Leveling with the Gods
chapter-602

Side Story 78

Step, crunch.

Tsukuyomi's steps froze the ground beneath his feet.

An icy chill.

Name Fragments froze in the air and fell to the ground, where Susanoo cut them down.

Kwaat!

"It's been a long time since both of us moved like this."

-Thinking about the old times?

"A bit. The situation is a little different now."

-It's not just a little different. We've left the Tower.

Kiiit.

Susanoo's sword was fierce.

Tsukuyomi couldn't help but admire every strike he delivered.

Susanoo's skill was much greater than in his prime. The abilities of the Undead were influenced by their summoner, and it seemed that was what was happening.

'He's looking for something here.'

While Susanoo cleared the path, Tsukuyomi, who had a little more free time, activated his eye.

['Izanagi' activated].

Giiing.

Her vision expanded, and she could see the space around her at a glance. At the same time, she saw something beyond the Name Fragments moving before her eyes, something in the background.

"What is that?"

At the end of the cave. There was a person hanging on the wall like a corpse. His body and face were covered by a robe, but from the briefly visible jawline, it seemed to be a man.

Thump~

Her heart pounded, and her perception of the surroundings changed. The noise of the Outers was completely blocked. The presence of those horrible creatures became null, and an existence as large as the sun filled her view.

"What is this... ?"

Tsukuyomi, staring at the man hanging on the wall, took a hesitant step back. Instinctively, she turned her head searching for Susanoo, who was with her.

But he wasn't there.

All she could see with her Izanagi-activated eye was the corpse of a giant existence, blocked by a large number of Outers.

Gulp.

'Does such a thing exist?'

Cawww.

She seemed to hear a sound.

An endless, infinite void.

A scream.

It seemed like an absolute being that could be and do anything had died and lost its power.

What had he been in life to have such a presence even after death?

Shiver, shiver~

Feeling fear and reverence towards a corpse. It was something she had never imagined. Indeed, it wouldn't have been strange for Izanagi, seizing this opportunity, to try to regain control of Tsukuyomi's mind.

However...

At this moment, even Izanagi didn't appear. That was also terrifying.

-...Hey.

Shake~

The feeling of someone grabbing her shoulders gradually brought her back to sanity.

-Yomi!

A deafening sound. Only then did she realize that Susanoo's face was right in front of her.

-Are you okay?

"Eh? Eh?"

-Focus. What's wrong with you?

Shiver, shiver, shiver~

Her body trembled like a leaf. A chill ran through her body. Although she had often felt cold since she arrived in the Outside World, this time was different.

Her already pale face turned a sickly blue, and her body chilled like ice.

Tsukuyomi could define the emotion she felt.

It was fear.

"I saw something."

-What?

"A corpse..."

-A corpse?

Tsukuyomi described what she had seen. She said there was a corpse hanging, and the Outers surrounded it as if protecting it.

And Susanoo, hearing it, became convinced.

-That's it.

"What is?"

-It's what we were looking for. Danpung.

"...Danpung? Is that it?"

Tsukuyomi let out a sardonic laugh. Her expression was one of disbelief, as if what she had just heard was nonsense. For a moment, she thought Susanoo hadn't understood her explanation properly. Otherwise, it was impossible for something that seemed to be above everything in the world to have such a simple name as "Danpung."

-I know what you're thinking. I also find it ridiculous. But well, the Name given by its owner is a bit peculiar.

He had also discovered it late. What kind of creature was that small entity called Danpung?

"So... you're saying that what we were looking for is really that? Danpung?"

They said she would know it as soon as she saw it. It was half true and half false.

'With something like that, it's impossible not to see it.'

It was too big to be invisible. It was like a dinosaur among ants, impossible to overlook. However, even if you saw it, you wouldn't recognize it.

The reason was obvious.

'Does something like that really go by the name Danpung?'

Her mouth hung open in disbelief for a moment.

-Here it comes.

Susanoo turned around and felt YuWon's energy. He was rushing towards them on the same path they had opened.

['The Otherworld Adversary' confronts the 'Name Fragments'].

['The Otherworld Sword' is imbued with Tartarus].

Zap!

YuWon swung the sword without any elegance. The movements were rough, as impatient as his heart, but the speed at which he cleared the path was proportional to the strength he wasted.

Tsukuyomi, following him, stuck out her tongue. Pandora, who had nothing to do, simply carried the luggage.

"Ufffff-."

YuWon could only catch his breath after eliminating all the Name Fragments blocking his way. He lifted his head and looked at the man hanging on the wall.

The moment he saw his face...

YuWon's eyes wavered.

"Really... he was here."

At that moment.

YuWon could see the same thing Tsukuyomi had seen before.

An infinite void and chaos.

A man seated on a broken throne with closed eyes.

It was a familiar face.

Although it was impossible to know if that face was the real one. In his memories, he had always had that face, from beginning to end.

'Azathoth.'

He had died in a small cabin. He, who could do and create anything.

Why did he live in a small cabin?

YuWon, who retained his memories, knew.

'He wanted to be like a human.'

