Leveling with the Gods

Side Story 73

[The Monster King Ananta has been sealed in '…?']

[Monster statistics decrease again]

A message simultaneously appeared for all Players.

It was the announcement of the end of the brief war.

The goats disappeared as soon as Ananta faded away.

In the center of the now empty battlefield,

Thor stood with a bewildered expression.

"Those things... just now..."

The goats that appeared and disappeared before he could comprehend the situation. The aura emanating from them was as vivid as if it were yesterday, even after 10 years.

"Have they returned?"

Thor felt invaded by a chilling sensation. Cold sweat ran down his back at the foreboding of something sinister. The name Outer was a lingering terror even for Thor, the current King of Asgard.

If his suspicions were true, this was not just a matter of the Monster King breaking free from the seal. A war colossal enough to change the Tower's history.

The possibility of that war repeating...

Toc-.

"Don't worry too much."

Zeus, with a worn-out face, told him while placing a hand on Thor's shoulder.

"What you fear won't happen."

"Zeus."

Zeus had approached him unnoticed. He had used Astrape twice in a short period, and for once, his face reflected obvious fatigue.

However, why?

Despite the appearance of Shub-Niggurath's offspring, an entity even more dangerous than Ananta, he didn't seem the least bit disturbed.

"Do you know something?"

"Yes, I do."

"How...?"

"I won't tell you now. Even if I told you, you wouldn't understand."

"Eh?"

Thor frowned, not grasping what he meant. Despite having seen YuWon fight against Ananta recently, he didn't suspect him.

Only one thing lingered in his mind: The Black Woods Goats.

The only information he had was that they were a remnant of Outer.

'If he remembered, he wouldn't react like this.'

This was the common reaction of those who had forgotten YuWon. They didn't try to remember him. Even when they approached a situation that could trigger his memory, something distracted them and prevented them from thinking about him.

And this time was no different. Despite having fought alongside YuWon recently,

Thor didn't suspect that he possessed the power of the Outers.

'This guy, in particular, hasn't had much contact with Kim YuWon.'

Unless he had seen him in person and experienced his power as Varuna did, it was doubtful he would remember YuWon just by hearing about him.

And most importantly,

YuWon had left right after the battle ended.

'Even the Monkey knows. That guy doesn't want to reveal his identity yet.'

YuWon had even started acting under a new name, "Kim YuHun," instead of his real name.

It was an action motivated by the fear that the Administrators would remember him if he revealed his name.

'He's a 'Hidden'. Depending on when and how he acts, he could tip the balance of the Tower.'

Hidden. The key that could change the course of the war. Zeus always emphasized these variables in all his plans.

'All we know is Shub-Niggurath's offspring. That's ideal for now.'

It wasn't necessary to reveal more information about YuWon at the moment. At least not until they had victory assured.

"Eh? Hey! YuWon! Where did you go? Kim Yu- Ugh! Ahem, ahem! @#$%^&*……."

"Watch what you say, Monkey."

Hercules covered Son OhGong's mouth, who was desperately looking for YuWon in the distance.

Zeus put his hand to his forehead and sighed at Son OhGong's reaction.

'That stupid monkey...'

He thought even a fool like Son OhGong would understand. It seems he had overestimated him.

---------------------------

Right after the battle against Ananta. Tsukuyomi, who had been using Izanagi, lost consciousness.

A dream as deep as an abyss. In the depths of her dormant mind, a voice resonated.

"Whose side are you on?"

It was a familiar voice. She had heard it somewhere. Her thoughts wandered aimlessly. She felt like she had heard that voice somewhere.

"What do you mean?"

"Amaterasu? Or Susanoo?"

She seemed like she was going to remember. That question surprised her more than the news of Susanoo's death.

"If those two are enemies, whose side will you take?"

Under the name "Three Precious Children," the three had been bound by an unbreakable bond, as friends or as family.

For her, there was nothing harder than choosing between the two. However, she understood the intention behind the question.

"Did he really kill him? Susanoo?"

In reality, Tsukuyomi knew too. That something had intervened in Susanoo's death. And that her other brother was behind that intervention.

The man who asked her that question had only confirmed the suspicion she had harbored for a long time.

"It's rumored that he did it on purpose. That he orchestrated Susanoo's death."

'It can't be.'

That was impossible. It was a fact she denied within herself. For over a hundred years. Tsukuyomi had followed in the footsteps of Amaterasu over and over. To confirm that he hadn't planned Susanoo's death... No, to confirm that he hadn't.

'It can't be.'

"Tell me. What makes you so sure? Why do you say Amaterasu killed him?"

That's why she asked. How could he be so sure? Who was he to doubt her friend? Even to her, it seemed ridiculous. She had suspected Amaterasu for over a hundred years, but she didn't like someone else doing it.

She got angry.

With 'him,' who doubted her friend.

'Who is he?'

A distant memory. A Name that clearly existed somewhere in her memory but couldn't come to light. And this was a conversation with him.

