Leveling with the Gods

Side Story 69

The roar of the Dragon resonated with a force that made hearts and minds tremble. It was a common trait among all creatures with Dragon's blood, including the Dragon Race.

In particular, Dragons like Vritra and Fafnir could incapacitate High-Ranker Players with just their roar.

This power was called "Fear." It wasn't an ability based on Arcane Power but something much more primal. It was a power that stimulated the inherent fear in any living being.

And if the one wielding this power was Ananta, the creature at the top of all Dragons and Monsters...

"Uuuu..."

"What are we supposed to do against something like this?"

"Even Astrape was blocked...?"

Astrape, Zeus's representative ability, had rarely been seen in action.

The fact that it was blocked meant that even Zeus, the Tower's greatest Ranker, couldn't do anything against Ananta.

The morale, which had been high at the beginning, plummeted in an instant.

Kyaaaaah!

Ananta unleashed its Fear. At that moment, the Rankers who couldn't overcome their fear began to lose consciousness.

"Good."

Bang!

Hercules clashed his two fists and advanced.

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

His steps were firm.

Hercules stamped the ground with force.

Bang!

The sound of a Lightning Bolt resonated in the air.

A yellow Lightning Bolt shot towards Ananta like a flash, and his fist struck the Dragon's head.

Bang, bang, bang!

The fists fell one after another.

Ananta's electric fangs, with more than a thousand heads, shot towards Hercules, who received them with his whole body and continued to advance.

"Grrraaaah!"

Hercules shouted as he pierced Ananta's electric armor.

It seems like it's going to taste good.

Proving the truth of his words, he was truly dominating his opponent.

"What, what's happening?"

"Is it not working?"

"As expected, it's Hercules..."

The morale that had sunk began to rise slowly. In the face of Hercules's imposing figure facing such a monster head-on, the fear and terror within them gradually dissipated.

That's right...

Hercules, the Great Hero of the Gigantomachy, was on their side.

Just as their morale began to recover...

"What are you doing?!"

Baang!

Thor, who had been silently observing the scene, slammed the ground with Mjölnir and roared.

"Did you come here just to watch? From now on, we will protect Hercules!"

With those words, Thor drew Gungnir with his other hand.

The most powerful spear, inherited from Odin. Although he couldn't handle Gungnir as freely as Odin, it wasn't impossible for him to activate it, even if it took a little longer.

"Yes!"

"Let's protect Hercules!"

"Unleash the attack!"

"With a size like that, it'll be easy to aim!"

The Valkyries raised their bows and spears. The Olympian Rankers also prepared their long-range attack abilities.

Artemis tightened her bow. Dionysus drank wine to boost his stats. Athena infused a buff on the battlefield...

With Thor's signal, the siege on Ananta began.

"They entered at just the right moment."

Hades watched Thor, sweating cold as he prepared to activate Gungnir. He had given the order just as Hercules had boosted morale.

More time was needed to determine his qualities as a King, but at least he had the abilities to lead soldiers.

Sssssss-.

While the attacks from the two Guilds rained down on Ananta, Hades's figure sank into the ground.

Passing through the shadows, Hades reappeared behind Zeus.

"What do you think?"

Bang-!

Hercules continued to press Ananta, unleashing the power of the Lightning Bolt without rest.

He dodged heads and threw punches and club strikes.

At first glance, it seemed like he was dominating. However, Zeus shook his head.

"We can't handle him alone."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

Kwak-.

Zeus looked at Hercules lifting Ananta by its legs.

"That guy is overestimating himself right now."

Kwauuung-!

Gugugugu-.

The earth shook as a result of Ananta's fall.

But that was it.

Hercules couldn't deal with all of Ananta's heads on his own.

Kyaaaaah-!

One of the heads opened its mouth towards Hercules.

A breath roaring like thunder.

Zeus, who watched the battle between Hercules and Ananta, murmured with regret.

"Maybe... we should have killed him back then..."

When he was first released from the seal, Ananta wasn't such a formidable opponent.

Even without gathering so many troops, Zeus and Hercules could have taken him down together.

Perhaps that's why Ananta had chosen to flee at all costs.

"Is it an unexpected situation?"

Hades asked just in case, although he didn't believe it.

That was Zeus. A meticulous and cautious perfectionist like no other. It wasn't like him to throw himself into catching Ananta without thinking twice.

As expected...

"I had foreseen it. Though I don't like it after confirming."

Fortunately, the situation seemed to be within expectations. Zeus raised his head and looked towards the dark clouds.

"...Fortunately, he comes quickly in these cases."

No sooner had he finished speaking...

-Grow-.

Boooooom-.

Penetrating the dark clouds, the Ru Yi Bang descended like rain.

-Ruyi.

Penetrating Light Flash~!

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

Kyaaaaah-!!

Ananta's Dragons howled.

Ananta's body, crushed by a hundred Ru Yi Bangs.

Hercules, struggling against Ananta, lifted his head and looked at the sky from where the Ru Yi Bangs came.

'This is...'

