Leveling with the Gods

Thump, thump-.

The Five Elements Mountain trembled.

Standing on the clouds at the summit, Son OhGong frowned.

"That thing is damn tough."

"I told you not to do that."

Son OhGong scratched his head at the words of the Bull Demon King.

"We need to break the mountain's spell. That's our first objective."

"Yes, yes."

Boom, Chuck-.

The shrunken Ru Yi Bang was once again in Son OhGong's hand.

"Looks like there are some High Ranks around here. Doesn't look too bad, huh?"

"Six, if you count Lee Rangjin. One of them is Li Jing*." (*: Also known as the Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King)

"Li Jing... who's that?"

Son OhGong scratched his head at that unfamiliar name; he didn't remember many unless they had directly fought against him.

"He's Ne Zha's father, and he's an ancient warrior. Even in an era when the level of the Celestial Realm was generally low, he had a fairly high rank."

"He's an ancient warrior..."

"He's nothing compared to his son, Ne Zha, but he also has great talent."

"Really?"

Son OhGong's eyes gleamed.

"Then he's mine."

"Is that alright?"

"What's the point of dying anyway? I'm just an alter ego."

He wasn't wrong.

There was no death for an alter ego; they had been created by Son OhGong, and their deaths resembled more annihilation than death.

"Still, don't push yourself too hard. There are quite a few of them on this side."

"Are you worried? Is that Ji Ling really that strong?"

"He's strong. He's a Ranker from the same era as me."

"He's from the same era as you... Then he must already have one foot in the grave."

"Are you mocking me for being old?"

"If that's how it sounded, you heard right."

Son OhGong chuckled.

There was no sense of tension at all. This appearance was exactly the same as Son OhGong's main body, but this time, he couldn't simply ignore it.

"If you let your guard down like that, I might impale you without you realizing."

The Bull Demon King said, sensing the commotion beneath the Five Elements Mountain.

"In the end, he crashed against a wall and couldn't go any further, but his ranking used to be in the top ten."

"Now that you mention it, I'm even more curious."

The Bull Demon King shook his head at Son OhGong's reaction.

That's right.

Son OhGong wasn't the type of person to be cautious about these things.

But...

"Now is the time when this kind of personality is needed."

This battle couldn't be lost.

Many Rankers, including the Celestial Grand General, Lee Rangjin, were stationed here.

Hundreds in number alone.

If we add Ranker Players of all levels, there were thousands of troops.

It wasn't an easy fight.

Therefore, to win, they had to risk their lives.

Of course.

"All that is fine, but no individual actions."

YuWon was perplexed by Son OhGong's bubbly personality.

"Stay in position. If one is out of place, everything is out of place."

"...Ah, yes."

Son OhGong scratched his head at YuWon's words.

It felt like his brain was overloaded.

The position YuWon was talking about was something that rarely existed in Son OhGong's life.

"Are you sure you understand?"

"Yes, yes, it's difficult, but I'll try."

"Really stupid as always."

"...Do you feel like fighting me first now?"

"Fight me later. Don't talk nonsense now."

After subduing Son OhGong with a single word, the Bull Demon King looked at the Five Elements Mountain, where the Celestial Realm's army was gathered.

"Let's go."

Bum~

The two horns on his head rose higher and higher.

And at that moment...

Gii-.

The entire surrounding landscape of the Five Elements Mountain turned black.

"They're coming!"

"Stop them!"

The countless Players covering the Five Elements Mountain wielded their weapons and showcased their abilities.

Monsters pounced on them.

In the 50th Floor world, countless monsters called Yokai rushed towards the Five Elements Mountain.

Kiki, Kiki-!

Mmmmmmmm-!

A giant monkey monster over two meters tall and a herd of bulls the size of small elephants.

In an instant, the Five Elements Mountain transformed into a chaotic scene.

"Don't be fooled, it's the Bull Demon King's spell!"

"Where are you stabbing? There's nothing there!"

Rankers, who had decent rankings, fought and shouted as they watched Players collapse in their positions.

A spell suddenly spread around the Five Elements Mountain.

Players who fell under the spell started fighting against invisible and virtual enemies.

"Holy sh*t......."

"Break the spell first!"

"What do you mean?"

"Don't we have any shamans on our side?"

"Yes, we do, but our opponent is the Bull Demon King!"

"If that doesn't work, smash through with force!"

Black mist surrounded the Five Elements Mountain.

Anyone could tell that the mist was the medium of the spell.

Knowing this, the Ranker Players began to dissipate it to rescue the Players under their command.

But then...

Boom-.

Bang!

Ranker Players who were charging into the mist were thrown back, flying and crashing into the walls of the Five Elements Mountain.

"General Dong Cheon!"

"General!"

In the blink of an eye, ten Rankers were sent flying, making the astonished Celestial Realm Soldiers doubt.

And beyond the mist into which they had rushed...

Pap-.

A step was heard, a presence that could be felt by everyone.

A tall man with two enormous horns sprouting from his body.

He slowly approached the Celestial Army and spoke to them.

"If you stay there, you will all die."

Goo-goo, goo-goo-.

Jek-, jek-.

An overwhelming force weighing down on their shoulders.

Feeling the weight hindering the movement of their bodies, the Celestial Soldiers knelt in confusion.

"What in the world... is that ability...?"

"It's not an ability."

In the face of the soldiers' panic, the ranking Generals shook their heads.

"It's just Mana movement."

A Ranker could tell.

It wasn't a special ability; the weight on their shoulders was simply the weight of Arcane Power that the Bull Demon King had spread.

