Leveling with the Gods

C495

YuWon boasted of having the most Arcane Power in the Tower, excluding Son OhGong, of course.

It was natural.

While devising plans with the companions he had met in the future, he investigated various ways to increase his Arcane Power in many areas.

For Players, statistics were simply a quantification of their strength. They focused on improving those statistics, and in particular, on increasing Arcane Power, the most crucial part of those stats.

But that didn't mean Arcane Power was the highest stat YuWon possessed.

Originally, that was the plan.

[Divine Power: 197]

An unexpected stat intervened.

At the moment he acquired that stat, a question arose.

'What the hell is this for?'

At that time, he didn't know what Divine Power was.

But when he found out it was the stat required to use the power of the Name.

YuWon had this thought.

'If this were Arcane Power...'

197

A stat he had never considered before.

'I might even beat that stupid monkey.'

And today...

That moment was about to come.

Aaaah!

A wolf with sharp fangs lunged at Son OhGong. It was much faster and had a stronger bite than before.

As if its goal from the beginning wasn't to tear the body apart, the wolf naturally lunged at the Ru Yi Bang.

Son OhGong's body recoiled.

The wolf, which had somehow increased in size, now had the size of a small rocky mountain.

"Uuuu..."

Holding his trembling arm, OhGong resisted.

While blocking the enormous teeth threatening to swallow his body, he felt a small fear.

If those teeth bit him...

Uff!

Pain spread across his chest. It was the wound caused by YuWon's sword.

"Grow!"

Son OhGong's clones.

Thuuuud-!

The Ru Yi Bangs fired by the ten clones pushed the wolf's body.

There was no time to catch a breath when an opening appeared.

Son OhGong, who was lying on the ground, jumped up as if bouncing.

And at that moment...

Shukaak-!

Kwakagakak-!

Several black swords flew from somewhere and cut the spot where Son OhGong had lain a moment ago.

If it had come a little late...

The moment he thought that, OhGong felt a chill, and his tension increased.

'If they had cut me...? Would I have died?'

Death.

It was a word he had forgotten for a long time, but now it came to his mind over and over again.

And to think he would think of that word while fighting against YuWon, his closest companion.

Sseueeu-.

With a bad feeling, Son OhGong looked around.

The surroundings had suddenly darkened.

Although the ground, which was close to the subsurface, was like that, even the sky, which had been sunny, had turned black.

'When did this happen?'

When he realized it, it was already too late.

He looked down. A huge monster awaited him with its mouth open.

He had plunged into chaos.

In that viscous darkness, YuWon approached Son OhGong.

Gulp-.

"Who... are you?"

Son OhGong's question made YuWon stop and cease walking towards him.

"Me? Who else?"

He answered nonchalantly, as if asked something obvious.

"I am me."

I am me.

It wasn't a very clear answer, but it could be seen in his eyes and expression the moment he said it.

Smile-!

The corner of Son OhGong's mouth lifted.

"Yes, you are Kim YuWon."

It could be understood from the expression and look. Both had been together for a long time, and Son OhGong was skilled enough at reading looks not to fall behind anyone.

Beeeeh-.

Beeeeh-...

It was then.

Countless goat surrounded Son OhGong.

"Shub-Niggurath?"

The presence of the goat.

It was a trauma that had strongly rooted in the minds not only of Son OhGong but also of several of his companions.

But fortunately, Shub-Niggurath was dead, and now one of those Names had passed to YuWon.

But now...

The name YuWon had to use was not 'The Black Goat of the Woods with a Thousand Young.'

"No, it wasn't my intention to fight with this..."

Son OhGong's red pupils shook as he heard the words.

It was different.

The goat that appeared here were not the goat led by Shub-Niggurath. Unlike the goat with purple fur, these were covered in black fur.

"So, why did you use them?"

"I just thought I could use it, and so I did."

I just thought I could use it...

Anyway, it was certain that this was not the name that Shub-Niggurath carried.

That was the only sure thing.

"What's happening here now?"

Dozens of question marks arose above Son OhGong's head.

Beeeh...

The surrounding goat approached Son OhGong and stared at his face. In a moment, Son OhGong, who was about to wield Ru Yi Bang toward them, held back.

"Well controlled."

Beeeh...

YuWon stroked the head of the nearby goat.

"I still can't control it completely."

"Are these things really safe?"

The Black Goat of the Woods with a Thousand Young.

Originally, that was the Name that represented Shub-Niggurath. And the terrifying part was not only the power of Shub-Niggurath's formidable body but also that it led herds of High-Ranker level goats in quantities of a thousand.

However, YuWon managed to use that power using another Name.

Was that possible?

'What exactly have you gained?'

Shoosh...

Son OhGong's gaze dropped.

'How the hell am I going to fight against this...?'

Whoosh...

A giant monster hidden in chaos, not revealing itself externally.

The monster that devoured Ubbo-Sathla was beneath his feet.

