Leveling with the Gods
chapter-503

C503

The Bull Demon King shook the earth with his presence.

Simultaneously, the mist began to dissipate slowly. The Arcane Power he had created gradually infiltrated the earth, seizing the atmosphere.

Plop-.

Veins on the Bull Demon King's forehead tensed.

Veins also popped on his clenched fist around the Mixed Iron Rod.

Arcane Power vibrated the air. The mist surrounding the Bull Demon King and Lee Rangjin swirled violently, as if it wouldn't easily disappear.

"It's resilient."

Thud, thud, thud-.

The Mixed Iron Rod repeatedly struck the ground.

The mist covering the air became clearer, and the surroundings began to return to normal.

"Uh, uh?"

"Wow, that scared me!"

"It seemed like everyone had disappeared..."

The Rankers who had vanished reappeared. Even Michael and Athena, leading the Rankers, had bewildered faces.

-...You found them.

The Nameless Mist's voice.

The Bull Demon King looked beyond the mist. Lee Rangjin felt that the Bull Demon King, standing beside him, was seeing something different.

"What happened?"

"The young one's eyes are so good, so I think we've become similar in that sense."

Tock, tock-.

The Bull Demon King pointed to his own eyes as he said that.

The "young one" he referred to was The Great Sage, Heaven's Equal.

Naturally, the eyes referred to Son OhGong's distinctive ability, the Golden Cinder Eyes.

"I saw it from above."

The Bull Demon King raised his head to look upward.

"This is not just mist."

"Then?"

"It's alive."

That thing called itself The Nameless Mist.

It also said that, at the same time, it was Magnum Innominandum and an Indescribable Existence.

"Normal attacks are useless."

Boooooom-.

The Mixed Iron Rod pointed at the mist from the Bull Demon King's fingertips.

Woosh~

Slash~

The end of the Mixed Iron Rod, piercing the mist, scattered dark energy in all directions.

Clang~

Aaaaaahh!!

As if encountering something, the Mixed Iron Rod couldn't penetrate the mist and got stuck in the middle.

And along with the screams that erupted, the Bull Demon King squinted his eyes.

"The essence is what matters."

"The essence...."

"I saw it from above."

Boing-.

The Mixed Iron Rod shot off.

Feeling numbness in his fingertips, the Bull Demon King looked at the immense "being" surrounding him.

"There was a creature so large that it couldn't even fit from up there, something that encompasses everything here."

Frowning, he wrapped his sore wrist.

Fortunately, confirmation with this has ended.

The 'Nameless Mist,' possessing the 'Nameless Immensity (Magnum Innominandum)' as a "being" and as an "Indescribable Existence."

The essence of the 'Nameless Mist' was captured by the spell of the Bull Demon King.

"We're not fighting what seems like mist."

Despite that, the Bull Demon King told everyone.

What he saw from above, that immense creature that couldn't be described in words, is probably the true nature of the opponent they were fighting against.

"So don't be deceived and look carefully."

The formless mist claimed to have captured them.

Now, there was only one thing to do.

"And fight."

It was only a matter of fighting for their lives.

One day, Son OhGong, drunk with alcohol, mentioned it.

"I'm telling you, really!"

"Where did you go?"

"Up there, to the sky. A place where the stars shine, and if you relax your body, you float in the sky."

Son OhGong had gone to the sky.

That day...

Son OhGong enthusiastically talked about the place called the "Universe/Space" he had seen in the sky, with limited vocabulary.

It was incredibly vast, he said.

This Tower, compared to that Universe, was nothing more than a tiny speck of dust.

He remembered Son OhGong saying incomprehensible things.

In the end, Hercules asked as if he couldn't bear it anymore.

"So, why didn't you go there? If that Universe is truly larger and more vast than this Tower, I don't think your personality would simply allow you to come back."

"I tried to go."

"But..."

"I was sure I had reached the end, but...."

As if understanding nothing, OhGong scratched his head with his hands.

"I came back here again."

"Here?"

"The end of the star I thought I had reached was here again."

Tock~

Saying that, Son OhGong struck the ground with his feet several times. He thought he had come far, very far, but the place he reached was the same place he departed from.

"Did I run in circles or run toward the origin? I don't know, but..."

"If it's true, I'd like to go there someday."

Hearing that, he felt curious.

Beyond this sky that he could see with his eyes.

What kind of place did Son OhGong see?

"That place called the Universe."

That day, Hercules pledged.

If this war ever ends.

And if he survives that war.

He would do everything possible to go to the place Son OhGong mentioned.

But...

'I never thought I would come there today.'

Hercules couldn't properly follow Diablo.

He didn't have the ability to ride the clouds like Zeus.

The Lightning Bolt he carried was specialized only in delivering powerful shocks.

Compared to Diablo, who had wings capable of flight, he naturally lacked mobility.

Hercules, leaping upward with all his might, suddenly felt invaded by an inexplicable sense of anxiety.

