Leveling with the Gods

C400

YuWon looked at the outstretched hand of the Bull Demon King.

"A arm wrestling match?" he asked.

What kind of simple proposal was this?

It wasn't a suitable offer for someone who had just recovered from fainting. If the proposal had come from Son OhGong, he might have considered it, but based on his experience, the Bull Demon King didn't have such an impulsive personality.

However, the expression on the Bull Demon King's face seemed serious for some reason.

"The Bull Demon King was known as the King of Great Power in ancient times," Kim YuWon thought.

As his name suggested, the Bull Demon King was known for being unmatched in terms of strength.

If someone were willing to compete in an arm wrestling match with the Bull Demon King, perhaps only Heracles could do it.

"Don't you find it amusing? Anyway, your body is fully recovered... in fact, it seems you've even improved since last time," said the Bull Demon King.

Somehow, it seemed that the Bull Demon King had developed an interest in this procedure.

Now that he thought about it, YuWon was also curious.

How much had his stats changed with this procedure? And, above all, how much strength had he gained?

[Name: Kim YuWon]

[Level: 125]

[Strength: 148]

[Agility: 131]

[Endurance: 151]

[Senses: 140]

[Arcane Power: 177]

[Available Points: 34,150,400]

[Acquired Skills]

[High-Quality Magic Sword, Mana Cannon, Golden Cinder Eyes, Holy Fire, Gigantification...] - Details

It was the first time in a long time that YuWon had checked his status.

He believed that feeling the stats directly in his body was more accurate than just looking at them with his eyes.

And there had been many things he hadn't checked for a long time.

But still, he couldn't help but be curious.

In particular, how much his strength had increased.

"...It has increased quite a bit."

The most remarkable was undoubtedly his Arcane Power.

An impressive 177. His Arcane Power had increased a few points since before the ritual.

But that wasn't a significant change, as his Arcane Power was already above 170 before the ritual.

The most significant changes were in other stats.

"My strength and endurance have increased significantly."

That was what he had really wished for.

A resilient body capable of withstanding an Arcane Power of 177.

After checking his stats, YuWon looked back at the Bull Demon King, who still had his hand outstretched.

"An arm wrestling competition," Kim YuWon thought.

During the time when YuWon was at his peak as a prominent Ranker in activity, the Bull Demon King had already lost his life long ago and was simply an ancient High-Ranker who had disappeared from the rankings. The reason he could still hear something about him was largely thanks to Sun Wukong's company.

Originally, the difference in power between Son OhGong and the Bull Demon King wasn't that great, but now, after passing the trial and gaining Divinity, YuWon wondered what the real difference would be.

"Let's give it a try."

YuWon grabbed the Bull Demon King's hand.

No signal was needed to start.

YuWon began to pull the Bull Demon King's arm towards himself from the air.

"Will this be enough?"

Thud~

YuWon's expression frowned due to the force emanating from the Bull Demon King's hand.

Definitely, even after receiving the ritual, defeating the Bull Demon King with just strength alone was still difficult.

So...

[The power of a Giant resides in your arms]

Thud~

The Bull Demon King's arm finally moved for the first time.

The Bull Demon King's expression changed. Finally, his mouth curved up with a satisfied expression.

"Now you're a decent rival."

Crack, crack...

The bed on which Kim YuWon was lying began to break.

Both their arms didn't move in the air. The Bull Demon King looked at YuWon, challenging him with his own strength. YuWon using his Giant transformation.

"You've acquired some special abilities, haven't you?"

Not only could he feel the strength in his grip and arms, but the Bull Demon King also remembered how YuWon had buried the Goblin King in the ground with a single blow.

"But this isn't all."

YuWon still hadn't unleashed all his power.

He wanted to see where that strength came from.

"So..."

Of course, he would also increase his strength.

-What are they trying to destroy now?

A voice echoed from the ceiling.

The force was released from YuWon's and the Bull Demon King's arms. The bed had completely broken at this point, and the building was beginning to shake slightly.

-Now, both of you stay calm. If this place collapses too, you'll be expelled.

It was the Goblin King.

Clearly, he was quite upset, considering that the castle they were in had also collapsed.

Naturally, both the Bull Demon King and YuWon had to release their hands, feeling awkward.

"I did something unnecessary," laughed the Bull Demon King after hastily extending his hand to YuWon.

It seemed that he had thought it wasn't a suitable proposal for someone who had just awakened after fainting.

"I'm fine, I didn't get hurt."

"Well, thank you for saying that."

The Bull Demon King, sitting in a chair next to the bed, was of considerable height.

He observed the landscape outside the window for a moment. The goblins were still drinking and laughing cheerfully, apparently full of conversation and joy.

"Things are quite chaotic outside these days."

Since the appearance of Shub-Niggurath, the Tower had been going through a period of great turmoil.

The Bull Demon King, who had recently descended, could feel it.

"You must have known about this even in the future, right?"

"This is just the beginning," YuWon replied.

In YuWon's mind, Shub-Niggurath's staring eyes came to him.

"...It's a bit exaggerated, isn't it?"

Certainly, it was a tumultuous beginning.

And it wasn't just anyone but Shub-Niggurath.

"What do you plan to do about it?"

"I have to go up."

"Up?"

"Yes. Hyung (Big Brother)..."

The word "Hyung" naturally came from his lips, and YuWon paused briefly, feeling uncomfortable.

