Leveling with the Gods

C476

Nibelung was the name of a Great Guild, a country, and a city.

The city located on the 25th floor. Camelot. Nibelung was like an extension of the city ruled by the Round Table.

From the beginning, the story that both Guilds had the same roots had a reason.

Golden hair, slim waist, and broad back.

Standing in the middle of a stadium as wide as the Colosseum, he looked at his knights.

"Next."

Upon the command, the knights of Nibelung unsheathed their swords one by one. All traced the same trajectory with their swords.

The king instructing them, Siegfried, corrected the disordered postures of the knights, giving a demonstration.

"Put strength into the index and middle fingers. Not with the edge of the sword, but with the tip a little towards the point..."

Siegfried's education.

The ten knights gathered in that glorious place were more focused than ever.

He was the King of Nibelung and the strongest knight.

Every teaching word was worth more to the knights than millions of Points.

So, the training continued for a while.

"Your Majesty."

Step, step-.

Although he wasn't running, there was a sound of urgent steps.

Today was an important training day.

It wasn't a moment for an ordinary knight to interfere.

He knew that.

"What's going on?"

Still, interrupting the training in this manner.

That meant it was something urgent.

"A visitor has arrived at Nibelung."

"Visitor?"

"Yes, at this moment in the city..."

The knight's words weren't long. All he said was who, where, and what had happened.

And that summarized story was enough to attract Siegfried's attention.

Especially in the 'who' part.

"Really?"

Flutter-.

At the knight's next words, Siegfried put on a cloak over his armor.

"You will continue training next time. Disperse for now."

Nibelung was a country where humans and Dwarves lived together. Undoubtedly, the city was covered in mist for half of the year, and the outside of the city wasn't as beautiful.

The Dwarves, who had no power, considered themselves persecuted.

And indeed, they were.

It was inevitable for low and weak races to be eliminated from the Tower.

Perhaps that's why there weren't many Players among the Dwarves.

And among them...

Somehow, a Dwarf had stood out and returned gloriously as a Ranker.

Robin Wadge raised his head to look at the visitor, who was very tall.

"You're Kim YuWon, right?"

Unlike others, Robin Wadge wasn't intimidated by YuWon.

With a stature that didn't reach his waist and a large spear that didn't suit him. He stood in front of Nibelung's castle entrance and blocked YuWon's way.

"From here on, you'll need the King's permission to enter. If you take one more step, you'll be considered an enemy immediately..."

Thud-.

At that moment, someone covered Robin Wadge's mouth and grabbed him by the body with a rough movement.

It wasn't just one.

They were the Rankers guarding the gate along with Robin Wadge.

YuWon listened carefully to their voices, which were shouting muffledly a bit away.

"Hey, are you crazy? Do you want to destroy the country right now?"

"You didn't even check his ranking? Huh? How old are you, man?"

"That's why Dwarves are..."

A Dwarf being scolded by several Rankers.

YuWon made a wry face for a moment and approached them.

"Enough."

The soldiers who had surrounded the Dwarf, cursing and criticizing him, stopped their actions.

"That guy's just doing his job. What's the problem?"

"Well..."

"No, there's no problem."

The knights guarding the castle front nodded at YuWon's words. YuWon stood with crossed arms, as if he was about to stay there waiting, just as he had said.

Knights moving frantically.

Probably, the news had already spread. The knights looked at YuWon with eyes expressing uncertainty, whether it was fear or suspicion.

YuWon also looked at them.

Among them was a Dwarf.

Robin Wadge.

In principle, the Dwarf population wasn't very large. In the vast 100-floor Tower, their habitable space was limited to just two floors.

Moreover.

'Nothing is confirmed yet.'

In the future YuWon knew, the Dwarves had disappeared.

And the reason was here.

'Although it's still too early to say.'

In the distance.

Siegfried was approaching.

Unless he was at war, the King didn't move under any circumstances.

He moved majestically, just as YuWon remembered.

So...

Shriek...

"It's the first time I've seen you."

With his heavy armor on, Siegfried introduced himself.

"I am the king of this country. My name is Siegfried."

A guest destined to be controlled by Ubbo-Sathla.

Siegfried, the ruler of Nibelung.

Woo...

The tea water splashed YuWon's face. It was a clear and fragrant tea, the most expensive tea in Nibelung.

The tea cost 1,000 Points per cup. Siegfried offered it to YuWon.

"Drink it. I don't know if you'll like it."

"My taste is quite cheap. I don't know if it will suit my preferences."

YuWon lifted the tea cup. Around him, about ten of Siegfried's knights watched him tensely as he drank the tea.

"Why have you come so far?"

