Leveling with the Gods

Side Story 68

Something flew away.

As calm as if nothing had happened, even as the Administration Office disintegrated.

The owner of slightly singed hair.

Ananta smiled as he saw the army filling his field of vision.

"And how did you all get here? You all look delicious."

Ananta's gaze shifted to Zeus and Hercules.

Seeing Hercules pounding his fists and increasing his aura, Ananta realized that these two were the core of this army.

"Sorry, but I'm full right now. I don't think I can eat more, even if you look appetizing."

Kyaaaaaaaaaa!

A dragon with yellow scales emerged from Ananta's arm.

A dragon that filled the battlefield with intimidation and a deafening roar.

Slowly walking towards the numerous Rankers, Ananta continued speaking in a friendly tone.

"Why don't you all go home? Then you'll be able to live a few more years without dying."

Just a few more years...

Those words contained a declaration of war, a warning that he would soon attack the Players.

However.

"Nothing will change."

Metal scraping sound~

As if he had expected it from the beginning, Zeus created a spear and challenged Ananta.

"You monsters are just experience points for Players, both yesterday and today."

"Experience points..."

And that taunt had a considerable effect.

Kyaaaaaaaaaa!

The dragon roared. Ananta's figure, which had been looking at Zeus, disappeared at that moment.

Crash~

Kwaaaang!

A roar echoed from the midpoint between Zeus and Ananta.

It was the sound of Hercules and Ananta colliding.

"You won't be able to escape this time."

Grab~

Hercules grabbed the teeth of the dragon emerging from Ananta's arm.

Ananta, who had been running towards Zeus, shook his head at those words.

"I didn't even think about it."

Crash~

The two disappeared again.

Bang, bang, bang!

Hercules and Ananta collided over and over. Summoning Lightning and increasing his speed, Hercules infused the power of Gigantification throughout his body.

[The power of the Giant resides in your whole body]

[The power of Lightning resides in your whole body]

Hercules stomped the ground, releasing Lightning.

He was a Ranker known as the symbol of strength. Therefore, after gaining the power of Lightning, Hercules had focused on using it to increase his destructive power.

However...

'I need to be faster.'

Recent events had made him feel the need to be stronger.

If he hadn't given up to Ananta last time. If he had been able to catch Ananta, he would have made sure not to let him escape.

And so, for the first time in ten years.

Hercules went to find Zeus on his own.

-- "Teach me how to control Lightning."

Zeus.

He was the being that best mastered this power.

Hercules, who only knew how to release his strength brutishly, asked Zeus to teach him how to control Lightning.

-- "There are many ways to use strength. You don't have to throw a spear like me."

-- "Then what should I do?"

-- "It's not much different from what you're doing now. Above all, your strength is already perfect. It has always been that way for a long time."

There was no one in the Tower who could surpass Hercules's power by controlling Gigantification. Not even the Bull Demon King, known as the King of Great Power, nor The Great Sage, Heaven's Equal, Son OhGong.

A formidable body and strength. That was the path Hercules should follow.

-- "Increase your speed. More than now."

Craaack-le!

With an incongruent gesture, Zeus threw a punch. At a speed invisible to Hercules's eyes.

-- "Just change your perspective on using strength, and you'll see a different world."

That was it.

What Zeus taught Hercules.

But just by changing his "perspective," many things changed. The strength he had been using incorrectly until now now found the right path and finally spread its wings.

Craaack.

Faster.

More efficiently.

'More, more, more.'

Craaaaaaaack-le-.

Hercules's fist, moving like Lightning, headed towards Ananta.

Ananta disappeared with a thunderous sound.

Hercules accelerated to chase Ananta.

'I can be faster.'

Hercules had entered a different time than before. In the midst of the slowdown of everything, only Hercules and Ananta were moving.

And in that time...

Another Lightning spear came flying.

Kwarang!

The misplaced spear grazed Ananta's side. The spear turned into a dot in an instant.

Behind Ananta, who had stopped to avoid the spear, Hercules's fist plunged.

Baaang!

Ananta was sent flying with a thunder. A large crater formed where he crashed into the ground. Even the electric shield he deployed to protect his body was no match for Hercules's strength.

Uuk.

Pain in the back from the fist.

Ananta, who was trapped in the crater, recalled the connection between Hercules and Zeus.

'They are synchronizing more and more.'

Zeus and Hercules.

The two, who used the same type of power, had such a terrible affinity that it was hard to believe they were family.

An affinity that didn't even add up to 2 when 1 and 1 were put together.

But now they were much more synchronized than before.

Swoosh.

Ananta, lying on the ground, stroked his stomach. He could feel the thick Arcane Power bubbling inside his stomach. A pleasant feeling of satiety rose at the corners of his lips.

Siiik.

"Has the digestion finished already?"

The four Administrators he had hastily devoured.

Their blood, flesh, and Arcane Power.

As they were large, the time it took to digest them was not short.

While lying there, gazing at the sky for a moment.

Kururur~

Dark clouds swirled and roared threateningly.

