Leveling with the Gods

Side Story 35

Boom!

At the end of the battle that was thought to be over, a sound echoed through the arena, making the entire place vibrate.

The stadium floor cracked and crumbled.

The tension that had dissipated instantly tightened again.

And upon confirming the source of that roar, Lee Rangjin couldn't help but laugh in disbelief.

"The winner of the Great Celestial War this time is that guy."

Asura lay on the ground, head bowed. And YuWon was still gripping Asura's head, slamming it into the ground.

If the two had really fought, the result would undoubtedly have been the same.

He had checked the list of participants before the final phase began.

Kim YuHun.

A name that was nowhere to be found in the Ranking.

That's why Celestial Realm had simply considered him as a talented high-ranker Player.

But, what a surprise.

Since the final phase began, in the arena intervened by the Administrators, he had demonstrated unparalleled skill.

He had achieved something much greater than winning this Great Celestial War.

'Regardless of his identity, we can't simply consider him an enemy just for being suspicious.'

Above all, he was a benefactor of Celestial Realm.

He was a Hero who had saved Celestial Realm when Taishang Laojun, who had allied with the Administrators, was about to hand everything over to them.

It wasn't right to be hostile to him just because he wasn't in the Ranking and his identity was unknown.

No...

Rather, they owed him an immeasurable debt.

'First...'

After all battles were over.

Lee Rangjin looked around at the battlefield filled with blood and corpses and closed his eyes tightly.

'We have to settle this chaos first.'

The era of peace had come to an end.

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

Celestial Realm quickly went into action.

It was natural since the Tournament they had organized had been a disaster.

They had to retrieve the bodies of the fallen warriors and discuss what compensation to offer to the deceased participants.

The spectators who had come to watch the Tournament were also a problem.

They couldn't let those who had spent valuable points and time simply leave like that.

Of course, despite all that.

YuWon had not gained little from this event.

'The result isn't bad.'

YuWon recalled the original purpose for which he had participated in this Tournament.

To publicize another name instead of his own name, which had been forgotten among the people.

And he had been quite successful.

The two Administrators he had dealt with in Black Woods.

And up to three Administrators, including the one burned in flames, had fallen at the hands of YuWon.

Although some participants and generals of Celestial Realm who witnessed that scene doubted the power of the Administrators, ironically, Asura had done them a great favor in the end.

'Because there aren't many Rankers who distrust the Ranking.'

A Player who had defeated Asura in the blink of an eye.

That moment instantly influenced the perception of the Player called "Kim YuHun."

The name Kim YuHun was engraved in people's minds instead of Kim YuWon.

Although there were still some who doubted, the fact that he had publicized his name to this extent was a great success.

Crunch~

Opening the sliding door of the room at the end of the hallway, Pandora, who was lying with bandages on her body, sprang up.

She seemed to have been waiting for quite some time after sending him a message through her Player Kit.

"What have you brought?"

Pandora's eyes gleamed.

YuWon extended the basket he held in his hands and replied:

"Just a little something."

"A cake?"

"No, something different."

They were on Floor 50.

In this Murim-like world, there were many things different from what Pandora used to eat.

"Candied fruit. It's something consumed a lot here."

"Is it sweet?"

"Quite."

Candied fruits in sugar.

Pandora, with sparkling eyes at this new snack, popped a candied fruit into her mouth and began to chew. Her expression seemed quite satisfied.

YuWon sat next to Pandora for a moment and watched her eat the fruit.

Then, she said:

"Although I can fight too, you know."

YuWon looked puzzled at Pandora's words, whose cheeks were filled with sweets.

"Hmm?"

"Can you finish talking before swallowing?"

Gulp!

As soon as YuWon finished speaking, Pandora swallowed the candied fruit that filled her mouth.

"Cough..."

Pandora spoke again to YuWon, who had been concerned for a moment.

"You don't have to do that from now on."

"I don't have to?"

"I can fight too. Now."

YuWon, who initially opened his eyes in surprise, laughed and patted Pandora's head.

YuWon nodded as if he understood, but in reality, he wasn't sure.

The same thing had happened in the battle that took place two days ago.

At first, he had intended to observe.

He wanted to see Pandora fight and win on her own.

However, even in a battle she could have won, YuWon ended up intervening. His body moved faster than his mind, but the reason was clear.

He didn't want to see her hurt.

'I can't make that promise.'

This incident had made him realize one thing:

YuWon couldn't leave Pandora alone.

"Oh, love, love~!"

And then, an unwanted guest arrived.

"YuWon and Pandora are in love~! In love~!"

Son Oh Gong mocked YuWon and Pandora while pointing at them annoyingly.

YuWon looked at him and waved his hand.

"Stop ruining the mood and go away."

"Oh, love... Ouch!"

Bang!

Son Oh Gong received a candied fruit in the nose and was sent flying backward.

YuWon had taken the fruit from Pandora's hand and thrown it with all his might at Son Oh Gong's face.

Precisely aiming at that hateful face, even using his Eyes of Foreknowledge.

Behind Son Oh Gong, lying on the floor, another unwanted guest appeared.

"What a mess."

A silver-haired woman looked disdainfully at the floor and at the sprawled Son Oh Gong in the doorway.

