Player who Returned 10,000 years Later
chapter-518

"How…?"

Oh Kang-Woo stared at Balrog in disbelief. The stupid demon covered in red muscles, who crushed his own heart to protect his king, was somehow alive.

"It’s thanks to Seol-Ah," Lilith answered in Balrog’s place.

"What?"

Kang-Woo stared at Han Seol-Ah, unable to understand. He knew her extraordinary healing abilities and how they far surpassed his Authority of Regeneration. However…

"You brought a dead person… back to life?"

The power of resurrection was on a whole other level than healing. It was impossible to bring the dead back to life even if she possessed the soul of Seraph. After all, even Celestial Goddess Seraph was but a god.

"How in the world…"

Kang-Woo stared at Seol-Ah, his eyes shaking anxiously. The miracle she had pulled off was impossible with just her powers. His current self was the perfect example of what happens if one uses powers beyond their capability.

"It was… the power of Nostrian," Seol-Ah answered.

"Nostrian?"

Nostrian, the Titan of time. Kang-Woo’s expression was dyed in confusion after the name that he thought had become irrelevant after Kim Tae-Hyun’s necklace broke was mentioned again.

"My king. Let us leave the questioning for later," said Lilith as she approached him. As she had mentioned, there was no time to wonder in detail about Nostrian. "We have to get you out of th—"

Lilith approached Kang-Woo to pull Kang-Woo, whose head was the only part of his body exposed, out of the black mucus.

"Stay back," commanded Kang-Woo as she glared at her.

Lilith flinched. Kang-Woo’s eyes were filled with sorrow.

"If you come here… you’ll die too."

Even now, he felt like his consciousness would be burned away at any second. The desire to eat was about to take over him.

"My king…" Lilith muttered as she shed tears.

"Kehehe. How unlike you, my king," Balrog snickered as he walked toward Kang-Woo.

Kang-Woo’s expression filled with shock as he hastily yelled, "You fucking muscle pig! Do you wanna die again that badly after you were brought back to life?"

However, Balrog did not stop.

"I have already died once." He smiled and continued, "I guess it wouldn’t be so bad to die for my king again."

"Hah," Kang-Woo chuckled. "Fucking hell, stop trying to act like a badass."

He couldn’t help but snicker.

Balrog smiled and said, "I could say the same for you, my king."

"What?"

"Ye who pass me… to the city of grief."

Kang-Woo’s eyes widened. "Y-You fucking…"

"Hehehe. It was a rather magnificent incantation."

"Y-You son of a bitch! You were listening?! No wait, you were dead at the time!!"

Balrog tilted his head in wonder and answered, "Hmm. Come to think of it, I was. But I have memories after the fact for some reason."

"Balrog."

"Yes, my king."

"You should just die again."

"Hehehe. I will set my life ablaze as many times as it takes for you, my king."

Balrog got on one knee and bowed his head.

Silence fell.

"Pfft." Kang-Woo burst into laughter unbeknownst to himself. "Bwahahahahahaha!!"

His consciousness was fading, his sense of reason and intelligence were being eaten away by desire, and he was in so much pain that he could go insane at any second, but…

"Hahahahahaha!!"

Kang-Woo couldn’t stop laughing. He found the stupidly joyous situation and the happy ending mixed with coincidence and fate all too precious to him.

"My king," Balrog called quietly. His mischievous expression from earlier was nowhere to be seen. He stared at Kang-Woo, who was covered in black mucus, and asked, "Will you… be able to endure it?"

He had once seen Kang-Woo in this state; at the climax of the thousand-year war during his battle against Bael. During that battle, the Demon King opened the Second Door of the Ten Thousand Demon Core and destroyed everything around him, his sense of reason completely gone. It was no exaggeration to say that Kang-Woo’s survival after that battle was no less of a miracle than Balrog’s resurrection.

’But…’

The situation was different; he had opened not two but all three Doors. He destroyed himself as the vessel and allowed the Demonic Sea to run out of control. Even if the same miracle were to occur, Kang-Woo would not be the same as before. There was only one way.

’The king has to… devour the Demonic Sea.’