"I heard it from him himself."

Slowly. Very slowly, she began to remember. How she became certain of Amaterasu's betrayal. What events and whose help contributed to that certainty.

"You should talk to him too."

Ssss~

The shadow stirred. His old friend appeared before her once again.

'It's true. That's how it happened.'

Why hadn't she thought about it before?

How she came to know about Amaterasu's betrayal and how she managed to defeat him?

An event that would never be forgotten even if a thousand or ten thousand years passed.

And not only that...

"They say there's an incredible guy down there."

"Who?"

"■■■. It seems he has already set records up to the 20th floor."

Memories of him started to surface one by one. Once activated, the memories vividly intertwined, revealing the complete story.

"A new Subchief was born in the Heavenly Demon Cult."

"They say The Great Sage, Heaven's Equal has been released."

"Yes. Celestial Realm is in complete chaos. The Great Sage, Heaven's Equal, The Great Sage, Who Pacifies Heaven, and ■■■ were together."

His actions were always thunderous. With every step he took, the world changed. The death of Amaterasu and the dissolution of the Three Precious Children were just small events on his path.

"It seems Muspelheim has been destroyed this time. They say Surt is dead."

"An incredible monster appeared. Her name was Shub... What was it?"

"What's up with this guy, him? Why is he ranking up so fast? Isn't it a mistake?"

"Don't you know yet?"

Unnoticed by her, he had become an omnipresent figure in the Tower.

"He is leading the fight against the Outers..."

"Kim YuWon."

In the depths of the abyssal darkness. Tsukuyomi opened her eyes abruptly, with a shocked expression etched on her face.

She remembered. The name of 'him.'

----------------------

After the battle against Ananta, YuWon stayed on that Floor with Pandora. It was quite a spacious accommodation with about three rooms.

Olympus and Asgard thought the battle was over, but it wasn't. YuWon continued fighting for several hours afterward, in a rather arduous battle.

[The Monster King Ananta resists Tartarus]

[The Uranus Heart subdues the Monster King Ananta]

Even within Tartarus, Ananta continued resisting. Perhaps due to the disappearance of Izanagi's power, the resistance was quite fierce.

Furthermore, the resistance was intermittent.

Uuk-.

The hand holding the ring began to throb. Seeing it, Pandora, sitting in front of him, took YuWon's hand.

"...You're okay."

YuWon leaned back in the chair as he wiped sweat from his forehead with the other hand.

"It's over now."

He had managed to trap Ananta in Tartarus. Once subdued by Tartarus, the creature was no longer alive.

"Huu-."

He let out a long sigh and relaxed. Pandora continued wiping the sweat running down YuWon's face.

Tiriring-.

Tiriring, tiriring-.

At that moment...

Several messages arrived on his device. YuWon, who had already caught his breath a bit, checked the messages.

[Son OhGong: Hey, where are you?]

[Hercules: There's a mess here. Are you okay?]

[Zeus: Paperwork will take a while. Hide for a few days.]

Only Zeus had contacted him for a specific reason.

YuWon called Hercules.

Anyway, they would probably be together.

[What's up? Are you okay?]

Hercules's voice echoed through the Player Kit.

[Hey! Where are you!]

As expected, Son OhGong's noisy voice resonated. He probably thought it was strange that YuWon disappeared suddenly.

"I found accommodation in a nearby village. Are you asking if my body is okay?"

[I don't care about you. Instead, I wonder if it's okay to show the Black Woods Goats to so many people.]

Hercules, after all, was more considerate than Son OhGong. It could be seen from the fact that he not only asked where he was but also mentioned the revelation of the Black Woods Goats first.

"It's fine. Anyway, no one who saw them will know who used them."

That's true, but if the Administrators find out about the Names...

"That's what I want."

[What do you mean?]

The question came at the end of the voice that imitated an echo. It seemed he needed an explanation.

"To trap Ananta, using the Names is a shortcut. Besides, if the Administrators get scared and abandon us, we'll be just illusions to them." (?)

What the Administrators feared the most was the existence of the Outers.

Nyarlathotep. Shub-Niggurath. Yog-Sothoth...

And other beings that possessed incomprehensible and extraordinary power.

YuWon briefly showed them the power they possessed in this battle.

"We are buying time. We need it. They have been preparing for a long time, but we haven't."

Time.

That was the most necessary resource for all Tower Players, and for YuWon.

Time to defend against the Administrators' attacks. And time to find Danpung, which everyone needed.

[Really? That's good... Hey! Where are you now?!]

Son OhGong suddenly interrupted.

He seemed not to care about why YuWon had called the goats.

"This place is..."

At that moment...

The door to the room where Tsukuyomi was sleeping opened. YuWon's gaze, who was in the middle of a sentence, turned toward Tsukuyomi.

She looked at him with eyes different from before.

And then...

"...Kim YuWon."

A different Name than before came out of her lips.

"I... remember everything."

-KO-FI

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