Leveling with the Gods

C472

Odin and Mimir sat facing each other.

Odin, with white hair and a long beard, murmured as he stared at the fire burning in front of him.

"The sword was well received, don't you think?"

"It must have been well received. I should have understood its meaning as well."

Mimir, with one lost eye, spoke with his visibly emaciated face.

"Because he's smarter than you."

"Although I'm not sure if he's doing a good job."

"Worry about who you should worry about. Kim YuWon is not someone you should worry about."

"True, if we had only sent that monkey, then we should worry there."

Kim YuWon and Son OhGong.

Both were the most competent among themselves. Although Odin's rank was the highest, that was only the result of the passage of time. However, YuWon and Son OhGong quickly closed that gap and reached the same level as Odin without anyone noticing.

Therefore, everyone agreed to send YuWon and Son OhGong to the past.

"And that eye? Are you okay?"

"Ironically, after losing one, my mind feels clearer. Maybe I can stay awake for a few more years."

"Lucky, considering the big problem that is looming."

Two people conversing by the fire.

It was then that a horrible sound resonated in their ears.

-Beeeh-.

A terrifying sound that echoed in their heads.

"I can't get used to that bleating, no matter how many times I hear it."

"It's inevitable. By the way, it's already quite close."

"I guess we can't just keep running away."

Perhaps someone didn't like seeing the two so calm?

Step!

A thick shadow approached behind Odin.

"It's time to get serious."

The size of the shadow, covering Odin's body, belonged to one of his companions.

"Hercules."

"You're back?"

After bidding farewell to YuWon and Son OhGong, the one who had been absent for a long time reappeared.

With only one arm, he refused to hide from the Outers and leaped outside.

He said he would keep fighting.

"Shub-Niggurath is approaching."

"I know."

"She's looking for us."

"She has already found us."

Despite the warning, the two people did not seem surprised. And that wasn't all...

The same happened with the other surviving members of the group.

The heavy air filled the space. A tension much tighter than usual. Hercules glanced at his resolve.

"It looks like they're ready to fight."

"It's time to end this."

"Is your body okay?"

At Hercules' question, Odin nodded.

"Yes."

Clack, clack-.

The bonfire, which had not gone out for a long time, shone in Odin's eyes.

Frrr~

The fire, burning in red, mixed with purple. It was a change that had begun to occur as Shub-Niggurath approached closer and closer.

"We have to finish this."

"...."

In the face of Odin's determination, Hercules closed his eyes for a moment.

He had faced Shub-Niggurath several times. In that process, he killed many goat and now headed towards the end of the fight.

YuWon, who had retreated in time, was probably fighting in the same way.

He still felt guilty for him.

For burdening him with such a heavy load.

'I hope you try a little harder.'

Skkwak-.

Looking in the direction of the bleating sound of Shub-Niggurath, Hercules tightly gripped his club in his hand.

'We're not just sitting and waiting.'

Hercules turned his head.

The fight with Shub-Niggurath.

That's why so many companions had gathered here.

And among them...

"Do you plan to stay here and toy around all the time?"

Thunk-.

Hercules' expression twisted at the appearance of the most annoying companion.

With an arrogant face, a man appeared behind them.

"Let's go."

Zeus turned his head towards Shub-Niggurath and spoke.

The night has ended.

Floor 11 lay devastated. Although it wasn't a very long fight, a city was completely destroyed and turned into a sea of fire.

YuWon found a relatively intact building. The distance to the administration office was too great, so he was looking for a temporary resting place.

Plop!

Clic!

Zeus, sitting on the old bed, tilted his head with difficulty.

He never bowed his head or showed weakness under any circumstances.

It seems that this time he was quite tired.

"In that state, do you still say you're going to keep fighting?"

Hades, who looked at Zeus with disdain, clicked his tongue.

"It's always been like this."

"I'll recover if I rest a bit. Don't worry, brother."

"With that labored breathing, you don't seem very convincing."

It was the first time he had seen Zeus so weak, so Hades looked at him with concern.

"Is this why you left? Is this why you abandoned your post?"

"It seems like you're already sure, does it make sense for me to answer?"

Zeus lifted his head and looked Hades in the eyes. When the two people's gazes clashed in the air, the building they had managed to find began to shake.

"Settle your sibling disputes later, not while I'm present."

YuWon, who didn't want to go back out on the street, stopped both of them.

Then, Hades, who had been watching Zeus for a while, took a step outside. It was a suggestion that sibling fights could wait until later, and they should first deal with current matters.

After Hades left that way...

"Were you following me?"

YuWon asked the question he had been holding since Zeus appeared.

"Hpmh, why would I follow you?"

"Otherwise, why are you here?"

"I've come following the sky. You may not have realized it, but for the past year, I've been constantly following the sky. And right under that, there was you."

"Your body is burning, isn't it?"

"...."

There was no immediate response.