The sky was getting closer. He must have passed through the clouds a while ago and climbed much higher.

Despite this, Diablo was nowhere in sight. Moreover, the "something" in the purple sky mentioned by YuWon and Son OhGong was also not visible.

Anxiety turned into fear, which then transformed into hesitation.

Is it really okay to approach that place?

Can we ignore the warnings of two individuals who have seen and experienced more than us?

But.

'Damn it.'

He gritted his teeth.

“That damn lizard…”

As expected, he couldn't just pass by.

Maybe it was because he spent so much time with Son OhGong?

Hercules' nature may not have changed, but his mouth had become a bit rougher than before.

If Diablo hadn't recklessly rushed out first, he wouldn't have followed him here.

Thud-!

He kicked the air again. There was a great shake in the atmosphere, as if there had been an earthquake, and Hercules was propelled upward like a missile.

The sky after passing through all the clouds.

He had no idea how far he should climb. At the moment he began to have the silly thought that he could keep going and reach the next Floor.

Thump-!

With a small impact like shattering glass, the world Hercules saw turned upside down.

"What..."

Gravity disappeared, and he was left breathless.

An unpleasant, congested sensation flowed down his throat with his breath.

A space filled with stars and resembling the Universe.

However, it was different from what Son OhGong said.

'It's not black.'

Countless stars rose in total darkness.

He heard that, but the Universe Hercules arrived at wasn't black.

Purple Universe.

Before Hercules' eyes, who seemed absorbed in that world for a moment, appeared the figure of Diablo.

"...We went up very high."

Certainly, when they returned, he would have to punch him to feel a bit better.

Hercules approached Diablo.

"Let's go back. As you can see, we're not supposed to be here."

In the purple space.

Hercules hurriedly moved away from this ominous place.

It wasn't just because of the warnings from YuWon and Son OhGong.

He didn't feel well. It seemed like he shouldn't stay here any longer.

So, he hurried to take Diablo back.

"Diablo?"

Strangely, Diablo didn't respond to Hercules' words.

Diablo's shoulder, facing away, trembled.

Is it trembling?

Is it Diablo, of all people, who is trembling?

Diablo was someone who would welcome death with laughter. He always enjoyed fighting by staying as close to death as possible.

However, Diablo was trembling with fear.

What could he have seen?

-...Her... cules...

Diablo's voice didn't come to completion. From his reaction, it seemed like he knew Hercules was behind him.

"What's happening, Diablo?"

Something was hidden behind the huge Diablo.

As Hercules tried to see what was behind Diablo, at that moment...

Thud-.

-No... you shouldn't see it.

Diablo reached out to block Hercules' view.

Diablo's action overlapped with Son OhGong's appearance.

The moment 'above the sky' was mentioned, Son OhGong dropped the meat he was holding, confused.

What the hell did they see that made them react this way?

Frrr~

Red flames erupted from Diablo's body.

It was an act to overcome fear.

He opened his mouth while blocking Hercules' view.

-Leave... go back.

"Do you want to die here?"

-I... never run away.

Hercules bit his tongue.

From the beginning, it seemed like a mistake to consider retreating in front of this guy.

Diablo.

The Demon King.

If measured by pride, his rank would probably be at the top of the Rorre.

For him, running away was not an option.

"There's no other choice."

And Hercules too.

"Move aside."

He wasn't a man who could run away and leave someone behind.

"It's better to have two than one."

-It's not necessary... go.

"I'm not a subordinate Demon who follows your orders."

Hercules' hand pushed Diablo's body.

“Of course, I don't need your permission to fight, nor do I intend to seek it.”

-You...

Diablo also tried to resist, but it was futile.

Trembling in fear, Diablo was forcefully pushed aside by Hercules' strength.

This way, Hercules could see what Diablo was seeing.

“...?”

Hercules' forehead furrowed, and a question mark appeared over his head.

What kind of incredible monster must there be for him to react that way?

But what he saw wasn't a monster.

In fact, it was something that couldn't even be expressed with a single word or phrase.

It didn't seem to be a living being.

It was connected by lights brighter and more beautiful than purple, like stars in the universe.

It was more like a group of stars than a living being.

It was more similar to a 'nebula' in appearance.

And in the center of that...

'...a door, perhaps?'

There was a very small door, so small that it couldn't be seen unless looked at closely.

The door was wide open.

If it were Son OhGong, he would have seen it immediately, but Hercules couldn't.

Still, a bit more.

If he could focus a bit more, he might see...

"I warned you."

At that moment, while Hercules stared inside the "door" as if enchanted, someone stood in his way.

"Never look at it."

"You...."

Only the back was visible, but there was no way not to recognize it.

What surprised Hercules was that this guy, who didn't respond to calls, appeared in the sky.

"Why are you here?"

Kim YuWon.

That guy who didn't answer calls appeared in the sky.