After a moment, YuWon asked, "And what do you plan to do now?"

"I'll have to look for Son OhGong."

Although he had been waiting for that answer for a long time, the Bull Demon King didn't show any special reaction.

He continued speaking with his usual calm face.

"Do you think that guy knows how to do anything other than fighting?"

The question, which mixed jest and seriousness, made YuWon laugh for the first time in a long while.

Yes, YuWon was also worried about how OhGong would find his way to the Celestial Floor in case he encountered Buddha and fought him.

But if the Bull Demon King were by his side...

He would still feel a bit more at ease.

Finally, after finishing the conversation, the Bull Demon King pushed his chair back and stood up from his seat.

"Do your job. I'll do mine. And later, when we need to join forces, or if you need my help, then I'll assist you at that time."

The matters in this place had concluded.

Both the Bull Demon King and Kim YuWon. There was no need to waste more time here.

The Bull Demon King left the room after a brief farewell.

"Rest now."

The door closed slowly.

The Bull Demon King descended the stairs. Although it was a world where it was always night, inexplicably it felt as fresh as morning.

Smile-.

His lips curved up without him even realizing it.

"Hyung, huh..."

He had barely heard a word, but his mood improved considerably, and the Bull Demon King continued walking.

Another day passed.

After forcing a bit of sleep, his head, which felt a bit heavy, felt clearer after washing up.

Tuk~

He hadn't used his body for a few days, and he already felt that his muscles had stiffened everywhere.

Or more precisely, he hadn't adapted to his changed body.

"It's a complete mess."

If he had known it would be like this, YuWon would have had the audacity to ask the Bull Demon King to face him, even if he had to exaggerate a bit. Adjusting to one or two changes in his stats was already a challenge, but with dozens of newly acquired stats and abilities, moving immediately felt as unnatural as if he wasn't in his own body.

It seemed he would have to postpone the Trial for a few more days.

"It looks like it's time to start."

YuWon started moving immediately.

The Day of the Gathering, organized by Odin and Asgard, wasn't too far away. From now on, the world would change rapidly.

The waves began to stir in the Tower, which had been quiet for a long time.

And the one who began causing those waves was himself.

"Still, I should say goodbye before I leave."

YuWon changed into comfortable clothes and headed straight to find the Goblin King.

It wasn't too difficult to find the Goblin King's new residence. It was so well-known that any drunk person on the street could tell you where it was.

He walked there.

The Goblin King's second residence was much smaller than the previous one.

Another tiled house in the city center. There were goblins bustling around.

And in front of the main door...

"You've come?"

Goblin Servant was waiting for YuWon.

"Have you come to bid farewell?"

"To bid farewell and for another matter."

"May I ask what the other matter is?"

"I haven't paid the price yet. If I take this without paying, I can only imagine what will happen next."

"You know it well. There will be blood."

Swish-.

Goblin Servant walked past YuWon.

YuWon, who thought that Goblin Servant would lead him to the Goblin King, turned his head to see where he was going.

"The King is not here."

Goblin Servant nodded, indicating for YuWon to follow him.

YuWon's gaze was fixed on Goblin Servant's feet. Each of Goblin Servant's steps seemed to cover more distance than ten steps of others. Goblin Servant's steps quickly moved away, increasing the distance in the blink of an eye.

A quick pace.

With a sigh, YuWon's steps quickened to keep up.

The place they were heading to was a forest away from the city.

"What is this...?"

Whoosh-.

The wind rustled through the bushes.

A bamboo forest.

"A good place for a fight."

Thunk-.

Goblin Servant's steps came to a halt.

YuWon, who followed him automatically, saw the Goblin King seated on a small chair made from a carved rock not far away.

"You did well."

"It was nothing."

Goblin Servant nodded to the Goblin King and stepped aside.

Kim YuWon noticed a determination in the Goblin King's demeanor that he hadn't felt before.

"We're going to fight in this bamboo forest, right?"

"This is the least I can do. After all, it would be a shame not to test the strength of the man who brought me down to the ground, wouldn't it?"

"Did I really do that?"

The Bull Demon King had mentioned that YuWon had destroyed the Goblin King's residence, and apparently, this was what he was referring to. However, YuWon was surprised to have defeated the Goblin King, who was clearly in the business of strength.

"I don't remember, but..."

"That's right. The Bull Demon said you weren't the same as back then."

The Goblin King, who had witnessed YuWon's strength up close, had been replaying that moment over and over again, hundreds or thousands of times, since that day.

What exactly had it been?

The power that had lifted him into the air and slammed him to the ground in a single blow.

The Goblin King wanted to know the true nature of that power.

"It seems you can't unleash the same power as back then, even if you try in moderation."

"So, why did you summon me here?"

It was an absurd reason.

Summoning someone to fight for an event he himself didn't remember and didn't know how it had happened.

"You've destroyed my home twice; you can't destroy it for the third time. Anyway, I got curious and wanted to check it out for myself."

"I have no idea what you're talking about..."

Grrrrr.

YuWon's eyes widened as the pressure weighed on his shoulders.

Just a few days ago.

Just like when he fought the Bull Demon King, the Goblin King increased his momentum.

And gradually...

"Think of this as a sparring match, and don't hold back too much. I'm warning you in advance..."

Swoosh-.

The mask covering the Goblin King's face began to come off.

"I am seriously considering killing you in this fight."