After Ten Millennia in Hell

Side Story Chapter 2 - Are You Gonna Take Responsibility?

"I need some air," said Oh Kang-Woo as he pulled himself away from Han Seol-Ah.

The brain-bursting shock had died down a little.

"Y-You're leaving?" Seol-Ah asked in surprise. She anxiously bit her lip and grabbed Kang-Woo's arm. "P-Please don't go."

She looked like she was about to burst into tears at any moment. She yanked Kang-Woo toward her and crossed her arms and legs to restrain him.

She yelled obsessively, "I don't want to be separated from you anymore!"

Kang-Woo's eyes faltered for a moment, but his resolve did not.

"I have to go."

"Ngh...!"

Seol-Ah looked down at Kang-Woo worryingly as she held him.

He patted her on the back and continued, "You don't have to be so worried. I'm just gonna be at Balrog's place."

"Mr. Balrog's place...?"

Her worried expression softened. They lived relatively far away from Balrog back in Seoul, but Balrog currently lived on the basement floor of the apartment. All Kang-Woo needed to do was take the elevator down.

"Yeah. There's something I have to do," Kang-Woo replied.

"And you need to meet other people too. You've been with me for an entire month."

"I don't need anyone else but you," said Seol-Ah as she pouted and turned away.

There was nothing more important to her than being with Kang-Woo. Nothing was worth more than taking care of him by his side.

"Seol-Ah," said Kang-Woo in slight anger.

He was happy that Seol-Ah loved him so much but did not want to let that destroy her interpersonal relationships. After all, they would live far too long to spend time with only each other.

"Ngh..."

Seol-Ah flinched. She shut her eyes tightly and let go of Kang-Woo. "Then I'll go visit my mother... and spend time with Yeon-Joo and Lilith."

"Okay."

Kang-Woo smiled and held her hands. The sensation of her soft skin tempted him like narcotics.

'I can't.'

He shook his head to free himself from the temptation. Regaining his power and restoring his original form took priority at the moment.

"Alright, I'm off."

Kang-Woo changed into clothes that fit his size, which Seol-Ah had bought for him, and set off. He walked down a long hallway and pressed the elevator button.

***

"So you are saying..."

There was a basement floor specially made for Balrog in the luxury apartment off the coast of Busan, which Kang-Woo bought and renovated so that all of his comrades could live there.

Three basement floors were turned into one so the five-meter-tall Balrog could live comfortably. On that floor was a special training room protected by a shock absorption barrier, specially made for the training junkies Balrog and Kim Si-Hun.

Balrog, who had been warming up in the training room, was wide-eyed from Kang-Woo's sudden visit.

"You want me to help you train so you can regain your powers?"

"Yeah." Kang-Woo nodded, as serious as he could be.

Balrog was put in an awkward position as he felt the unwavering resolution in Kang-Woo's eyes.

"My king. It has only been a month since you came out of the Abyss after devouring it."

It had taken three years for Kang-Woo to come out of the Abyss. Balrog could imagine how grueling those three years must have been for Kang-Woo.

'No, it wasn't three years.'

That was the time that had flowed in reality. A powerful being experienced time flowing much slower once they entered the world of their consciousness. Moreover, this was no ordinary powerful being; it was Kang-Woo, who had reached a stage one could never fathom.

'It might have been...'

Kang-Woo could have struggled in the Abyss for centuries, millennia, or even longer.

It was far too merciless of a fate for his king, who managed to return victorious in that endless war, to only be given a month of rest.

"You have to rest, my king."

"..."

"The otherworldly invasions have not stopped, but they are nothing compared to what happened three years ago."

There had been no large-scale invasions like the one the Parasite King staged in the past three years. Balrog patted his king on the back to reassure him.

"And even if they do come, I will wipe them all out! So..." Balrog slightly teared up. "You can... slow down your pace just a little."

His king had been moving forward even before the two of them met. He walked toward a place no one could ever reach or fathom, without rest. It was only because he had lived such a life that he was here today.

"Balrog."

Kang-Woo stared at Balrog with deeply sunken eyes. A boundless black sea was reflected in his black pupils.

The king of the Demonic Sea, the master of the Abyss, continued, "I... can't stay like this."

Balrog bit his lip. He was pained at the sight of his king, desperate to regain his powers after only a month, despite returning from an unfathomable battle.

