After Ten Millennia in Hell

Side Story Chapter 134 - Thousand-Year War (7)

Oh Kang-Woo’s head went blank for a moment. He couldn’t understand what Balrog was talking about.

“What...?”

Kang-Woo turned to Balrog wide-eyed.

Balrog answered, “You become the king of Hell and change it.”

“Hah,” Kang-Woo chuckled at the absurdity. “Change what? The discrimination against the Halves? The gazes of contempt and scorn?” He burst into laughter. “Fucking wow, we have a human rights activist over here! Or should I say, demon rights activist?”

Becoming the king of Hell for the poor Halves and freeing them from discrimination and oppression— it couldn’t sound like more of a damn joke.

“Why the fuck should I?”

Kang-Woo was indeed shocked by Kanile’s death and enraged by how the demons treated Halves like insects. However, he had no reason to become the king of Hell for them. He had no desire to or the obligation.

“I am not telling you to become the king for the Halves,” Balrog clarified.

“Then what?”

“If there is something you do not like or annoys you to the point that you can’t contain your rage...”

Bang!

Balrog stomped his foot and stood up. The towering five-meter red demon looked down at Kang-Woo.

“The only way to resolve it is to become the king.”

Power in the Nine Hells was equivalent to absolute truth. If the Halves were as strong as adult demons, they would not be discriminated against.

“The weak crawl. The defeated die. The only right the weak possess is to suffer. That is the only rule that exists in Hell.”

“...” Kang-Woo stayed silent.

“So, will you become king?”

Kang-Woo averted his gaze from Balrog. His resolution of killing the princes of Hell and returning to Earth was unchanged, but becoming the king of Hell was entirely a different matter.

Power in Hell did not refer to individual combat prowess. Combat prowess, authority, political power, and leadership all fell into power. A strong demon without authority was but a strong idiot; authority without combat prowess was but a sand castle that could crumble at any moment.

‘And...’

One couldn’t become king just because they had enough power to kill the princes of Hell. One could only become king after reaching the pinnacle of all categories of power. It was not something an individual could accomplish. Accepting subordinates and growing one’s army was the first step on the path to becoming the king of Hell.

“No.” Kang-Woo shook his head without hesitation.

He had no intention of accepting demon subordinates and gathering forces. Accepting a subordinate was no different from pledging that he would be responsible for paying the price of their loyalty.

‘I’m sure it’d be possible to get someone’s loyalty without a corresponding return and with no strings attached.’

Kang-Woo could beat them up until they swore their allegiance or just threaten them with their life.

‘But I doubt it’d last long.’

Earth’s history has proven multiple times the wretched end that resulted from tyranny. To be a king, subjects needed to be unconditionally loyal to him. A king without loyal subjects did not deserve to be called a king.

“I don’t want to become king,” Kang-Woo answered.

“Hehe. You don’t want to?” Balrog chuckled. He shook his head and continued, “You mean you don’t have the resolve.”

Kang-Woo flinched.

“Do you, a human, not have the confidence to earn a demon’s allegiance? Or do you not have the confidence to gain enough power to surpass the princes of Hell? Or—” Balrog stared at Kang-Woo coldly. “Do you not have the confidence to be responsible for a life?”

“...”

Kang-Woo bit his lip in silence. A crazy sense of displeasure and other disgusting emotions stormed in his mind. He recalled Kanile’s mangled corpse— with his four horns pulled out and eyes rolled backward.

“I...”

The cold he felt from touching Kanile’s body spread through him like poison and froze him.

“I see,” Balrog remarked.

Kang-Woo wondered what Balrog had realized.

Balrog nodded and said, “I will go.”

“Go... where?”

“To my hut. There is still a week left.”

“...”

Boom, boom.

Balrog walked toward the cave. Kang-Woo waited until he couldn’t see him anymore.

“Fuck...”

He fell to the ground with his back on the rock wall. He placed his hands over his forehead and bit his lip. The plethora of unfamiliar emotions jumbled in his mind. He had never felt such emotions even on Earth.

“I should never have lived here.”

Kang-Woo chuckled in self-hatred and stood up. His head felt like it was about to explode but he couldn’t waste time sitting around. He still had things to do.

***

“A High-level demon... attacked our territory?”

Zepar’s expression hardened in disbelief. All demons carried contempt for Halves but only Low or Intermediate-level demons went out of their way to invade the Halves’ territory to kill them. High-level demons were powerful enough to have a place in the princes’ armies; they did not waste time meaninglessly hunting Halves.

“It’s possible he was aiming for me.”

“You, Sir Kang-Woo?”

“Yes.” Kang-Woo nodded and continued, “The bastard knew I was here. I might have been the only reason he was even here.”

“No way...” Zepar slurred in pallor. He said reluctantly after some thought, “In that case... it seems we have no choice but to leave this place.”

