Leveling with the Gods

"This... who...?"

In his embarrassment, YuWon's words stuttered a bit, unusually.

Unless he misheard.

Surely the Bull Demon King had just said, "Chronos."

"I said Chronos."

Again.

He hadn't misheard.

He couldn't ask how he knew about it, because that would mean talking about the Clock Movement.

"Judging by your reaction, it must be fantastic that I remember it."

The Bull Demon King's words made YuWon feel like his mind had been read.

YuWon thought for a moment.

But the concern was really short-lived.

"How do you remember it?"

"Call me Hyung-nim (Big Brother)."

"What?"

"I'm over ten thousand years older than you. Odin is younger than me."

It was a rather abrupt suggestion.

"Big Brother" out of nowhere.

It wasn't something he wanted to say right away, and he had another concern in mind.

"Does that make me Son OhGong's Dongsaeng (Younger Brother)?"

YuWon was much younger than Son OhGong.

Naturally, if he came between the two (the Bull Demon King and Son OhGong), he would be their younger brother.

For a moment, YuWon felt a chill similar to what he felt when he met the Outer Gods.

"I don't want that at all."

YuWon shook his head.

"Let me think about it."

"Really?"

Despite his reluctance, the Bull Demon King nodded in understanding.

"In any case, let's take it easy for now and talk about it later."

Judging by his reaction, he didn't want to give up.

YuWon sighed and shook his head. At least before the Regression, there was no way he could come between them, not with Son OhGong involved in their relationship.

"Just answer my previous question."

"Do you mean about Chronos?"

"Yes."

"I also thought it was strange, why I don't remember it."

Tap, tap-.

Running his fingers lightly through his hair, the Bull Demon King seemed puzzled.

"I thought maybe the Celestial Realm did something to my head. More than a thousand years is more than enough time for that."

He snapped his fingers, and his eyes gleamed with a killer intent.

"So I kept searching for the person I had forgotten."

"...Why? You still don't remember."

"Because I couldn't remember, in case I had another brother."

It was an uncertain assumption.

But in the Bull Demon King's mind, who had forgotten Chronos, were his "other" brothers, including Son OhGong.

What if it was one of them who had forgotten him?

With that thought, the Bull Demon King tried to remember.

"Then I realized it wasn't a spell or a special ability... it's not like something was planted in my head."

Since he escaped from prison.

As his body recovered, the Bull Demon King tried to remember someone he had forgotten while looking at YuWon.

And he had been searching for five days.

"And just now, I discovered the reason why I forgot 'someone' I was searching for."

"The... reason?"

"Causality."

"Causality?"

"A causal force written in this World that compels you to forget him. A force so powerful that it penetrates the World."

The Bull Demon King was unaware of the existence of the Clock Movement.

He discovered this fact only in the process of tracing his memories of Chronos.

He was known as the greatest shaman of the Tower.

Even Odin, the Tower's greatest Mage, missed his shamanic abilities.

The Bull Demon King had transcended the power of causality and recognized the presence of the Clock Movement.

"Odin, Mimir, Chronos... and others I don't know. Thanks to their power, the existence of Chronos was banished from this world."

It was quite accurate.

Although he hadn't guessed the object called the Clock Movement, the Bull Demon King had more or less pointed out the reason for Chronos' disappearance from this world.

"What does that have to do with you?"

"...It's complicated."

Son OhGong was the only one he had entrusted with the Clock Movement and the Outer Gods.

For two reasons.

First, because he would need his help on the 50th floor, and second, because he knew he could trust him.

It was also more for the second reason.

Bull Demon King.

Called the King of Great Power, he was said to be the best in the Tower, not only in strength but also in spells, and he was Son OhGong's sworn brother.

But it hadn't been long since they met.

"I have been granted a favor (I have been blessed)."

YuWon hesitated to respond.

"A favor so great that it will be difficult to repay."

"What kind of favor?"

"It's hard to say."

It was better to say that a secret is a secret than to make excuses.

He wondered where the Foolish Chaos seeds had come from and how far they had spread.

If the presence of the Clock reached their ears, things could get out of control. Everything they had planned could go awry, and Foolish Chaos could come to kill YuWon at any moment.

That was why YuWon kept the existence of the Clock Movement a secret.

And it was impossible to reveal to the Bull Demon King what he couldn't even tell Hercules.

"Well... everyone has a secret or two. Everyone has one in this Tower."

Fortunately, the Bull Demon King understood YuWon's secret.

That was good.

He wasn't sure what to say if he kept prying.

"Then I'm sorry, but I have to ask you one more question."

The words made him strangely nervous.

YuWon looked at the Bull Demon King without answering. When he didn't answer, he continued.

"What is your relationship with Uranus?"

His voice was as calm as before.

Chilling.

But before he could ask the question, the Bull Demon King's expression turned fiercer than he had ever seen it.

"The Older Brother, in his prime, was no joke. Even when he fought against the Celestial Realm, he was even worse than me once he got angry."

In the moment he met the Bull Demon King's gaze, YuWon understood what Son OhGong had said.

Such a fierce gaze.

If nothing else, this question had to be answered.

