Leveling with the Gods

C301

Before him appeared the sky.

A sky darkened by hazy clouds. YuWon felt a sense of dizziness as he looked at the black clouds filling his field of vision.

He didn't know what had happened, but his mind was trying to figure out what was going on.

"Ah..."

After a moment, he remembered what had occurred.

The fight with Zeus.

It was a very short fight, and paradoxically, it felt long.

When faced with Zeus's Lightning, YuWon thought of ways to stop it or dodge it.

In that instant, numerous thoughts passed through his mind.

The answer came quickly.

"How can I stop that?"

It was a level of lightning unlike anything seen before.

A force several times more powerful than the lightning that struck Camelot. Faced with overwhelming power, no matter how much he thought, he couldn't find an answer.

So YuWon watched it with his own eyes.

To comprehend that immense strength. To understand it to the fullest.

And thus, the Lightning fell, and YuWon crashed to the ground.

"You're not dead after all."

A voice resonated near his head.

YuWon turned his head and looked at Zeus.

Seeing the Lightning enveloping his body, it seemed that he couldn't control the excess power.

"Did you shoot me to kill me?"

"I figured you wouldn't die."

"You figured?"

"If you're going to die miserably here, instead of being a nuisance in front of me, it would be better for you to die right now."

Those were quite cold words.

He didn't need a mediocre companion. It would be better to die than to be like that.

Can someone like that really be called a companion?

At least in YuWon's mind, he wasn't.

But...

"That's just how Zeus is."

An authoritarian tyrant.

To him, everyone except himself was inferior, there was nothing beside or above him.

Calling him a companion was something that didn't fit.

But at least Zeus would consider someone a companion as long as he deemed them valuable.

That was enough.

That was what YuWon had hoped for anyway.

"So, have you gained something?"

In response to Zeus's question, YuWon shook his head clumsily.

His mind had gone blank in an instant, so his physical condition wasn't good.

"I only know that you've become an incredible monster."

"I didn't mean that..."

"To confirm that is also a harvest for me."

Zeus's eyes narrowed at YuWon's response.

Soon, the corners of his mouth lifted.

"So, you think the same as me."

"I don't know if we'll have the same methods, but we probably have the same goal."

Zeus is authoritative.

Instead of raising everyone together, he decided to confront external forces, including Foolish Chaos, with his own power alone.

He believed that was possible, and he had enough power to have that confidence.

Of course.

That was still based on Zeus not knowing what lay beyond this Tower.

Pak, pak.

YuWon quickly got up, dusting off his clothes.

As he hastily regained his composure, his eyes regained their calmness.

Soon...

In his golden and red pupils, the figure of Zeus reflected.

"You have to become stronger. I will too."

"You seem to have some certainty in yourself."

It was a phrase that was probing.

Normally, he would have let it pass, but this time was different.

Kwang, kwarrung!

An enormous Lightning burst forth from Zeus's body. Along with the sound of the Lightning, YuWon could feel a colossal force that even surprised him.

The reincarnation of Indra?

No.

Perhaps, even beyond that. Zeus, who sought something to replace the Lightning, obtained the heart of Indra and had surpassed his heyday.

"Even this isn't enough? Is that what it means?"

Kwung, kwarrung.

Even approaching was difficult. YuWon felt his body numb as he faced Zeus's force up close.

From the depths of his heart, he wanted to give a thumbs up in recognition.

But...

"It's still far from enough."

The opponent (Outer Gods) they would face was not an easy enemy.

And it wasn't just one Outer God, but many.

And YuWon had fought against them numerous times.

Among those enemies, there were those who possessed a power similar to Zeus's at that moment.

"There's still a long way to go. We shouldn't be satisfied with this."

That was the reason he decided to express it, even though he would normally have avoided it.

Zeus still had to become stronger. He should not be satisfied with his current level but strive much harder to become even more powerful.

That's why YuWon had to instill a sense of urgency in Zeus.

He must not become arrogant with that little ability.

He wondered if Zeus had understood his intentions.

"Hmm..."

Zeus lifted the corners of his mouth as he looked at YuWon.

"Although your intention mixed in your words is arrogant..."

Tzz, tzz, tzz...

The Lightning emanating from Zeus's body began to dissipate slowly.

"You're not wrong."

Zeus turned around and started walking.

Once again, he prepared to face YuWon.

"You're truly interesting. More than anyone else I've ever met in my life."

"Unexpected."

"What do you mean?"

Zeus paused for a moment and glanced at YuWon.

"I thought you would be seeking revenge against me."

Zeus was the King of Olympus.

YuWon had brought him down and imprisoned him. Naturally, he thought Zeus would be determined to take revenge on him.

But the Zeus he encountered again showed no resentment towards him.

Why?

He wasn't sure of the motives behind that, he only saw the clear results, but he was curious about the change in his attitude.

"Is there something you hold grudge against?"

Zeus started walking again and looked at YuWon once more.

He kept his distance and raised his Lightning as if impatient to waste time.