Tsukuyomi.

Appearing along with the cold, her hands were full of fruits hard to come by even in Celestial Realm.

"Are you hurt? Are you okay?"

He asked Pandora as he brought her the fruit basket.

Pandora briefly glanced at the contents of the basket before hiding under the blankets, leaving only her face exposed.

It wasn't a very welcoming reaction.

"You're shyer than you seem."

Without paying much attention, Tsukuyomi placed the basket aside and looked at YuWon.

She seemed to have missed the fire that lit up in Pandora's eyes at that moment.

"So, why don't you answer in her place?"

"She's not hurt. It's nothing serious, and she's just being treated here because she's not in a hurry to leave."

"Really? That's good."

Tsukuyomi approached YuWon.

Unknowingly, or pretending not to know, she didn't notice Pandora's glare and greeted YuWon.

"Thanks again. Thanks to you, I found the Three Sacred Treasures we had been searching for so long, and I was also able to create the Izanagi we desired so much."

"You still need to practice a bit more."

"You're right, I also felt my limitations."

"I already suspected that."

"Your personality is nicer than I thought."

Tsukuyomi laughed cheerfully at YuWon's response, unaware that he was sincere.

Somehow, YuWon's attitude was much softer than when they first met.

It is true that the Three Sacred Treasures were the dream of the Three Precious Children.

For Tsukuyomi, who had achieved it, there was no longer any burden on her heart.

"In any case, I will repay you for this debt. So, I'm leaving."

Tsukuyomi quickly bid farewell and left.

Apparently, she wanted to thank YuWon before leaving Celestial Realm.

The place where Tsukuyomi passed through for a moment...

"It's a little cold."

As expected of Tsukuyomi, who wielded the Arcane Power of Ice, the place where she passed through was filled with quite a chilly air.

That's what he thought...

...?

Pandora looked at him with killer eyes.

The origin of the cold air wasn't Tsukuyomi.

In the cold air...

Son OhGong, who had been observing the situation, cautiously opened his mouth.

"Well, well..."

"Both of you, get out of here."

Paf!

Hit once again by a flying candied fruit, Son OhGong fell backward.

This time it was Pandora.

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

YuWon and Son OhGong walked limping down the hallway.

Both had a small mark on their faces.

Son OhGong had a swollen nose, and YuWon had a headache.

It hurts a bit, this.

Son OhGong muttered as he touched his swollen nose bridge.

"Why couldn't you avoid it?"

"It's not that I couldn't."

"Then why didn't you dodge it?"

"I felt like I shouldn't dodge it."

Unknowingly still, Son OhGong wondered, recalling the previous situation.

"Why were we hit?"

"I don't know."

"A smart guy like you doesn't know?"

Son OhGong chuckled, amused by the fact that even YuWon didn't know.

Of course, it wasn't that YuWon really didn't know. He just didn't want to tell Son OhGong.

'She's jealous.'

Tsukuyomi was beautiful.

YuWon knew that too.

A beauty comparable to Pandora's.

A moment ago, YuWon and Son OhGong had been with two of the three most outstanding beauties in the Tower.

Of course, Son OhGong, whose only interest is in fighting, probably didn't think of anything else.

Bam, bam, bam!

While YuWon and Son OhGong walked together.

A sound of battle footsteps came from the end of the hallway.

"Here comes that guy again."

Son OhGong clicked his tongue and leaned his head in his hands.

"I'd prefer if he challenged me. I'd love to give him a good fight."

Swoosh!

Asura approached with a fierce expression, unsheathing two swords. His gaze was fixed on YuWon, who was next to Son OhGong.

"Is this the third time?"

"The fourth."

"He came again when I wasn't here?"

After smashing his head against the stadium floor, Asura had challenged YuWon several more times.

On each occasion, YuWon had accepted Asura's challenge.

He had no other choice.

"It's annoying, but I have to accept it."

"Like with Vishnu?"

"That guy was like that too."

Asura's desolation had persisted for quite some time after Indra's death.

And who calmed Asura and established him as Deva was none other than Vishnu.

The method was simple.

Combat.

Asura, who couldn't live without seeing blood, challenged Vishnu dozens of times after losing to him.

And on each occasion, Vishnu accepted the challenge.

However, he set a condition.

"If you lose a hundred times against me, you will join me."

Words that truly stimulated Asura's pride.

Asura accepted the proposal.

He wasn't the type of Asura who wouldn't accept it.

However, the result was as expected.

One hundred fights, one hundred defeats.

An abysmal record.

And so, Asura became a High-Ranker of the Great Deva Guild.

Boom, boom, boom, boom!

Asura was gradually approaching. Feeling the joyful killing energy emanating from him, Son OhGong asked with subtle anticipation.

"Can't I do it?"

"Can't you see? He's fixated on me right now."

"Yes, I see."

Boom, boom, boom, boom!

The steps quickened like a ghost.

Now, YuWon also had to draw his sword.

"I'm just letting you know, don't interfere."

"Just letting you know, I won't intervene."

"Heh."

YuWon, who laughed at Son OhGong's pun, wielded his sword against Asura.

'I've gotten myself into a good mess.'

This was the fourth time.

What remained were ninety-six more.

-KO-FI

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