Leveling with the Gods

The period since the end of Gigantomachia.

In the midst of what was essentially a civil war, the giants and humans promised one thing.

'For half the month, the humans, and for the other half, the giants.'

'Not to invade each other's territory. We promise.

King of the Giants.

Zeus, King of Olympus.

They both promised, and there was peace on the 38th floor.

Gigantomachy.

A thousand years after the greatest war in the history of the Tower.

Here, now, was a man who had not yet finished the war alone.

* * *

Thump- thump-

The ground was shaking, cracking and splitting.

Around the hut that housed Hercules, a lava-like heat boiled.

The world began to open up.

''Is it time already?''

Hercules, who had watched the phenomenon in disbelief, looked towards YuWon.

''You'll regret not coming back. This place is so different from any other place you know.''

The thirty-eighth level world was known to be a place where humans spent half of the month and giants spent the other half.

It was a pact between the beings of this world.

And this forest was to the giants, what human 'cities' were to humans, a wheat-gathering area without bustle.

Yuwon nodded.

"Don't worry.

He looked up at the sky, which was blackening from the heat.

''I won't regret it.

It's an interesting phenomenon, but it's just another day in the life of the world changing hands.

'Compared to the Gigantomachy...'

A war many times bigger than the First Gigantomachy.

YuWon, who had just become a High Rank at that time, had participated in that war.

Compared to then, what was happening now was peaceful.

Of course, in Hercules' eyes, YuWon was just an ignoramus who was nothing more than a moth to the flame.

'...They say ignorance brings bliss'.

Pok-

Hercules approached the cracked ground.

The opening had begun, and was now nearing completion.

Lava boiled beneath the ground.

YuWon followed Hercules, feeling the heat.

''This heat and mana...?''

The energy flowing from the churned earth was different from ordinary mana.

It was familiar to him.

A confusing mixture of mana and demonic energy.

There were only a few people in this tower who possessed this kind of medium power.

It must be the territory of the demonic giants.

Boom.

He wondered if it was.

A hand came up from the bottom of the cliff, clinging to the cracked ground.

ᗌ [Day 16 begins.]

ᗌ [The 'promise of giants and humans' is fulfilled].

ᗌ [The masters of the world will be reversed].

ᗌ [Penalty for unspecified races in the area becomes stronger].

ᗌ [The masters of the world are the 'giants'].

No.

It wasn't one.

Clack, clack, clack-.

Kuong-.

One by one, the giants began to rise.

Each one of them had saccharine skin, flesh falling from their bodies, boiling lava in their veins instead of blood.

They were all different sizes.

Some were relatively small, like the brothers Bois and Noir, and there were also giants like small mountains.

'They're not from here.'

Just as there were different factions among the humans, there were also factions among the giants.

In this case, giants who had joined the demons, who had been transfused with their blood and had become demons themselves.

This was the land of the giants, but it was also the land of the demons.

"Stay where you are.

Suk-.

Hercules quickly picked up the felled tree he had set aside.

He wielded it lightly with one hand, as if it were a small wooden stick.

'''...Unless you want to get caught in the crossfire.'''

Boo-boo-.

The wood swung slowly.

Shhhh-!

It hit something floating in the air.

At that moment...

Tsk, tsk, tsk-.

Tuhwaaaaak-!

The atmosphere cracked like glass, and the impact of the tree popped the giants' bodies like balloons.

Woooooong-.

The sky shook in one fell swoop. Clouds burst and shattered, changing the landscape of the world as far as the eye could see.

Hercules, holding an ordinary tree and wearing a lion skin over his head, was ready to attack.

It was the beginning of the Giant Slayer/Killer.

* * *

Joboook-!

Kwak, -!

The tree exploded against the giant's head.

Hercules swung the tree and his fists alternately as he smashed his way through the hundreds of giants.

Crunch, crunch, crunch-!

He punched the air with his fist and several giants went flying.

It wasn't a special ability, nor did he use a great deal of magic.

It was simply the power of his body, so to speak.

'It's terrifying.'

His eyes were hidden by the lion skin.

But YuWon sensed a madness in Hercules' way of fighting that he had never felt before.

On the surface, it looked the same.

But even if it was the same action, it started differently.

'Every blow from a weapon or fist must have a purpose.'

At least the Hercules before him was different from the one YuWon knew.

'For a fight without purpose is nothing more than murder.'

''Purpose...''

When it came to wielding power, this Hercules had no purpose.

No.

Maybe he did.

'Maybe killing your opponent is an end in itself.'

Killing, a fight that is an end in itself.

It was hard to believe that Hercules, not Susanoo, was doing such a thing.

