Leveling with the Gods

C611

'This is stifling.'

Exhaling a stifled sigh, Hercules looked at his numb hands.

They were moist with sweat from being clenched for so long.

It wasn't the tension of the battle.

It was the worry of whether his choice had been the right one.

His shoulders felt heavier than when lifting a rock of over a hundred thousand pounds.

'Come to think of it, this is the first time.'

That he had chosen to fight himself.

It was understandable.

He didn't like fights in the first place.

Even though they were best friends now, Hercules had always found Son OhGong incomprehensible, even when observing from the sidelines.

Why did he like to fight so much?

But now, it seemed like he could understand that feeling a bit, even if it was just a tenth or a hundredth.

'I'd rather fight.'

His chest felt oppressed.

It was as if hitting something would alleviate the heaviness on his shoulders a bit.

He clenched the fist he had opened again.

Suddenly, he felt a strange sensation.

'This was difficult.'

Hercules had always let Zeus make the decisions.

And not just him.

The carefree Son OhGong, and even many Guilds in Olympus, had relied on Zeus's insight.

Now, he realized how difficult it was.

The weight of being a 'King' became evident with this single choice.

Zeus had been making these kinds of choices at every moment.

¡Fwoosh!

At that moment...

He felt a strange Arcane Power in the forest beyond the Golden Castle.

Hercules's gaze, who was sitting, changed.

"That Monkey has turned me into a dog with his nose."

¡Kwaaaar!

¡Caw-caw!

Ji ji, ji ji ji!

Strange laughs echoed.

They were the sounds of the Envoys who had been the hands and feet of the Tower Rulers for a long time.

Who would have thought he would be so happy to have to fight?

At least, it was clear that he had not chosen wrongly.

¡Boom!

Among the Envoys, in particular.

There were presences that felt as large as to touch his skin.

Ssssh, sssshhh!

A sound of gigantic steps and the repugnant hiss of a reptile.

Hercules, invoking the power of Lightning Bolt, calculated the number of opponents.

'Two Administrators. Envoys... they are countless.'

The Envoys began to emerge one by one over the forest.

They resembled a flock of butterflies.

From beautiful creatures like fairies to comical figures like jesters, the Envoys existed in various forms.

And among them...

Are you Hercules?

This is unexpected. Not in Olympus, but here.

The two Administrators spoke upon seeing Hercules, who was already prepared to face them.

A giant engulfed in flames reminiscent of Surt and a giant two-headed snake.

The Arcane Power emanating from them gave Hercules a tingling sensation on his skin.

"We haven't resolved anything with words so far..."

¡Craaack!

Hercules's eyes turned golden.

Lightning Bolts began to roar in the sky. His immense Arcane Power and muscles swollen by Gigantification dominated the battlefield.

"Stop. We don't want to fight you."

Does that mean you surrender?

There's no surrender. The end of this battle will be your death.

A resounding refusal.

It's understandable.

They weren't going to give up this moment, which they had been waiting for so long, for a few simple words.

And if it could be resolved with words, Zeus probably would have done it before him.

If dialogue doesn't work, there's only one option:

'There's no choice but to overpower them.'

¡Kihihihing-!

Just as Hercules was about to move.

"I knew you would come to fight, so I've been preparing."

Numerous warriors appeared with the sound of horse neighs.

The Valkyries of Asgard descended from the sky riding on Pegasus.

"Brunhilde."

"Did Zeus send you?"

"Something like that."

Brunhilde tilted her head at Hercules's response.

'Something like that.'

It wasn't a very clear answer.

Swoosh-.

Leading the Valkyries, Brunhilde looked at the Administrators and Envoys in front of her.

Enemies who had invaded the Golden Castle.

As she knew exactly why they had attacked Asgard, Brunhilde couldn't understand even more the appearance of Hercules.

"And what are you doing here?"

She referred to the Guild representing the Tower alongside Asgard.

The situation in Olympus probably wouldn't be much different from here.

"As for that..."

His words trailed off.

He had a choice.

To protect Olympus.

Or to help Asgard without Odin.

And among those options, Hercules had chosen to help Asgard.

Because he didn't trust Asgard?

No.

"For father."

It was because he trusted Zeus.

He wasn't the nicest father, but if he couldn't trust him, who could he trust in this world?

'No.'

Hercules thought up to here and smiled at the face that suddenly came to mind.

'There's another.'

Another person he could trust as much as Zeus.

Of course.

It was natural that no one here, including Brunhilde, would remember.

"I understand."

Brunhilde nodded at Hercules's response.

She probably thought that this situation was the result of Zeus's mind.

If it was a plan devised by Zeus. There probably would be other options, both here and in Olympus.

"Then I won't worry."

Brunhilde, the leader of the Valkyries, raised her sword.

"For Asgard!"

"For Asgard!"

['Battle Cry' is activated.]

[Stats of 'Valkyrie' players increase.]

[Negative effects on 'Valkyrie' players are removed.]

['Valkyrie' players resist 'Mana Master.']

[Resistance partially fails...]

[...]

The Valkyries received a benefit.

The Valkyries, who were already high-level fighters, became the most powerful fighting force in the Tower with the addition of Brunhilde's ability.

Brunhilde looked at the intruders who had invaded the Golden Castle and said:

"We will protect it."

