C13
There wasn't much to pack separately. Most of their luggage was in the inventory, and the points used as currency were assigned to each person anyway.
They rented a Sun Chariot, and the three of them began ascending immediately.
They didn't even need to hire a coach to supply mana.
"It's quite cozy," said Son OhGong, sitting on the edge of the Sun Chariot with his hair waving in the wind.
After enjoying the fresh breeze for a while, Son OhGong turned to YuWon and Pandora.
"I don't know what I'm doing here, getting in between a couple."
"Since when do you care about that?" YuWon replied.
"True, I just said it for the sake of saying it."
YuWon shook his head at Son OhGong's teasing words.
Couple or not, Son OhGong wasn't the type to worry about such things. If he were to feel jealous, it would be because YuWon and Hercules fought without him.
"That? It's a gift I gave her this time," YuWon said.
Son OhGong's gaze shifted to the ring on Pandora's hand. Although he knew nothing about items, Son OhGong's eyes could see the essence of things.
"It's strange," he commented.
"It's beautiful."
"It's just something shiny. Beautiful if you want," Son OhGong replied indifferently.
External beauty didn't interest Son OhGong. To him, an "item" was just a tool to get stronger, and it had no additional value beyond that.
Still.
"However, that Cyric guy must be suffering. He gave away something like his fortune before leaving."
Even leaving that aside, the ring on Pandora's hand was quite valuable.
"Is it a strength-based explosion skill? It's an item whose value changes depending on the user's skill... but I think it would suit Pandora quite well."
"Are you still thinking about fighting?" YuWon asked.
"Did you just realize?"
He still seemed quite excited.
"It's been a long time since the last time I fought with you."
For Son OhGong, fighting was the best entertainment. Knowing that, YuWon made no effort to calm down Son OhGong, who was getting more and more excited.
'It's time to start warming up.'
10 years.
Not even YuWon knew how much Son OhGong had changed during that time.
YuWon was excited too.
'I hope he hasn't rusted.'
The Sun Chariot continued ascending.
Fueled by Son OhGong's mana, the Sun Chariot spewed fire.
Whoosh, whoosh!
The flames burned fiercely. There was so much mana flowing that the heat even began to penetrate inside the Sun Chariot.
The speed increased.
At this rate, it could be compared to Apollo's true Sun Chariot.
'Anyway, that guy will never run out of mana...'
YuWon leaned back.
The carriage's heat was quite intense, but it wasn't so lethal for the three people.
'First, let's relax a bit.'
YuWon leaned on his hand and reclined.
---------------------------
The Sun Chariot that had reached the 95th floor turned off the emitting light.
YuWon, who was lying down, opened his eyes and looked at the sky.
'It arrived quickly.'
Two days.
That was the time it took to climb from the 1st floor to the 95th floor. During that time, YuWon slept more than in the last 10 years.
With a sense of regret, YuWon got up from his seat.
Perhaps after this moment, he wouldn't be able to rest for quite a while.
"Don't you need to rest?"
YuWon asked while looking at Son OhGong's back, dangerously standing on the Sun Chariot's railing.
Judging by the speed they arrived, he had probably been using his Arcane Power without rest for two days.
Although he wasn't tired enough to exhaust himself, he would surely feel some fatigue.
"No problem."
Whoosh-.
Son OhGong tightly gripped the Ru Yi Bang.
He was already in full form.
YuWon sighed as he watched Son OhGong jump directly under the Sun Chariot without even asking.
"That impulsive nature of yours won't change even with age, huh?"
Whoosh-.
YuWon's eyes met Son OhGong's Golden Cinder Eyes.
YuWon's eyes, looking down from the Sun Chariot, began to perceive the surroundings several kilometers around.
A world covered in trees.
Due to the recent battle between Vishnu and the Administrator, not a single person or monster could be seen around.
'This place is perfect.'
A world without an Administrator. At the same time, not a single person lived in this vast place. It wasn't easy to find such conditions even after searching through the hundred Floors.
YuWon's gaze turned to Pandora for a moment.
"Don't worry."
Pandora, who now knew YuWon quite well, understood the meaning of that look and shook her head.
"I'm not so weak as to get carried away."
YuWon nodded at Pandora's confident words.
He knew. Unless she directly faced it, there was no danger of Pandora getting involved in a battle as a spectator.
Pandora was a two-digit High-Ranker. Her skill was such that she could withstand even Son OhGong for several minutes.
However...
'It's really hard to move my feet.'
YuWon, hesitating for a moment, finally jumped under the Sun Chariot.
At the same time, the Sun Chariot reignited its lights and ascended higher.
Bam-.
YuWon, landing on a tree branch, looked around.
The trees rising kilometers high had branches as thick as giant trees.
'Where is he?'
The surroundings were full of trees. His view was blocked, and he couldn't see Son OhGong's figure that had jumped first.
The battle didn't start with the word "start."
The moment they confirmed their auras, the battle had already started from the Sun Chariot.
That's how battles with Son OhGong were.
Whoosh-.
[Golden Cinder Eyes search for the target]
[Golden Cinder Eyes nullified by equal force]
[Target not found]
Golden Cinder Eyes were originally an ability wielded by Son OhGong. Although similar, YuWon's eyes were only created to mimic Son OhGong, so the original proficiency was higher on Son OhGong's side.