This silence was an affirmation. Looking at Zeus, YuWon sighed.

Sweat soaked Zeus's entire body. A sweat he hadn't shed even when he destroyed Olympus. Definitely, his condition was not good.

Firee-.

The eyes that turned fiery red scanned Zeus's body.

Reflected in the Golden Cinder Eyes, Zeus's body seemed as if it were a mass of fire. Although he had said he was burning only with words, he was really on fire.

'The Arcane Power is dissipating. By force.'

Originally, after an intense fight, the power should have returned.

But it wasn't the case for Zeus.

The Arcane Power and the body were slowly dissipating and disintegrating.

It felt like he was rusting away.

'This is not an injury.'

Zeus's state, confirmed by the Golden Cinder Eyes, was more severe than he thought.

'It's disappearing.'

In this condition, there was nothing to be done to treat this injury. Zeus was a key piece. It would be advantageous to keep him alive.

But...

'There's no immediate solution.'

There was no such illness anywhere in this Tower. Naturally, YuWon didn't have a solution either.

"Don't push yourself too hard. There might be another way."

"Don't worry about that. I'm not so weak as to need your concern."

Zeus wiped the sweat from his forehead and stood up.

He hurriedly adjusted his clothes.

With a serene expression, he asked:

"What are you going to do from now on?"

YuWon hesitated at that question.

After thinking for a moment, YuWon answered.

"Our goals are not different."

"Goals?"

"Because I will seek the same sky you are seeking."

"I thought you might have some other idea."

The answer was too obvious from what he expected. He hadn't found another path either, but maybe he had hoped too much.

But then...

"There's something I will seek."

A story that piqued Zeus's interest came out of YuWon's mouth.

"Seek? What?"

"There is something like that."

"Why bring it up if you're not going to say anything?"

"Because there's no need, as this time I can't move with you."

"I didn't intend to, but why?"

"Because this time I will move with Pandora."

Zeus's eyebrows trembled at the name mentioned by YuWon.

Pandora.

When she saw him, she rushed towards him regardless of anything. Although he knew she couldn't defeat him. In Zeus's current state, even trying to calm her down would be an exhausting task.

Much less holding hands with her was something he couldn't even dream of.

"By the way, is there something I want to ask?"

"What?"

"About the box you gave to Pandora."

The object known as 'Pandora's Box' in the world.

It was Zeus who handed her the box infused with the power of the Outer (Outer Power).

"Where did you get it?"

-...Surely the title has disappeared.

A black soul floated next to YuWon.

Susanoo's soul resonated loudly as if it were dissatisfied.

-Why the hell am I still by your side?

The first time he became YuWon's summon was when he obtained the title of "King of the Dead."

The title of King of the Dead was like a dream come true for Players of the Necromancer class. YuWon became his summoner by obtaining that title that originally belonged to Susanoo.

However, now that title was in Hades's hands.

Even so, Susanoo couldn't distance himself from YuWon.

"Why? Are you expecting something? Do you think you can escape from me?"

"I've never thought of wanting to escape. Being by your side means many opportunities for a fight."

"But why?"

"I just don't understand. What happened?"

Now that the King of the Dead had disappeared, YuWon's ability as a Necromancer should have disappeared as well. Susanoo's doubt was natural since he was the original owner of that title.

"Is it because of the power of the Name or something like that?"

"You know well."

"It seems like you really intend to collect them."

Shub-Niggurath. And Tulszcha and Gross. (Note: The real name of The Star That Brings Destruction was Gross)

Moreover, YuWon had acquired numerous Names of Outer Gods.

Every time he had a Name in his hands, he felt the color returning to his memory that was once blank. That's why YuWon couldn't stop collecting Names.

YuWon paid his fee and got off the boat. He returned to the 10th Floor, to the Murim World, and headed to the inn where he had stayed briefly.

"Is that why you allowed Pandora to accompany you?"

Susanoo asked him that while YuWon walked.

It was a perceptive question.

YuWon nodded and looked at the inn that was now close.

The inn where he left Pandora alone for a moment.

He could already imagine the reaction she would have.

"It will be chaos when I enter."

"It will be a mess."

"I suppose so, of course."

A sigh escaped his lips.

His journey with her probably wouldn't be so beautiful. Most of the time, the path YuWon chose was thorny, and this time he decided to walk that path with her.

He felt regretful.

For leaving her here. And for having to be with her from now on.

Actually, whatever decision he made would hurt her.

"You're right."

On the way to the inn.

YuWon, about to pull the door, stopped for a moment and spoke.

"What do you plan to do from now on?"

"I will collect Names."

That was also an answer to Zeus's question.

Shub-Niggurath. Tulszcha. Gross.

The many Names that came from outside the Tower, still unrevealed.

Place those names behind one, gather them all.

"If possible... all of them."

That was YuWon's answer to Zeus's question.