The Hero Returns

"Excuse me?"

For a moment there, Su-hyeun doubted his own hearing.

Did he just hear the words "climbing the tower"? Obviously, the Bull Demon King wasn't implying that Sun Wukong was currently climbing a tall tower as upright as a cliff face. In that case, Su-hyeun only knew of a "tower" that fit the context.

"He tells me that it's a strange tower. On every floor, a new trial is given, and every time he solves one, he acquires a new ability…"

"How many floors has he managed to climb so far?"

"As expected, you were climbing the tower as well."

Su-hyeun became speechless for a moment there at the Bull Demon King's observation.

He wasn't necessarily planning to keep the tower and the systems a secret, but with this, he was now certain that the Bull Demon King had left the restrictions of the system itself.

The Bull Demon King saw Su-hyeun nod his head and continued to speak, "In that case, is this your original world? Or is it yet another part of that thing called trials?"

"Yes. This is the trial on the 102nd floor, and I met you and the rest of the brothers back on the 60th."

"I see. I did suspect that would be the case."

Even after hearing Su-hyeun's reply, the Bull Demon King didn't seem all that surprised. He seemed to have realized something was going on for a while now.

As for Su-hyeun, he was certainly stunned by the revelation that Sun Wukong was also climbing the tower, but he had seen many different worlds where awakeners and dungeons were making their appearances by now.

Of course…

"Since the third brother has begun climbing the tower, he will become seriously powerful before long."

Su-hyeun had never seen anyone like Sun Wukong climbing the tower.

Sun Wukong was born with an excellent physique and, in the latter part of his life, acquired the Sage Arts and even consumed the Peach of Immortality to become even stronger.

From an undying body to a near-infinite magical energy reserve and, on top of that, a gifted battle sense—just on these points alone, Sun Wukong was stronger than any other awakeners Su-hyeun knew of.

"I'm sure he will be. He said that he's currently on the 20th floor, and it's been about two months since he began climbing the tower."

"I'm guessing that the third brother has chosen the 10th level of difficulty?"

"Indeed he has."

"I knew it. The 20th floor, hmm…"

Reaching the 20th floor in two months was extraordinarily quick progress.

Then again, even if the trials were set at the 10th level of difficulty, the lower floors would not pose much of a challenge to Sun Wukong. He might even be able to reach the 70th floor without encountering many issues.

Su-hyeun muttered, "I'd like to see him soon."

"That day will come for sure. That I guarantee."

Su-hyeun grinned at what the Bull Demon King said.

Su-hyeun found anything the Yogoe said quite mysterious even if the subject matter didn't seem all that special. The simplest and most obvious form of encouragement that anyone could have said sounded as if it would come true when they came from the Bull Demon King.

"Big brother, do you also possess something like foresight? The gods we saw earlier apparently enjoy something like that."

"Foresight? Yes, I did."

"Pardon? Really? But if you have it, then you should still have it, so what do you mean by you did?"

"I can see, but I can't see much about you. No, wait. Even if I can see, there's no point."

Those words were rather difficult to comprehend.

Su-hyeun wordlessly stared at the Bull Demon King. His body language implied that he needed a slightly more in-depth explanation than that.

The Bull Demon King also knew that he sounded too vague just then, so he continued with the rest of his explanation, "Once I acquired some amount of godhood, I began getting some visions of the future every now and then. Of course, it's not as if I can see whenever I want to, and it only happens infrequently."

"Can you see the future now?"

"No, not now, but I did in the past. I saw it when you and I first met."

"What did you see back then?"

"I don't particularly feel like talking about that. Honestly speaking, there is no point anymore since you've reached this far."

"But how come?"

"Things like the laughable notion of one's destiny only apply to those who lack the ability to struggle and break away from their assigned fate. Once you acquire godhood, it's no longer impossible to carve out your own destiny."

This was certainly a mystifying tale to listen to and to think that the Bull Demon King saw Su-hyeun's future during their first encounter.

"Now that I think about it, he did say that, didn't he?" he inwardly recalled.

"You've lived twice."

He said that Su-hyeun had lived two lives.

Su-hyeun didn't know if the Bull Demon King said that while he was aware that Su-hyeun was a regressor, but even if he wasn't, the Bull Demon King still seemed to know a lot about him.