Kang-Woo needed to beat the Demonic Sea into submission and gain complete control over its power— no, he needed to become the Demonic Sea itself.

It would be a battle against a sea of demonic energy, which had devoured millions of demons, and one person. It couldn’t even be called a battle, just like how a person couldn’t fight a sea.

’But…’

There was no other way for Kang-Woo to come back. If he couldn’t resist the encroachment of the Demonic Sea and devour it, he would not be able to stay as Oh Kang-Woo.

"You’re asking if I’ll be able to endure it?" Kang-Woo asked.

The battle to devour the Demonic Sea would be nearly endless. He would be engaged in a hopeless battle for almost an eternity.

"What’s wrong with you, Balrog?" Kang-Woo smiled. He then said as if the answer was obvious, "You know who I am."

"Kehehehehe!" Balrog chuckled.

"I want to see Si-Hun and the others before I go, but…"

Wriggle.

Kang-Woo’s face began to be sucked into the mucus again. He couldn’t stay here for much longer.

"Well, it can’t be helped." Kang-Woo looked at Seol-Ah, Lilith, and Cha Yeon-Joo to say, "Wait for me."

"Hey! O-Oh Kang-Woo!"

"Kang-Woo!"

Kang-Woo snickered and said, "I’ll be back after I win."

Grrrrrk.

Kang-Woo’s face was sucked into the mucus.

Balrog lowered his head, still on one knee in front of the area where Kang-Woo vanished from.

"Hah, there really is no stopping him." Lilith approached as her black hair fluttered and glared at Balrog. "That aside, why are you sticking so close to the king like you’re a heroine?"

"Heroine? What does that mean?"

"Hmph, I don’t know."

Lilith snorted in dissatisfaction.

Rumble—!!

Just then, the black mucus pouring out of the black sun above Seoul stopped. The black tsunami, which had been devouring everything in its path as if to engulf the entire city, was sucked back into the black sun at breakneck speed.

"Wh-What? What’s happening?" Yeon-Joo asked as she looked around at the black mucus that was suddenly disappearing.

"The battle has begun," Lilith answered as she turned to her and smiled.

"Battle?"

"Yes." Lilith looked up at the black sun and continued, "The battle between the Demonic Sea… and our king."

It would be an absurdly illogical battle. Lilith stood next to Balrog and also got on one knee. She looked into the black sun and thought of her king, who was likely fighting inside.

"Victory…" Lilith lowered her head and brought her hands together as if praying. "... To my king."

***

Radiant sword energy split space itself.

Slash!

"Kurgh!" The hunchback demon stepped backward and clenched his chest. "Urgh…"

Amon glared fiercely at Si-Hun.

’This is… a human?’

He was unbelievably powerful— almost on par with Tai Wuji, the leader of the Constellations of Evil.

"Move," said Si-Hun as he gritted his teeth and raised his sword.

He did not have time to waste fighting this hunchback demon.

’Hyung-nim.’

Si-Hun anxiously gripped his sword tightly.

"Kekeke. It’s too late, human swordsman," Amon cackled. He had lost the battle but succeeded in keeping the human swordsman at bay. "About now…"

Bael should have had more than enough time to devour the Demon King and get his hands on the Demonic Sea.

"Kehe, kahahahahaha!!" Amon burst into laughter as he pounded his staff on the ground repeatedly.

"Kuh." Si-Hun grimaced.

He needed to kill Amon and go to Kang-Woo as soon as possible.

"Heavenly Dragon—"

"Kekeke," Amon cackled as if to cut Si-Hun off and took something out from his pocket. It was a black crystal orb filled with impure demonic energy. "Tsk. I wanted to use it a little later, but I have no choice."

Amon clenched the black orb and chanted, his voice like nails on a chalkboard.

"O Prince of Wrath."

Demonic energy surged from the black orb.

"Open your ey—"

RUMBLE—!!

Just then, a black sun rose in the skies of Seoul.

"Huh?"

Countless demons poured out from the sun.

"Th-This is…"

Amon looked up at the black sun and the demons pouring out from it, in pallor. He roughly understood what it meant.

