Leveling with the Gods

C416

Floor 64.

It was a world located on the highest level of the Asgard Realm, called Valhalla.

The Asgard Meeting would be held right there.

"It's quite lively around here."

"It's because people from all over have gathered here. Just the participating Great Guilds alone are several."

Yolche tore a piece of bread he was holding in his hand and stuffed it into his mouth while muttering.

Hargan, who was walking through the crowd with him, frowned as he watched the passing people.

"Do they think this is a party or something?"

"You and those guys have different perspectives. For them, the meeting is another world's story."

For most players, things like the interests of the Great Guilds or the meeting were stories from another world.

When Rankers gather, it turns into a party. Players gather to see the famous Rankers of the Tower. And merchants gather to do business with those Players.

There's no reason for people not to gather in a place of this magnitude.

"This is not the place for...".

"Those guys or you, doesn't matter."

Yolche glanced at the liquor bottle in Hargan's hand.

A special product they liked to drink in Valhalla. Hargan immediately opened his wallet upon seeing the Valhalla liquor being sold at street stalls.

Paying no mind to Yolche's sighing reaction, Hargan took big strides.

The place Hargan was heading to was a massive Colosseum located in the middle of the street.

"Wow!"

"Elda! Elda!"

"He won!"

"Why are the odds so bad?"

A Colosseum the size rivaling the 1st-floor Colosseum.

The Colosseum, rather than being considered a sanctuary by the warriors of Valhalla, was more of a betting place where Points were wagered and predictions were made on who would win and who would lose.

As sacred as Valhalla's warriors were in battle, they couldn't live without earning a penny.

"Is this the famous Valhalla Colosseum?"

Hargan's eyes sparkled. The Valhalla Colosseum was one of the places he was most interested in throughout the Tower.

When he ascended the Tower in a hurry, he didn't have time to see it in person and just passed it by, but today he had time.

"Oh..."

"...Sigh."

Yolche shook her head at Hargan's gaze, who was completely absorbed in the Colosseum.

Even she had forgotten that she was already eating several snacks.

"The next challenger is a Murim Master! A Ranker who wields a giant spear as if it's a tree branch! Ban Muryul!"

"Ban Muryul?"

"Isn't he a Ranker fresh out of the Murim? They say he uses the spear like a ghost."

"I guess the real masters are finally starting to appear."

The next fight began.

Hargan watched the intense battle between a dwarf Ranker and a Murim Ranker in the spacious Colosseum.

It was quite a fierce fight.

It was impossible to stay still and watch quietly.

"I give up! I give up!"

The dwarf Ranker, Elda, raised both hands and shouted. Despite his short stature, he fought well, but he had already had several fights before, so his stamina had run out in comparison.

"The winner is Ban Muryul!"

"Wow!"

"Ban Muryul! Ban Muryul!"

"Alright! I double my bet on him!"

Some cheered, others despaired. It was a common sight in the Colosseum where Points were wagered, and bets were made.

"Next challenger?! Is there anyone else to challenge? If you win the fight, you'll receive a 0.4 percent commission on the Points wagered..."

Yolche, who had been watching the fight along with Hargan, turned around.

She had thought that once they had seen a fight, they would be done.

"Let's go if you're done watching."

"Wait a moment."

"What else do you want to do?"

"I just want to be able to pass through there."

"What? Don't tell me..."

Although she had doubts, Hargan raised his arm.

"I challenge him!"

Hargan stepped onto the Colosseum stage.

No matter how much they tried to dissuade him, Hargan was the type of person who always did what he set his mind to.

"When are you going to correct that personality of yours?"

Yolche sighed and shook her head.

Hargan, perhaps aware or unaware of her reaction, smiled as he put gloves on his hands.

"Hargan. I've heard that name a lot."

Ban Muryul spun his spear in one hand.

A middle-aged Murim Master with hair so scarce that you could barely find a single strand.

He decided to shave his head long before becoming a Player, claiming that his hair would only get in the way during fights. He had recently risen quickly in the rankings.

"You're a direct descendant of Olympus, right? You recently reached the 98th floor."

"My name has become known even among the Rankers?"

"You'll also enter our world soon, quite fast too. So at least your name should be heard."

Swiish~

The spear Ban Muryul held in his hand moved faster and faster.

"But you arrived too late. If a Player wants to challenge this Colosseum, they should have come in the morning. Now it's Ranker time."

Valhalla's Battle Colosseum had become a stage for both recently-arrived Players on the 64th Floor and high-ranking Rankers in the afternoon.

In the Colosseum, the winner stayed, and the loser withdrew. As time passed, stronger fighters naturally appeared. So Valhalla's Colosseum had become a morning stage for Players and an afternoon stage for Rankers.

"Come back after becoming a Ranker."

The sound of a strong wind blowing.

Ban Muryul pointed his spear at Hargan as if to say, "Go away."

But...

"You're mistaken."