If he didn't, the Bull Demon King wouldn't believe him.

"After you were imprisoned in the Celestial Prison, many things happened."

"Tell me."

And so began a story that was not short.

It started with Olympus.

Hephaestus' search for Olympus and the preparation for the Second Gigantomachy.

The acquisition of the Sea God's Stone and the beginning of the destruction of Olympus.

The encounter with Hercules.

And the destruction of Olympus.

"..And this is the object that became one when the three were gathered: the Uranus Heart."

YuWon extended the hand that held the Uranus Heart.

It was a transparent glove that showed nothing on the outside.

But through the glove, he could feel the presence of a monster, one that vividly lingered in the mind of the Bull Demon King.

"So, that's why I saw traces of him in you."

"Do you know Uranus?"

"Odin, Chronos, and I met him once when the Tower was in turmoil because of that damned monster."

In ancient times, many High Rankers gathered to capture Uranus.

It was the only time that many High Rankers, some of the most powerful High Rankers of all time, joined forces.

And apparently, the Bull Demon King was among them.

"But his heart..."

The Bull Demon King looked at Uranus' heart with a strange gaze.

"It's yours, and I won't ask you to throw it away. But still, you must be careful."

That was the warning.

With those words, the Bull Demon King stood up from his place.

He finished speaking and left.

YuWon nodded in understanding and bowed.

"Goodnight, then."

"I slept all day as the sun rose, and now I can't sleep anymore."

Thud, thud-.

The Bull Demon King loosened his clenched fingers.

And then...

"Since you're also warming up, would you like to be my opponent?"

The mood of the Bull Demon King changed.

YuWon and the Bull Demon King walked away from the cabin where they lived.

Although it wasn't a real battle, it was a duel against a High Ranker among High Rankers.

They would try to go unnoticed, but the consequences of the fight would be considerable.

The last thing YuWon needed was to be left without a place to stay.

"I see that you're as curious as your main body."

Raising his head, the Bull Demon King met the gazes of Son OhGong's alter egos descending from the sky, one by one.

"I haven't seen you in a long time, so it's inevitable that we're interested."

"I'm afraid I'll put on an ugly display."

The Bull Demon King didn't carry weapons.

He didn't even carry a single item. In his prime, he was known for wielding a weapon called a Mixed Iron Rod.

"This is a light duel, so let's not exert ourselves too much."

"Yes."

YuWon took a deep breath.

Bull Demon King.

He was the strongest opponent YuWon had faced since the Regression, aside from Zeus.

Although he wasn't as strong as in his prime, his skills were such that even the mighty Son OhGong could vouch for him.

Technically, Zeus's opponents were Hades, Poseidon, and Hercules.

All YuWon did was steal the Lightning Bolt.

Now, on the other hand...

'This is my chance to test myself against a High Ranker.'

To see how far he could go with his current abilities.

There was nothing like fighting against a stronger opponent to sharpen his dulled senses.

It was a good opportunity.

YuWon could feel the tension in his body.

The Bull Demon King clicked his tongue softly and cupped the air with his hands.

"This won't do (This can't go on)."

Ung-.

A chilling flow of mana.

It didn't feel like the Bull Demon King. The mana that was scattered in the air began to move on its own, spreading in a wide circle around the two of them.

The landscape around them changed rapidly.

The green forest turned as white as the clouds covering it, and the sky seemed closer.

YuWon, who was nervous as if he was about to charge forward at any moment, hesitated for a moment.

"Just in case the Celestial Realm notices, let's be careful."

That was it.

With that, the Bull Demon King headed towards YuWon.

In the face of the change in scenery, YuWon released the breath he had been holding.

'He has laid the groundwork.'

Unable to fight at will due to the Celestial Realm.

Perhaps the Celestial Realm was still searching for the Bull Demon King.

As long as they could find him, they wouldn't have to worry about retrieving the Great Sage, Who Pacifies Heaven.

However, with the mana spreading like this, there was no need to worry.

At the very least, this place was completely isolated from the outside world.

At least, the mana inside couldn't seep out unless it was able to generate enough force to shatter the ability the Bull Demon King had unleashed.

'That must mean he's curious about this.'

YuWon didn't believe that the Bull Demon King's actions were just a favor.

Along with Chronos and Odin, he was one of the few ancient High Rankers who knew Uranus.

He was interested in the Uranus Heart.

And, of course, the best way to learn about the Uranus Heart was to fight against it oneself.

The Bull Demon King probably wasn't willing to fight right now, but with the Uranus Heart present, this became an exception.

'But for me, it's a bit... humiliating.'

To be treated as less than an object.

But that was a deal the Bull Demon King could handle because he didn't know everything about himself.

['Cinder Eyes' read the path]

[The power of the Giant permeates your whole body]

[Sensory Field is activated]

['Tartarus' is...]

['Blessing of the Sea' is...]

Abilities activated in an instant.

And the Arcane Power slowly opening up.

Crack-.

Towards the approaching Bull Demon King, YuWon also began to close the distance.

YuWon was going to do his best.

To prepare for the fight against the Celestial Realm to rescue Son OhGong...

He needed to know how far he would go in this battle.