Leveling with the Gods

Hercules bandaged his chest.

It was a wound that he would normally leave alone, but not this time.

There were two reasons.

Wounds inflicted by the dark attribute Arcane Power with corrosive abilities did not heal easily. Even with some resistance, they would only cause the wound to fester and worsen over time, and even for Hercules, it would have the effect of delaying recovery.

The second reason was Pandora.

"Alright."

She took the bandages and herbs from Hephaestus's workshop and tended to Hercules's wounds.

Apparently, she couldn't bear to see someone injured.

After wrapping all the bandages, she stood up and changed her clothes.

"Thank you."

"Rest."

"I'm not that badly hurt."

It was true that Pandora was making a fuss. She was worried that the wound would worsen, so she applied medicine, but Hercules's wound wasn't that big.

Back at Hephaestus's house, Hercules approached YuWon, whose hand was also bandaged.

"Are you okay?"

"As you can see."

YuWon waved his hand.

"You're not okay."

It was the result of enduring power beyond his limits. The power of Tartarus emitted from the Uranus Heart was something YuWon couldn't handle with his current endurance.

"Don't push yourself too hard. Depending on how you handle that power, it can also be poisonous to you."

"A poison that doesn't kill, makes you stronger."

"Is that how you interpret it?"

"There's no going back unless you take risks. Isn't that an immutable law?"

YuWon raised his bandaged hand and brought it in front of his eyes.

"And I like it, that's enough."

The Uranus Heart was an object that could unleash more power than he was currently capable of if he took risks.

It was perfect for YuWon, who needed a big boost right now.

"That's killing a four-year-old child." (?)

"I know, I'll restrain myself."

"...Really?"

Hercules looked at Danpung sleeping on YuWon's shoulder.

"Somehow, it seems like there's something about you that thing likes to be with."

"That's right."

Danpung and the Uranus Heart.

They were definitely rare and novel objects. Danpung was a little more unusual than a new item, but it would probably be seen as a type of new item in the eyes of others.

"Now that you have what you've been waiting for, are you going to go back up?"

"Of course."

YuWon had been waiting for the completion of the Uranus Heart.

And now that the wait was over, it was time to go back up.

"Because I can't keep it waiting."

First and foremost, his target was floor 50.

The place where Son OhGong slept.

He had already made an appointment with Son OhGong's other alter egos to meet him there.

However.

"I heard that the Three Precious Children are looking for you on floor 44."

The problem was the Three Precious Children on floor 44.

It had been over a month since YuWon disappeared.

Amaterasu would be searching for him with a gleam in his eyes.

"How do you know?"

"The news has already spread to floor 44. I asked my uncle to tell me what was happening on floor 44, and I found out right away."

Now Hades was in charge of the guild instead of Zeus. The guild's strength had weakened significantly, but Olympus was still Olympus, as they say, even if a rich person goes bankrupt, they will live well for three generations.

"Anyway, be careful. Amaterasu must be sharpening his sword right now."

"He's not the only one sharpening his sword."

YuWon's eyes gleamed.

Unlike in Olympus, this fight was his first major solo battle. As such, YuWon never had any intention of losing.

And YuWon's reaction made Hercules think of the past.

"Suddenly, I feel sorry for them."

YuWon never moved without certainty. There was always a plan in his actions, a plan that ultimately led to the overthrow of Zeus as the king of Olympus.

It was a skill apart from prowess.

"Soon..."

Hercules removed the bandages from his hands and looked at YuWon as he reapplied medicine to the wound.

"The fall of the Three Precious Children will shake the Tower."

The atmosphere on floor 44 was dreadful.

It wasn't usually a very peaceful place, but lately, it felt even less so.

"All these troubles because of that bastard."

"I know. I've been sitting here for over a month, and I haven't seen him..."

"Still, if you catch him, the reward will be substantial, right?"

"True. With those points, I won't have to worry about going hungry until I become a Ranker Player."

"You don't have to worry about going hungry. Don't you know that money is power here? In that sense, Rankers are chewing gum."

A common dialogue around the Testing Room.

Their target was one person.

"By the way, Kim YuWon, does that guy really not want to go up?"

"He's probably hiding somewhere. He has ears too, and if he knows that the Three Precious Children are after him, he'll hide."

It has been over a month since Kim YuWon disappeared.

The reward for Kim YuWon, who vanished, reached one million points.

Players, who were fixated on the money, formed a team to chase Kim YuWon, attacking anyone who seemed suspicious.

"Hey, that one over there."

"Is he the newcomer coming to take the test?"

The players scattered around the testing site on floor 44 stood up from their seats one by one.

"Isn't he playing again?"

"Well, so what? Anyway, it's legal to kill anyone here."

Some players had already given up on searching for Kim YuWon, who hadn't been seen for over a month.

Instead, they enjoyed looting players using that as an excuse.

If they could find him, great; if not, it was fine too.

