Leveling with the Gods
chapter-572

Side Story 48

In a hunting ground outside the city located on the 25th-floor world.

Pffft-.

"¡...!"

Kwak DuPal, a player who was obsessed with leveling up while preparing for the Trial of the next floor, staggered back in surprise.

"Hm, what's this?"

With a strange dialect that couldn't be identified, he looked at his notched greatsword.

A lizardman.

It was definitely the same type he always hunted.

Although the difficulty of the hunt had increased as he ascended the floors, he had never failed to cut down an enemy with his sword.

At least that's what Kwak DuPal, confident in his sword skills, believed.

'Was it a hallucination?'

Just as he was about to run towards the lizardman in front of him just in case.

[Monster King Ananta has been released from the seal]

[Statistics of all Monsters in the Tower increase exponentially.]

[Ananta is currently in an unstable state.]

[Eliminate Ananta.]

"What-."

Kwak DuPal let out a bewildered sound at the pop-up message.

The Monster King, the statistics of monsters increasing.

It was like a bolt from the blue.

Not only was Kwak DuPal confused, but the lizardman also tilted his head with a puzzled expression.

Gruk-?

The two stared at each other in confusion.

In the midst of the awkward confrontation, Kwak DuPal was the first to make a decision.

"Eek-aaah!"

Kwak Du-pal started running in the opposite direction.

The lizardman, who had been confused for a moment, suddenly got angry and began to chase Kwak DuPal.

Kiiieek-!

And at that moment,

The same thing was happening everywhere in the Tower.

At the same time.

Namgung Hoon, who received the same message, was challenging the 82nd-floor Trial with his team.

"What, what are these things?"

"Team Leader! Did you get the message?"

"Ugh... these things suddenly got stronger..."

Pffft, pffft-!

Undead armed with swords and spears attacked Namgung Hoon's team members.

The defense of Namgung Hoon's group, entrusted with the mission to protect the tomb, began to gradually break.

It was then that a variable entered the increasingly dangerous battlefield.

The dark sky was covered with a blue aura, and great pressure was exerted on the ground.

The Arcane Power emanating from Namgung Hoon's body, who thrust the tip of his sword into the ground, crushed the undead.

"Emperor Sword Technique?"

Jegal Sehun, a member of Namgung Hoon's team, looked at him with surprised eyes.

Emperor Sword Technique (帝王劍形).

It was the supreme technique passed down only to the direct line of the Namgung Family, capable of mastering enemies without unsheathing the sword.

Even among the Namgung Family Rankers, only a few had mastered this technique, and yet, Namgung Hoon, who was not yet a Ranker, was using it.

'If it weren't for Hargan, this guy would have been the master of the next generation.'

Crack, crunch-.

Snap, crunch-.

The undead's bones broke, and their skin tore.

"Huu-."

Namgung Hoon, who had manifested the Emperor Sword Technique, took a deep breath and exhaled.

The crisis that had suddenly arisen had been overcome.

However, the problem was that he had used too much physical strength and Arcane Power to use the Emperor Sword Technique.

'The difficulty has increased.'

Namgung Hoon hadn't even thought that he would use the Emperor Sword Technique here for the first time.

Fortunately, he succeeded, but if he hadn't, they could have suffered a nearly fatal blow.

The message that suddenly appeared.

The Monster King's Seal has been released, exponentially increasing the power of Monsters throughout the Tower.

'Ananta. This is the first time I've heard that name...'

Namgung Hoon, a man from the Murim World, had never heard of Ananta.

However, one thing was certain.

'If we don't kill that Monster King, the Tower's ecosystem will collapse.'

Kyaaaaah!

Gu gu, guuuuhhh-.

Zheek, zhee-.

The ground shook, and the valley cliff collapsed.

A huge Dragon with golden scales covering its entire body.

Kung-.

The Monster King, Ananta, took its first step after being released from Vishnu's seal.

『This is what it feels like to walk.』

How long had it been since the last time it moved its body?

Ananta closed its eyes for a moment and immersed itself in the sensation.

Hundreds of billions of Tower monsters praised it.

Their voices resonated in Ananta's ears, drawing a smile on its face.

『It feels good to be alive.』

Ananta's resurrection.

It was a moment that even made the Bull Demon King, who was supposed to be immune to fear, tremble.

“Huuu-.”

The Bull Demon King, who had inhaled Gandharva's smoke, exhaled all the poison that had entered its body.

Fuuush-.

Gandharva disappeared along with the smoke.

Apparently, after temporarily immobilizing the Bull Demon King, the creature judged that its role was done.

Also...

“I guess this is it.”

“What are we going to do about The Great Sage, Heaven's Equal? He's not the type that can die.”

“First, we capture him. We'll think about what to do next. If necessary, we can seal him again.”

The two Administrators who had released Ananta's seal conversed with each other.

They began talking to Ananta's head, who started showing its teeth one by one.

"Can you do it, Anan-?"

Kwaak-.

At that instant, tentacles sprouted from the ground and wrapped around the Administrators.

“What are you doing?!”

『Of course, I'll take care of them. Both the Bull Demon King and the Monkey flying in the sky.』

Ssssiii-.

Smiling with joy, Ananta brought the Administrators wrapped in tentacles to its mouth.

『But you see... I'm hungry. Administrators.』

“But we freed you from the seal-!”

Gulp-.

An Administrator slid down Ananta's throat.

Ananta was sure he had caught two, but the other had cut Ananta's tentacles and had disappeared somewhere.