This was something that couldn't be won. It was the second time he was sure of defeat even before starting to fight.

Thump...

The sound of his heart pounding resonated in his ears.

Pupils fully opened. Thinking that he could fight against something like this, a sense of pleasure that surpassed fear and tension made his body tremble.

Shoosh...

Son OhGong, who was petting the goat, withdrew his hand.

"Anyway, it doesn't matter."

"Doesn't matter?"

"I've never thought so deeply while fighting."

Clang...

Son OhGong aimed Ru Yi Bang at YuWon's head again.

"First, clash weapons and then see what happens."

YuWon looked into Son OhGong's eyes, still burning without extinguishing.

He was a fool, truly.

He knew he couldn't win, but he didn't give up.

In the first place, he didn't fight to win. He just won when he fought.

Defeat and death were no obstacles for Son OhGong either.

'Sometimes, this lack of sense is also useful.'

Ssst-

Lowering the sword in his hand. When YuWon gave up the fight, Son OhGong also relaxed the hand holding Ru Yi Bang.

"What? What's happening?"

An expression of "Why aren't you raising the sword?"

As if wanting to show that there was no problem, YuWon sheathed the sword.

"Thanks."

"For what?"

"Thanks to you acting like a rabid dog, I've also been able to practice."

"Is it a compliment or a mockery?"

"It's a compliment as a mockery."

Pluck...

A thick vein appeared on Son OhGong's forehead. At the same time, his head tilted, as if accepting the compliment with his head but feeling awkward and confused.

YuWon, who laughed seeing that expression, suddenly put on a serious expression.

"OhGong-ah." (Note: -ah is a diminutive)

Son OhGong's eyebrows furrowed.

As if feeling chills, his body trembled.

"What? Why are you being cheesy?"

OhGong-ah.

Neither monkey nor demon, not even Son OhGong, but OhGong-ah.

When had YuWon affectionately called him that?

"Hey, you. When did you call me that?"

As he spoke...

Scenes overlapping with the current situation appeared in Son OhGong's head.

"OhGong-ah"

When was that?

It seemed like it was when they went out to the battlefield to fight Foolish Chaos.

"How many chances do we have to win?"

A difficult question was asked.

From the moment he heard the question, his mind complicated.

Chances of winning?

Son OhGong had heard YuWon, Mimir, and Odin talk about the possibility of winning in battle. But that kind of numbers and predictions were matters that were beyond Son OhGong's interest.

Of course, no one had asked him that question before.

So when he actually received the question, his mind could only become complicated.

"W-well, what if it's fifty-fifty?"

Winning or losing.

That was the only thing occupying Son OhGong's mind.

YuWon sighed.

That's right.

First of all, it was a mistake to ask that question.

"Fifty-fifty? If that were the case, there wouldn't be a reason to worry so much."

"Eh? We've worked hard too, isn't that enough?"

"10 percent... maybe that."

"A 10 percent chance? How big is that?"

"Just 10 percent. And that's me being generous."

"Just that?"

"Did you already forget? What we saw together at that moment."

Son OhGong's body trembled. Although his memory might be a bit deficient, his body remembered.

First of all, why did the companions from the future think together about returning to the past with the Clock Movement?

It was because of three people who seemed impossible to defeat no matter what.

Fortunately, one of them was defeated in the future, and another one in the past, which is this place, but...

"To overcome that, there's no other choice."

"Are you going to a certain death again?"

"When have I come back dead from there?"

"Then where are you going?"

"To look for a lost child."

YuWon explored the chaos he had created.

Azathoth.

The Name he had.

Perhaps, by walking through its interior, he could find Danpung, who had gotten lost. And if he found him, he could also learn more about the power of Azathoth.

Now, he had to embark on an adventure.

"By any chance..."

Son OhGong's eyes narrowed.

"Are you going to become someone like them?"

YuWon nodded.

It would have been better to overlook that. Son OhGong always had a creepy ability to notice at awkward times.

"That might happen."

The more he used the Name, the deeper and clearer he saw.

That was definitely the power of those guys. Maybe, by using it more, he would get closer to them.

Chronos.

Exactly like that.

"What about Pandora and the others?"

Was he trying to stop her?

Son OhGong's question made YuWon, who was turning around, pause for a moment.

Oddly, when he heard the name Pandora, it caught in his throat.

It wasn't love or affection. If YuWon had to say, a feeling like camaraderie was gradually growing.

But...

"Please take good care of her."

He didn't know if the place he was heading to from now on would be safe or not.

But there was no reason to linger anymore. Time kept moving even at this moment.

YuWon looked toward the direction his steps were taking her.

A place where Eyes of Foreknowledge and Golden Cinder Eyes couldn't reach.

[You are entering the 'Amorphous Chaos']

The more he used the Name, the sharper he saw as he saw more deeply.

That guy was definitely there. Sitting on a throne that didn't suit him well, murmuring the name of Azathoth over and over again.

Danpung.

That guy was waiting for him.