He was the sworn brother of the Great Sage, Heaven's Equal.

Only the two of them had fought in a war against the Celestial Realm.

Kak-.

The closer he got, the heavier the weight on their shoulders became.

"If you don't have much loyalty to the Celestial Realm, I advise you to step aside."

Kudeuk, Koodd-.

Tap, Tap, Tap.

The ground rose beneath the Bull Demon King's feet, and behind him, a giant bull rose up.

"Otherwise, you will all die."

Gulp-.

For a moment, the immense pressure made it hard for them to breathe.

"...Stop him!"

The Celestial Generals began to run toward the Bull Demon King.

No.

They were about to charge...

"Step back."

But a low, deep voice was heard.

It was calm, but it resonated across the battlefield, and the armies of the Celestial Realm charging toward the Bull Demon King halted.

All eyes turned to look.

At the same time, the Soldiers who had spotted the owner of the voice moved apart, forming a path.

Pang-.

Heavy footsteps.

At the end of the divided path, the Bull Demon King and Lee Rangjin stood facing each other.

"It's been a long time, Great Sage, Who Pacifies Heaven."

Great Sage, Who Pacifies Heaven.

It was a title highly esteemed in the world, much like the title of Great Sage, Heaven's Equal.

Though he was an enemy, Lee Rangjin did not disrespect the Bull Demon King.

On the contrary, he respected him more than anyone else.

"Long time no see, kid."

Kid.

It was a rather condescending way to address the eldest Celestial General of the Celestial Realm.

However, Lee Rangjin didn't seem offended by being called that.

The Bull Demon King in front of him was a being with enough qualifications.

A High Rank older than the history of the Celestial Realm.

Just like the current Jade Emperor, he was one of the oldest High Ranks.

Only based on his ability and the history of his existence, Lee Rangjin believed that he deserved to be called kid by him.

But...

"Your hands seem a little empty."

Now it was a different story.

The Bull Demon King's empty hands.

He should have been holding his signature weapon, the Honchulgon (Mixed Iron Rod).

"I left it behind because it was too ugly to use against a child."

"Your weapon is currently stored in the Celestial Realm's warehouse."

"Keep it there, I'll come back for it soon."

"Are you sure you don't want to join us?"

The Bull Demon King's eyebrows twitched at Lee Rangjin's suggestion.

"I've heard you say that many times in the past thousand years."

Why had the heavens forgiven the Bull Demon King?

It was to place him in the seat of the next Great Warlord (Grand General).

The Celestial Realm had grown stronger over time. Both the position of Warrior and the position of General were constantly replaced by stronger individuals.

And the Bull Demon King was more than worthy of such a position.

"If you come, I can offer you the position of Grand General, as well as the authority of Grand General and the full support of the Heavens..."

"I am the older brother of the Great Sage, Heaven's Equal."

The Bull Demon King looked beyond Lee Rangjin's army toward the Five Elements Mountain where Son OhGong was imprisoned.

"As such, I should not be able to join hands with the Heavens."

"Are you sure you want to do that?"

"If you truly need me, my requirements are no different from before."

Boom-.

The Bull Demon King's fist struck his own palm.

"The head of the Jade Emperor. That is my requirement."

"...I see that any further conversation will be futile."

"Do you understand now?"

Swish-.

Lee Rangjin drew his Unbreakable Sword.

The heavy weight of the Unbreakable Sword was felt in his hand. Fortunately, the monster in front of him did not have the Mixed Iron Rod in his hands.

"I'm coming."

Bam-.

Lee Rangjin jumped.

In the moment his weapon's tip turned towards the sky.

Boom!

The mist created by the Bull Demon King split in half.

On the other side of the Five Elements Mountain.

The Celestial Soldiers trembled at the sound from the other side.

"Has a fight already broken out?"

"With Arcane Power of this magnitude, I suppose it's a... Grand General."

"It's enormous, really. For such a long distance..."

The flow of energy from the clash between a Grand General and the Bull Demon King was enough to send chills across the mountain.

Internally, they felt relieved to not be in the midst of it, but also nervous that the battle between the High Ranks had escalated to this point.

"By the way, why didn't the Grand General give such an order? Telling us to stay still here even if a fight breaks out..."

"He must have something in mind."

Before the fight began, Lee Rangjin had sent a message to his soldiers through their player kits.

Never move, even if the fight breaks out elsewhere.

If it hadn't been for that message, they would have moved in principle to assist in the battle.

And just like that, the fight started, and after a while...

Pajik-.

Kurrr-.

A rumble came from the clouds looming over the sky.

"It looks like it's going to rain... huh?"

"W-What?"

The condition of the clouds was unusual.

Meanwhile...

Flash-!

Crackle-!

A lightning bolt crashed through the densely packed Celestial Soldiers.

Kwaaang-!

"Aaah!"

"What, what's happening?"

"The lightning struck..."

Countless soldiers who had been hit by the lightning screamed, and those who managed to escape its reach or were not hit by it, became wary of their surroundings.

In case another enemy had appeared.

Or maybe something different.

"This is tough."

YuWon, who had appeared with the lightning, sighed as he unsheathed his sword.

It would have been much easier for them to move if the Bull Demon King had drawn his attention to the other side.

"It's Lee Rangjin's fault."

"It's because of him."

"It's Lee Rangjin's fault..."

The voice sounded like an echo.

Above the strong echo, YuWon nodded and waved his hand to hurry them.

"Let's go."

Kak-.

"They're Son OhGongs."