Even now, he sometimes confused himself. Whether he was Azathoth or Kim YuWon.

If...

If he hadn't given up all the Names he had and hadn't discarded the Throne. Perhaps right now, he couldn't find his place and would have lost his identity.

[Beeeh-.]

[Beeeh-.]

The goats' bleats could be heard.

Regaining consciousness, he found himself in a Black Woods.

['The Black Goat of the Woods with a Thousand Young' faces the 'Amorphous Chaos Soul ■■■'].

['The Dancer Who Dances With The Flames' faces the 'Amorphous Chaos Soul ■■■'].

['Magnum Innominandum' faces the 'Amorphous Chaos Soul ■■■'].

['The Nameless Mist'...]

Names flew everywhere. The goats bleated, looking at the empty woods, not at YuWon.

However. The Name was broken. But even though it was broken, it wasn't so unrecognizable.

'It's the Name of Danpung.'

The Name that is the foundation of Azathoth. The beginning of all Names, the chaos that devours all Names.

In response to that Name, the Names YuWon possessed stirred.

Argh-.

He felt like he was going to vomit.

However.

Now, he had to go see that guy.

Step-.

Guided by the goats, YuWon walked toward where the Name was.

The chaos of the Black Woods, teetering in an unstable state, gestured to YuWon.

Come here.

I've been waiting.

Step-.

His steps gradually slowed.

He didn't know it when he had that power.

It was such a dangerous feeling.

Broken teeth could be seen in the darkness.

Some eyes shed tears upon seeing YuWon.

It was that guy's emotions.

["Baa-."]

A familiar voice, weak and dragging. He followed that voice through the woods. Without even realizing the passage of time. Continuously. As if wanting to see the end of the Black Woods, YuWon walked and walked.

And in the end...

What awaited YuWon was a bottomless void and a completely shattered throne.

["Ba-?"]

A throne with broken armrests and twisted legs. In that place, symbolizing a deposed king, Danpung sat absentmindedly with his head raised.

['Amorphous Chaos Soul ■■■' faces 'Kim Yu■'.]

['Amorphous Chaos Soul ■■■' is on guard against 'Kim Yu■'.]

Sss, ss~

Teeth surrounded YuWon. Eyes looked at him cautiously, and a chilling sensation ran through his brain.

'It's the first time I see my Name as a message.'

One of the characters of his Name that he saw through the message was broken. It seemed that being forgotten by people, this Name could only return to its original state when memories also returned.

The amorphous monsters approached YuWon. He must not be on guard. He must not be afraid. He knew it, but it wasn't easy for his mind to follow.

['The Otherworld Adversary' faces the 'Amorphous Chaos Soul ■■■'.]

['The Otherworld Sword' resists the 'Amorphous Chaos Soul ■■■'.]

YuWon's Divinity and the sword he wielded were the first to resist the power of the Otherworld. It was a type of power that activated on its own, but this time, it wasn't just that.

'...It's terrifying.'

He didn't know it when it was by his side. But seeing it from a step back, it felt completely different.

And to think this is the state with the broken Name.

How would it have felt in its complete state?

Step-.

YuWon ignored the chaos that showed him its teeth and moved forward. Although it seemed like those teeth would bite and tear him apart at any moment. But for now, there was nothing he could do.

He had come this far to find that guy, so he had to find a way to approach.

Thus, YuWon reached where Danpung was.

"I'm sorry."

Indeed, remorse invaded him when he saw that guy up close again.

Nyarlathotep, who took the Name from Sothoth. To win the battle against that guy, and to prevent such a thing from happening again, YuWon made the decision to get rid of the Name of Azathoth.

Because of that, Danpung disappeared from within YuWon.

He had taken too long to decide to look for him again. He thought that if he found him again, the same thing as 10 years ago would happen again.

Crunch-.

The enormous Throne, like a castle, had become so small that he could look down on it. When he first saw Danpung sitting on this throne, he thought it was too big for him.

Perhaps he now fit better.

["Baa......"]

Danpung raised his head with a small whimper.

The moment their eyes met.

Crack-!

A tooth bit YuWon's shoulder. He braced himself to have his entire shoulder torn off. No, he even thought he might be devoured by this tooth and become part of Amorphous Chaos.

However...

Clack-!

The tooth didn't tear off YuWon's shoulder. Instead, as if feeling guilty for its aggressive behavior, it slowly retracted the tooth that had bitten the shoulder and looked at him cautiously.

Kiiing-.

YuWon touched his shoulder.

'He's not injured.'

Azathoth, the ancient King of the World, had completely disappeared.

His Name, Amorphous Chaos, had no teeth.

YuWon's gaze went down.

Surrounded by countless teeth...

A small child...

["Baa......"]

Danpung looked at YuWon and smiled happily.

["Watta-."]

Startled-!

The moment he heard Danpung's voice, YuWon opened his eyes in surprise. The boy, who always spoke in an unintelligible language, had uttered his first complete words.

The pronunciation was very vague, and his voice was weak, but it was clearly audible.

"You've come, dad."