Leveling with the Gods
chapter-555

Side Story 31

[What are you?]

[Someone is telling our story!]

The Black Woods trembled with the Arcane Power emanating from the two Administrators.

Though they were only Administrators of the lower levels, they were still Administrators. It wasn't an exaggeration to say that all the Arcane Power in this world was on their side.

And in response to their power...

Beeeeh.

The goats urged with their bleats.

They were asking for the order to attack.

The Name of Shub-Niggurath was synonymous with absolute power over the goats of this woods.

The goats couldn't move without YuWon's permission.

That's why they were bleating.

They were asking for permission to devour the two Administrators.

"Well, it's time for a long-awaited feast."

YuWon responded to the cries of the goats.

"Devour them."

Beeeeeh!

The goats pounced on the two Administrators in unison.

Not just from around YuWon, but they emerged from all parts of the woods.

Crunch!

The goats opened their mouths as wide as their bodies and bit into the Administrators' flesh.

Squeeee!

Pwah!

Waves stirred with Dagon's claws. The mighty water pressure enveloped the goats and turned the Black Woods into a turbulent sea.

Crack!

The hundreds of hands and feet sprouting from Ihot's torso crushed the goats' bodies, bending and breaking their backs in half.

The goats were torn by claws and crushed by hands and feet.

But they were children of Shub-Niggurath.

Beeeeeh!

Crunch!

A massive mouth bit into Dagon's forearm wielding claws.

Crunch!

Ugh!

The sound of bones crunching along with flesh.

The Black Woods Goats mercilessly harassed the two Administrators.

'We can't kill them no matter how much we kill them.'

'We have to catch the entity with the Name.'

Their gazes met. They couldn't keep fighting the goats alone.

They were ghostly beings inhabiting the Black Woods. As long as the entity with the Name didn't disappear, they would resurrect ceaselessly thanks to its power.

[Dagon.]

[Understood.]

Dagon nodded at Ihot's words and bowed.

Whoosh!

A pillar of water rose into the sky. His figure, rising high enough to see the entire forest, distorted as his body swelled enormously.

And right after...

Crack!

The hands sprouting from his body caught the forest goats.

Beeeeh.

Beeeeh.

The goats fought fiercely.

Crunch, crack!

Gasp!

The goats bit into Ihot's hands holding them and rammed their inflated bodies with sharp horns.

Puff, pop!

Ihot's countless eyes holding the goats turned towards Dagon.

[I can't hold them for long.]

[It's enough.]

To catch the entity controlling the goats.

Boom!

Riding on the rising water wave, Dagon's body, surpassing Ihot and the herd of goats, had become as large as a small mountain.

Black pupils without sclera.

Transparent skin clearly showing the movement of blood flowing through his body.

YuWon had to lift his head to observe Dagon's form.

"You've been living well, haven't you?"

A monster formed by a colossal mass of Arcane Power.

YuWon mocked Dagon's form, reminiscent of a sea creature.

"You look like someone who's had a tantrum."

[Talk however you want.]

Crunch, crunch~

The prominent veins on his hand's back swelled, and colossal Arcane Power enveloped Dagon's fist.

[Now it's your end.]

Kwang-!

Dagon's fist struck the ground where YuWon stood.

The ground flipped, and the woods shook.

The trees of the Black Woods broke and fell with a creak, and Dagon lowered his other hand.

Bang-!

The eyes, resembling those of a mammal, emitted a murderous aura.

The Arcane Power, as if in tune with Dagon's murderous aura, gradually became more destructive.

Bang, bang, bang-!

And so, several times.

Dagon's movements, punching towards YuWon, gradually slowed down.

[...?]

Perplexity reflected in his eyes, which were once fiercely beast-like.

Clearly, by this point, he should feel like his body was being crushed, but he felt none of that.

And at that moment, when Dagon felt something strange.

Crack-.

The fist swinging as if to break the ground stopped.

His arm, as if stuck in the ground, didn't move from the sunken ground.

"If you really wanted to fight, you should have stayed in the sea."

Dagon was the Administrator of Floor 20.

It was in the sea where he wielded his greatest power.

On solid ground, Dagon's power was halved.

That's why he had no choice but to go after YuWon directly. Because he didn't have the confidence to fight against Shub-Niggurath's offspring.

However...

He was wrong.

[The strength of the Giant resides in your arms.]

That the owner, YuWon, was a much more dangerous opponent than the thousand goats before him.

[That is... a Giant...]

The moment Dagon recognized the nature of the ability residing in YuWon's arm.

Whoosh-!

With a momentary feeling of lightness, Dagon's body soared into the air.

'He... threw me?'

Was he Hercules, to throw him alone with his strength?

Above all, what he knew was that only Hercules in this Tower used Gigantification.

He had verified through numerous Envoys that there were no other users of the "Gigantification" ability handled by Hercules, a single-digit High-Ranker.

So, where did this guy come from?

Confused, he hurriedly regained balance in the air and looked down at YuWon.

'Where did he go?'

YuWon had already disappeared from that place.

