Player who Returned 10,000 years Later

Oh Kang-Woo’s thoughts went blank. The tiny pieces of Fel’s body tumbled across the ground. He grabbed one of the pieces with one hand; black blood from the piece of flesh wet his hand.Nôv(el)B\\jnn

“FEL—!!!”

Firean’s screams echoed from the sinkhole. He charged at Satan in tears— a truly moronic act. No matter how hard Firean struggled, he was no match for Satan.

“BRING HER BACK!! BRING FEL BACK!!!” he screamed as if throwing a temper tantrum, begging for the impossible.

[Silence.]

Satan lightly frowned and pushed the charging Firean aside.

“Kurgh! Gah!”

It had been a slight gesture for Satan but it brought large consequences for Firean. He was flung powerlessly aside and tumbled across the ground. His right leg was bent unnaturally.

“Hurgh… Waaaaaaaaahhh!” Firean bawled his eyes out as he crawled with his broken leg.

He likely also knew that no matter how much he begged and struggled, Fel would never return.

“WHY DO WE HAVE TO DIE?!!” Firean shouted resentfully, the frustration and rage he had been holding in all this time bursting out. “WE’RE NOTHING TO YOU!!! WE’VE DONE NOTHING WRONG!!!”

The princes of Hell were after Kang-Woo, not the Halves. The Halves were simply being killed like insects just for being with Kang-Woo.

“YOU COULD’VE JUST TAKEN THAT SON OF A BITCH AND THAT WOULD’VE BEEN THE END OF IT!!!” Firean’s unbridled rage, with nowhere to go, could only be pointed at Kang-Woo. “WHY?! WHY?!! Why do we… have to die so wretchedly…?”

Tears flowed down Firean’s cheeks. He curled up into a ball as he held the pieces of his little sister’s body and cried.

[It is simple.]

Satan put his foot over Firean’s head. Firean gritted his teeth as his head was being trampled by Satan’s foot.

“Because we’re Halves? Are you saying we have to die this way because we’re half-baked?”

Firean bit his lip, blood coming out of it. Half, Half, Half— the mark of contempt and ridicule engraved on them from birth. The damn mark had killed countless demons like him.

[No.] Satan shook his head. [You are not dying here because you are Halves.]

He added more strength to his foot on Firean’s head.

[Demons only die because of one reason,] Satan remarked coldly. [Because they are weak.]

Crush!

Firean’s head cracked open. His brain matter leaked from his broken skull and doused the ground.

“...”

Kang-Woo blankly stared at the sight on the ground. The blood from Firean’s crushed head mixed with the blood from the pieces of Fel’s body.

[Are you angry?] Satan smirked as he trampled on Firean’s headless corpse. [Become stronger, human. Use the wrath and resentment as nourishment for your growth. And...]

His yellow eyes inside the shroud of darkness shone with madness.

[Kill me.]

“...”

Kang-Woo did not answer. He simply looked down blankly and wet his hand with the blood of the two siblings mixing on the ground.

“Hmm, it seems the filth has been more or less cleaned up,” Lucifer said as he looked around and slowly walked toward them.

[Did you not finish Balrog off?]

“I had a feeling I would have a use for him in the future.”

Lucifer shrugged as he expressed his arrogant pride. Satan narrowed his eyes and stared at Lucifer, as well as Mammon and Belphegor watching the situation unfold from afar.

[Now, then,] Satan remarked coldly. [Do you all mind fucking off if you are done here?]

Rumble—!!

Suffocating demonic energy flowed out of Satan, shrouded in darkness.

“Hehe, you want us to leave after coming all the way here?”

“Puhi! Puhihihi!! Not a chance!”

Belphegor and Mammon approached Satan as their eyes glinted.

[Oh? You want to have a go with me, do you?]

Satan’s eyes shone with great interest. A two-meter greatsword appeared from the shroud of darkness.

He asked with rage, [Do you truly believe weaklings like you two are a match for me if you join forces?]

Belphegor and Mammon shrugged slyly.

“Puhihi!! I would think you were the Prince of Pride if I didn’t know any better!”

“Of course, we cannot defeat you with just the two of us,” Belphegor remarked leisurely. “However…”

He pointed at someone with his bony finger as he was still seated in his wheelchair. Satan looked to where Belphegor was pointing and saw the Prince of Pride’s eyes shining with interest.

“What about Lucifer?”

[...]

Satan’s expression slightly crumpled. He could face Belphegor and Mammon at once with no issues. However, it was impossible to face them plus Lucifer, and come out victorious.

“What an interesting turn of events.” Lucifer smiled arrogantly, amused by the situation.

