘...Did he come to warn me?’

The 11th Floor was Olympus's territory.

If damage to civilian residents increased due to the battle here, it would be a stain on Olympus's face.

That was Hades's direct order.

Whether he dies here or there.

Now he had no choice but to act.

"Everyone, go out to the battlefield. Don't let a single resident die."

Crunch-!

The sheep's teeth tore through the tentacle. It chewed on the torn tentacle, and the sheep emitted a small bleat.

Beeh-.

The corpses of the Outers went one by one into the mouths of the sheep.

And the Name fragments embedded in those Outers, one by one, joined YuWon through the sheep.

[You have obtained a fragment of the name of '?'.]

[You have obtained a fragment of the name of '?'.]

[You have obtained... '?'.]

[Your Arcane Power slightly increases.]

Continuous messages without rest.

Again, it was the name of Shub-Niggurath. Even if the same name was split into hundreds, thousands of fragments, the size of a single name was different.

The sea could be divided, but it would still be the sea. The dignity of a nameless sheep easily surpassed that of many names.

Beeh-.

Mounted on a large sheep, YuWon looked around the battlefield with crossed arms.

Kyaah-!

A creature resembling a dinosaur, covered in scales, approached behind the sheep ridden by YuWon.

"Oh-."

This time, it was a rather large one.

While YuWon admired the type, a golden flash of Lightning Bolt pushed the dinosaur.

In an instant, the dinosaur turned black as coal.

Although it still writhed for a moment, it soon collapsed to the side.

YuWon: "Why are you interrupting me?"

YuWon turned his head to look at Zeus. It would be difficult to properly recover its Name after being reduced to a piece of coal like that.

The dissatisfaction was mutual.

Unlike Zeus, who moved back and forth, YuWon sat on the back of the sheep and just waved his hand.

Kyaah-!

"What are you doing here?"

Why don't you fight for real? That was Zeus's question.

"I'm waiting."

"Waiting?"

"Yes."

"For whom?"

"For the ace up my sleeve to face that guy above."

Again, an incomprehensible answer.

Two people fighting together, yet each fighting on their own.

And during the short time, not only Zeus was curious.

"But you, after having fought so little, seem quite tired."

Zeus's breathing seemed somewhat ragged.

"What happened to you all this time?"