『Well, there will be more opportunities to catch him in the future.』

Ananta clicked his tongue regretfully.

His thousand heads moved, and his eyes fixed on the Bull Demon King.

The Bull Demon King stared at him for a while. Then, with a gesture of annoyance, he stored the fan he had in his hand in his inventory and scratched his head.

"It seems like a hassle to seal that disgusting thing again."

Kwaaaak-.

Gripping the Mixed Iron Rod tightly, he looked at Ananta.

"No, maybe this time I should kill it?"

『Your mouth is still as sharp as ever, Demon King.』

"Both you and I are relics of a bygone era, but at least I'm relatively new. And..."

Gooooo-.

Arcane Power began emanating from the Bull Demon King's body.

And at that moment, a massive shadow loomed over the Bull Demon King's head.

Kuung!

Vritra fell to the ground. Its wings had round holes, and its body was twisted, unconscious.

"This one is the same."

"He's disgustingly persistent, for such an insignificant guy."

Son OhGong's golden eyes sparkled. He had also used Yokai Power to rush to fight Vritra.

"Is he finally released?"

"Yes, that's right."

"Good. It would have been a pity if he hadn't been released, eh."

For Son OhGong, who loves a good fight, there was no better situation than this.

His opponent is Ananta. Known as the Monster King, a being Son OhGong has wanted to fight for a long time.

Although they couldn't fight before due to circumstances, they now stand as enemies, face to face.

"Do you have anything to say?"

Son OhGong placed the Ru Yi Bang over his shoulder.

"Come on, Hyung-nim."

Shuaaaak-!

He dodged the dragon's head and flew into the sky.

Son OhGong moved quickly from side to side, wielding the Ru Yi Bang towards Ananta's head.

Kwagagagak-.

Ananta's teeth blocked the Ru Yi Bang.

Son OhGong, holding Ananta's head with trembling arms, lifted the other hand with all his strength.

"Huup-!"

Zheeng-!

Ananta's head shook, and it roared. But for that, Son OhGong had to use so much force that his arms almost fell off.

Only one of the thousand heads.

Son OhGong, who had blocked one, frowned and murmured.

"I don't have enough hands."

He needed clones.

And not just any clones, but clones with power superior to the normal.

"...Let's try it."

Although he had only thought of it a few days ago, when better than now to try it?

His doubt didn't last long.

Son OhGong plucked two hairs from his head.

"Huuh-."

The hairs dispersed in the air.

And next to them...

Bang, puff puff puff, bang-!

Smoke sprouted from Son OhGong's hairs, and dozens of Son OhGongs appeared from within him.

Siiik-.

The corners of Son OhGong's mouth lifted.

It was a success.

"It's a bit strange to share the fun, but..."

"Share?"

"Stop talking as if you were the original."

"Aren't we all 'us'?"

The clones refuted Son OhGong's words.

The noise of the clones chatting deafened him.

"This is a bit annoying."

Although they were smaller, as they were made using a part of his body as a medium, the performance of the clones was much better than before.

The only drawback is that the Ego of the Clones has become stronger.

Of course, that would be an advantage in battle.

"So, let's all go together..."

Cheek, cheekcheek-.

The Son OhGongs aimed their Ru Yi Bangs at Ananta in unison.

"Grow, Ruyi!"

Baaaang-!

Ananta's heads exploded from the Ru Yi Bangs of Son OhGong.

The clones then wielded their Ru Yi Bangs, used the Golden Cinder Eyes, and began attacking Ananta's body.

Leaving the rear to the clones, Son OhGong began running on Ananta's body.

Kyaaaaah-!

Another head lunged at Son OhGong.

Son OhGong, who had already shrunk the Ru Yi Bang again and held it in his hand, hit Ananta's head and unleashed the Golden Cinder Eyes.

Hwarur-.

Zheoeok-!

His eyes moved rapidly. Son OhGong struck the dragon's head flying towards him with clenched teeth and shouted:

"Don't play with me, Ananta!"

From the top of Ananta's head, Son OhGong spoke with a furious voice:

"Close combat is not your specialty! Isn't that right?"

His voice echoed.

At that precise moment, Ananta's movement stopped.

"Do you also know me?"

"Yes, I know you. I know you very well."

Son OhGong smiled, showing his teeth.

"So stop messing around and do it right. Otherwise, I won't have fun either."

Son OhGong had a bored tone.

Perhaps that wounded his pride?

"-Understood."

Tsusu-.

The head of Ananta that had exploded from the Ru Yi Bang regenerated.

However.

Tsusu, tsusutsu-!

Unlike before, the head was made of golden lightning.

"I was having fun for the first time in a long time, but you've ruined the fun for me."

That wasn't all.

Tsusutsu, tsus-.

Craaack, craack-le-!

A massive lightning enveloped Ananta's body. It soon transformed into a dragon of a thousand heads made entirely of lightning.

Zheok-.

Ananta's mouth opened wide.

Ananta's heads surrounded Son OhGong, who was standing on another head, and drooled.

"Therefore, I will chew you carefully and devour you."

Krrrurrr-.

A thousand heads that will never be cut or disappear.

The Dragon, growing larger and larger with lightning.

Ananta has revealed its true form.

So...

"Yes, yes. Now I really like it."

Kwaaak-.

Only then did Son OhGong smile, as if finding it amusing, and increased the strength in his hand holding the Ru Yi Bang.

"This is how it should be."