Leveling with the Gods

C492

Fortunately, Hercules and Odin were quite perceptive.

It was Odin who first nodded and responded.

"It seems there's some misunderstanding."

"Yeah, th-that's right, I think so."

Unlike Hercules' slightly uncomfortable reaction, Zeus continued speaking with a shameless expression once again.

"Even though I disappeared, I didn't die. I took a sabbatical."

"You disappeared?"

Son OhGong scratched his head and mumbled, "Really?"

He couldn't understand how, in the midst of all this chaos, Zeus hadn't been revealed even for a moment. But, of course, Son OhGong wasn't the type to overthink things too much.

If two smart people said so, then it was so. OhGong thought that way and extended his hand.

"In any case, these are good news. By the way, it seems you've reconciled with that guy."

Reconciliation.

Apparently, he had heard Zeus apologize to Hercules.

Even though he was quite far away, it seemed he had heard that.

He must have very sharp ears.

"I trust you."

Zeus shook hands with Son OhGong without hesitation.

For the straightforward Son OhGong, the fact that there was another comrade who could help them was more important than why Zeus was alive.

The problem now was what came next.

'Why did you support that lie?'

'You did the same, didn't you?'

Odin and Hercules looked at each other.

They had said what they said impulsively, but now that was a problem.

They could let Son OhGong believe the story, but they couldn't deceive all their other comrades.

Son OhGong, who had come to meet Odin, stood by the pond.

Odin had already finished everything he had to do at the pond, but he inevitably grabbed the fishing rod again. It was unavoidable if he wanted to keep Son OhGong even for a moment.

Meanwhile...

Step, step...

Zeus and Hercules walked side by side.

Hercules led Zeus to where his comrades were. Before Son OhGong returned, he needed to explain to his comrades the purpose of Zeus' presence.

"Why did you tell that lie?"

"There's nothing good in telling him."

"Why?"

"That guy is going to the past like Kim YuWon. At that time, I don't want him to know I'm here."

Hercules' march stopped.

Zeus, who was walking a bit ahead without knowing the way, turned to look at him.

"Why are you acting like this?"

"Is it because of me?"

There was no basis.

He just had that thought.

If there was also a Hercules in the past. If he also felt the same disappointment and sadness he felt when Zeus died.

Wouldn't Zeus want Hercules to know of his existence?

But...

"The Great Sage, Heaven's Equal didn't know of my existence when he came to the past. If he had known, Kim YuWon would have known that I would come here after my death."

The reason Zeus didn't want Son OhGong to know of his existence was different.

"Then we shouldn't tell him. If that monkey learns about the facts here, the future could get entangled again."

"Even though it's the past... is it also the future there?" (?)

"Time is very confusing. But in the end, what must happen must happen."

Zeus' words made the corner of Hercules' mouth lift.

He felt fortunate.

He didn't know how the past Kim YuWon had returned was unfolding, but Zeus' words gave him a glimpse of hope.

Zeus didn't want the world where he was to change differently.

In other words, that meant the past was changing in the positive direction they had planned.

"They are doing well. Them."

"Then it's fine."

Step...

Hercules resumed his march.

"Let's go. Convincing the others will take some time before that monkey comes back."

The situation was positive.

That fact alone gave them enough reason to conspire together to deceive Son OhGong.

Deceiving that fool wouldn't be that difficult.

Step, step, step...

Hercules' hurried steps sounded much louder than before.

He had a rather cheerful expression.

"...That's right."

Zeus watched Hercules' back for a moment.

"Is it because of me?"

To that question, he hesitated briefly before giving an answer.

He acted as if it wasn't a big deal, but even for him, it was difficult to deceive himself.

'Because of you.'

Was that really the reason?

Zeus continued walking behind Hercules.

He thought it wasn't.

Fortunately, Odin kept Son OhGong occupied for quite some time.

He probably couldn't keep him busy with just fishing. While Hercules and Zeus headed to their lodging, they heard a loud sound from afar.

It was the sound of Odin and Son OhGong fighting.

"If we get caught, what are we going to do...?"

They had fled to a corner of the Tower to avoid the eyes of the Outers, but making so much noise was unexpected.

He was already thinking about relocating the base again, but just thinking about it gave him a headache.

Hercules headed towards where his comrades were with Zeus. The Rankers who knew Zeus' face were surprised to see him.

"From now on, I'll explain."

The explanation came from Zeus' mouth.

Certainly, Zeus' explanation was much clearer than Hercules'. The others just looked at Hercules wondering if what he said was true.

"It's true."

It was a clear answer.

To be sure, Hercules added an explanation.

"So, from now on, we just have to deceive Son OhGong."

Gathering three people to make one look foolish wasn't that difficult.

Especially if that person was already foolish from the beginning.

"So, now, I need everyone's cooperation."

Fortunately, Son OhGong seemed not to notice anything strange.

After a few days of the fight with Odin, Son OhGong approached Zeus and asked him.

