Leveling with the Gods

C392

The atmosphere was so tense that it felt suffocating.

The Bull Demon King advanced towards the castle's exterior escorted by the twenty Goblin Guardians.

No one uttered a word. YuWon watched as the goblins retreated and the figure of the Bull Demon King.

'What relationship do they have?'

YuWon didn't know much about the Bull Demon King. He was a figure that didn't exist in his future, and as for information, he had only heard what Son OhGong had conveyed.

"He was the older brother I trusted the most."

A simple and concise explanation. But there were no further explanations. Son OhGong didn't usually talk much about the Bull Demon King.

"I should have asked more at that time."

Although he had heard something vague. That he was the number one Sorcerer in the Tower. Odin also acknowledged that but avoided making comparisons with the Goblin King.

The Bull Demon King and the Goblin King. Which of the two would be more exceptional?

'Probably, in the past, it would have been the Goblin King.'

YuWon looked at the Bull Demon King, who stood in front of the Goblin King in the sky.

'But now it's different.'

And the Goblin King was feeling that too. He saw that the Bull Demon King before him was different from the one he knew before being trapped in the Celestial Prison.

"What has happened in the last thousand years? I thought you were rotting away in a prison."

Tuck...

The Bull Demon King responded with a nod to the Goblin King's question.

"You don't have to know."

"Well, that's true."

Strength built up in the hand holding the Bull Demon King's Mixed Iron Rod. The Goblin King prepared to face that energy with his fist.

At that moment...

Whoosh...

In the Goblin King's hand appeared a long club similar to the Bull Demon King's Mixed Iron Rod.

Prepared, the Goblin King swung the club.

"Let's go."

Thud, grrrr...

The Bull Demon King's Mixed Iron Rod and the Goblin King's club clashed.

Crack!

The collision made the ground tremble considerably, and, of course, the other goblins were affected as well.

"We're getting involved!"

"First, let's move away!"

"How are we supposed to protect the King if we move away?"

"Do you think this is a fight we can intervene in?"

Bang!

"Ahh!"

A Goblin Guardian was struck by the club wielded by the Goblin King and was buried deep in the ground. YuWon silently observed that scene.

Clang, clang, clang...

It was a real battle. Their fists clashed, and the Bull Demon King's Mixed Iron Rod collided with the Goblin King's club.

Both were incredibly strong and brutal monsters.

While watching the fight between the Bull Demon King and the Goblin King, YuWon stuck out his tongue.

Above the Bull Demon King fighting the Goblin King, he could see a superimposed figure.

"His strength surpasses Hercules' right now."

Previously, the Bull Demon King was already a High-Ranker with the designation of King of Great Power. In terms of strength, he was on par with Hercules. But now, he was displaying even more strength.

He had likely obtained his Divinity by passing the Trial on Floor 100.

"Though he's still not on the level of Hercules, who gained Divinity after completing the Twelve Labors..."

The important thing was that the Bull Demon King's power wasn't limited to just strength.

Suddenly...

The Goblin King's movements wielding the club abruptly stopped.

The Goblin King's forced movements ceased, and his gaze turned to his legs.

There were small letters inscribed on his clothing.

"Quick..."

With a sigh, the Bull Demon King's hand lowered.

And at that moment...

Creak, creak, creak...

The Goblin King's clothing suddenly became as heavy as a mountain.

"Fall."

Kwah!

The Goblin King plummeted downward precipitously.

He quickly raised his hands and tried to tear his clothes.

But at that moment...

Kwah!

The Bull Demon King's Mixed Iron Rod fell onto the Goblin King's head.

"Oh no, my king..."

"How could this happen...?"

The Goblin Guardians who were watching the fight began to move, unable to bear it any longer.

The Bull Demon King's Mixed Iron Rod didn't stop. The Bull Demon King's victory over the Goblin King was practically assured at that moment.

"Interesting."

YuWon's eyes changed how he viewed the fight.

"Both are skilled in Sorcery."

And at that moment...

Thump...

The Bull Demon King's knee buckled.

The inscriptions on the Bull Demon King's body were practically identical to those on the Goblin King.

"They are using the same Sorcery?"

"At what point..."

The Goblin Guardians were puzzled.

One by one, they turned to YuWon. Although they were much more proficient in Sorcery, it seemed that YuWon had noticed the effect of the Sorcery inscribed on the Bull Demon King's body much faster than they had.

Of course, YuWon hadn't noticed the inscriptions immediately.

"They are using it like this."

Eyes of Foreknowledge.

It was only for a few seconds, but YuWon experienced the effect of this ability.

It was undoubtedly an impressive ability to be able to see the near future, but...

"It's still not very efficient."

Suuuu...

YuWon closed his eyes again.

He was still tired because he had just acquired the ability.

There was no need to force the ability right now.

The Bull Demon King and the Goblin King rose once again. With their heavy bodies and clothing, they faced each other again with fists and weapons.

Clank!

Clank, clank!

It was a true battle.

As if they had made an unspoken agreement, neither of them used any abilities.