"I can't..." Kang-Woo clenched his fists, and his shoulders trembled. "Stay like this, dammit."

He looked down. He could feel the miserably dwarfed lump of flesh between his legs.

'My... My Fran?ois. No...'

He couldn't live like this. Seol-Ah had said it was cute, but he could not accept this miserable situation.

'I have to get my powers back.'

If he did not, his body would not return to normal.

"My king," Balrog said sorrowfully.

Kang-Woo looked back up and locked eyes with him.

"Why... Why are you being so hasty?!" Balrog yelled in anguish.

Kang-Woo remained silent. His gaze couldn't help but falter. "Uhh... well, you see..."

Fran?ois was dead; he had shriveled up like a grape to a raisin.

'Shit. How should I fucking explain this?'

Kang-Woo couldn't find the words. He was the Demon King, so it was too pathetic for him to say that he was trying to regain his powers because his dick had shriveled up.

"Is it perhaps because... you don't trust me?"

'Huh? Where did that come from?'

"Do you think that I'll die powerlessly like last time?"

'No.'

"I...!! As long as my name is Balrog, I will never leave you by yourself again, my king!! I will stay by your side forever!!"

'Who asked?'

"Sniff! My... My king!!"

'The fuck? Why are you crying? I should be the one fucking bawling my eyes out, not you.'

"My king... you can stay like that."

"What...?"

Kang-Woo's sense of reason turned off.

Boom!

He jumped up to grab one of Balrog's horns, grabbed his neck, and glared at him.

"Did you just say... I can stay like this?"

It was impossible for the current Kang-Woo to even leave a scratch on Balrog, but he could at least express his fury.

"Who the fuck do you think you are?"

"M-My king..."

Kang-Woo gritted his teeth and continued, "Who are you to decide something like that?"

"..."

"What the fuck?!!"

'You want Fran?ois to stay as a Vienna sausage?'

"What the fuck do you know to be spouting such bullshit?!!"

Kang-Woo roared in desperation. Tears welled up around his eyes before he realized it. He looked down at Balrog's black shorts, a piece of sportswear that he custom ordered for Balrog. He could feel the powerful aura of Balrog's Big Magnum Vulcan Cannon through the shorts. Tears flowed down Kang-Woo's cheeks.

"You... You can't understand how I'm feeling right now!"

'What are you gonna do if Darling says "Huh? Is that when it's hard?" in disappointment and sighs?! Huh? What are you gonna do?!'

"Are you gonna take responsibility? Are you?!"

"I... I will."

"Huh? What did you say?"

'No, Balrog. I'm sorry. You're not supposed to take responsibility for that. You shouldn't. Don't.'

"I will take responsibility and protect Earth in your place so you can rest in comfort!!"

'Oh, that's what you meant. Sheesh, say things straight, will you? I almost killed myself from shock, dammit.'

"You can rest now, my king," Balrog muttered, his eyes watery.

Kang-Woo stared at the crying Balrog.

'Hold on a second.' His eyes gleamed. 'If he's already assuming the reason why I'm trying to regain my powers, I can just roll with it, can't I?'

Kang-Woo let go of Balrog's horn and jumped back down on the ground.

"Balrog," he called in a low tone after taking a few steps. He swept his hair back and continued, "You know me. You know better than anyone."

Kang-Woo's eyes, filled with thick darkness, were locked on Balrog. He proudly stood in front of the five-meter-tall demon.

"I never stop."

He was far smaller than Balrog but was emitting enough overpowering pressure to force Balrog to take a few steps back.

"Ah..."

Balrog flinched. Although he had lost his powers and become smaller, the man before him was undoubtedly his king.

Balrog slammed his forehead into the ground and said, "I apologize, my king. I was a fool."

He had made a blunder despite knowing better than anyone what kind of person his king was and what his life had been like. Kang-Woo was right; he had never stopped. He had always moved forward.

"I will do everything I can to help you regain your powers."

"Good."

Kang-Woo smiled brightly and nodded. He clenched his fist in a way so that Balrog couldn't see it.

'I've acquired my assistant.'

Fortunately, he had an idea about how to hasten his reconstruction. It was worth a try as long as he had Balrog's help. He slightly bit his lip and resolved himself.

'Wait for me, Darling! I'll make my PP great again!'