Leveling with the Gods

YuWon started the Trials again.

Floor 44.

Due to the commotion that had been brewing for some time, the number of Players participating in the trial was much lower than usual.

A spacious common room that could accommodate thousands of people.

Numerous traps and trained monsters scattered everywhere.

And about 10 or more participants.

Standing in front of them, the trial supervisor, Polaris, sighed deeply.

"This place used to be filled everywhere, but now..."

Having spent so much time on the dangerous Floor 44 (44th Floor), Polaris was a Ranker in the upper echelons of the rankings.

"I am aware of the commotion that has been going on for a while, and I am also aware that the numbers are low enough that we cannot conduct the trial as originally planned..."

After much deliberation, Polaris spoke up.

"So, let's change the rules a bit."

Originally, it was a trial for about 100 people.

They were supposed to form teams and compete against each other.

Recently, however, the area around the Trial room had become ugly, and the number had finally been reduced to 10.

"This Trial is an individual competition. Some of you may have thought it was a team competition, but this is something that cannot be helped, so please understand."

Hah~

Polaris turned his head and looked around the Trial site.

"It's up to you, and you'll have to deal with it."

"To each his own?"

"This?"

The Trial room trembled.

Traps spread out before them.

It was up to each of them to navigate through this field of tests, with all kinds of venomous creatures and countless arrows raining down if one made a wrong step.

The level of difficulty was too high. Originally, it was a trial that 10 people had to pass together as a team.

"Does that make sense now?"

"If the number of participants doesn't match, the difficulty level of the trial should be adjusted accordingly!"

"You're right! This is not fair!"

"What kind of trial supervisor is like this..."

Woong-.

The Trial Field sounded.

It was the footsteps of Polaris, and the Mana that had begun to radiate from him.

"So many complaints..."

With a single word, he silenced the room, and the corners of his lips curved into a smile.

"And the truth is, I don't care if you participate or not."

"......"

"......"

There was no response, of course.

He was a Ranker Player.

A Ranker who would surely become a High Ranker someday.

No player, not even one who had reached Floor 44, would dare to challenge a player of that level.

However...

"Let's do it."

A voice spoke up.

There was someone who broke the silence and said something more.

The gazes naturally converged. It was inevitable that when everyone was seated, there would be someone standing alone.

The gazes converged like that.

The man who spoke silently shrugged his shoulders.

"An individual exhibition."

"Individual exhibition?"

"I can't imagine taking this trial alone..."

"Wait, that guy can't be..."

Although not many faces were recognizable on the upper floors, YuWon's recent behavior on Floor 44 certainly deserved attention.

So much so that even the famous Three Precious Children were looking for him.

"Why is that guy here?"

"Why? To take the trial, of course."

After answering the absurd question, YuWon walked towards Polaris, the trial supervisor.

"Aren't you going to start the Trial? Let's finish it quickly and leave. Don't tire yourself and waste your time."

"...Are you sure you don't mind a solo battle."

Polaris's gaze towards YuWon was not very pleasant.

The rumors about YuWon were now so thick that even a Ranker Player could hear them. It was already rumored that he possessed the strength of a Ranker Player, let alone a High Ranker.

If that was the case, he should have no difficulty in passing this Trial, even if it was an individual competition. But aside from that, YuWon was also partly responsible for this Trial being like this.

"I hope you're happy going up there alone, participant Kim YuWon."

"Well, if you say it's because of me, you're not wrong, and I really have nothing to say..."

YuWon took a step into the Trial room.

"I'm not usually a troublemaker, but today I have to make an exception."

"Exception?"

"Aren't you going to start the Trial? I'm a very busy person."

Polaris shook his head, feeling that YuWon was falling into a trap.

After all, he was the trial supervisor.

If a Player wants to participate in the trial, they should be allowed to do so.

"Then let's begin."

Polaris gave the signal.

Kap-.

YuWon entered the trial zone.

At that moment...

[The Trial on Floor 44 begins.]

[Navigate through the traps.]

The content of the trial was simple.

Arrows and spears flew with each step.

Quicksand, poison spreading everywhere, and monsters targeting him.

If he took a step forward now, that would be the start of the Trial.

But...

'I don't even have to walk.'

Kak-.

Arcane Power formed at the tip of YuWon's fingers.

A bright yellow lightning bolt.

There was no need to borrow the power of Tartarus.

Just like that, the Power of Lightning began to gather.

"...Huh?"

Polaris squinted his eyes at the flow of that Arcane Power.

There was something strange about it.

'Could it be that this guy...'

Pajik, Pajijiji-.

Seeing the Lightning Power slowly growing, Polaris turned around.

"You crazy bastard!"

Hwaak-.

Polaris's body turned towards the other nine participants, and with a hand gesture, a blue veil enveloped the Players.

Flash-!

A bright yellow light burst through the Trial room.

Quarreung-!

The sound resonated throughout the Trial arena.

While protecting the other players, Polaris felt two things.

The first was that he thought he had gone overboard.

"The damage didn't reach that far."

Although the entire Trial field had been affected by Arcane Power, not a single Lightning Power had reached the Players.

How in the world could such a thing be possible if the control is delicate?

The next thing he knew was that he was watching his work crumble around him.

