Leveling with the Gods

C438

Above the purple-tinted clouds.

Blink~

Hargan's eyelids slowly opened, revealing his golden eyes.

"I see you've finally made a decision."

Blink~

Arcane Power began to move on its own, independently of his will.

It was a sensation he had never experienced in his life. It was as if someone else was using the Arcane Power residing in his body.

And at the center of it all.

['Lightning Bolt' is activated]

The power of Lightning Bolt that had surged from Zeus.

And the power of Lightning Bolt that had been inside him since his birth.

Under his golden eyes.

He saw the chaos on the battlefield.

And at the center of it all were Shub-Niggurath and Hercules.

"It took you so long."

Although he said it took him so long, the feeling was entirely different.

It seemed to him that time had flown by. The tension had lasted so long that time had passed unnoticed.

"Remember this."

Zeus's voice passed fleetingly through his mind.

"The moment you get distracted while moving the seed, your life will be in danger."

Tsss, tsss.

Hargan looked at his own body. He experienced an explosion of electricity he had never felt before coursing through his entire body.

At that moment...

Hargan had only one thought.

"It doesn't hurt as much as I thought."

[The power of 'Lightning Bolt' resides in your arms]

Baaam, thud!

Hercules looked at his arm wrapped in Golden Lightning Bolt and thought to himself.

"Originally, they were one."

That was Zeus's assertion, who had called Hercules and Hargan together.

"No, rather, they were meant to be one."

"Planning to create a child, aren't you ashamed of that?"

"Indeed, it's not something to be proud of. But I didn't call you here to discuss the details."

"So, what does it mean that we were one?"

"I wanted a perfect successor who could surpass me. Someone who would elevate Olympus to a higher place, an ideal presence that would rise to the top of the Tower."

Zeus alternately looked at Hercules and Hargan before asking:

"What do you think? Do you want to be kings?"

"No."

"Yes."

Hercules and Hargan's responses were different.

And in the face of these divergent answers, Zeus closed his eyes with a pensive expression.

"... I see."

"Now, please continue speaking."

"Yes, of course."

It was difficult to continue the conversation.

"Seeing my children, I realized I had to give up my ambition."

"Ambition?"

"If the vessel is too strong, the seed can't grow, and if the vessel is weak, the seed grows too much but can't use its strength."

"What do you mean...?"

Kwack!

It was at that moment when Hercules grabbed Zeus's neck.

With fiery, angry eyes, he stared at Zeus and asked in a tone he rarely used, with a hoarse voice.

"Both of us?! Are you talking about the vessel?!"

"... Eh?"

Hargan finally understood what Zeus meant by "vessel" and "seed."

The vessel that would host the seed, Hercules.

And the vessel that would grow with the seed, Hargan.

That was the function of the two.

"That's right."

"How can you say that so easily?"

"We must speak, whether it's easy or difficult. Especially in a situation like this."

Toc~

Hercules released the hand he was gripping forcefully. Zeus adjusted his disheveled appearance and continued to speak.

"The seed has grown enough. The power of Lightning Bolt inside Hargan is ripe. Now is the time to transfer the seed."

"Are you telling me to take my brother's power away?"

"That's right. That's what I mean."

"...You haven't changed at all."

Zeus raised his head in the face of Hercules's sharp words.

The sky was purple.

Under the sky of Shub-Niggurath, he spoke.

"What was destined has happened."

His voice lacked the usual confidence.

This was a side of Zeus that Hercules had never seen before. With a single word, Zeus had deepened the sense of despair surrounding the situation.

Hercules sighed and asked:

"Is there no other way?"

Zeus nodded in response to Hercules's question.

"At least not for me."

"I understand."

When Hercules looked at Hargan beside him, the latter nodded and made a decision.

Crack, crack-le.

Hercules released his fist, which was full of Lightning Bolt power.

He had discovered the truth only a few hours ago.

That he was originally created as the vessel for Lightning Bolt.

Although he hadn't really felt it until now.

But...

"Now I understand why you said that."

Because of this incident, the distance that had been shortened a little between Zeus and him seemed distant once again.

"It seems you've finally become complete."

Kwaaang, thud.

Under the stream of Lightning Bolt flowing from Hercules's hand, Shub-Niggurath spoke:

"Truly tempting..."

"I don't feel it completely yet."

Crack, crack-le.

Hercules appeared behind Shub-Niggurath.

"What do you mean by I'm complete?"

He thrust his fist into Shub-Niggurath's back.

Boom!

The fist collided with the Golden Lightning Bolt, enveloping Shub-Niggurath. Shub-Niggurath staggered under the intense electrical discharge that accompanied the punch.

Within the undying golden glow...

Pshh!

Hercules, who had sent Shub-Niggurath flying, followed and swung his fist once more.