For some reason, Su-hyeun felt relieved.

If the future waiting for him was fixed and could never be changed…

If the future was too difficult and tough like the path of Shura, as hinted at by Apollo and the administrators, and he could never endure it…

If it was like that, then he had to wonder whether or not he was running forward in vain to change an unchangeable future.

But one word from the Bull Demon King was enough to blow wide open his tightly clogged chest.

"When are you planning to return?"

Although they somehow got to have a reunion, Sun Wukong and the Roc Demon King were still on the "other side." Su-hyeun knew that the Bull Demon King cared about him, but the latter surely wouldn't remain here forever and leave those two alone to fend for themselves.

"Hmm…I wonder…"

The Bull Demon King raised his head and looked up at the "Heavenly World" of this place, Olympus.

He was looking up as if to respond to all the gazes coming from the gods up there before replying to Su-hyeun's questioning, "We've only met each other again just now, so wouldn't be it too bad if we part ways so soon?"

Su-hyeun's expression brightened in an instant from that reply.

* * *

Hercules wasn't all that concerned even after Su-hyeun had disappeared.

He already knew that Apollo was paying attention to Su-hyeun and was also aware of the sun god hanging around the latter.

But now…

"Who is this gentleman?"

Hercules's expression was stiff as he stared at the Bull Demon King who accompanied Su-hyeun back to the residence.

Megara, who was staying in the house alongside Hercules, greeted the Yogoe with a gracious bow while carrying Hale in her arms. The Bull Demon King gently smiled at them and bowed slightly in return.

"He's my big brother," Su-hyeun replied.

"It's a pleasure to meet you all."

"My man, I'd like a moment with you," said Hercules, and then while pushing Su-hyeun's back, they exited from the house. They headed to the corner of the backyard, and after blocking all sounds from coming in or out, he continued, "That person is really your big brother?!"

"Yes, he is."

"But he's not even human, is he?"

"He's a Yogoe. We're not blood-related but sworn brothers."

"A Yogoe? Is that a species similar to humans?"

Hercules didn't know anything about Yogoes, so he muttered to himself while furrowing his brows. He seemed to be pondering something but shook his head shortly afterward. Rather than wasting time thinking about this unknown species called Yogoe, he needed to worry about something else, the real problem at hand.

"He's not dangerous, is he?"

"Yes, he's not dangerous."

"Even though he's not a god but a human-like species, who also happen to possess powers rivaling the Three Deities?"

"The Three Deities?"

"That refers to the three gods, my father Zeus, Hades, and Poseidon."

Su-hyeun was surprised to learn that the Bull Demon King possessed a similar level of strength to the three gods Hercules mentioned but still nodded his head quickly.

It wouldn't be so surprising to see the Bull Demon King become a god right away, and not to forget, his proficiency with the Sage Arts was on another realm compared to Su-hyeun who had only recently mastered the basics of the discipline.

If it was the Bull Demon King, then he wouldn't be found wanting even after being compared to most gods out there.

"Wait a minute, if big brother decides to become a god, then…"

Although Su-hyeun wasn't completely sure of what the "qualification of godhood" really meant, he was certain that there should be a noticeable difference between a full-fledged god and someone yet to become one.

The Bull Demon King had been putting off becoming a god for a very long time now because of his attachment toward his younger siblings. However, if he did decide to severe that, then he would immediately become a god.

So, if he became a real god, just what "kind" of a god would he end up as?

"Surely, it wouldn't be some low-tier god," he continued to muse inwardly.

The Bull Demon King already enjoyed enough strength to rival the likes of the Three Deities of Olympus—Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades—so if someone like that became a god, then it was too difficult to even imagine the level of status he would possess.

"If you're worried about us staying under the same roof, then we shall find another lodging nearby. Actually, I'm also mooching off you anyway, so I—"

"Daddy—! Daddy—!"

"Daddy—!"

The voices of Hale and Palaemon suddenly resounded. They were desperately looking for Hercules.

The moment those voices came to them, Hercules's legs moved on their own like bolts of lightning. "Hale, Palaemon!"

Step, dash—

Su-hyeun hurriedly chased after Hercules's back.

