Leveling with the Gods
chapter-543

C19

Something incredible happened.

Tick, tock...

The two split arrows fell to the ground powerless.

A brief silence seized the place.

A black-haired man entered Lee Sung Yun's field of vision.

His appearance seemed familiar.

A Korean?

An improbable thought crossed his mind.

The world Lee Sung Yun came from, Earth.

There were many Players who had entered the Tower from there, but only a few had managed to climb to the 50th floor.

And yet, a player from Earth, even a Korean, was participating in this Great Celestial War.

"Who are you-?"

"You're not ready to face a High-Ranker. You're not Hargan, after all."

Lee Sung Yun's eyes widened as he met YuWon's gaze after turning his head.

He was a genuine Korean. It became increasingly rare to find someone from his homeland the higher he climbed.

Although he would have liked to greet him out of joy, the situation was not right.

"This is not a situation where you should interfere. I don't know who you are, but this is a battle between Rankers."

Despite his participation in the Great Tournament proving some skill, in Lee Sung Yun's memory, he was the only Earth Ranker at the moment.

After all, it hadn't been much time since Earth Players had arrived at the Tower.

Despite Lee Sung Yun's warnings, YuWon did not withdraw.

Instead, he fixed his gaze on Lee Ye, who was at a distance.

Lee Ye.

With a complex expression and slightly trembling hands, he loaded the next arrow.

'He cut my arrow.'

If he had blocked it, he would have understood.

Those who couldn't dodge his arrows usually prepared to block them in advance.

If he had dodged it, he would have understood.

However, his original target was Lee Sung Yun, not the man in front of him, and this man had cleanly cut his arrow.

"...Who are you?"

Unlike Lee Sung Yun, Lee Ye saw something formidable in YuWon.

Among the nearly a thousand participants, Lee Ye had the illusion that only he and YuWon were there.

"Kim YuHun."

An unfamiliar name clumsily came out of his lips.

"I've never heard of you."

"You'll know from now on."

"You're arrogant, but you have the skill to back it up."

Lee Ye's arrowhead pointed upwards.

Lee Ye, known for piercing the sun by shooting into the sky.

The fact that he aimed at the sky was a clear sign that he was ready to start a serious battle.

"Do you want the Elixir?"

Lee Ye's eyes flickered at YuWon's words.

He slowly lowered the arm he had raised towards the sky and asked perplexedly.

"How do you know that?"

"No need to keep fighting. Anyway, the guy you were protecting can no longer be revived."

"What do you mean-?"

Lee Ye, who understood YuWon's words with a slight delay, turned quickly.

There, amidst the other participants, was Pluto, foaming at the mouth and lying on the ground.

When?

Judging by their expressions, the other participants also seemed unaware of when this had happened to Pluto.

"Now we're back to square one."

Swoosh.

YuWon turned to Lee Yeye and said:

"It's time to start the Trial."

The first Trial, briefly halted by Pluto's elimination, began again.

Participants used their skills and wielded their weapons to eliminate each other.

Half of the participants who had been hired by Pluto surrendered on their own.

Their goal from the beginning was the points, not victory in this tournament.

However, some participants were the exception in this fight.

High-Rankers and Rankers close to High-Rankers, including Lee Ye and Lee Seong Yun.

They had been excluded as targets from the beginning.

But...

"I thought this would happen."

"Iyaaah-!"

Shukaak-.

Kkang-!

YuWon blocked the sword flying over his head with his hand and shook his head.

"It's a refreshing feeling."

Shwip-.

"...?"

The participant whose face was suddenly grabbed looked confused.

When had the distance closed?

Kwang-!

YuWon, who had slammed his opponent to the ground, looked around for his next enemy.

Even though he was just standing there, participants attacking him kept appearing.

'Looks easy.'

Look at Lee Ye.

There was no one around him.

As if there was a barrier around him, participants kept a constant distance from him.

He was the participant with the highest ranking in this first Trial and one of the candidates for victory.

And around Lee Seong Yun.

'It seems he can handle this to some extent.'

Peng, pepepeng-!

A team of several Rankers was attacking him. The four Rankers, who seemed to have affinity with each other, had a good combination.

However, Lee Seong Yun's control over the Mana Spheres was so high that he could easily block them.

"His skills are good enough to surpass his stats."

Suddenly, he realized how much time had passed in ten years.

'He learned well.'

A long time ago, YuWon had taught Lee Seong Yun, who had come with Hargan, for a short time.

Even back then, YuWon recognized Lee Seong Yun's talent.

In terms of talent and potential, Lee Seong Yun was not much different from YuWon.

However, for some reason, in the future timeline, that guy couldn't even pass the Tutorial.

'I'm curious.'

Seeing Lee Seong Yun become a Ranker, he felt curious about him.

He thought that if Lee Seong Yun had been alive in the future, the fight against the Outers would have been a bit easier.

It was then.

He realized why the next opponent didn't appear. Someone was approaching YuWon.

The most dangerous beast in this first Trial.

A dragon and tiger like no rabbit or fox could challenge.

Lee Ye.

