Leveling with the Gods

C339

An exclusive treasure of Apollo radiating a suffocating heat to its core.

It is one of the items known as the fastest means of transportation in this Tower.

The Sun Chariot.

YuWon and Hercules were riding on it, in motion.

Zzz~

Hercules fell asleep.

It's incredible how he can sleep so well in this situation.

He's probably doing it to conserve energy even at times like this.

'Yes, it's not an easy task.'

The battle against the Hydra and the capture of the Erymanthian Boar, all those Labors were not easy. Moreover, Hercules kept moving tirelessly to quickly finish the wager with Hera.

He must have accumulated a lot of fatigue until now.

'For now, we'll let him be.'

The core of this fight was him.

'Hercules rarely shows such determination. It's uncommon,' thought YuWon to himself.

Hercules had a natural aversion to fights.

Whenever it wasn't absolutely necessary, Hercules avoided using his fists. That's why, during the thousand years that passed until the Gigantomachy War started again, he only limited himself to cutting trees in the forest.

Even if it was necessary, it was the same.

He didn't excessively use his fists. It was because he knew the kind of power his fist had and what consequences could arise from it.

But this time was different.

"The problem lies on the other side."

If Hera takes control of Olympus, the story will change.

There was no way Foolish Chaos hadn't taken Hercules into account. Surely, he had calculated everything, including Hercules, from the beginning.

So, Hercules was no longer the universal key that could resolve all events.

Shu~

Focusing, Yoo Won stared at the floor of the solar chariot.

Shik~

Just as he was planning, YuWon started drawing on the floor using the sheath of his knife.

'I have to find the main key.'

In individual fights, strength and weakness were everything, but in a great battle like this, there was always a key.

'He has completely changed the board.'

Crack, swoosh.

Olympus.

Hera.

Foolish Chaos.

Hercules.

And even Hades, who is already dead.

By drawing detailed relationships, each of them appeared before YuWon's eyes like chess pieces.

'I also need to redraw the board.'

The most powerful piece was Hercules.

But the opponent's pieces were not clearly visible, as if they were hidden in dense fog.

'I need a variable.'

What is the best move in this current situation?

As he slowly pondered, YuWon continued drawing.

Thump-.

The Sun Chariot landed on the ground.

When the heavy weight fell, Hercules, who was sleeping, woke up.

How long had he slept?

Hercules, rubbing his sleepy eyes, opened his mouth and yawned.

"Have we arrived already? Ah, I'm so tired..."

It really felt like he had slept deeply after such a long time.

Well...

Since the mission started, it seemed like he hadn't rested properly.

Suddenly, he thought the Sun Chariot was cool.

"That guy..."

After waking up, Hercules searched for YuWon first.

There were no signs around him.

It seemed like YuWon wasn't sleeping either.

But...

"What are you doing now?"

YuWon, who had his back to Hercules, was sitting with crossed arms.

Hercules, asking the question, soon closed his mouth.

He wanted to move as fast as possible to carry out the next Labor, but it felt different from usual.

YuWon didn't respond even when called.

He wasn't sleeping.

It meant he was immersed in his thoughts.

How much more time had he spent like that?

"Contact Athena."

YuWon, who was staring at the Player Kit in front of him, opened his mouth.

"For the time being..."

YuWon's words trailed off.

Waiting for YuWon to finish speaking, Hercules furrowed his brow and asked, pressing his forehead with his fingers.

"Is it really going to happen like that?"

"For now, it seems to be the most viable option. I don't think they want to delay any longer from the other side," YuWon replied.

"Well, that's true, but..."

"You have nothing to lose by trusting. It doesn't hurt to have insurance in case things go wrong," YuWon said.

"Yeah, that's true."

Upon hearing those words, Hercules nodded and took out his Player Kit to send a message to Apollo.

With a clumsy finger, he slowly typed the message. After writing the message, Hercules stood up from his spot.

"Let the other side take care of that. Are you going to stay here?"

"Yes."

"If you don't intend to help anyway, why insist on staying here? It would be better to help the other side if you really want to assist."

This was the Fourth Labor completed, but Hercules was confident he could handle it himself with his own strength.

Thus, he felt YuWon's company was an unnecessary waste of manpower.

But...

"Don't you regret saying that?"

"......?"

YuWon's words sounded so assured that Hercules appeared bewildered.

Then, with self-assurance, Hercules patted his chest with one hand.

"I can handle what's left by myself."

"Really?"

It was a meaningful declaration and a meaningful expression.

"Keep that promise without fail."

YuWon, getting up from his seat, started walking with what seemed to be a cheerful expression.

And then, half a day later.

Thump-.

With arms full of strength, Hercules held a shovel the size of a house and muttered with a furrowed brow.

"What's with all these Labors..."

Muuuuu~

The enormous bulls mooed. Even at this moment, they kept eating and defecating in proportion to their size.

And there was Hercules, cleaning up the excrement of these bulls, even those that hadn't been cleaned in a thousand years.

It was a task he could never get used to.

Cleaning such a large amount of excrement was no easy task, even for someone with brute strength like Hercules. However, the problem didn't lie in strength but in the "smell."