Did something happen?

Bang—!

The demigod pushed the door wide open with enough force to nearly break it and rushed inside the house and urgently searched for Hale and Palaemon.

And then…

"Daddy! Look at this!"

"Horns! They're really horns!"

He found Hale clinging onto the Bull Demon King's arm and Palaemon riding on the Yogoe's back.

Hercules stared at this scene in a daze for a second or two before stiffening greatly on the spot.

Megara seemed at a loss as to what to do about the children's behavior, while the Bull Demon King was happily playing along with Hale and Palaemon.

"Hale! Palaemon! Dear, please stop the children somehow." Megara sounded rather flustered.

"Mom, they're horns!"

"He's so tall!"

"You dummy, daddy's still taller."

Unlike the grave-faced Hercules, Hale and Palaemon didn't seem to mind anything at all. The demigod rushed here fearing that something bad had happened to his children, so he could only let out a lengthy groan at this sight.

He then strode toward the Bull Demon King and easily lifted up Palaemon who was clinging onto the Yogoe's neck with one hand. "Is it alright to do that to a guest or not?"

"It's alright?"

"Of course not! Go to your room for a time-out."

"Ehhhh!"

"I'm sorry, daddy…"

With a serious face, Hercules peered deeply into the eyes of Hale and Palaemon. The two children carried dejected expressions and went to their room while being led by Megara.

Hercules sighed softly again. Then, he slightly bowed his head at the Bull Demon King. "My apologies. My children are still immature, so—"

"It's alright. All children are like that, after all."

"I'm grateful that you see it that way."

"I've spent a lot of time with a couple of people who doesn't want to act their ages, you see. Rather than adults acting like a bunch of kids, isn't it far more preferable to see children acting their age?"

At the Bull Demon King's question, Hercules started nodding unknowingly in agreement. He then smiled awkwardly and pointed to one of the rooms. "You can use that spare room. My apologies, but we don't have any spare rooms, and looks like you'll have to share it with your little brother."

"My family of three used to stay in a room as small as my palm, so this much is already a considerable luxury. Thank you, I'll use it well," the Bull Demon King said as he headed to the room.

Su-hyeun relaxed a little more after Hercules willingly pointed to a room and entered it along with the Bull Demon King. Warm air circulated inside the room with sleeping quarters already laid out as if the hearth had been lit not too long ago.

"Did you like children originally?" Su-hyeun asked out of curiosity.

"Did I look like I hated them?"

"No, well, not really, but I didn't expect to see you get along so well with kids."

"Our third brother is like an overgrown child, after all. Still, those two children are quite adorable, aren't they?"

"Looks like I was very much mistaken. Big brother, you do get along with children."

"Is that how it looks?" replied the Bull Demon King as he settled down on the warm floor.

Su-hyeun requested Megara for some tea after she finished scolding her kids and returned to the living room. He then re-entered the room while carrying two cups filled with fragrant tea.

Now that he got to enjoy some tea with the Bull Demon King and relax a little, he felt the inside of his head settle down once more.

"The taste of tea found in this world is rather mystifying. Indeed, the differences in cultivated lands seem to be real," the Bull Demon King commented first.

"This is one of the good things about climbing the tower, actually. Tea tastes differently in different worlds. Of course, I'm not an avid drinker of tea as you are, big brother, but I can still notice the difference."

"I'm a little envious of that."

"I'll procure some in the future and brew them for you next time we meet."

"If only our second and third brothers were half as mature as you are, it'd be so wonderful." After saying that, the Bull Demon King drank about half the cup and quietly shifted his gaze toward the door to the room. "By the way, that fellow. Is he going to be alright?"

Before he opened his mouth, he roused up his aura to block all sounds from leaving the room.

It seemed that the discussion that was about to take place was not meant for the ears of Hercules or his family.

Su-hyeun raised his teacup while making a puzzled face. The Bull Demon King was asking the exact same question as what Hercules asked earlier regarding the Yogoe.

"What do you mean?"

"That fellow, he's almost become a full monster."

The Bull Demon King's reply halted Su-hyeun's hand from lifting the teacup higher.

"He's only white on the outside, but his insides are pitch-black."