Y...

The head of the last remaining giant was crushed.

Even though he must have known he was dead, Hercules did not stop wielding his weapon.

Gwang- gwang- gwang- gwang!

The giant's body was torn to pieces.

For a body as huge as a small mountain, it didn't take long for it to become mushy.

Minutes passed, and Hercules, his body burning, refused to let go of his weapon.

Pajik- pajik.

Meanwhile, Hercules' body had taken a considerable penalty.

It was enough to completely restrict even the strongest. That meant that among the giant opponents, there were many who had not yet reached Ranker level.

Furthermore, for the next 15 days, Hercules, who was not a giant, would be penalized even more.

'I have to admit that he is strong.

Great strength requires a strong body.

Hercules was now brandishing his weapon without caring about the penalty.

''Whoa.''

Hercules let out a long sigh that he had been holding back.

It wasn't because he was tired or out of breath.

It was because of heightened emotions.

How much time had passed?

After only a few minutes of clearing the giants that had appeared around him, Hercules looked around YuWon.

''It should be safe around here by now.''

His eyes were bloodshot.

''If you want to live, you can either go somewhere safe or stay here.''

Jobok-

With that one piece of advice, Hercules was soon on his way.

Presumably, to slay another giant.

'He's out of his mind.'

A part of YuWon wanted to stop him.

But he didn't have the power to do so now. To stop Hercules, even the main body of the Great Sage, Equal to Heaven would have to come in person.

'Has he been like this since the Gigantomachy?'

The Giant Killer.

The title was not coined only during the Gigantomachy.

After the Gigantomachy, after the truce between Olympus and the Giants.

Hercules continued his war against the Giants here.

Even after the Second Great Gigantomachy, it continued.

Kuk-.

YuWon followed Hercules as he walked away.

Destroying Olympus was secondary.

YuWon could no longer stand by and watch Hercules being destroyed.

So the two of them rushed down the lava cliff.

* * *

Hwareuk-

Puff!

The lava flowing underground seemed nothing out of the ordinary.

Not only was it hot, but the heat was so intense that just standing still seemed to burn your whole body.

Pajiiig-

Hercules went through it.

And behind him.

''Are you still following me?''

YuWon called after him.

''Yes.

''Why?''

''I have nowhere to go anyway. And I think I'll be safer by your side.''

It would be safer to stay together.

Hercules agreed. Of course, that was when things weren't so different.

''...Do you even know where I'm going?''

''I don't know where you're going, but I know what you're going to do.''

''Do you know?''

''What else could the Giant Killer be here for, but to kill giants?''

''It's good that you know.''

Nodding, Hercules spoke menacingly.

"I'm going after Gigäntes.

Gigäntes.

It was the name of the giant who represented the giants, as well as the three gods of Olympus.

Not only was he taking out his frustrations on them, he was looking up.

''Are you still going to keep me knowing that?''

By referring to Gigäntes, Hercules was saying that where he was going was a dangerous place.

That he wouldn't be able to protect him once the fight with Gigäntes began, and that it would be safer to fall from this point.

''I know where it is.

''You're stubborn... Wait what did you say?''

Hercules' eyes widened.

For a moment, he turned to YuWon and held out his hand.

Pak-.

He felt a great strength in the hand gripping his shoulder.

He felt that if he exerted any more force, his shoulder would be ripped off.

''Are you sure?

"Yes.

''How?''

Gigäntes had been in hiding since the Gigantomachy. Hercules had searched for them everywhere, but never found him.

All he knew was that he was on the 38th floor.

And now, YuWon said he knew.

''Can you guide me?''

YuWon Looked at Hercules and touched the arm holding his shoulder.

''But first, let go of me, you're squeezing me.''

''Ah... I'm sorry.''

''Follow me if you want to know. Luckily, it's not too far.''

Hercules looked behind his back for a moment at YuWon's confident gaze.

If what YuWon was saying was true, if this was how they were going to meet Gigäntes....

Perhaps he could not guarantee the safety of his group.

After a moment's thought...

''You said you knew the way, right?''

Hercules stretched out his hand towards YuWon.

Boom-.

YuWon felt his body defy gravity and float upwards.

Hercules hurriedly put his arm around YuWon's shoulders and asked.

''Which way is it?"

''Down.''

At her answer, Hercules followed her gaze.

Boggle-.

Boiling, bubbling liquid.

''Into the lava? I've been there before."

He must be crazy, YuWon thought.

He really was crazy, he thought, searching every corner of the tower, even inside the lava.

"No".

But that wasn't enough.

The place where he was was even deeper.

''Lower than that".