Barely half a day had passed since he started, and Hercules was experiencing a hell like never before.

And at that moment, his Player Kit chimed.

[Kim YuWon: Are you sure you don't need help?]

Ding...

A message that seemed to know everything about the situation.

"That bastard..."

Hercules was truly angry at someone after a long time.

If YuWon were in front of him, he would have wanted to punch him right away.

But there was nothing he could do.

He had already spoken the words and couldn't take them back.

Puff...

Finally, Hercules began his frustrating Labor again. The bulls continued to mess up the place in front of him, and that was the only response he got. Meanwhile, YuWon observed the scene from a distance, out of the reach of the foul smell.

"Always stubborn..."

It was his determination to complete the Labor somehow and defeat Hera.

After Hades' death, Hercules' determination grew even stronger. He thought that if this continued, Olympus might face calamity.

That was why he clung to the Labor.

In his heart, YuWon hoped he would choose to fight against Hera even if it meant certain sacrifice, rather than an uncertain gamble...

"But that's not like him."

In his adventures, Hercules always sought the best possible outcome. That was the very essence of Hercules and the reason why he was called a Hero. He was always willing to sacrifice himself to achieve beneficial results for everyone.

Puff...

YuWon watched Hercules, who with just one shovel quickly gathered the excrement.

It was a truly terrifying speed.

Using even his Gigantification, the skill with which Hercules wielded the shovel was awe-inspiring.

"This is the fifth one."

The most challenging Labor according to Hercules, along with the Third Labor.

"If he moves..."

YuWon watched that scene with pleasure as he remembered the upcoming Labors.

The Sixth Labor, capturing the Stymphalian Birds.

The Seventh Labor, capturing the Cretan Bull........

The Tenth Labor, bringing the Cattle of Geryon back alive.

And in the eleventh...

"Will it be in the eleventh?"

Out of a total of Twelve Labors.

YuWon recalled the Eleventh Labor.

Fetching the golden apple from the Garden of the Hesperides.

That was the goal of the Eleventh Labor.

However, YuWon wasn't interested in the golden apple.

Instead, there was something he had to obtain from that garden.

"My mother, Thetis, wanted to make me an immortal being."

Achilles.

A High-Ranker of Olympus, a higher rank compared to his abilities.

There was a reason for that.

It was due to a unique characteristic he possessed.

"So, when I was born, my mother dipped my body in the River Styx and anointed me with ambrosia."

His enduring resilience.

Achilles' endurance, which never waned and never died, was almost immortal.

However...

"The result was a failure. Immortality? How can there be any effect just by anointing it on the body? I might have become slightly more resilient, but I am not immortal. Everyone, remember. No matter what elixir it is, don't apply it on the skin, always ingest it."

Saying that, Achilles glanced sideways at Son OhGong.

It was evident that he was envious of Son OhGong, a true immortal being unlike himself.

"Then, where did you get it?"

Thus, one after another, he revealed his secrets.

"I don't know. I only know it's next to the golden apple tree."

"Golden apple tree?" (Hercules)

A surprised voice murmured.

Everyone's gaze turned to the owner of the voice.

Though those words were spoken in a low voice, Hercules' voice was so deep and strong that it couldn't be ignored.

Thus, amid the concentrated gazes...

Hercules opened his mouth with a somewhat embarrassed expression and a much softer voice than before.

"I went there once..."

In a castle above the clouds.

Hera arrived at the most sacred castle, Olympus.

Thousands of Players and Rankers followed her in flying carriages through the sky.

Step, step.

Hera stepped onto the castle in the clouds and took a deep breath.

The red fabric that enveloped her fluttered in the wind, and the fresh air tickled her nose.

"It's been a long time since I've been here too."

It used to feel like home in the past.

But after Zeus' subjugation.

She never returned to this place.

Step, step.

Many Rankers and Players were blocking her path.

Hera headed towards the blond man at the front.

"I've come to claim my place."

"Please return from where you came."

Hargan.

He stared at her and said.

"The funeral has not yet taken place."

"Does the order matter to you?"

"Please return from where you came."

At that moment...

Chas.

The Rankers on the side of Olympus (Royal Castle) responded to Athena's gesture by assuming a stance that seemed to indicate they would soon unsheathe their weapons and use their abilities.

"Otherwise, I'll consider you my enemy."

"Do you have any means to stop me?"

Swish.

Hera's gaze turned to Athena, who held the Aegis Shield.

"It will be difficult with just her."

Hargan sensed Hera's words.

Hercules is gone, Hades is dead.

Apollo and his sister refused to fight their own mother. Even if they became enemies, they couldn't attack the mother who brought them into the world.

Only Athena remained as a force.

The power of Olympus had weakened.

And Hera seized that opportunity.

Hargan: "You're right."

It was truly surprising.

Hargan: "But there is still a way."

Suddenly, Hera found it strange.

"How can he be so sure in this situation?"

Then, Hargan stepped aside.

Beautiful hair as if dyed orange.

Smooth, white skin, and a much clearer focus than before.

She had only seen her face once, but it was an unforgettable face.

Hera: "... Pandora?"

Long ago.

The cursed girl who opened the box appeared here.