Dagon hastily searched for YuWon, who had thrown him, moving his eyes.

"One. If you lose sight of your enemy once-"

Unbeknownst, due to his enormous size like a mountain.

"It's over."

YuWon was already above Dagon's head.

['The Heavenly Demon Spirit' rules 'The Flame of Death and Decay.']

['The Dancer Who Dances With Fire' rules 'The Heavenly Demon Spirit.']

Fwoosh-!

The giant figure engulfed in flames rose above YuWon. The giant, wielding a sword of fire, mimicked YuWon's movements and swung his sword.

Kwaaah-!

Dagon was beheaded.

Ihot screamed seeing Dagon's head fall lifelessly, separated from his body.

[Dagon-!]

How?

How could he cut Dagon's resilient neck so easily, as if slicing through butter?

A chill ran down Ihot's spine, reminding him of the ominous feeling he had felt for the first time in YuWon.

'That unsettling feeling I felt on that guy's sword wasn't an illusion.'

His sword emitted a strange aura. Being close to him made his body feel heavy, and even from a distance, it felt like the sword grazed his neck.

At first, he thought it was a hallucination.

As Administrators, they knew in-depth about all the items that existed in this Tower.

And no item in the world, no matter how powerful, could have an advantage over them, who had made a 'Mana Contract.'

So, why?

Why that black sword...?

Tsss-tss.

That wasn't all.

Atop Dagon's falling corpse, Ihot's eyes reflected the figure of YuWon assuming a spear stance.

[That is...!]

Dozens of eyes gleamed in the darkness.

Zizizi-!

Arcane Power amplified over Dagon's body.

There was only one known item with that appearance.

[Is that Gungnir?]

No, it wasn't.

That was the item wielded by the God Odin of Asgard, an item made of Light Arcane Power.

But this was the opposite.

Judging by the Dark Arcane Power emanating from it, it could only be one thing.

'Nír.'

The item opposite to Gungnir.

A symmetrical item that, in terms of power, was comparable to Gungnir.

And now it had appeared in the Tower.

[That is definitely, those Goblins-!]

The moment Ihot realized the identity of the item, a roar echoed.

Zheeng-!

The spear YuWon held in his hand was forcefully thrown towards Ihot.

There was no time to wonder about YuWon's identity anymore.

Ihot withdrew all the hands holding the goats and focused on blocking the incoming spear.

Kwaji, zizizi-!

[Kyaaaah-!]

The spear, containing colossal Arcane Power and flying with swift and powerful force, pierced and rotted several of Ihot's hands before reaching his body.

Beeeeeh.

Beeeh.

Kwadak, kwadad-.

Chisss-.

Meanwhile, the goats surrounding Ihot avidly devoured his body.

[Do you really think we'll fall for something like this?]

Ihot's hands finally managed to block Nír by grabbing the spear.

Although his body was being bitten by the goats, and he had lost almost half of his hands...

At that moment, Ihot allowed himself a small smile for having successfully blocked an item symmetrical to Gungnir.

Of course.

"I didn't think a hastily activated spear could cut an Administrator's throat so easily."

Kuk-.

A small sound of footsteps.

Ihot's eyes followed YuWon, who was now standing on his voluminous body.

[What...? When...!]

"Do you know what?"

The sword was held in reverse.

Shwaaah!

Feeling a sense of danger, Ihot's hands lunged to grab YuWon.

Just like Dagon, once they catch you once, the fight is as good as over.

Puhk!

The sword embedded deeply into Ihot's torso.

The hands reaching towards YuWon's body ceased their movement simultaneously.

Having plunged the sword deep into Ihot's torso, YuWon looked into one of his eyes and continued speaking.

"The power of Gungnir that Odin launched was ten times stronger than what you just blocked."

Odin.

He was YuWon's comrade and the King who sacrificed the most.

"That guy trained his body and threw his spear every day. Saying that if he wanted the world he ruled to be safe, he himself had to be strong."

Looking at the ruins of Asgard, Odin said, "I should have trained more."

During that long time, Odin hadn't relaxed a single day.

He had fought and struggled against invisible enemies every day to protect Asgard.

"That guy gave his life in the battle ten years ago to protect the Realm he had created."

He learned of the situation through Son OhGong and Hercules.

In the battle that took place without YuWon, Odin finally lost his life.

Odin sacrificed his life.

He fought by burning his life and protected the battlefield.

Until Mimir, sacrificing his life and soul, brought several of his comrades from the future, joining the battle.

"And you idiots want to take over that world."

It was unthinkable.

The right to live in this world belongs to those who protected it.

Those guys who had always been watching from afar when Foolish Chaos plunged the Tower into chaos, now pretend to be the masters.

YuWon couldn't tolerate such a thing, he couldn't even imagine it.

Zizizi-

Ihot's body, pierced by the Otherworld Sword, gradually turned into black ashes and dispersed.

His eyes were filled with injustice, resentment, and endless questions.

He, who had observed countless worlds with dozens of eyes and hands, spoke with his many eyes.

Who are you?