Leveling with the Gods

"Has Kim YuWon appeared?"

Amaterasu, who was looking out the window, turned around.

A message arrived in his player's kit.

The news of Kim YuWon's appearance was enough to pique his interest. No, a case like this wasn't just about interest.

"The guy has the Yata Mirror."

The guy who disappeared for over a month.

He searched throughout the Tower, not just on the 44th floor, but everywhere, yet couldn't find him.

It seemed as if he had ascended to the sky or sunk into the ground. Or maybe hidden somewhere in the mountains or forests.

But there was no reason for that. However much he desired the Yata Mirror, he couldn't stay hidden forever to obtain it.

"He was looking for the mirror."

Amaterasu was convinced that the reason YuWon had disappeared was because he was searching for the Yata Mirror.

Apparently, he managed to obtain a clue about the Yata Mirror somewhere.

And if that was the case, he should have brought the Yata Mirror with him.

Because that was the promise between YuWon and himself.

"I had no intention of keeping my promise in the first place..."

Still, he couldn't help but feel bad.

A part of him wanted to act.

It would be so satisfying to chase after the elusive Kim YuWon, seize the Yata Mirror, and slaughter him.

But...

"What does he want?"

YuWon's behavior was suspicious.

[Seems to have other intentions]

It was a message from one of the men of the Three Precious Children, who was watching the perimeter of the testing field.

It was understandable without needing to hear it verbally.

There were no shortage of strange corners.

YuWon roamed the city, as if wanting to spread the word that he had a lead on the Three Sacred Treasures.

Shortly after, he found himself and started moving.

And in the end, he managed to find the Yata Mirror and escaped after informing him that he had it.

"As if he's trying to seduce/attract me."

It was ridiculous.

Even though YuWon was called the strongest player in the World, he was just a player.

He, on the other hand, was a High-Rank player.

The 52nd strongest in this Tower.

That's what he was.

However, Amaterasu couldn't move his feet voluntarily.

"Even though I know it's a trap, I have no choice but to move."

He had enough confidence to overcome any trap.

Now he wondered if even that confidence was a trap set by his opponent.

If this is truly what Kim YuWon wants...

"...It's a very well-made trap."

The person who set the trap is ridiculous, but the situation itself isn't.

He thought it was better not to get caught in the trap, yet the opponent left him no choice but to enter even though he knew it was a trap.

Moreover, even with the ability to set such a massive trap, the opponent didn't bother to hide it.

"That must mean he's confident."

Tak-.

The concern didn't last long.

Amaterasu immediately began walking.

"I don't care what you have prepared for me."

Amaterasu's eyes glowed threateningly as he held the Magatama Jewel in his hand.

"I will win regardless."

"Heo-eok, je-."

"Why is he so fast?"

"How many agility stats does he have?"

The players chasing after YuWon gasped for breath.

It wasn't easy to chase after YuWon once he had decided to flee. No matter how many there were, he would slip through their fingers like an eel.

"Which way?"

"Northeast."

"And where is northeast?"

"I don't know, I got it as a message too!"

As they didn't expect YuWon to flee immediately, they stumbled and communicated poorly.

It was just a bunch of people moving back and forth, chasing after any YuWon they could spot.

"I feel like a shepherd."

At the head of the pack, YuWon hid in a building, took out some dried meat from his inventory, and ate it.

It had been over an hour since he had started the journey. Luckily, escaping wasn't too difficult.

Among them, there were some Ranker players, but their feet weren't very fast.

After breaking through the siege once, heading in the desired direction was a piece of cake.

And the number of enemies who started catching up in that manner gradually increased, surpassing thousands and reaching 10,000.

"All the city's criminals are almost gathered."

Woof-.

Kwak-.

YuWon gripped the handle of the Kusanagi Sword tied to his waist and squeezed it.

"The problem is that the one who's supposed to be here isn't here..."

YuWon looked out the window.

Outside, the guys searching for him were causing a ruckus. It was only a matter of time before he got caught.

Of course, it didn't matter if they found him.

It wouldn't be difficult to fight his way through them.

"Still, it doesn't make sense to prolong the time."

YuWon slowly chewed the dried meat.

Even during this brief break, he had to eat something to conserve energy.

How much time had passed?

"I guess I shouldn't be surprised that you're here."

YuWon, who had been sitting and waiting, lifted his head.

A blurry figure had arrived in front of him.

At first, he thought it was Amaterasu, but it wasn't him.

"Tsukuyomi."

The blurry figure gradually became clearer. Then, a woman with pure white skin and beautiful waist-length silver hair appeared, as if bathed in moonlight.

It was a familiar face.

YuWon had seen her several times.

"She was the oldest survivor of the Three Precious Children."

Tsukuyomi was one of the most beautiful women in the Tower. She was always compared to Aphrodite, the High-Ranker from Olympus.

"What are you thinking?"

My first impression of Tsukuyomi was very different from Amaterasu's.

She didn't reveal her intent to kill YuWon, nor did she unleash her Arcane Power.

"Do you want to die?"

