After Ten Millennia in Hell

"Okay. How long will it take for him to be healed?"

"He will be well enough to be able to move in a few hours."

Even while saying that, the Hwarang Corps member seemed to have a hard time believing it.

Chains had pierced Kim Jae-Hyun's entire body, and he'd also been slashed from his collarbone to his pelvis. Despite that, the outlook was that he would be mostly recovered in just a few hours.

It was true that having top-notch hospital staff and healers treat him aided in his swift recovery. However, the main reason was that Kim Jae-Hyun's recovery speed was absurdly fast.

"Put mana restraints on him as soon as they finish treating him and then bring him to the investigation room," Baek Hwa-Yeon ordered.

"Yes, ma'am!"

Unlike the surprised member of the Hwarang Corps, Hwa-Yeon was calm. She knew about the superhuman capabilities of a Player in their Ninth Awakening. As long as their vital organs weren't hurt, it wouldn't take them long to recover.

'However, we don't want him to recover fully.'

The real problem would occur if Jae-Hyun were to recover fully. It would be better if he recovered just enough that he could talk.

"I'll be leaving to take care of them," Hwa-Yeon told Cha Yeon-Joo and Oh Kang-Woo, gesturing to the members of the Mir Guild.

Hwa-Yeon gazed at the Mir Guild members, who were like soldiers who had lost their general.

After Jae-Hyun was neutralized, the Mir Guild members didn't put up any resistance or try to escape. It was the expected reaction, considering they had watched their leader suddenly lose his mind and get defeated soon after. Moreover, the Mir Guild's power was heavily centered around Jae-Hyun, so the situation was quickly resolved upon his defeat.

After Hwa-Yeon left, Yeon-Joo turned her head to Kang-Woo.

"What did you do?" Yeon-Joo asked, glaring at Kang-Woo with a thorny gaze.

Kang-Woo shrugged and calmly answered, "I just fiddled around with Kim Yeong-Hun's memories a little."

"... You can even alter memories?"

"I can do a lot of things."

Yeon-Joo remained silent.

In her mind, she knew that his strategy had been brilliant. With it, they managed to defeat the Mir Guild without any casualties, which was an amazing achievement. They would've suffered great losses if Jae-Hyun hadn't lost his mind.

'But...'

Yeon-Joo recalled Jae-Hyun's lunacy. She understood why he had gone mad. His son could not even remember his name… It would've been stranger if Jae-Hyun didn't feel an ounce of despair in that situation.

She wasn't sure what Kang-Woo had done to make Kim Yeong-Hun lose his memories, but just thinking about that made her sick. Yeon-Joo almost pitied Jae-Hyun and Yeong-Hun, the father and son whom she had bad blood with.

'Although they aren't people whom I should ever feel pity for.'

Thinking about all the pain that they had caused, maybe it was a fair punishment. No, it probably wasn't enough. It was widely known that Yeong-Hun was an asshole. He had ruined the lives of countless people. Jae-Hyun was even worse. The mountain of corpses in his wake was as tall as the mountain of wealth and power that he had accumulated.

'I guess this is what you would call... poetic justice?'

Yeon-Joo felt confused.

In terms of punishing evil and rewarding good, Yeon-Joo did not believe that the one who had dealt the punishment, Kang-Woo, was good in the slightest. Rather, it was as if evil had been devoured by a greater evil.

"... What are you, really?" Yeon-Joo asked, looking at Kang-Woo warily.

She couldn't make sense of the man named Oh Kang-Woo. She wasn't even sure if he was the same person whom she'd investigated before recruiting.

"I'm human, as you already know."

"Enough of that bullshit. This goes beyond talent at this p—"

"Cha Yeon-Joo," Kang-Woo said, cutting her off.

Their eyes met, and Yeon-Joo flinched, suddenly feeling chills run down her back. She felt that Kang-Woo's eyes, which were as deep as an abyss, were about to devour her.

"I can help you, and you're of great help to me. Isn't that good enough?" Kang-Woo asked.

"…"

"You don't need to know much, nor are you obligated to understand everything. The world doesn't vanish just because you close your eyes. The important thing isn't who I am, but what you want to do. You said that you wanted to get revenge before, right?"

"Yeah…"

"I will help you get that revenge. I will help you wipe out the Demon Cult that killed the person who's dear to you, so…" Kang-Woo's deep voice flowed into Yeon-Joo's ears. "Just close your eyes."

Yeon-Joo thought his words were sweet beyond belief. They felt so pleasant that it was as if her mind was about to go numb. She believed that she'd be able to get what she wanted as long as she followed that sweetness.

Yeon-Joo felt like she could finally understand the phrase 'sweet whispers of the devil.' She had thought that it was cringy nonsense when she first heard it, but it matched the current situation perfectly.

'I guess I haven't been raising a tiger cub.'

Yeon-Joo bit her lip. She thought that she could see another figure overlaying Kang-Woo—a smiling demon with goat horns and bat wings.

Then she wondered in regret if sponsoring Kang-Woo had been an irreversible mistake. He had grown strong enough to be on par with her in less than two months. She couldn't even think of how strong he would become in the future.

'It's too late now.'

Yeon-Joo would not cry over spilled milk.

'In that case...'

Her gaze quivered as the memory of a beautiful girl with shoulder-length black hair resurfaced in her mind. Jeong Ha-Eun—that was the name of the Red Rose Guild member who used to follow Yeon-Joo around as if Yeon-Joo were her older sister.

