Leveling with the Gods

This was Surt's second direct confrontation with him.

It was during the chaos in the Tower, after Ragnarok had ended and the tyrannical reign of Muspelheim had begun.

"At that time, it must have been after he swallowed the Fire."

At that time, Surt's flames were at a level that not even most High-Rankers could approach.

It was the same with YuWon in the past. Back then, YuWon was a High-Ranker ranked 20th.

But now, it felt a bit different.

"Now, I'm not as weak as back then."

It wasn't just because his ability had improved, but because something important was missing from Surt.

The Fire.

Since he was expelled from Asgard, the Fire that he had been gathering ever since was no longer with him.

"You-!"

With a sharp cry, Surt leaped at YuWon.

But it didn't last long.

Kwaaang!

Hercules' club, which had already flown up, crashed into Surt's body.

Buuuum!

Surt's body, sent flying, raised a cloud of dust and flipped the ground.

Then, Hercules landed next to YuWon, raising his club to protect him from Surt.

YuWon wasn't of much help in this fight. Surt was more than capable of crushing him in an instant.

"Where have you been? You said you would arrive earlier."

"Down here."

"Down here? What do you mean?"

When YuWon nodded, Hercules frowned, wondering what that meant.

"You said you would be here first, but you were hiding underground. That's unlike you," he thought.

"No matter what you've been doing, stay out of this fight."

Thud.

Surt got up from the ground.

Anger was already burning in his veins, even hotter than before.

"That guy is an even bigger monster than my father."

YuWon had fought Zeus in the past.

At that time, Zeus was ranked ninth in the Ranking.

But Surt, in front of them, was a much higher-ranked monster than Zeus.

"If you say it that way, I feel disappointed," YuWon said without taking his eyes off Surt.

"I've been running my ass off to catch him."

"...?"

Kaboom!

Flames burst from Surt's hand.

As Surt wielded his Fire Sword again to attack,

"Step back!"

With a surprised expression, Hercules tried to block it, but instead, YuWon stepped forward.

Although YuWon's ability had improved significantly, it was impossible for him to fight against Surt's fire.

If he got hit, he would turn into ashes in an instant.

"You're crazy!"

Kaboom!

It was too late to try to stop him.

The flames had already passed, carrying Hercules and YuWon with them. While Hercules tried to stop the flames with his club, he quickly searched for YuWon.

"Kim YuWon-!"

An urgent voice.

But the response was different than expected.

"Don't call me so loudly."

Fwoosh-

The fire swept through the area.

Amidst the blazing flames, YuWon stood calmly.

"I'm right here. Don't scream in my ear."

The intense red fire slowly died down and tinged purple.

The flames that Surt had unleashed now surrounded YuWon.

Even if they were Demonic Flames, it seemed that they didn't harm YuWon's clothes at all.

Hercules, who had shouted with concern, was left breathless seeing that YuWon was able to even stop Surt's fire.

He knew YuWon was an exceptional guy, but still...

"How did you do that?"

YuWon had been a newcomer High-Ranker until recently and hadn't even reached the top to be ranked as a Ranker in his own right.

No one would believe that YuWon could have stopped Surt's fire.

"I told you, I've prepared a lot."

"Prepared for what...?"

"Let's leave that for later."

Fwoosh-

Surt approached with threatening flames.

But YuWon's reaction was the same.

"Trust me for now."

"Understood."

It was a hesitant response.

It seemed he still couldn't fully believe what he had just witnessed. But at least he had seen what had happened a moment ago, so he couldn't completely dismiss the possibility.

Then Hercules asked, just in case.

"Can you stop those flames?"

YuWon thought for a moment before nodding.

"Maybe."

"Maybe?"

"Still, I won't die."

"Is there a part of you that believes that?"

"I'm sure of it."

The corners of YuWon's lips lifted.

The expression on his face allowed Hercules to dispel any lingering anxiety.

It had been a long time since YuWon showed such confidence in himself. Moreover, he clearly felt a kind of Arcane Power that he had never felt in YuWon before.

'I don't know what that purple flame is, but...'

He blinked.

Hercules looked at the purple flames rising around YuWon.

"If we can stop him, it's not impossible."

Crackle, crackle.

YuWon approached Surt. Surt's target was himself.

No.

More precisely, it was the "Fire" that YuWon possessed.

"I'll draw Surt's attention."

Each of them took their position.

"You, give him a good beating."

Hercules nodded.

If YuWon could withstand Surt's fire, it would change the course of this fight.

It was said that Hercules had the strongest body in the world, and his physical endurance was almost unrivaled. Actually, it wasn't Surt's strength that bothered Hercules, but his fire.

"Please."

Crack-.

Strength entered Hercules' legs.

Kwaang!