They firmly planted their legs on the ground.

The Bull Demon King's fist struck the Goblin King's stomach.

The Goblin King's body, which was bearing the brute force, wavered. Next was the blow from the Bull Demon King's Mixed Iron Rod to the Goblin King's chin.

Cracks began to appear gradually.

"It seems like this has ended."

In a fight like this, once one started to falter, it was over. Knowing that, the Goblin King raised his hands.

"I concede."

Suddenly...

The Bull Demon King's Mixed Iron Rod, which was swinging toward the Goblin King's head, stopped.

The situation changed abruptly.

"What's happening?"

They stopped with just one word of defeat.

"Did it really end so easily?"

For YuWon, who didn't know the relationship between the two, this was bewildering.

Before the fight, the Bull Demon King had shown a determination that made it seem like he was fighting some mortal enemy.

"The promise?"

"We'll keep it."

"Then it's fine."

Suuuu...

The inscriptions on the Goblin King's clothing faded away.

The Bull Demon King did the same.

Both broke their respective spells and ceased releasing the fighting spirit from their bodies.

The ground and the Goblin King's castle were left in shambles from the fight.

The Goblin King, seeing that his castle had been destroyed, clicked his tongue.

"It's a shame; it's become utterly useless."

Looking somewhat regretfully at the place where his castle used to stand, the Goblin King turned to YuWon.

"You said you had two things to do, right?"

A sudden question.

YuWon nodded, and the Goblin King handed his club to another goblin, saying:

"I'll do the other one tomorrow. Make the payment to that guy over there."

The Goblin King pointed to one of the goblins, and in response, the goblin quickly approached YuWon while another goblin brought a bottle of liquor.

The Goblin King walked away somewhere, drinking from the large bottle of liquor.

YuWon's hand reached forward.

YuWon paid the sum without hesitation.

[You have spent 10,000,000 points]

A big smile appeared on the goblin's face.

There was no one in the world who didn't like money, and goblins loved points more than humans. Most of these points would probably be used to pay for their liquor bill.

YuWon didn't pay attention to what the goblins spent their points on.

"Are you done with this whole matter?"

Suuuu...

He felt a presence from behind.

The Bull Demon King, who had been patiently waiting, rubbed his empty stomach with one hand and said, "I'm hungry. Shall we eat something?"

The goblins' meals were more like feasts of liquor than conventional meals.

To them, the concept of a real meal was vague. For goblins, food was merely a snack to accompany their drink, not a means to fill the stomach.

The restaurant they arrived at following the Bull Demon King served gukbap (rice soup) and suyuk (boiled meat) along with makgeolli (rice wine).

They were fairly familiar foods to YuWon. Although he didn't know exactly what kind of animal the meat was made from, at least in appearance, it didn't differ much from the suyuk and gukbap he was familiar with.

That's how the food was served.

"You'll probably like it. I don't know exactly what it's made of, but this restaurant has been here for quite some time."

The Bull Demon King began eating without hesitation.

It was quite a familiar action, from the steps to the restaurant recommendation. It didn't seem like he had come here just once or twice before.

"Did you live here?"

The Bull Demon King, who had taken a spoonful of rice soup, nodded in response to YuWon's question.

"The taste is still the same as always."

The same as always.

That meant he had been here before.

YuWon picked up his spoon and took a bite of rice. Although the taste of the broth was a bit different from the gukbap he used to eat, it was clear that this was a recommended restaurant.

"How long have you lived here?"

The conversation continued along with the meal.

"Since the moment I was born."

"But you're not a goblin, are you?"

"I found out later. I didn't realize I was a Yokai. Living alongside goblins made me think I was a goblin too."

Despite his calm tone, the content of his words was not light.

Having lived not knowing whether he was a goblin or a Yokai.

YuWon turned his head to look at the other goblins in the restaurant. None of them seemed Human or Yokai.

"What happened?"

"To be honest, it's a long story."

The Bull Demon King postponed his answer.

It seemed it would be better to discuss this a little later. Probably, the Bull Demon King wouldn't have mentioned anything if he had planned to keep it completely secret. YuWon decided to wait.

When the gukbap bowl was nearly empty.

The Bull Demon King brought up another topic.

"Where is OhGong? I sent him a message, but I haven't heard from him about what he's doing."

YuWon thought that, once the trial was over, the Bull Demon King would look for Son OhGong first, but it seemed he came directly here from somewhere.

"He went in search of the Celestial Floor."

"The Celestial Floor?"

"Yes. He said he was sure it would be somewhere in this Tower..."

"Then, if that's the case, I know."

"What?"

YuWon began to doubt his own ears.

He knows.

The Celestial Floor.

No matter where it is, the place known as the Celestial Floor is a place of uncertainty, whether it truly exists or not. The sutras found there are clues to free Son OhGong from the curse of the Golden Headband.

But the fact that the Bull Demon King knew about the location of the Celestial Floor was astonishing.

As he watched YuWon, who dropped his utensils without realizing it, the Bull Demon King asked with curiosity.

"So why does OhGong want to go there?"