Leveling with the Gods

Chapter 156

Athena.

She was a High Rank with a rank far superior to that of Ares.

Unlike Ares, who had just become a High Rank, she had been one for thousands of years.

Gigantomachy.

In that war, of which there is glorious record in Olympus, she killed countless Giants.

She may even have killed more Giants than Hercules.

"Dazzling."

Dagdak-.

Dozens of Chariots of the Sun.

The light they emitted was such that it was difficult for a normal person to even look at them.

-Won't it be dangerous?

At Arthur's question, YuWon nodded.

How many Rankers are on board?

Probably a lot more than Rankers under Ares here.

There were many Rankers in Olympus, and the Clan of Athena was one of the most prolific.

'Thirty? No, forty?'

It's probably more comfortable to think of it as a generous fifty.

Of course, more dangerous than all of them put together was the presence of Athena.

- 'What will you do now?

Arthur was already burning out his fighting spirit.

A situation you can't escape from anyway.

All around him, Athena's Rankers were already encamped.

"Wait."

Amongst the ten Chariots of the Sun....

"Great allies will be coming soon."

Looking at them, YuWon raised his mana.

Because one never knew when this place would become a battlefield again.

Hwaaak-!

Intense sunlight flooded the temple.

The largest of the Sun Chariots descended nearby. At the head of the chariot was Athena, clad in golden armor like Ares and holding a shield.

"The Shield of Aegis."

Also known as the Gorgon/Medusa Shield, the most powerful armor on Olympus.

The moment you make eye contact with the Gorgon embedded in Aegis, you will be petrified and your entire body will turn to stone.

Ew-.

Athena's gaze swept the entire temple.

YuWon and Arthur were standing in the middle of the temple.

So were the Rankers and Players at Ares' command, and the remnants of their mana.

And items like the shoes and gloves Ares had worn.

"......Really?"

He put on a sad expression at the marks that were revealed everywhere.

They hadn't always been close.

Though they had the same father, their personalities were completely different.

However, there was only one thing they both pursued equally.

To lead and fight for Olympus with their lives.

And in that spirit, the two lived back to back as close comrades before becoming brothers.

"Is Ares really dead?"

Woo~

The temple walls shook.

Thud, thud, thud~

The temple, which had been shaken by the fight between YuWon and Ares, trembled, and the fallen debris began to collapse.

Athena's question was answered by Aphesis, Ares' servant.

"Yes, my lady."

"...I see."

What if....

No.

It was a question best not to seek an answer to.

But it was true. Then, Athena's gaze strayed to YuWon and Arthur.

"Then you must be my brother's enemies."

Kakk-.

Through the Shield of Aegis, the cry of a slender serpent was heard.

[You are scanning the screams of the Gorgon.]

[Petrification' begins.]

['Sanctification' resists 'Petrification'].

['Eyes of Ash' resists 'Petrification'].

[Resistance was successful.]

I couldn't believe I was petrifying someone just by hearing them scream, let alone make eye contact.

'This is the first I've heard of it.'

Indeed, it was the original, not a replica.

Fortunately, there were skills to resist petrification, but he thought it would be dangerous to make eye contact.

'Athena and Ares were known as comrades in arms, not siblings.'

But a moment ago, Athena had said 'brother', clearly referring to Ares.

I could feel his emotions through the mana that filled the air.

Anger and resentment.

But unlike the others, her emotions were cold. She had a reputation for being cold, even cold-blooded.

This was what made her different from Ares.

She never got emotional.

"Are you Kim Yuwon?"

A heavy voice transmitted through the Mana.

YuWon nodded and answered her question.

"Yes."

"I've heard the name a lot, but this is more than I've heard. I respect your strength."

Skak-.

Athena's sword was unsheathed.

A relatively short Sword that was used in conjunction with a shield.

Athena, unlike Ares, was known to fight both offensively and defensively.

Of course.

"And to respect that..."

That said, her sword was no blunter than Ares'.

"I'll do my best as well."

Shhhh-.

Thud-!

The temple floor split in half.

Yu-Won looked at the deep scars on his toes and then looked up again.

A single step.

Perhaps if he hadn't taken a step back in that brief instant, his body would have been sliced in half.

['Ash Eyes' read the path.]

[Sensory Field' is active]

Keep the effect of Ash Eyes and Sensory Field at maximum.

Athena's sword would be dangerous if it grazed him even once.

'It's vicious'.

He tried his best from the start.

After the slash, Athena held her shield forward and raised her sword.

"Everyone..."

At her gesture, the Rankers moved as one body.

Fifty Rankers.

Athena ordered them.

"Destroy the enemies of Olympus."

Ttak~

Chuck-.

Arthur stood in front of Yuwon.

- Run away.

Yuwon's gaze turned to Arthur's back.

Arthur was standing with his sword held high.