The Asgard that King Odin had wanted to protect.

-------------

Zzzt, zzzzt.

His body froze, turning white.

A chilling cold ran through his body, numbing it.

Gray flames engulfed Zeus's body.

Kee-eee!

The round steel-covered monster roared.

His body was riddled with lightning spears that had pierced the steel.

Seeing the true form of the Administrator, Zeus clicked his tongue disinterestedly.

"To think that the majestic form you chose as a God was a mere imitation of us humans."

¡Craack!

Moving his frozen hands, Zeus once again took a Lightning Bolt spear.

"Know shame."

¡Bang!

¡Kwa-lang!

A beam of light pierced through the Administrator's body with a roar.

The steel spikes melted.

With a cry, another Administrator lost his life.

Glaki!¡Bam!

The huge monster collapsed to the ground.

The gray flames intensified even more with the death of the Administrator named Glaki.

Zeusss!"You don't win just by raising your voice."

¡Pzzzzzz!

A Blue Lightning Bolt enveloped Zeus's body.

"Extinguish, pitiful cinder flame."

He reached his hand toward the gray frost enveloping him.

¡Thuuud!

Collision of the Blue Lightning Bolt and the frost.

Zeus didn't dodge it but faced it head-on.

"There's just need to extinguish you."

Crush with brute force. Though it wasn't his usual style, the Blue Lightning Bolt was now the strength of his character.

Indra, the Dragon Slayer. He was a being who had used this Blue Lightning to fight hand-to-hand even better than The Great Sage, Heaven's Equal.

¡Bang!

With a thunderous noise, the gray flame was devoured by the Blue Lightning Bolt.

The frost-turned Administrator's body dissipated like mist.

[Not enough mana]

[The power of 'Temple of Lightning' weakens]

"Ugh!"

Zeus coughed up blood and staggered for a moment.

His mana had almost run out. By using all his strength to maintain the effect of the Temple of Lightning, his interior was in turmoil from mana confusion.

And taking advantage of that gap.

Finally, I can do it.Swoosh.

Under Zeus's shadow.

Avenge my sister.The persistent Jotakua revealed herself.

Following Zeus's shadow, she approached his throat slowly.

You're handsome; it's a pity. Truly, you are an uncommon middle-aged man.The Jotakua sisters loved handsome men. Zeus's appearance was exceptional enough to captivate many women in Olympus.

But there's nothing to be done. You're the one who killed my sister."Only you remain."

Zeus's eyes, which had been coughing up blood, regained their brilliance. His shaky eyes and strength in his legs. Even his aura, everything returned in an instant.

"I was worried you wouldn't show up. Thankfully, your head is hollow."

In the moment a thought that something was wrong crossed her mind.

"I have won."

¡Bang!

A Blue Lightning Bolt shone again.

¡Kwa-lang!

Pffft-bubuk!

The sharp black spikes pierced through the explosion of the Blue Lightning Bolt.

Jotakua's figure, hidden in the shadow, was exposed.

With a black ink-like body and white eyes, she collapsed to the ground and groaned with difficulty.

How... was...?She couldn't finish the sentence. Jotakua collapsed without resolving her doubt.

Looking at her, Zeus finally relaxed and slumped to the ground.

Thud.

The numerous black spikes embedded in his body. Zeus had avoided fatal points, but the wounds only worsened the mana reflux.

However, it was enough. He couldn't keep fighting, but at least the situation seemed to be under control.

The important thing was to have survived.

"… Somehow, I did it."

This time, even he wasn't sure if he could win.

It would have been easier if Hercules had been with him, but who knows.

That's only assuming that only four Administrators would come.

'If the other types had been there, it wouldn't have ended with just four.'

Pressing the wounds with one hand, Zeus slowly began to stop the bleeding.

'For now... I guess this is a success.'

Crack.

['Temple of Lightning' disappears.]

While Zeus concentrated his Arcane Power and focus on stopping the bleeding, the lightning surrounding the temple naturally dissipated.

Before the surrounding landscape that was revealed...

Zeus's eyes, hoping to be able to rest a bit, shook violently.

'The Rankers...'

The rankers who had been pushed out of the Temple of Lightning.

All of them were unconscious, lying on the ground.

'What happened?'

To assess the situation, Zeus struggled to stand up and looked around.

At that moment. He heard the sound of a Ranker's breathing lying on the nearest ground.

Sniff, sniff.

It was ridiculous.

'They are asleep.'

In the midst of all this, everyone was lying on the ground sleeping.

And at that moment...

"…Who are you?"

In Zeus's field of vision, he saw purple energy swirling.

-I am the dream devourer.

The purple aura whispered.

The dream devourer.

It reminded him of an Outer.

Zeus sank into the voice.

Injured and exhausted, he didn't have the strength to resist that voice.

'I must not fall.'

Just at that moment, when he was concentrating his mind.

The voice of the aura continued.

-Was this really your dream?

Dream...

Zeus looked down at his wounded body.

Suddenly, he felt disgusting.

He wanted to be a great King.

Was this really the image of a King he had dreamed of?

But at that moment...

"You don't need to listen to such nonsense."

¡Fwoosh!

He heard a voice that cleared the fog filling his head.

"Zeus."

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