As a result, floor 44 was literally a lawless zone, and human hunting had become a trend.

The group of players moved in silence. The man walking towards the testing area came to a sudden halt in the face of the vicious aura surrounding him.

"Oh, you're quick on your feet."

"Hey, there's a match, take a look."

Among the players tightly surrounding the vicinity, one stepped forward.

He compared the image of Kim YuWon in his player kit with the man in front of him.

Of course, none of them had high hopes.

Instead, a few with their hands in their pockets walked ahead of the target man.

"You know, we're not that bad," they said.

"Be a good guy and give us everything you've got, and I assure you that you'll still be able to take the test..."

The words that followed were cut off.

The face seemed strangely familiar to them.

"Eh?"

With the thought that there was no way, a question mark appeared in their heads for a moment.

"Ah, it's him..."

"What?"

"It's him!"

A moment to rethink the implications of those words.

Scott-.

Heat rose up his throat, and his vision blurred.

Snap-!

The heads of the two people who were closest flew off. The blood that had been swirling so vigorously lost its course and rose upwards.

"Why are you searching for me with such anxiety?"

"You, you..."

Snap, snap!

The players, caught off guard, unsheathed their weapons without warning. They prepared their skills, increasing their Arcane Power as if they were about to attack at any moment, but no one took the initiative.

They knew too.

They knew they couldn't capture him with just this many people.

"It's Kim YuWon!"

"Kim YuWon is here!"

That's why they chose to seek help from around them.

All the criminals gathered in this city aimed for YuWon's reward.

With support, they could win.

The reward was there for the taking.

Also...

"As long as the Three Precious Children have our backs, there's no way we can lose."

"We just have to hold on until the Three Precious Children arrive. When they do, we can..."

"We can claim the reward."

"At the same time, establish a relationship with the Three Precious Children."

The ones who offered this reward were the Three Precious Children.

The place where the top 50 of High Rank is located, Amaterasu.

Right now, Tsukuyomi alone would be enough to capture a Kim YuWon. (Note: It is unknown if Tsukuyomi is a man or a woman, although according to Japanese folklore, Tsukuyomi is a woman)

They weren't doing this just for the reward.

They were criminals with nowhere else to go, unable to join a guild, unable to climb the Tower with a proper team.

Only the Three Precious Children and this world of floor 44 embraced them. Knowing the power of a group, it was natural for them to want a halo of support behind them.

'So many people'-

YuWon looked around using his Cinder Eyes towards the crowd of people.

Among the buildings, players had spread out like a spider's web, narrowing down to form a tight circle. They were more organized than he had thought.

'At least they've made it to floor 44'.

They're undoubtedly different from the people below.

The movement itself was much more systematic and organized than that of the group of thieves on floor 1, even if they didn't form a group.

In a way, he understood why Odin was so suspicious of the Three Precious Children and the criminals on floor 44 joining forces.

'The stronger the organizational power, the stronger the collective power together. I suppose this is the beginning.'

They were already united in their goal of capturing YuWon.

Spreading like cockroaches, their cleansing didn't have to go much further in the future.

YuWon looked at the Kusanagi Sword hanging at his waist.

'It all ends here.'

YuWon didn't move and waited in his place.

Until enough people gathered.

Until they made the first move.

And time passed.

'They're starting to gain confidence.'

As the number exceeded a hundred and approached a thousand, there were types who believed in the numbers and started to move.

People who wanted to stab him in the back.

The moment he realized they were coming...

"I'm going to run hard from now on."

YuWon, who had been standing still, spread mana in his voice for everyone to hear.

"So go tell the Three Precious Children that I'm here, and that they should chase after me too."

"Are you provoking the Three Precious Children?"

"Yes."

He said he was running away, but he wasn't actually running away.

None of those present were foolish enough to not understand YuWon's intentions.

But that made them more cautious.

YuWon wasn't an idiot.

No, rather, he was a competent player whose depth was difficult to measure.

There must be a reason why someone like YuWon would choose such an apparently reckless fight.

"Are you relying on someone?"

"That's none of your business..."

In response to someone's question, YuWon let go of the bag he was carrying on his back.

Swish-.

"If you want to take this, then follow me."

"N-No way..."

"Is that the mirror?"

"Is it... Is it really real?"

The players around him gasped as they saw the mirror that YuWon had taken out.

Even the players who had managed to hide well were surprised and shouted.

"It's a rather obvious provocation, but..."

Amaterasu wasn't foolish.

But that's why a spectacle like this was necessary.

"It's better this way for now."

Such an obvious provocation that it's almost laughable.

But it was still a provocation.

Numerous players discovered that YuWon had obtained the Yata Mirror, one of the Three Sacred Treasures.

Through their eyes and ears, Amaterasu would hear the news and think over and over again.

But in the end.

"The bait is in my hand."

YuWon had gained the advantage in this battle.

"Now..."

YuWon turned around.

With all preparations made...

"Start following me."