Veins protruded from the skin of Yeon-Joo's hands as they clenched into fists, and an uncontrollable rage surged inside her. She looked at Kang-Woo and remembered his sweet words about helping get her revenge.

It didn't matter if he was a tiger or a demon. Yeon-Joo had a goal that she had to achieve, even if she had to join forces with a demon to do it.

Yeon-Joo closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and then opened her eyes again.

She said, "The process aside, thanks. We were able to capture Jae-Hyun without any casualties thanks to you."

"You're welcome," Kang-Woo replied.

Then he looked around and asked, "Are we going to go to the investigation room right away?"

"Of course. Considering what we went through to get this opportunity, we have to dig up as much information as possible before the Demon Cult makes a move in response," Yeon-Joo answered while leaking out a strong bloodlust.

It seemed that she had quite a deep hatred toward the Demon Cult.

"You're coming too, right? Kang-Woo?"

"Obviously."

If Kang-Woo didn't go, he would've captured Jae-Hyun for nothing.

Yeon-Joo nodded and walked toward her car with Kang-Woo following behind her.

* * *

A few hours later…

Kang-Woo, Yeon-Joo, and Hwa-Yeon were sitting in the investigation room, waiting for Jae-Hyun.

Click.

The door opened, and Jae-Hyun was dragged in. He had been bound with mana restraints all over his body. The restraints were similar to the straitjackets that were used in mental hospitals.

Jae-Hyun glared silently at Kang-Woo while leaking out an intense bloodlust. His hair, which had been neatly slicked back before, was in a complete mess. The dark circles under his eyes and his sullen cheeks showed that he was in terrible condition.

"I have a few questions for you."

It was Hwa-Yeon who spoke first.

"Since when have you been involved with the Demon Cult?" she questioned with a hard voice.

"…"

"Is there anything you know about the 'summoning'?"

"…"

"Do you know anything about the man in the red demon mask?"

"…"

There was no response from Jae-Hyun. Only Hwa-Yeon's voice could be heard in the investigation room.

Hwa-Yeon slapped Jae-Hyun violently.

Crash!

Jae-Hyun fell from his chair.

Hwa-Yeon looked down at him furiously and said, "Answer the questions. At this moment, you are neither the CEO of Mir Electronics nor a guild master. You're nothing but a criminal who joined forces with a fanatical cult."

"…"

"I told you to answer the questions."

Hwa-Yeon grabbed Jae-Hyun's disheveled hair.

The corners of Jae-Hyun's mouth curled up.

"Do you seriously think I'll talk?" Jae-Hyun said.

"…"

"No matter how much power the Hwarang Corps possesses, you're nothing but a dog of the government—a dog that does as it's told. Baek Hwa-Yeon, have you forgotten who I am? How many congresspersons do you think I have under my beck and call?" Jae-Hyun continued with a malevolent smile. "Do you still not understand? You are the dogs, and I am the owner holding the leash. How dare a dog bare its teeth toward its owner?"

"You goddamn psychotic motherfucker..." Yeon-Joo, who had been listening in silence, cursed.

She stood up and grabbed Jae-Hyun's collar. The bracelet on her slender wrist shone red, and red chains emerged from it and instantly enveloped Jae-Hyun. The thorns on the chains penetrated the mana restraints and dug into Jae-Hyun's skin. The mana restraints quickly became wet with blood.

"Kurgh," Jae-Hyun started to groan in pain.

"Talk."

"Kurghhh..."

“I said, talk.”

"G-Gaahh."

"TALK, YOU MOTHERFUCKER!!!" Yeon-Joo's scream rang throughout the investigation room.

Even while suffering immense pain, Jae-Hyun laughed, "K-Kehehehe... In the end... you will all lose against him. You can't even imagine... how massive they are... or what they are... planning."

"You—!"

"Stop, Yeon-Joo. It would be bad if Kim Jae-Hyun dies," Hwa-Yeon said.

After Hwa-Yeon talked Yeon-Joo down, Yeon-Joo took a deep breath and called the chains back into her bracelet.

The two women looked at him in frustration. They weren't sure how to get him to talk.

At that moment, Kang-Woo, who had been silently watching, spoke up, "All right, I guess it's my turn now."

"You!" Jae-Hyun roared, frowning angrily upon seeing Kang-Woo.

"Tell us everything you know about the Demon Cult," Kang-Woo said.

"Hmph, are you deaf? Do you seriously think I'll talk?"

"Yes. I think you will," Kang-Woo replied with a soft laugh. He looked at Jae-Hyun and said, "I'll return them."

"What...?"

"If you tell us everything you know, I'll return Kim Yeong-Hun's memories."

"...!"

Jae-Hyun's eyes widened, and he started to tremble. He recalled Yeong-Hun, who had called him 'mister' while looking right at him.

This was an offer that Jae-Hyun couldn't refuse. There was simply no way that he could turn down having his son recognize him again.

Jae-Hyun clenched his hands into fists.

"Y-You...!"

He was blinded by irrational rage.

Kang-Woo had made Jae-Hyun's son forget about him and was even using that as leverage against him. Jae-Hyun could not resent Kang-Woo any more than this.

"YOOOOUUUU!!" Jae-Hyun bellowed.

In a frenzy of rage, he twisted and turned under the mana restraints, trying to break free. Yeon-Joo and Hwa-Yeon grabbed Jae-Hyun as he attempted to charge toward Kang-Woo.

Jae-Hyun let out a scream filled with hatred and resentment, "YOU WILL GO TO HEEELL!!"

His scream was closer to a wail.

Kang-Woo smirked and said, "I've already been there, man."