The corners of his lips curved slowly. Hercules roared with joy, thinking that a formidable ally had arrived.

"Why did you take so long, Monkey?"

"Who's a Monkey?!"

A roar that burst eardrums.

Bang!

At the same time, a Ru Yi Bang landed next to Hercules. It seemed that the comment about the Monkey had annoyed him a bit.

"Do you want a fight?"

"I was just joking; I'm glad to see you."

Hercules staggered as he spoke. The tension had dissipated, thinking that a friend had come to help.

Son OhGong's Cinder Eyes, activated, captured Hercules's state.

Sweat was pouring out of his body continuously.

The power of the Giant and the Lightning residing in his body was dispersing.

Son OhGong clicked his tongue briefly and asked.

"Why exert yourself so much alone, being so stubborn?"

"Stubborn...?"

Hercules was in shock. Hearing Son OhGong call him stubborn was the last thing he expected.

He never thought this day would come.

"I had no other choice. If it weren't for the fear of his aura, the morale of our allies would have collapsed."

"What does it matter if those guys get scared by a simple aura?"

"Now is the time when we need more firepower."

"What lack of firepower can there be when I'm here?"

Son OhGong shrugged with an air of arrogance.

It was true that the firepower of the Ru Yi Bangs he could use, thanks to his clones, was considerable. However, seeing Son OhGong shrug after arriving so late, it was impossible for kind words to come out.

"You arrive late and talk..."

"Man, I found him before you did."

"Then why are you coming now?"

"You guys were just closer. Lucky for you."

"If you know, shut up."

"You should shut up yourself, speaking when you're about to die."

Whoosh-.

Son OhGong turned around and looked at Ananta fighting against the clones.

"Rest here. Don't be surprised to see this big brother fight."

Crack-.

With those words, Son OhGong leaped directly towards Ananta.

Son OhGong moved using the Flying Nimbus. Thanks to that, Hercules, who now had a little time to rest, sat down and caught his breath.

"Whew-."

Despite their fights, Son OhGong was one of the few fighters Hercules could trust. Although he was defeated by Ananta the last time, he now also had the support of Zeus.

So, he should be able to hold out.

All he had to do now was regain his strength as soon as possible and return to the front.

And then...

Wooow-.

Above the dark clouds that Zeus had spread. He felt a flow of familiar Arcane Power.

'Administrators?'

The control of the Arcane Power that the Administrators were said to handle. That power was enveloping Ananta.

However...

'No, that person is...'

The one truly wielding that power was not an Administrator. A beautiful woman who even from afar in the clouds emanated beauty. He had a vague memory of seeing her fight ten years ago.

'Tsukuyomi?'

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

Cracklebang-!

The Ru Yi Bangs thrown by Son OhGong's clones crushed Ananta's body.

Kyaaaaah-!

Ananta's Dragons unleashed a Lightning Bolt.

The clones exploded one after another from the electricity running through the Ru Yi Bangs. However, they were nothing but clones. Ananta's eyes sought Son OhGong's main body.

"Are you looking for me?"

Son OhGong sneered and descended onto Ananta's head. Clenching his fists with long nails, Son OhGong struck Ananta's head.

Bang, with a sound like hitting a rock, Son OhGong moved to the next head.

『Is it you again?』

Son OhGong. A High-Ranker nicknamed The Great Sage, Heaven's Equal. For Ananta, with his countless heads, he was an even more troublesome opponent than Hercules.

The Clone Technique. That top-tier skill had the power to take on an entire Guild by itself.

The only weakness of that skill is finding and subduing the main body. And foolishly, Son OhGong, even with such a skill, chose a frontal battle.

"Alright, here I go again."

Swish-.

Son OhGong aimed the Ru Yi Bang at Ananta's torso. His eyes were already shining with a golden color.

"Grow, Ruyi."

Clang-!

Son OhGong swung the Ru Yi Bang and quickly soared through the air, rising above Ananta's body.

"Did you escape well back then?"

Smack-.

Son OhGong tore more hair and tossed it into the air.

Clones that appeared using the hair as a medium. For Ananta, who had finally eliminated the clones, it felt like cockroaches were proliferating before his eyes.

"Keep up the nonsense-."

In the instant Ananta released a Lightning Bolt in irritation.

Crackle, crackle-.

For some reason, the Lightning Bolt did not detonate and was suppressed.

'This is...'

He had experienced a similar sensation many times lately.

The Administrators.

The strange ability they wielded overlapped with the phenomenon happening now.

Could it be that the Administrators had allied with the Players?

Thinking so, Ananta soon remembered a Player who had shown a similar ability to the current one.

"Right. There was one more."

Finding the culprit's location wasn't difficult for Ananta.

Ananta had countless eyes, and those eyes had no blind spots.

The heads that faced the sky, there, Tsukuyomi, who had been hiding among the dark clouds of the sky, looked down at Ananta.

"Izanagi No Okami."

-KO-FI

'Ko-Fi' for Advanc3 Ch4pt3rs (Up to '95' more ch4pt3rs)Publication of up to 6 weekly ch4pters, thanks.

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