"My... work."

Crack, crack, crack!

Traps collapsing.

Monsters charred by the onslaught.

All of this was the process of changing the trial site he administered.

Because of the lightning unleashed by Kim YuWon.

Kururu, Kurung-.

The Lightning gradually subsided, and the burning yellow light disappeared.

The scene that followed...

"The Trial grounds..."

"Completely annihilated..."

The players who were talking startled and began looking at Polaris, who was beside them.

It was a Trial field for them, but it was a workplace for Polaris.

Naturally, he didn't like this situation.

Pajik, Pajiji-.

In a wave of lightning...

YuWon turned around and walked towards Polaris.

"Now that the Trial center is like this, I don't think you can administer the next Trial."

YuWon, who turned the Trial site into a disaster, told Polaris, who seemed to have lost the whole world.

"Let's pretend everyone passed, okay? Anyway, this place is empty."

Most of the Trials were like this.

The general Trials were not too difficult for him; some team trials were annoying, but that didn't make much of a difference.

And in the meantime...

"...Why is it getting bigger and bigger?"

The number of Son OhGongs visiting YuWon gradually increased.

It was a large room, about 20 square meters.

It was too spacious for one person, but YuWon always preferred the more spacious room.

But he never thought the day would come when that would be a good thing.

There were already five Son OhGongs who arrived at YuWon's room.

"Why? I'm curious."

"Yes. I'm also curious."

"Okay. I was wondering...."

"It's an echo."

YuWon, who had just woken up, scratched his head annoyed.

Thanks to that, not only did he wake up, but he couldn't fall back into a deeper sleep.

Pap-.

YuWon poured water and handed a glass to each of his alter egos.

"Why are you all so curious?"

"For you."

"For you."

"For you..."

"Just one answer, just one."

YuWon said annoyed and also took a glass of water and drank it again.

Even the cold water made his clogged stomach feel a little better. Looking out the window, he saw a beautiful world with green trees.

'Floor 49.'

He realized that he had climbed quite high.

Even in this towering Tower, the 49th floor was a rather high floor. No one would call him a low-level Player anymore.

Son OhGong was on the 50th floor.

It was the floor where the influence of the Celestial Realm was strongest, the floor where the roots of the Celestial Realm lay.

"If you're curious, haven't you heard of me from your twelfth alter ego?"

At YuWon's question, the Son OhGongs looked at each other.

It was as if they were trying to decide who would answer when only one of them could.

With their telepathy, they could communicate to some extent just by looking into each other's eyes.

And now they responded.

"We've heard."

"But we haven't heard everything."

"We don't know anything except that you come from the future."

They chose to continue speaking among themselves.

It was amazing again.

He wondered how it was possible, but they were still the same Son OhGong, even though they were now alter egos.

"So, did you come one by one because you want to hear the answer?"

"Uh-huh."

"Yes, we did."

"That's right."

Not that they were repeating the same thing, but this was just giving him a headache.

Fortunately, there were no issues with communication. YuWon shook his head and waved his hand.

"I'll tell you later, but for now, go away. I have a Trial soon."

"Later."

"When?"

"Tomorrow?"

"The day after tomorrow?"

"When?"

YuWon touched his forehead.

He had forgotten.

Son OhGong was more curious than anyone else he knew and, as such, never let go of his curiosity.

Tomorrow? The day after tomorrow?

No.

Right now, today, it would relentlessly chase after him.

"If I have to go out like this..."

Maybe some of them would follow him.

"That's not good."

His relationship with Son OhGong's alter egos was still a secret.

If it became known that Son OhGong's alter egos were gathered in a place like this, not only was it unknown what kind of commotion it would cause in the Celestial Realm, but it could also become a target.

The Celestial Realm was a power different from the Three Precious Children.

There were countless High Ranks there, and there were also many top-tier High Ranks like the Jade Emperor, Ne Zha, and Lee Rangjin (Erlang Shen).

That was why he had first tried to save Son OhGong's body.

Fighting against the Celestial Realm with his current strength right now was no better than hitting a rock with an egg.

"What a bunch of idiots."

YuWon's eyes lit up as he looked at the alter egos.

He was about to say something...

"What a bunch of idiots."

But another Son OhGong arrived in YuWon's room.

Although the voice and tone were the same, when YuWon saw the newly appeared Son OhGong, he realized who it was.

"Are you the twelfth?"

"Good eyes."

Drat-.

The twelfth alter ego, who had entered the room through the window, looked at the other Son OhGongs and said.

"How many times have I told you not to cause a commotion outside, that if we attract the attention of the Celestial Realm?"

"Ah, yes, yes."

"Okay, okay."

"Then we'll leave."

"We'll be back, yeah."

Puf, puf-!

The Son OhGongs pouted and transformed into various bird forms.

YuWon opened the window and made sure the Son OhGongs flew away.

"So, why did you come again?"

"I came to tell you something. I don't have a player kit, so I'll have to tell you in person."

That was true.

No matter how strong he was, the only way for an alter ego without a player kit to convey words to YuWon was to come directly to him.

And YuWon seemed to have a vague idea of why he had come to see him.

Just as expected...

"They're all here."

The twelfth Son OhGong said, with the corners of his lips curved.

"The alter egos."