Player who Returned 10,000 years Later
chapter-7

'What's up with this bastard?'

Han TaeHyun laughed at KangWoo, who was crying out because of the spilled kimchi stew.

"Is he crazy…?"

He thought that her good-willed sister had invited a beggar to the house.

"From where did you find such a beggar?"

"Mr. KangWoo, run!"

Han Seol-ah shouted while ignoring Han TaeHyun's question.

Han TaeHyun was a player that was almost at level 30. He was about to unlock the 4th awakening.

You couldn't say that he had a high level, but right then, he was someone that couldn't be compared to her.

Han Seol-ah didn't want to see him hurt the person who had saved her.

For a moment, she thought that maybe KangWoo could solve the situation, but soon, she shook her head.

'Oppa unlocked a B-rank attribute at the 2nd awakening.'

It was an attribute that people usually unlocked at either the 3rd or 4th awakening.

The strength of a player was determined by the rank of their attribute and level.

Because of that, you could say that Han TaeHyun was talented compared to normal people.

'Mr. KangWoo is in danger.'

She looked at KangWoo relentlessly.

"Sniff, Sniff. My, ki-kimchi steeewww…"

It seemed like KangWoo wasn't aware of how worried she was about him. He just cried while looking at the kimchi stew that had been spilled.

Han TaeHyun frowned at the sight.

"Hey, you beggar. Stop crying and stand up."

"…"

KangWoo turned his head slowly toward Han TaeHyun, who was calling him out rudely.

A strong killing intent began spreading through his body.

"Ugh…?!"

The moment his eyes met with KangWoo's, he subconsciously backed off.

'What?'

Those weren't the eyes of a human.

It was a ferocious look similar to a beast, or maybe a reptile.

'No.'

Han TaeHyun's face became pale.

It wasn't anything like that.

The killing intent was stickier and more unpleasant than the one from a beast.

Fear spread through his body as if he'd seen inside the Abyss.

'This is…'

Han TaeHyun found a word that matched those eyes.

The thoughts didn't last long.

"Demon…"

Demon.

He had never seen a demon in real life, nor did he know a lot about them.

But Han TaeHyun himself couldn't understand why, but he thought there probably wasn't a better word to describe KangWoo than that.

"Huff, huff."

Whir-.

Han TaeHyun gathered mana while breathing heavily. The killing intent that had overwhelmed him disappeared.

'I was probably wrong.'

He glared at KangWoo.

There was no way a killing intent capable of overwhelming him had come out from a beggar like him.

Han TaeHyun shook his head to erase the killing intent he'd just felt from his memories.

He didn't want to admit that he'd shaken in fear of a beggar who was crying because the kimchi stew got spilled on the ground.

KangWoo, who was silently glaring at Han TaeHyun, spoke in a low voice.

"Are you the one?"

"What…?"

"The one who dared to spill my kimchi stew."

"Ha, did this beggar lose his mind?"

Han TaeHyun smiled and focused his mana on both fists.

He activated the strength of 'Flame's Touch,' the 2nd awakening attribute he’d received when he reached level 10.

Fwoosh-!

Both of his fists were covered in blue flames.

The blue fire in both of his hands was so intense that it seemed like it was about to burn down the entire house.

Attribute Skill…

A unique power of players that lets them use the power of the newly obtained attribute.

That was the player's strength which allowed them to fight back the monsters that were flooding Earth from the gates.

"Be careful!"

Han Seol-ah extended her hands while shouting.

She shot an arrow made of light targetting Han TaeHyun's head.

The attribute she had obtained after awakening as a player was a D rank attribute called 'Trace of Light.'

Rather than attack, it was more focused on buffs or recovery.

"Hmph."

Paf-!

Han TaeHyun easily countered the light arrow by brushing it off with his hands.

He wasn't weak enough to lose to a low-level player who hadn't properly awakened an offensive attribute.

"Hmph!"

* * *

While making a short shout, Han TaeHyun charged toward KangWoo.

Targetting KangWoo, he swung his fists covered with blue flame.

Swipe-!

"Huh?"

KangWoo just tilted his head a bit and dodged the attack.

From his left hand, a dark blade appeared.

KangWoo bent down and easily dodged Han TaeHyun's attack towards his head, and then swung his sword.

"Ugh!"

Han TaeHyun twisted his body while shouting.

'He isn't fast.'

Although he could feel intimidating energy coming from the sword, it wasn't fast. Han TaeHyun focused his attention on the sword and moved his body.

It was at that moment…

Paf-!

"Ugh!"

KangWoo's feet hit his stomach.

The black sword was bait from the beginning.

It was a fake to make Han TaeHyun's attention focus on another thing.

"This son of a bitch!"

The damage itself wasn't big.