Of course, it was challenging to locate Son OhGong with the same ability.
But...
[Sensory Field activated]
[Eyes of Foreknowledge activated]
In addition to the Golden Cinder Eyes, YuWon still had other tricks up his sleeve.
Whoosh!
The Ru Yi Bang narrowly missed YuWon's head.
YuWon dodged the staff by tilting his head and looked at Son OhGong, who was at a distance.
Even at a distance, Son OhGong's presence was clear.
Moreover, with this single attack, YuWon understood Son OhGong's intention.
'Is he trying to keep a distance?'
People think that The Great Sage, Heaven's Equal, is a master of close combat because he loves fighting and chaos.
But that was just a rumor for those who didn't know him well.
'That guy will do anything to win.'
He's a smarter fighter than anyone else.
The moment the battle begins, Son OhGong becomes an entirely different person.
He's a guy who dedicates all his intelligence to the fight.
'So...'
Kiiing!
One of YuWon's eyes glowed with a golden aura.
Eyes of Foreknowledge.
An ability that allows him to glimpse the immediate future and take control of that future.
If we talk only about the Golden Cinder Eyes, YuWon's vision was no match for Son OhGong's, but the Eyes of Foreknowledge were different.
Whoosh!
YuWon narrowly evaded the Ru Yi Bang that swung again and started closing the distance.
Dodging the Ru Yi Bang flying from afar was not a problem.
It didn't matter from how far or at what angle it came.
"Grow, Ruyi!"
Piiing!
The Ru Yi Bang multiplied and flew from more than a hundred directions.
In that instant, time seemed to slow down for YuWon.
'This is...'
Paf!
YuWon's body shot straight.
'I had already dodged this before.'
Bang! Bang! Bang!
More than a hundred Ru Yi Bangs knocked down the surrounding trees.
YuWon watched as trees with dozens of meters in thickness fell, and his eyes shone.
'The real...'
YuWon's head turned forward.
And at that moment...
Whoosh!
A massive Ru Yi Bang rushed toward him.
'It's this one.'
Kiiik, kiiik!
YuWon's body, blocking the Ru Yi Bang with one arm, recoiled a bit.
However...
The fact that he had blocked it with his own hands was significant.
[The Giant's strength concentrates in your arms.]
Kuuk, guuuk.
Although it had been a while since he used it, it didn't feel uncomfortable.
YuWon had been imagining this moment for a long time.
Even after getting back in motion, YuWon was still at his best.
'That's how it works.'
YuWon smiled as he blocked the Ru Yi Bang.
If the guy had decided to fight at medium and long range using the Ru Yi Bang and its clones,
'It seems that this time, you're the one who's mistaken.'
He had to be careful.
--------------------
The sensation at the tip of the Ru Yi Bang wasn't pleasant.
A solid feeling as if it collided with a wall ran through his hand.
Son OhGong's expression wrinkled at the unexpected sensation.
'Did he block it?'
Whoosh, click.
The Ru Yi Bang, which had returned to its normal size, adjusted to Son OhGong's hand.
However, the feeling the Ru Yi Bang conveyed was unsatisfactory.
In the distance, YuWon didn't seem fazed at all.
Several possibilities of how YuWon had blocked the Ru Yi Bang passed through Son OhGong's mind.
However, none of them mattered.
'He knew it beforehand.'
If he hadn't known, he wouldn't have been able to block it. Even if he had blocked it with ultra-fast reflexes, he would have received some kind of impact.
The Golden Cinder Eyes or the Sensory Field couldn't have foreseen this moment.
That could only mean one thing.
'Is it the Eyes of Foreknowledge?'
By using that ability, YuWon would always be one step ahead of him in any move.
"Eh?"
And then...
Son OhGong saw from a distance how YuWon moved his lips.
With his exceptional vision, even at that distance, he could read the shape of his lips.
And YuWon's lips said:
'Get on my level.'
A clear challenge.
And that challenge ignited Son OhGong's fury even more.
'Fine with me.'
His eyes squinted even more.
The golden hue of his pupils, shining with fire, intensified, and his grip on the Ru Yi Bang strengthened.
"Grow..."
Son OhGong extended the Ru Yi Bang and prepared his next move.
And in that instant...
Kuuk!
In the distance, he saw YuWon standing, staring at him while maintaining the distance.
"What... huh?"
Son OhGong, about to extend the Ru Yi Bang, stopped abruptly.
The reason was a black spear that YuWon held in his hand.
"Eh?"
Craaack, craack-le!
Arcane Power began to converge at the tip of the spear.
The flow of Arcane Power was so intense that a chill ran through his entire body.
Although it would undoubtedly take some time to activate, it was already emanating a power that could overwhelm the Ru Yi Bang.
Craaack, craack!
The spear, increasing in size every second, absorbed and released Arcane Power.
And YuWon, wielding it, assumed a spear stance.
Seeing it, Son OhGong could only think of one person.
'...Odin?'
The image of Odin just before throwing Gungnir.
Imitating him, YuWon's lips moved to say:
This distance doesn't belong to you.
-
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Tags:
LWTG (Novel)