“Puhihihi!! A three-way battle of the princes of Hell!” Mammon cackled humorously as he shook his fat-riddled arms.

A three-way battle between the princes of Hell had never occurred in the history of the Ninth Hell. Since the princes of Hell were the only ones who could defeat one another, they rarely met in one place. However, four of the seven princes of Hell had gathered to find one human and confronted one another.

The tension was palpable in the air. The princes of Hell glared at each other as even a twitch could ignite a spark to start the battle— and Kang-Woo was sitting alone amidst the war of nerves.

“Ah…” Kang-Woo groaned as his consciousness flickered.

He raised his head and saw the four princes of Hell preparing for a confrontation, paying no mind to him.

‘Why?’

Kang-Woo had no idea. The princes had mentioned Bael but he had never even met Bael.

‘Why did things turn out this way?’ he continued to ask himself.

He could feel extreme pain from his destroyed intestines. He could barely even lift a finger. He felt dizzy from the storm of emotions in his head.

- Umm… I-I’ve brought you some tea.

Kang-Woo recalled a memory. He felt like he was about to puke. He didn’t know why he was recalling that disgusting and bitter tea in this dire situation.

“Hah,” he chuckled without realizing it.

Kang-Woo raised his hands and covered his face. The fragments of his memories of the past three years tore him apart.

“Ha… Haha.”

He lowered his head and saw the pieces of Fel’s body and Firean’s headless corpse.

“A-Arghh,” Kang-Woo groaned as he crouched and scratched his cheeks with both hands.

His fingernails dug into and pierced his skin, blood mixing with his tears. The burning sensation in his heart hurt far more than his torn cheeks and mangled intestines.

“A-A-Arghhh.”

Kang-Woo squirmed wretchedly on the ground.

‘Why, why, why, why, why…’

The questions filled his head. Why was this happening to him? Why did only things like this happen to him?

- You become the king.

A firm and deep voice echoed inside him, eradicating the questions in his head. Yes, the cause of this entire thing was simple. It was because he was weak— because he was not the king. Hence, he naturally lost everything.

“Yeah…”

Kang-Woo slowly brought his hand to his chest and felt the sea of demonic energy lying dormant in his beating heart— and the three sturdy and massive Doors sealing it.

‘If I open this…’

Not even Kang-Woo knew what would happen. The unleashed current of demonic energy could contort him and cause him to explode, but one thing was for sure. Once he opened these Doors, there was no going back.

‘Even so…’

Kang-Woo slowly stood up as he staggered.

[I do not wish for unneeded bloodshed.]

“Then how about you give up?”

[Nonsense.]

“Puhihihi! Or we could share that human!”

The princes chatted as if they couldn’t see him… as if he didn’t exist… as if his pain and desperation were nothing.

[Nonsense again.]

“Puhihi! What? Isn’t it a good idea? We can cut him up into pieces and share him!”

The princes set their desires ablaze as they talked noisily. It was only natural; after all, Kang-Woo was nothing to them but a dying insect.

“Haaa,” Kang-Woo exhaled.

He placed his hand over his chest and slowly turned his hand.

Rumble—!!!

An immense current of demonic energy poured out despite not even fully opening a Door.

“Kurgh…”

Kang-Woo’s consciousness flickered and grew weaker. However…

‘For…ward.’

To a place higher… where no one could ever reach.

Wriggle.

Black mucus flowed out of Kang-Woo. Sticky demonic energy surrounded him.

“What the…?”

“Puhihihi! What are you doing, human?”

The princes turned their attention to the dying insect they had paid no mind to until now.

“...”

Kang-Woo slowly walked forward in silence. His steps were no longer wavering.

‘Balrog.’

He looked down at the wreck of a red giant panting heavily.

‘You were right.’

The weak crawled. The defeated died. The only right the weak possessed was to suffer. The rule that governed Hell was simple and clear. The only way to protect what was precious to him and never lose them was to become king.

Boom!!! Rumble—!!!

Kang-Woo stomped his foot, shaking the surroundings. The black mucus that flowed out from him spread. A current of immense demonic energy stormed with Kang-Woo at the epicenter.

“P-Puhi? Wh-What’s happening?”

“What demonic energy…”

The princes stepped back in pallor as they expressed shock.

“Hear me, princes of Hell.”

He slowly turned toward the three Doors sealing the sea of demonic energy. He swung open one of the Doors, which he had never opened, and acted as a seal that should never be undone, without hesitation.

“Here, I declare…”

He would become the predator of predators… the demon of demons… the Hell of Hells.

“I…” Kang-Woo declared to the princes of Hell, beings of absolute power. “Will become king.”