"Th-The Abyss…"

The Third Door of the Demonic Sea had opened.

"N-NO!!!" Amon screamed at the black sun.

No one was capable of holding the Demonic Sea now that the Abyss had been unleashed.

"That crazy son of a bitch!!!" Amon shouted.

"Those demons…"

Si-Hun stared at the demons pouring out of the black sun, his expression frozen. He then gripped his sword tightly.

’This isn’t the time to be distracted.’

He needed to go to Kang-Woo as soon as possible.

"Shit, shit, SHIIIIIIIIIIT!!" screamed Amon as he pulled his gray hair. He could tell that everything had failed and that Bael had lost. "How…"

Amon staggered.

"Huup!" Si-Hun took advantage of that opening and pounced like a beast.

Stab!

"Kurgh!"

Si-Hun’s sword pierced Amon’s stomach.

"How… How did the Third Door…" Amon continued to stare at the black sun even with a sword piercing him. He mumbled, "At this rate, the Primordial Knowledge… the Titan…"

Amon trembled.

"DAMMIT!"

He smashed his staff in two.

Rumble—!!

Enormous amounts of demonic energy stormed as soon as the staff broke.

"Kuh!" Si-Hun grunted as he quickly jumped backward.

Amon, who was staring up at the sky with blank eyes, was slowly sucked into the black storm.

"It was… almost in my grasp." Amon frowned fiercely and shouted, "IT WAS JUST ONE STEP AWAY!!"

His voice was filled with desire. He continued to curse as he disappeared into the black storm.

"Ngh."

Si-Hun was about to swing his sword at Amon as he disappeared into the storm but shook his head.

’I have to get to hyung-nim.’

He did not have any more time to waste. He turned around and leaped forward, speeding to where the black sun appeared.

Grrrrrrk!

"This is…"

However, black mucus began to pour out of the black sun and prevented him from advancing any further.

"Shit!"

He quickly raised his sword and swung it at the tsunami of black mucus.

Slash! Slash!

However, the black mucus regenerated instantly after each slash, no matter how many times he swung his sword.

"Shit, shit!!" Tears flowed down Si-Hun’s cheeks. "Kang-Woo… hyung!"

He bit his lip and continued to slash the black mucus. He advanced little by little as he wished for his will to reach Kang-Woo.

***

Split.

A crack formed on the black crystal on the ground.

Shatter!

The orb broke, and black demonic energy surged out of it.

"Gaaaaahh…"

Demonic energy gathered and took the form of a demon with black scleras, yellow irises, and horizontal pupils.

"I am…"

The demon extended his arm enveloped in thick demonic energy.

He said chillingly, "Death. I am… the end. I am the father of all wrath, and I am wrath itself. I am… Satan."

The Prince of Wrath, who had been defeated by the Demon King and devoured by him, manifested once again.

"K-Kehehe."

Satan looked down at himself. Immense power, far more than when he lost to the Demon King, was coursing through him.

"KAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!" He spread his arms wide and burst into crazed laughter. "FINALLY, FINALLY, FINALLY!!!"

He gritted his teeth.

"I… I have returned, Demon King!! To fulfill my rage! My hatred! My wrath will devour you!"

Satan recalled everything the Demon King had done to him— all the humiliating memories.

"I will tear apart everything you have with my wrath!!" shouted Satan, the Prince of Wrath.

Grrrrrrrrk!

"Hm?"

Just then, a tsunami of black mucus engulfed him as he was in the middle of laughing madly.

"H-Huhhh?" Satan expressed confusion. "Wh-What is this?! W-Wait! G-Get off of me!! A-Aaaaahh!"

He was sucked into the black mucus after making contact with it even a little.

"N-NO!! I’ve… I’ve only just been revived! NOOOOOO!! Wh-What the hell is this s-sticky substance?! WHAT THE HELLLLLLLL!!"

Grrrrrrk.

He had been sharpening his blade all this time as he imagined his revenge, but he ended up disappearing into the black mucus.

"D-Dammit. Why is this happening to me? S-Stop… Why the fuck are you doing this to me…?"

Urghhhhhh.