He was looking at Athena with the dozens of Rankers in front of him.

- I'm dead anyway. You don't have to worry about me, even if I die, I won't really die.

He was not wrong.

In fact, Arthur was a being that could resurrect at any time as long as Yuwon had enough Mana.

The Necromancers never considered the undead as companions, but considered them expendable if necessary.

But.

"I don't want to."

-Yes?

"I've had a similar experience before."

It wasn't a very good memory.

"If we fight here, we'll all die anyway."

Asura who lost two of his three heads.

He dodged the Outer's onslaught, knocking YuWon back.

It was probably the last time.

The last time he saw Asura's back.

"Then and now, the answer is the same."

From then on, YuWon decided to take the initiative, like Asura.

Together, fight and win.

Or, in the end, die all together.

"I do not accept."

-But...

"Arthur."

YuWon's voice was firm.

"I don't need a shield to protect me. You are my Sword, so focus on your role."

YuWon's eyes burned red as he looked at the Rankers.

"Besides, it's not our turn this time."

Chanang, Chang-!

The Rankers' weapons were drawn.

They were aimed at YuWon and Arthur at the same time.

Bows and spears.

The swords were enchanted and the sharp points of the weapons were about to pierce through their bodies.

Shuaaaaah-!

And then...

"Now it's your turn."

[The 'Eyes of Ash' resound]

['The Twelfth Eye of the Great Sage, Equal to Heaven' is looking at you].

Boom!

A long staff fell in front of YuWon, piercing through the curtain of mana covering the sky.

Tuhwaahak-!

"Kuak!"

"D-Do step back!"

From the center of the temple, an intense wind swept out in all directions. The Rankers who had lost their balance for a moment faltered, their movements halted by the suddenness of the situation.

"...What has fallen?

"Does it look like a staff?"

"A staff?"

A long staff fell to the ground.

That caused a puff of smoke that enveloped the entire temple.

Vision was blurry.

YuWon kept his eye on the smoke and looked at the stick that had fallen in front of him.

"Too late, as usual."

[The 'Ash Eyes' are trembling.]

Maybe it's because he used Kyne? too hard.

His body was overloaded, his concentration clouded and his vision shaky.

As he rubbed his blurry eyes with one hand, a voice spoke to him.

"Protagonists always appear at dramatic moments."

A mischievous voice.

She didn't have to wonder who it belonged to.

At this moment, he had already been watching this place for a long time.

Ssh-.

The smoke dissipated, revealing a long staff that had fallen in the center of the temple.

It was as thick as a thin forearm and about 4 meters long.

There was a man standing on the staff of unknown material, balanced on the tips of his toes.

White hair, fair skin, mischievous expression and glint in his eyes.

At the sight of him, the expressions of some of the Rankers quickly turned to contemplation.

"No way..."

"Why is he here?"

Eyes wide.

Athena, the boss, also looked surprised.

"Great Sage, Equal to Heaven..."

Known as a traitor of the Heavens, a High Rank member of the highest order.

An enemy that even his own father, Zeus, distrusted.

"Oh, hello?"

She waved and greeted him.

He had seen her face once before, long ago, even before he was a Ranker.

Athena.

She had been a test proctor on one level, long ago, as a member of Olympus.

"Long time no see, you know my main body? I don't think I remember you."

"Is that your... alter ego?"

Athena narrowed her eyes and looked at Son OhGong.

She remembered hearing it.

The Thunderbolt that fell on Camelot.

To stop it, the alter ego of the Great Sage, Equal to Heaven, was involved.

He had wondered why one of his alter egos was there, but apparently it was no coincidence.

"You're working with Kim Yuwon."

"That's what's up."

"Is he a colleague?"

Son OhGong scratched his head at Athena's question.

A moment of thought.

"Maybe?"

The answer was vague.

"To be called a partner, this guy has to be pretty crappy. Besides, he still pales in comparison to my main body."

After saying that, Son OhGong looked at Yu-won with pitiful eyes.

"Isn't it?"

Yu-won narrowed his eyes.

For a moment, he looked pathetic, the next mischievous.

YuWon realized he was teasing him.

"Not far."

"Not far."

Son OhGong looked at the Rankers around him.

"Take care of these guys, can you do it?"

"Yes."

"Good."

Bang-.

Son OhGong slapped his palm with his fist.

Raising his fighting spirit, he looked at Athena and got off the Ru Yi Bang he was riding on.

So Ohgong grabbed his staff.

Athena glared at him and gripped Aegis tighter.

"Do you want to go to war with Olympus?"

"Let me answer you with this."

Son OhGong didn't like to talk too much in a fight.

Chuck-.

The tip of the staff Ru Yi Bang pointed at Athena.

At that moment, Athena pushed Aegis forward.

Beyond the view blocked by the shield....

"Grow up."

Son OhGong's voice was heard.

"Ru Yi."

Boom!