The current of energy began to envelop Zeus's body, sliding into his serene gaze.

"I was defeated by you because I was inadequate. Because my preparation was insufficient and my power was lacking."

The reason Zeus didn't resent YuWon.

It was simple.

From the start, YuWon had had a wrong thought.

"There is nothing as ugly as blaming defeat or resentment on someone else. Except when someone you trusted betrays you, but in your case, you were my enemy from the beginning to the end."

Zeus may have been a tyrant, but he had built a giant guild. Moreover, Olympus had a much shorter history than Asgard, but it had grown very rapidly in a short time.

Indeed.

Now it seemed he knew why Olympus was able to grow so fast.

"So don't hesitate and come fight again."

Crackle!

"This time, I will allow you to fight me on an equal level."

Perhaps Zeus also had similar thoughts.

Since it was difficult to do it alone, they would form a team.

YuWon had already planned such a team, and Zeus in front of him was a new member of the original team.

"There is no one more skilled in the Lightning attribute than Zeus."

Zeus had been handling Lightning for over a thousand years.

Unlike Hades or Poseidon, he was the one who best knew how to wield the Uranus Heart.

A moment ago, he lost consciousness.

This time it had to be different.

Woosh-.

[The 'Golden Cinder Eyes' capture the essence]

"Let's go."

"Lightning is known as the most destructive form of Magic along with Fire."

Kwang!

A Lightning bolt struck YuWon's head.

Although he moved in advance to get away from the center of the Lightning, he couldn't avoid the damage due to its wide range.

Crackle!

YuWon's body was enveloped by the reach of the Lightning. Although his skin burned by the Lightning turned black, and his body gradually lost strength, his eyes remained clear.

"But what's important is speed."

Chi, Jik, Jik-.

The Lightning moved along Zeus's fingertip.

And according to those words, YuWon's pupil followed the flow of the Lightning gathering at the tip of his finger.

It was definitely more fast than destructive. Unlike Fire, it was difficult to visually track due to its speed.

"And that becomes its destructive power."

Flash!

He saw it with his eyes.

But he wasn't fast enough to react.

Peww!

"…!"

A bolt of Lightning pierced his spine.

He felt his consciousness fading. He barely managed to endure it with gritted teeth, but he couldn't prevent his knees from giving in.

Thud.

"You've held on for a long time."

Zeus's voice resonated nearby.

Feeling that everything was over, YuWon dropped completely to the ground.

Chi-ji-jik-.

A subtle Lightning flashed at the tips of YuWon's fingers.

It was Lightning that didn't use the power of Uranus.

"You learn fast."

Only two days had passed.

During that time, YuWon fought repeatedly against Hades and Poseidon and learned from Zeus how to handle Lightning Attribute Magic.

Was it to shorten the time as much as possible?

YuWon chose to directly face the three gods without relying on Uranus.

Without rest, he continued.

The results began to gradually appear.

"This... is thanks to this."

Yuwon pointed with his finger at his eyes that were faintly shining as he lay on the ground.

Hwa Ang Geum Jeong (Golden Cinder Eyes).

Eyes that comprehend the essence of all things and phenomena, including magic.

Furthermore, Zeus understood the nature of his magic better than anyone else and taught it with words.

If he didn't grow quickly, it was even more peculiar.

"Tomorrow is the elder brother's turn. Rest a bit."

Ssshhh...

As if eagerly waiting for the words to fall, Yuwon's body slipped to the ground as if seeping in.

The darkness of Hades swallowed Yuwon. He would probably lead Yuwon to his accommodation this way.

"..."

Zeus, who stood in that place for a moment, turned his head.

His golden eyes pierced through the dense forest. After contemplating the place for a moment, Zeus disappeared in a single beam of golden light.

The place where Zeus had disappeared...

Thud-.

A single footprint appeared in the distance, far from the city.

A blurry, ghostly face with barely distinguishable features. Grass and trees withering as he walked.

Foolish Chaos looked at the dying land like this and muttered.

"As expected, it's dangerous."

The gaze that had been watching him until a moment ago had not a single error.

At first, he doubted.

But the gaze that hesitated from time to time soon turned into a clear recognition.

Zeus had discovered him.

His growth was faster and more pronounced than he had anticipated.

"Could it be because of his lineage after all?"

One of the two outside his original plan.

And Zeus had become a threat to his current self, who also possessed a power that could be a threat.

The other side was also a target to be wary of, but if you looked at the priorities, there was no need to think deeply.

Zeus.

He was the pawn that would provoke the Gigantomachy and until a few years ago was considered one of the most outstanding pawns.

But now...

The tip of his spear was aimed not at the Giants but at his own throat.

And not only that, he carried a sharp spear with the ability to pierce his own throat.

"I can't afford to give him more time."

It was a somewhat drastic choice, but he had no other option.

Foolish Chaos's eyes turned purple, from the black part to the white part.

"I will eliminate him immediately."

Immediately.

And with his voice, the presences outside the Tower began to twist one by one.