Ananta, who had realized the impending situation, rose from the ground.

"Lightning, huh..."

Zeus and Hercules.

The leaders of the Players who occupied the first and second place in the Tower's Ranking.

Ananta found it amusing that they, of all others, wielded a power of the same type as his own.

"Today, I'll overeat."

Kururung!

At the moment a small bolt of Lightning fell from the sky under the dark clouds. Ananta's shadow, illuminated by the light, transformed into the shape of a Dragon.

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

The Olympus Rankers distanced themselves from Zeus.

The same had happened when he destroyed the Administration Office with a single blow, but now they felt that if they got too close, they would be dragged along with him.

Craaack, craaack-le.

The Lightning emanating from Zeus rose towards the clouds.

The dark clouds grew larger and larger.

Zeus, with bright golden eyes, prepared for an attack.

"I don't know what you're planning, but..."

Ananta, struck by Hercules, was sent flying.

Zeus didn't bother to pursue him.

For the best spear thrower, distance and time were advantages.

"This time will be different."

Kurur.

To unleash an attack with all his might, the Arcane Power accumulated in the dark clouds overflowed, and Lightning randomly struck the land.

Zeus's state became vulnerable during this process, but it didn't matter. Because Hercules was in front of him.

Craaack-le!

The Lightning emanating from the dark clouds did not discharge all at once.

The golden streams concentrated and transformed into the shape of a giant spear.

Controlling the force with the tips of his fingers, Zeus created a spear of utmost sharpness and power.

'It can't be...'

Hades shouted as he observed the Arcane Power emanating from the dark clouds and the form Lightning took.

"Zeus! Aren't you considering collateral damage?"

Although the launch time was a problem, the spear Zeus was creating was too powerful.

It was so strong that it could even injure his allies.

However.

"That's your concern."

If he worried about such things, he wouldn't be Zeus.

"I have to throw it right now."

"That damned brother..."

Hwaaah!

Hades extended his arms and created a barrier of darkness to protect Olympus and Asgard.

If he didn't, the explosion from the spear could kill hundreds or thousands of Rankers.

Kwarung!

The Lightning that took the form of a giant spear roared.

A Lightning trident-shaped spear.

A set of giant Lightning that rose towards the sky, piercing the dark clouds.

[Divine Punishment - Astrape]

It was the most powerful spear Zeus could create, Astrape.

"Eat this."

Gooooo~

Astrape, revealed under the dark clouds, descended towards Ananta.

And at that moment...

Sssss!

Kyaaaah!

Ananta, who had been struck by Hercules and sent flying, revealed the form of a Dragon with a thousand heads.

A thousand dragons wrapped around and squeezed the giant spear, Astrape.

Astrape, descending, came to a sudden halt.

"Astrape...?"

Hades's eyes widened in surprise at the scene.

The Astrape Zeus had launched should now have power comparable to the Gungnir Odin wielded in his prime.

However, it was incredible to see Ananta stopping it with his naked body.

Even...

Cracks began to appear on the hardened surface of Astrape.

Baang!

Astrape exploded under the pressure of Ananta's body.

The explosion spread to the surroundings in an instant.

Thuuuuud!

Craaaaaack-le-!

The Lightning from Astrape, losing its spear form, turned into a storm in an instant.

However, fortunately, Hades was not someone who couldn't handle the consequences of a simple explosion.

[The 'King of the Dead' borrows the power of the dead]

[The 'Sea of the Dead' responds]

[You borrow the power of 'Tartarus']

Tssssss!

Darkness countered the power of Lightning.

The two powers of opposite properties collided and nullified each other.

Hades, who had sweated bullets over the Astrape Zeus had launched, glanced at Zeus's back, who had created the situation.

'There's no way he didn't foresee this.'

The power of Astrape was something Zeus, who had used it, knew better than anyone.

However, there was only one reason he had used such a powerful technique.

'Does it mean he doesn't have that much room to maneuver?'

Hades's gaze turned to Ananta, who had revealed the form of a giant Dragon. Fortunately, most of the impact from Astrape's explosion had been transmitted to Ananta, who had taken it head-on.

Instead of his body being pierced by the spear, the power of Astrape had enveloped Ananta in an explosion.

However...

Kyaaaah!

Kya!

Ananta roared menacingly, releasing an amount of Arcane Power even he couldn't control.

Seeing that scene, Hades recalled the first time he felt something like this.

"It feels like I've gone back ten years."

Ten years ago.

Beings outside the Tower that possessed power defying logic. Hades had felt exactly the same when he fought against them.

Although there were some burn marks, and some of his heads had disappeared, it couldn't be said to be significant damage compared to taking Astrape's impact directly.

And so, with Astrape's attack failing...

Thock!

Hercules, who had sent Ananta flying, approached him now enlarged and increased his battle aura.

"Well done."

Bang!

Two fists collided.

CRAAAACK!

Along with that, the Lightning emanating from the two fists clung to Hercules's body.

"It looks like it's going to taste good."

-KO-FI

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