'Finally, he moved.'

His eyes, half-hidden by his hair, looked at YuWon.

His gaze was fierce but not aggressive.

He was a bow user. If he had intended to fight YuWon from the beginning, there would have been no need to close the distance like this.

Swoosh, swoosh-.

On the other hand, participants were fleeing from him to maintain their distance.

YuWon clicked his tongue as he saw them.

'They're afraid of their opponent and enter the archer's domain.'

That was why Lee Ye had approached YuWon.

It was to show that he had no intention of fighting.

YuWon sheathed the sword he had in his hand again.

Lee Ye, who had seen the sword YuWon had been wielding until recently, opened his mouth.

"It looks like Kusanagi, huh?"

YuWon was slightly surprised by Lee Ye's words as he observed the red sword sliding into the sheath.

He didn't expect Lee Ye to recognize Kusanagi.

"Where did you get it?"

"Do I really have to answer that?"

"...You're right."

There was a look in his eyes that indicated he had many questions.

Even though he had a matter to attend to, he didn't speak much.

It was easy to guess what intrigued him.

He was probably struck by the fact that YuWon had diverted his arrow.

And furthermore...

"Did you eliminate that guy even though you knew I wanted the Elixir because you were prepared to fight me?"

Partly, it was also because of the Elixir, an item he urgently needed.

YuWon's answer would determine whether Lee Ye would reveal his murderous intent immediately.

After all, if YuWon had eliminated Pluto despite having no other way of obtaining the Elixir, that would mean he was interfering with Lee Ye.

However.

"I know how to obtain the Elixir."

YuWon knew how to get what Lee Ye desired.

And it was something more valuable than what Pluto possessed.

"And it's not a diluted version, but the genuine one."

"...Really?"

"You'll figure out how to get it yourself. I only know the method."

"That's enough. If I have the method, I'll use any means necessary to get it. That's my business."

Lee Ye had only tried to obtain a diluted Elixir because it was extremely difficult to get.

A legendary medicine that cured all diseases, granted immunity to all poisons, and transformed an ordinary Ranker's body into one comparable to a High-Ranker.

Even for someone like Lee Ye, obtaining it was not an easy task.

"So, what's the method?"

"If I tell you, do you plan to give up and leave immediately?"

"Of course."

"Then wait a little longer. At least until this tournament is over."

"Why?"

"The tournament won't last much longer. You'll know when the time comes."

Lee Ye's expression changed drastically at YuWon's response.

The Elixir was an urgent matter for him. However, YuWon asked him to wait without even giving him a valid reason.

"I find it harder and harder to believe in you."

Swooshhh-.

The mana emanating from Lee Ye began to consume the surroundings.

A sharp wind brushed against YuWon's cheek.

For an ordinary Ranker, that wind would have left a deep wound on his face.

Lee Ye narrowed his eyes fiercely, as if about to take up his bow again.

"Is this just a bluff to get through this moment? To pass the qualifying round?"

"Well...."

YuWon looked at the bow hanging on Lee Ye's back.

"I don't think resorting to such annoying lies is necessary."

"What?"

"If you don't believe me, there's nothing I can do."

It was a stubborn attitude. YuWon's words were equivalent to "catch me if you can."

It was as if he didn't care if Lee Ye shot him right there.

'I can't understand it.'

Where the hell did he get such confidence?

It was strange, even considering that he had diverted the arrow with the help of Kusanagi. The dynamic sight and speed to achieve that were purely YuWon's skill.

'It can't be.'

Although YuWon was a formidable opponent,

'Does he really think he can defeat me?'

From YuWon's attitude of not avoiding the fight, Lee Ye felt that.

Time passed.

Lee Ye watched YuWon closely, while the latter stood quietly in his place and looked around.

As time passed, participants fell one by one.

Seeing participants quickly diminishing, either by resigning or fainting, Lee Ye lifted his head.

[55 / 1071]

Suddenly, the atmosphere became quite silent.

'Now they're all looking at each other, huh?'

In a short time, not many participants were left in this group.

The mediocre ones had already been eliminated, and now only the real fighters remained.

Choosing only eight of them wouldn't be an easy task.

A brief state of calm seized the place.

The silence, a product of mutual observation, was broken by an unexpected figure.

"I can't take it anymore."

Lee Ye, who until now seemed uninterested in the competition, raised his bow again.

The bowstring tensed with force.

Other participants were surprised to see the arrowhead pointing to the sky.

"Why?"

"Didn't you say you weren't interested in the competition?"

Lee Ye's presence in this group was a real disaster.

The power difference between a High-Ranker with a two-digit ranking and ordinary Rankers was abysmal.

"Those who are not fit, withdraw immediately. Those who cannot stop this arrow have no right to move on to the next round."

Was it impatience?

Instead of pressuring YuWon, Lee Ye chose to finish this preliminary phase as soon as possible.

Swoosh~

The arrow began to swell, absorbing a large amount of Arcane Power.

"I hope at least more than eight survive."

Lee Ye's gaze, shooting the arrow into the sky, was directed towards where YuWon was.