"Do you want to fight me?"

Apparently, he didn't care about Zeus' divine appearance at all.

His only concern was facing Zeus, who once reigned as the King on Olympus.

However, unlike Son OhGong's wishes, unfortunately, Zeus didn't like meaningless fights.

"I'm not in good shape yet."

"When will you get better?"

"I don't know."

A tone that clearly showed his annoyance.

Son OhGong became gloomy and turned away.

"Kali, do you want...?"

"Go away, stupid monkey."

Kali rejected him with a venomous look in her eyes, as if she knew that would happen.

Son OhGong, once again, became sad and looked for someone else to play with.

And seeing Son OhGong that way...

"That fool..."

"He was really fooled."

Everyone thought the same.

Even if that was the case, it was surprising that someone who had died came back to life without questioning it.

Still, it was fortunate.

According to Zeus' explanation, it was convenient that Son OhGong was easily deceived.

"Father."

Sometime later.

As the day Son OhGong would travel to the past approached.

"The lord has awakened."

Odin's son, Thor, brought the news.

"I see. Let's go."

Odin's gaze turned to Zeus, who was standing with closed eyes. Somehow, Zeus nodded and stood up. The two left the hall and headed towards a quite distant castle.

"It's not a princess sleeping in a forest, and it's quite far."

"Even so, thanks to that, we got here quickly. We would have had to run a lot otherwise."

The castle they reached riding on Zeus' clouds was so deteriorated that it wouldn't be surprising if it collapsed at any moment.

At first, they couldn't recognize it, but it was clear that it was the palace of Asgard.

The world was in tumultuous change.

Looking at the castle, Zeus finally figured out on which floor of the Tower they were.

Floor 63.

It was the world where Asgard's palace was located.

Thud...

Stepping on the crumbling castle, the two saw Mimir standing at the end of the hallway, looking at them with crossed arms.

For a moment, a complex expression crossed Odin's face and then disappeared.

How much time has passed since he woke up?

Since he was his oldest friend, the joy of meeting again was considerable.

But only for a moment.

Odin remembered that he had to set aside the joy, excitement, and happiness of the reunion.

"Did you sleep well?"

Mimir turned towards them in response to Odin's greeting.

The introductions between the two were always like this.

Mimir, who plunged into sleep for a hundred years, was always treated by Odin as someone who had just awakened after sleeping for a day.

"I slept deeply. Very well."

"Then, that intelligent head will work perfectly again."

"It's natural."

Mimir's gaze turned to Zeus, who was standing behind Odin.

Even though a lot of time had passed, there was no way Mimir would have forgotten Zeus' face.

Still, even seeing Zeus, Mimir wasn't surprised.

"Have you come?"

"It seems there's no need for separate explanations."

Zeus smiled slightly at the idea of not having to repeat what he had already said.

Finally, an opponent with whom he could communicate properly was in front of him.

"I know what you're thinking."

"The only person who could understand my thoughts, even a little, was Kim YuWon."

Son OhGong.

The Hero Hercules.

Mimir's recommendation was the most decisive reason why YuWon returned to the past, surpassing those two.

And now...

Mimir looked at Zeus with the same eyes he looked at YuWon.

"However, now we have one more person."

Swish, swish-.

Odin alternated his gaze between Mimir and Zeus.

Mimir, caught in the Curse of Knowledge, didn't communicate well with most people. Not even the archmage Merlin, an expert in knowledge, could keep up with him.

But now, Mimir mentioned Zeus as someone he could talk to.

"It seems he succeeded, luckily."

"Three times in total."

"That means even Son OhGong succeeded."

"That's right."

"Now I'm confused. What is the past and what is the future, as both sides have achieved something...?"

Zeus clearly came from the past to this place. However, Zeus himself, who came from the past, knew that Son OhGong here had succeeded in returning to the past.

After thinking for a moment, Mimir easily organized his thoughts.

"It's an independent world, right?"

"Probably."

"Anyway, it seems the path has been laid out somehow."

Mimir's words made Zeus' eyes shine.

"Were you thinking about that too?"

"I thought about it much earlier than you."

"Then, I guess it will be much easier. I just thought about it; I can't carry it out like you."

Snap-.

Mimir took out an Eye.

One of the two eyes. Through this, he planned to use it to send Son OhGong back to the past along with YuWon.

"A pinhole has appeared in the sealed time."

Mimir bit his lips to resist the sleep that enveloped him.

The Mimir from the past and the Mimir from the future.

Two Mimirs who began drawing together.

"But at least the basic concepts have been drawn."

It was fortunate.

Up to this point, things had progressed smoothly.

Now, finally, there was a prospect of success, even if it was only 10%.

But...

"There's probably a drawing you don't know."

Just one.

There was something that Mimir didn't include in his calculations.

"Something I don't know?"

"It's what happened to Kim YuWon."

The first person to go back to the past in this plan.

That was the only thing that Mimir, in his calculation, overlooked.

"There's something inside that guy."