Crack, crack-le.

Hargan unleashed a lightning attack, scoffing at Ban Muryul's words and lifting the corners of his lips.

"It's not late; in fact, I'm here early."

"What?"

[The fight has begun.]

At that moment, the starting message sounded.

Simultaneously, Hargan's hand reached forward.

Crack!

Baaaaaam!

A golden flash of energy shot out from the palm of his hand, filling the Colosseum.

When the discharge passed, Ban Muryul was on his knees on the ground, holding his spear and staggering, almost collapsing.

"How...?"

"What happened? Did you withstand it?"

With a proud gesture, Hargan clapped his hands together.

What had happened in the blink of an eye.

Ban Muryul, confused, slowly raised his head.

"What... what happened?"

"It's an obvious question."

Hargan raised a finger.

"Because I'm stronger than you."

Kwaaaaang!

A beam of energy shot down from his finger.

Ban Muryul's already unsteady knees gave way, and he lost consciousness.

A fight that ended in the blink of an eye.

"Oh..."

"Wow..."

The cries of admiration came a little late.

Meanwhile, Yolche, who had been watching the fight, sighed deeply and shook her head.

"That fool."

She understood that Hargan's body heated up when he saw duels. But shame was everyone's companion. She would probably see an article about Hargan in the newspaper tomorrow.

"Well..."

So, while Yolche covered her face with one hand, embarrassed, she watched Hargan responding to the cheers of the crowd, waving his hand.

"Anyway, only two floors left."

Just two floors.

Hargan's team was just two floors away from the 100th floor.

Yolche, a Pureblood, never doubted that she would become a Ranker once she joined Hargan's team.

She also had exceptional talent, to the point where, on the floor where she lived, if you weren't a Player, she had no rivals.

However, no matter how talented she was, she had never thought she would become a Ranker so quickly.

All of this was thanks to Hargan.

As a direct descendant of Zeus, from the beginning, he had no rivals among the Players on the same floor.

Although there was a wall named Kim Yuwon, it was only because he was outside the standard.

Hargan had an exceptional talent that surpassed all Rankers in history.

Furthermore...

'Since that day, he became incredibly strong.'

After the destruction of Olympus.

Hargan began to grow strong rapidly.

The power in his Lightning Bolts far exceeded that of most Rankers from a long time ago.

Additionally, now that he was on the cusp of becoming a Ranker, he had enough power for most Rankers not even to dare to show their business cards.

"Did he say he obtained a Lightning Shard?"

It was a story Hargan once shared about himself.

The Lightning Zeus used to wield.

He said he gained a portion of that power and spoke while intoxicated.

"Today, the winner has been decided in the Colosseum."

Unless Brunhilde, the leader of Valhalla, came personally, it was impossible for the wandering Rankers in the Colosseum to stop Hargan.

Multiple times.

Kwaaaang!

The Rankers who challenged Hargan fell one by one.

"Winner, Hargan."

"Wow..."

"The odds are too low."

"Is this difficult even for the warriors of Valhalla?"

"It's overwhelming."

"It's probably impossible for most regular Rankers."

The last Ranker who challenged him was a Valkyrie from Valhalla, a Ranker from Asgard.

She definitely resisted the most.

She managed to dodge Hargan's attack once and got close.

But...

'Actually, close combat is more complicated.'

From Yolche's perspective, it seemed like a foolish fox was rolling in front of a tiger's mouth.

'Because that guy's specialty is close combat.'

Hargan had a fighter's combat-oriented personality.

While he could shoot Lightning Bolts, it wasn't his style to create spears like Zeus and throw them. He preferred to surround his fist with electricity and deliver a precise blow.

A fighting style that matched well with his fiery personality.

"Are there no more challengers?"

"..."

"..."

The Rankers cautiously looked at each other.

The audience in the stands had grown quiet. Some renowned Rankers even received contemptuous looks.

Wondering why they weren't accepting the challenge.

That indicated how overwhelming Hargan was at the moment.

Yolche took out her Kit and sent a message to Hargan.

[If you're done, come back.]

Hargan, who was getting bored without challengers, took out his Kit on the stage and checked the message.

The response came immediately.

[Hargan: I can't.]

[Why not?]

[Hargan: Before debuting as a Ranker, I must have a performance like this.]

Hargan's message made it clear why he was acting so conspicuously.

His ultimate goal was to become the King of Olympus.

To achieve that, rapidly climbing the ranks was his primary task.

What he was doing now was preparation for that moment.

"Are there no more challengers?"

But unfortunately...

After several crushing victories, there were no more challengers.

About ten minutes after the last challenger, the announcer sighed deeply.

"If there are no more challengers..."

"I'm here."

Just before the announcer gave his permission...

"This time, I'll be the one to challenge."

The next challenger stepped onto the stage.

Hargan, looking confident, glanced at the challenger's face, and then his surprise was evident.

"Hey, you! Why are you here?"