Despite the harshness of her words, curiosity and astonishment appeared on her face.

Her gaze shifted to the Yata Mirror on YuWon's back.

"Why? Do you want this?"

"Answer the question."

"Who wants to die so badly? I don't want to die."

"Really?"

He seemed genuinely curious.

Tsukuyomi tilted her head as if she truly didn't understand.

It didn't seem like she was trying to gather information.

Nor did it seem like she wanted the Yata Mirror.

She didn't actually fight against Amaterasu in the first place when she gathered all Three Sacred Treasures.

She was only searching for the Three Sacred Treasures but didn't particularly covet them.

He wondered why.

"Maybe..."

"..."

YuWon felt Susanoo's emotions violently stirring.

Normally, he didn't care about anything else but killing and fighting, but since Tsukuyomi's appearance, he had been unable to control his emotions.

Unbelievable, he thought.

But there was only one feeling.

"Do you like her?"

"No."

"I see."

"I said no."

"I don't know about the others, but you can't deceive me."

YuWon held back the laughter that threatened to burst out.

Then he thought of something...

"So maybe..."

YuWon looked at Tsukuyomi in front of him.

She had been searching for the other Three Sacred Treasures for quite some time, although she didn't seem to have a great desire for the Three Sacred Treasures.

That was evident because she wasn't very interested in the Yata Mirror on YuWon's back.

Under that thought...

"Is she looking for the Kusanagi Sword?"

Externally, the Kusanagi Sword that YuWon carried looked like an ordinary sword.

Hence its discreet appearance.

There was only one reason why she would be searching for the Kusanagi Sword, without being interested in the other Three Sacred Treasures.

"They seem to have taken a liking to each other."

The Kusanagi Sword was a relic left by Susanoo. Perhaps she was searching for it because it was Susanoo's relic.

"What's certain is that Tsukuyomi has no interest in the Yata Mirror."

This changes the calculations.

YuWon thought about how to use the variable Tsukuyomi for a moment.

Perhaps she could be the most useful wildcard in this battle.

"What are you thinking?"

After YuWon didn't say anything for a long time, Tsukuyomi couldn't bear it and asked.

Then...

"Which side are you on?"

YuWon finally let out.

Tsukuyomi's forehead narrowed. Looking at YuWon with a perplexed expression, she requested a more detailed explanation.

"What are you talking about?"

"Amaterasu? Or Susanoo?"

Her eyes widened at that question.

"If they were enemies, which side would you be on?"

"You..."

Tsukuyomi's pupils fluttered for a moment, then she spoke with conviction.

"You know something."

"I do."

"Did he really kill Susanoo?"

She had a hunch, but she wasn't sure.

"Not directly, but he was involved."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean it was intentional. That Susanoo died."

Tsukuyomi's expression trembled several times.

She rolled her eyes, trying to determine the truthfulness of the words, even as she suspected the YuWon in front of her.

She was one of the High-Rankers who made a name for herself in the tower under the name of the Three Precious Children.

Tsukuyomi, ranking 86th, continued her interrogation with as much persistence as she could muster.

"Why, what do you mean?"

"Yamata no Orochi. It was Amaterasu who caused the monster and Susanoo to clash. Originally, they were supposed to capture it together, but..."

YuWon responded, recalling the conversation he had with Susanoo.

"He didn't show up. In the end, Susanoo fought Yamata no Orochi alone."

"Amaterasu killed Susanoo using Yamata no Orochi..."

Tsukuyomi pondered for a moment and then nodded.

"What you're saying is not far from what I thought, yes. It's strange. Not even Susanoo would be foolish enough to fight that monster alone."

Susanoo was a swordsman with an insatiable appetite for battle, but he wasn't a firefly that didn't know where to die.

He had always fought in life or death situations.

However, even in a life or death battle, he wouldn't engage in a fight that would inevitably lead to his death.

Susanoo wasn't a masochist, fighting even when he knew he would lose.

What he truly enjoyed was the moment of cutting others, not the pain of being cut himself.

"As you say, Amaterasu must have known about Orochi's existence, so it was strange. Why didn't she help Susanoo, was she so afraid of Orochi, or..."

Tsukuyomi, who continued speaking, shook her head.

"I really didn't want to doubt my friend, he's the only one left, so why he did it, I never got to ask until now..."

Kwak-.

Kwak, Chak-.

Tsukuyomi's mana filled the room. A chilling shiver froze her body, and the room's air instantly became as cold as an icy wave.

Arcane Power of the same ice attribute as Arthur's.

However, she felt a tremendous power that couldn't be compared to it.

"Tell me. What makes you so sure that it was Amaterasu who killed him?"

It seemed as if she would unsheathe her sword if he said a wrong word.

But YuWon remained unfazed, instead, he was filled with joy at this question.

Because he knew what to answer.

"He told me himself."

"...himself?"

Tsukuyomi tilted her head as if she didn't know what he was talking about.

Then.

"You too..."

Kak-.

"You should speak."

In YuWon's shadow...

The shadow of a familiar figure began to twist and rise.