Han TaeHyun swung his fists while cursing.

Whack-! Paf-!

"Ugh!"

Once again, KangWoo dodged his attack with minimal movements; he then punched him twice in the face.

KangWoo bent toward the staggering Han TaeHyun and threw his left hand.

Han TaeHyun quickly moved his blue-flamed-covered arms to KangWoo's left hand.

Slam-!

"Coff!"

Boom-!

As if he was expecting him to do that, KangWoo pushed his left hand back and performed an uppercut with his left fist.

After being hit on the chin, Han TaeHyun rolled down onto the ground.

"Huff, Huff."

Han TaeHyun looked up at KangWoo with a pale look on his face.

He was stronger and faster.

—That meant the opponent had a lower level and stats than him.

But…

'Just who's this bastard?'

It was a way of fighting he'd never thought of.

Most people would use their main weapon to attack, but he’d used it as a fake and taken that momentary gap to counter.

It was as if a swordsman had used his sword as bait and engaged in hand-to-hand combat.

"Aaahhh!"

As if he was about to have a heart attack, Han TaeHyun leaped toward KangWoo while shouting.

But the result was the same—KangWoo completely overwhelmed Han TaeHyun as if he was fighting against a kid.

Paf-!

"Coff! You, you, what are you?!"

He had no weak points.

He could feel an overwhelming amount of battle experience.

Was this how it would feel fighting against a warrior who had fought on the battlefield for tens of years?

Han TaeHyun was being beaten up by a beggar who had been crying because of a kimchi stew.

Smash-!

"Aaahhh!"

The black sword went through his left hand.

"It hurts!!! It hurts!!!"

"It isn't over yet."

With a cold voice, KangWoo twisted the black sword.

Squish-

You could hear the chilling sound of bones being broken.

"AAAHHH!"

As the pain spread through his body, Han TaeHyun jumped like a fish.

KangWoo stabbed his right hand with the black sword next.

The rage of the Demon King wouldn't die with just one hand.

"There's still a long way to go before you pay the price for dropping the kimchi stew."

"Wh-why are you doing this? It's just kimchi stew!"

"…"

KangWoo's body stiffened after hearing Han TaeHyun's shout.

"What… did you say?"

He looked at him as if he'd said something outrageous.

"Did you say… Just… kimchi stew?"

There was no way he had said something so outrageous.

That was something that shouldn't be said.

Kimchi stew and the word 'just,' didn't go along.

It was an existence a little bit more sacred than that.

"Just…! Kimchi stew?!"

Paf-! Pow-!

"Cough! Coff! Ahh! H, help me!!"

The assault got more aggressive.

KangWoo kicked Han TaeHyun's head as if it were a soccer ball. Han TaeHyun's face became full of blood.

"Cough! Ugh!"

Han TaeHyun let out a painful groan.

Although Han TaeHyun's stats were higher than KangWoo's, he couldn't help but feel pain while being one-sidedly beat up.

A mind-boggling pain spread through his body.

"Oof, ooff. Now, say it once again. Kimchi stew is?"

"Cough… Ki-kimchi stew is… A sacred f-food…"

"Good."

It seemed like KangWoo liked that answer. He smiled while nodding.

He grabbed the hair of the terrified TaeHyun and spoke in a low tone.

"Now, say it once more. Kimchi stew is?"

"A… s-sacred existence."

Han TaeHyun said while trembling.

KangWoo frowned as if he didn't like how he’d said it.

"Your voice is too low."

"The k-kimchi stew is a sacred existence!"

"There's no soul in what you're saying!"

"The kimchi-stew! Is a sacred! Existence!"

"Louder! As if you were praying to a god! As if you were a man confessing your love to a girl! Shout it with more emotion!"

"THE KIMCHI STEW!!! IS A SACRED EXISTENCE! AAAHHH!"

—A scream that was closer to a cry.

But it still didn't have the tone KangWoo wanted.

He shouted while shaking his head.

"This isn't the sound! It's still lacking!! Turn it up seven octaves!!"

"Kimchi-stew!! Coff! Cough! Cough!"

Han TaeHyun, who was forcibly raising his voice, ended up coughing.

A killing intent began spreading through KangWoo's body.

"What are you doing? Can't you do it properly?"

"I… I'm sorry!"

"Do it one more!! Louder!! Squeeze your soul out!!"

"THE KIMCHI STEEEEWWWW!! IS A SACRED EXISTENCEEEE!!"

Han TaeHyun squeezed everything he had and said it while crying.

KangWoo finally seemed satisfied with the answer. He gave a pat on his shoulder.

"Sob, sob, sniff…"

Han TaeHyun began crying.

He opened his mouth while his face was covered in tears and snot.

"Just what's wrong with this crazy bastard… Sob sob."