Surt's fire took the form of a demon. According to Surt's will, the demon grew even larger and more terrifying.

The angrier Surt became, the hotter his fire grew.

Soon, Surt's flames attacked again.

Boom!

But...

"You still don't know, do you?"

Tac, tac, tac...

Surt's reaction was even more satisfying for YuWon.

['Uranus Heart' resists 'Surt's Annihilation']

['Golden Cinder Eyes' resist 'Surt's Annihilation']

['Heart of Fire' resists 'Surt's Annihilation']

['Holy Fire' resists 'Surt's Annihilation']

['Holy Fire' is consuming 'Surt's Annihilation']

[Has great resistance to the fire attribute]

[Successful in most resistances]

"......!"

Surt seemed surprised to see someone who could block his flames head-on.

YuWon looked at Surt as he walked through the flames Surt had thrown.

"Your 'Fire' doesn't work anymore."

And at that moment...

Wooong...

Hercules struck Surt with his club from behind.

***

Patreon for Advance Chapter: 

Patreon.com/Levelingods

***

"Watch out for the tail!"

"Aim for the head!"

"From the movement..."

"We can't fight them with strength alone!"

"We'll start with the injured first!"

The war between Asgard and the dragon creatures continued. Countless Rankers and Players fought against the Leviathans.

Each of the Leviathans was an individual with superior rank strength.

Moreover, the flying Leviathans were a tough opponent even for the Asgard army.

Furthermore, there were hundreds of Leviathans.

Asgard suddenly realized the enormity of the Dragons' power.

Crackle!

However, apart from Odin, there were also powerful warriors in Asgard.

Spark! Fiiiish!

With a bright yellow flash, a Leviathan's body was cut in half.

The Asgard soldiers, who had hesitated for a moment at the clean cut, cheered.

"Baldur! Baldur!"

"Baldur-!"

"We have Baldur!"

A high-ranking Asgardian known for his swordsmanship.

Baldur commanded the battlefield.

"Form teams of at least five Rankers, choose your positions, and use the entire battlefield!"

Baldur moved more actively than anyone else.

Every time he swung his sword, the Leviathans fell to the ground.

That was the power of a High-Ranker.

With just one's presence, they could change the flow of battle.

However, even Baldur couldn't intervene in that fight.

"...Father."

Crack, Kurr-.

There were two beings fighting in the clouds.

They had kept themselves away from the Asgard army to avoid causing harm. If not for that, the Asgard soldiers would have already been turned into ashes.

Kyaaaa!

The occasional screams came from a type of magic that regular soldiers couldn't sense.

Vritra (Brythra/Britra)

He didn't know why he was helping Muspelheim, but his breath had enough power to evaporate entire cities in an instant.

Odin fought to protect the armies of Asgard from the breath of such a creature.

"In the end, my father will win."

But the question was time.

Thump-.

In the distance, Surt was fighting.

Odin had to be there. Only Odin could stop Surt.

"But..."

Baldur's gaze turned towards there.

In the distance, Surt could be seen moving violently.

It was a sign that the battle was quite intense, with flames rising to the sky and a loud noise of footsteps shaking the earth.

"Who is fighting there?"

Surt was one of the most powerful creatures in this Tower.

Odin had also said that only he could face him in Asgard.

Surt was the pinnacle of a race. An individual whose power could bring about the destruction of worlds.

But that creature was engaged in a fierce battle with someone who was not Odin.

"Whoever it is, won't last long. We must hurry and get my father to join them."

Looking up, Baldur saw Odin and Vritra fighting.

Kaaaaaah!

Odin's Gungnir blocked Vritra's Breath. Odin not only blocked it but deflected it upward.

Then, a large magic circle floated above the clouds. A huge ice spear corresponding to the flames flew towards Vritra, and its tail swung towards it.

Kwachachang-!

The ice spear shattered into pieces. The fragments of broken ice fell to the ground, and the two clashed again.

Thud!

Baldur continued to look up at the fight between Odin and Vritra.

Standing in the air as if he had lost his reason, Baldur was approached by a Valkyrie.

"Sir Baldur, are you alright?"

In this battle, Baldur moved more intensely than anyone else. He used his abilities without reservation and therefore was destined to tire quickly.

"If you're tired, please rest for a moment. We will now..."

"It's enough."

"What?"

The Valkyrie seemed puzzled by Baldur's response.

Even though the battle was at its peak, he said it was already enough.

The Valkyrie followed Baldur's gaze.

What he was looking at was not the fight between Odin and Vritra.

"Soon..."

In the clouds.

"He will come."

Baldur looked inward and smiled brightly.

And then...

"Grow-."

From the clouds where Odin and Vritra were fighting, a voice full of Arcane Power resonated.

"Ru Yi".