Kwong!

The sound of Lightning Bolt striking the ground echoed from below. The attribute-imbued punch had several times the power of a simple strength-charged punch.

Shub-Niggurath's body tore apart and exploded into pieces.

Hercules's sudden transformation.

"...What's going on with that guy?"

Watching from a distance, Mimir opened his mouth in surprise.

Even under the Curse of Knowledge, Hercules's current appearance was difficult to understand even for him.

Naturally, Mimir had to turn his gaze to Odin.

During the hundreds of years he had been asleep, what had happened to Hercules?

"...It's very different from what I had heard."

Odin also found it difficult to give an explanation.

Hercules was undoubtedly a great High-Ranker. He was the Hero of the Gigantomachy and one of the sons raised by Zeus, the best among them.

But still, this was too much.

From his first appearance, he had not seemed ordinary. He, who wasn't even in the top 10, was confronting Shub-Niggurath head-on with his strength alone.

That was something even Odin didn't find easy.

However, now he was going beyond, handling Lightning Bolt like Zeus and fiercely attacking Shub-Niggurath.

Odin extended the palm of his hand.

Somehow, the wrinkles in the palm of his hand seemed more pronounced today.

"It's been a long time."

Being at the top for so long. Ruling the world under the name of King couldn't last forever.

It probably began when the young man named Zeus first proclaimed himself King while ruling Olympus.

Over time, he realized that his time would come to an end.

And as he saw the panorama unfolding before him and thought about that other equally monstrous young friend, Odin finally convinced himself.

'The times have changed.'

"Danpung!"

"Danpung... Ah!"

The trembling, feeble voice made YuWon turn his head.

Zeus, who was following him, occasionally sighed and nodded his head.

"Why are you doing this now?"

"It hasn't even been ten minutes."

"It's been ten minutes."

As YuWon desperately searched for the lost Danpung, it was only natural for Zeus to find her impatient.

But then, what?

"If you can't stand it, you can do it yourself."

"Danpung!"

And once again, YuWon ventured into the forest in search of Danpung.

The muscle on Zeus's forehead tensed. With an unusual expression of irritation, Zeus approached YuWon.

"Where the hell do you think you are? Why are you being so relaxed? Weren't you worried about the outside just a moment ago?"

"That's right."

"So why?"

YuWon, who was taking steps, suddenly stopped.

Had he found something?

After a brief silence, YuWon responded with a slight delay.

"It's quite close."

"What?"

Zeus turned his head.

The Black Woods.

Shub-Niggurath's Black Woods seemed to grow even darker as they ventured deeper inside.

What the hell was in here?

"Where are you referring to?"

"Just follow me."

YuWon took a determined step.

It was a different movement from what they had been doing until now, where they simply moved in any direction.

Steps that seemed purposeful somewhere.

Step by step.

Zeus followed YuWon. If they had found the target they were looking for, they should hurry. He thought as they advanced.

How much farther did they walk?

Beeeeeeh.

The bleating of a goat was heard.

"...We're close."

Beeeeeeh.

Beeeeeeh.

Beeeeh.

The bleating of the goats was not from a single goat.

Zeus had already encountered Shub-Niggurath's goats on two occasions, so he couldn't simply ignore them. Furthermore, the sound of the bleating was getting louder from where YuWon was leading.

Craaack...

Zeus gradually increased his power.

At this distance, the goats could attack them at any moment.

"Are we going in the right direction?"

It was a natural question.

Even if they rushed to escape, it seemed that they had now gotten themselves in the midst of enemies.

And besides, why was that guy Danpung in the middle of those goats?

"That's right."

"It seems it's not because of the sound."

"No."

YuWon shook his head.

"The sound makes it even safer."

"What are you talking about?"

A series of incomprehensible words.

Anyway, Zeus had no choice but to follow YuWon at this moment.

So they moved forward.

Beeeeeeh.

Beeeeeh.

Dozens, no, hundreds of goats had gathered in a row.

"...As expected."

Crack, craaack...

Zeus created a Lightning Bolt in his hand as if he knew it, preparing to sweep the goats in one fell swoop since they were grouped that way.

But...

"Stop."

"Don't you realize this is an opportunity?"

Zeus frowned at YuWon as if telling him not to bother him. If those goats scattered everywhere, it would surely be a problem.

But...

"Look over there."

YuWon pointed in the midst of the goats. Zeus looked in the direction YuWon was pointing, not letting go of the Lightning Bolt in his hand.

And at that moment...

"...Is that what you've been looking for?"

Zeus once again doubted the existence of "Danpung," which YuWon had been searching for all along.

In the midst of the group of goats...

Crack, craaack...

Wooong...

As if it were about to break at any moment, an extremely cracked Egg trembled precariously.