They did not know for sure if the High-level demon was here for Kang-Woo but as long as there was a possibility, it was far too dangerous to stay in this cave.

“Yes. You will have to get ready to leave,” Kang-Woo remarked.

“What about you...?”

“Of course, I will accompany you until you find a new hideout.”

Zepar’s expression hardened. He thought about the meaning behind Kang-Woo’s words.

“Are you perhaps... leaving us?”

“...”

Kang-Woo nodded in silence. He wanted to stay in the village longer— no, he wanted to be with them forever.

‘I can’t.’

Kang-Woo shook his head to shoo away the temptation. This place was far too different from the Hell he had experienced until now. It was not cold, lonely, or painful.

‘That’s exactly why... I have to leave.’

He couldn’t stay here any longer.

“I... understand.” Zepar slowly stood up and bowed deeply to Kang-Woo. He smiled brightly in a way that one wouldn’t think he was a demon and said, “Thank you very much for protecting this good-for-nothing village all this time. If it weren’t for you, we would have continued to spend every day trembling in fear.”

“...”

Kang-Woo was about to say something but stopped himself. He grabbed Zepar’s hand and shook it. Unlike his abnormally muscular left arm, his right arm was pitifully withered.

“I will tell the children to pack their things,” Zepar said.

“Okay.”

Zepar went outside. Kang-Woo, left alone in the hut, looked around with a blank gaze.

“Three years...”

He had spent the past three years in this hut— the first place he thought of as home ever since he fell into Hell.

‘It was only three years.’

The three years he spent here were far more memorable than the nine millennia of his desperate struggles to survive. He felt like they would be engraved into his memories forever.

“But I... have to go.”

Kang-Woo stood up. Since Balrog said he was going to leave in one week, he might also have to bid him farewell.

‘It’s okay.’

He just needed to go back to his life several years ago— the life he had experienced for millennia where all he thought about was staying alive with just the thought of returning to Earth driving him. He just needed to go back to the life he was all too familiar with.

‘I can do it.’

He would survive like he had always done— no matter how wretched and desperate it was.

‘Forward.’

He would walk forward.

“Jeez, I guess I should pack up too.”

Kang-Woo had a few things to pack as well since he had spent three years in the same place.

“Oh.”

His expression froze when he saw the old cup on his table as he was packing things into his bag. It was the cup Fel used to brew him tea with the bloodlight plant. He was about to pack it as well but stopped himself.

“I... won’t need it anymore.”

Kang-Wo wouldn’t need to taste that disgusting tea any more either. They were going to leave as soon as preparations were complete and he was going to leave the Halves once he found them a secure hideout.

Shatter.

He crushed the cup in his hand. The cold fragments poked his hand. He brushed them away and wore the bag.

Creak.

Kang-Woo opened the door and came out of the hut.

“S-Sir Kang-Woo!”

“I-Is it true that you’re leaving us?”

Firean and Fel approached him in tears. Kang-Woo smiled faintly and patted the two demons’ heads.

“I’ll be with you until we find a new hideout.”

“No way...”

“Sniff, waaaaaahh!!!”

Fel burst into tears as she grabbed Kang-Woo’s clothes. Tears flowed from her six eyes.

“Sniff! P-Please don’t go, Sir Kang-Woo...”

Fel’s appearance did not look hideous to Kang-Woo at this moment for some reason.

“You guys hurry and pack your things too.”

“Yes... sir.”

“Sniff! Sniff!”

Firean and Fel nodded in tears.

“Haaa...” Kang-Woo sighed deeply and turned to the cave entrance. “Huh?”

He noticed someone standing at the entrance. It was not Balrog; it was a demon far smaller, close to Kang-Woo’s size.

‘Who is that?’

Kang-Woo narrowed his eyes and stared at the unknown demon that appeared at the entrance. He couldn’t tell what the demon looked like because he was shrouded in darkness.

“H-Huh...?”

All he could see were two shining yellow eyes.

“Sir Kang-Woo!! A-A demon!!”

“A strange demon appeared!!”

The little demons near the entrance shouted as they pointed at the demon.

“Wait...”

A chilling sense of uneasiness traveled down his back.

[I found you.]

The demon at the cave entrance took a step forward.

Slash—!!

“Aaaaaack!!!”

“Kyaaaaahhh!!!”

The little demons pointing at the demon were sliced into pieces as they screamed.

“Haaa, haaa,” Kang-Woo panted heavily and stepped backward wide-eyed.

He could barely breathe. His teeth clacked loudly. His mind had turned blank and he couldn’t even think. His legs were shaking so much that he felt like he was about to collapse any second.

“What... the...”

[Allow me to introduce myself.]

At the entrance was—

[I am death. I am the end.] n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

[I am the father of all wrath, and I am wrath itself.]

[I am...]

— Despair itself.

[Satan.]