As if waiting for YuWon to take a sip, Siegfried asked directly.

After lowering the cup as if indicating that he had already drunk it.

YuWon looked at the knights around him.

"It seems there are many spectators."

Siegfried waved his hand.

Once the expulsion order was given, the knights escorting him hesitated.

As real as the king's order was, the opponent was a single-digit High-Ranker.

Moreover, he was not from Nibelung.

"Do you need to say it in words? Retreat, all of you."

"But, Your Majesty..."

"Even if they're present, how are they going to help?"

"..."

They couldn't answer that.

The reason Siegfried became the King of Nibelung was one and only one. He was the strongest. And overwhelmingly so.

Moreover, the opponent was Kim YuWon.

Ten superior Rankers with mediocre skills were of no use.

Clang...

Thud...

Thus, all the knights escorts withdrew, and the door of the negotiation room where YuWon and Siegfried faced each other closed.

The soundproofing of the negotiation room was perfect. There was no way the conversation would leak.

That's why he dared to say...

"The Dragon War."

He mentioned a name that no one else should hear.

"Are you planning it already?"

Siegfried's hand, holding the cup, momentarily stopped. He didn't look into YuWon's eyes and hid his gaze behind the cup.

How would those hidden eyes shine?

The bait was thrown, and now what remained was whether he would bite or not.

"What's that?"

Of course, this was the expected reaction.

"A war among Dragons, Humans, and Dwarves. A fight with the goal of exterminating the Dragons."

"I'm hearing that story for the first time."

"Your voice is trembling right now."

"..."

He took another sip of tea. This time, he closed his eyes completely.

From the reaction, he already understood.

The Dragon War.

It wasn't an unexpected event. Everything unfolded under a plan, organized by Siegfried.

If this continued, Nibelung would fall.

And the one responsible would be, nothing more and nothing less, Siegfried himself.

"The Dragon War will lead to the destruction of Nibelung."

"Stop talking."

"There is a way to avoid it."

"It's useless advice."

"You don't even deny it now."

Hwaaah!

Siegfried's killing intent enveloped YuWon. If he were an ordinary Ranker, he would have lost consciousness, and a mediocre Player would have lost his life as it was. In moments like this, he truly looked like a sword.

A great sword.

Feeling that his internal thoughts were revealed, Siegfried created a severe aura.

"Don't interfere."

"What are you thinking?"

"It's a warning for you to stop."

Swish.

A blade slid under YuWon's neck.

Suddenly, Siegfried drew the sword he had. He stared with blazing eyes and asked:

"Can't you understand it?"

"If you want to consider me an enemy, stab me more."

In other words, saying that meant if he pushed the sword more, he would become an enemy.

Siegfried's sword tip trembled slightly. Although it was a small difference, YuWon could see it clearly from the distance.

That guy couldn't make him his enemy.

The Dragon War.

If YuWon became his enemy in that battle, Nibelung would surely be destroyed, and its objectives wouldn't be fulfilled.

"...They say you have a good head."

Swoosh~

Siegfried sheathed the sword he had drawn.

Neither the surprise attack nor the threat worked. YuWon already knew he planned The Dragon War, and he already had an enemy; creating another enemy was an uncomfortable situation.

So...

"What do you want? For now, I'll listen."

This game could only move in the direction it was being dragged.

It was an absurd situation.

Nibelung. The king of an empire that dominated a floor, himself, was being threatened right at its heart.

His pride was hurt, but he couldn't help it. For Siegfried, fulfilling his goal was more important than his pride.

And his other goal was...

"If you intend to defeat me, your attitude is not bad. But, drop the weapons."

"You're quite insolent."

Siegfried was left speechless when YuWon immediately figured out what he wanted.

So, it seemed he himself was being drawn by YuWon.

"What is your wish? First, let's see what you want from me."

"Well."

"Well?"

"I don't have it yet."

"You don't have it yet? You came all the way here without a wish?"

"That's right. Let me think about it a bit more."

"Do you go this far...?"

Even leaving aside the Knights' training, receiving such a response after postponing important matters was incredible. Looking at Siegfried, who was stunned by the answer, YuWon smiled internally.

'For now, it's enough.'

He had confirmed that Siegfried had already planned The Dragon War. At least up to this point, he had gained what he needed in their first meeting.

Of course, that didn't mean everything was resolved here.

The Dragon War. Although that fight, where he destroyed Nibelung and wiped out half of the Dragons, was important, there was an even more crucial matter.

'Nibelung has been erected on Ubbo-Sathla.'

The country where Siegfried lived and breathed.

Looking at Siegfried in front of him, YuWon raised the tea cup this time to hide his gaze.

'Did you know, Siegfried?'