After Ten Millennia in Hell

Kim Si-Hun shone with a vivid blue light, which spread over his surroundings. The strength of his Qi now couldn't be compared to before.

'Talk about a power-up machine,' Kang-Woo remarked inwardly.

Normal people struggled to experience a power-up even once, but Si-Hun had already done it twice. At that point, it wasn't enough to call him talented.

'But still…'

Oh Kang-Woo laughed.

It was widely known that one could not surpass talent purely with effort. In a sense, it was true. The wall of talent was too high and thick for it to be overcome with effort.

'For a human, that is.'

People had a short life span. It didn't matter how much effort they put in, there was a limit to the time that they could invest in that effort. However, Kang-Woo was different. He was a demon, an immortal. He'd struggled to survive for ten millennia.

Even if Si-Hun had accepted the soul of the Martial God and had been granted great talent by the heavens, it was still not enough to surpass the results of the effort that Kang-Woo had accumulated in that ungodly amount of time.

'Should I even be calling it “effort”?'

Kang-Woo had been far too desperate for it to be encapsulated by such a simple word. It had been a yearning for life—the natural desire of not wanting to die—that had made him what he was. That desire wasn't weak enough to lose against something like talent granted by the heavens.

"Haap!"

Si-Hun, who was covered by blue light, charged toward Kang-Woo.

Kang-Woo let his sword go. He lightly flicked his finger that he'd concentrated the Authority of Waves on.

Whaaaaam!

Waves of black light spread in all directions with Kang-Woo as the epicenter. There was nowhere for Si-Hun to escape. He had no other choice but to block it.

Si-Hun quickly raised his sword as a black wave engulfed his body.

"Kurgh!"

He was forced to bend at the knee. His strength left him as if his power-up had never occurred in the first place.

'This is the power of Satan,' Si-Hun thought with a pale face.

It was like looking at a mountain with no peak. He felt like he was looking down at a bottomless abyss. Si-Hun knew he wouldn't be able to win.

He became even more sure of something he had already known from the beginning. He wouldn't be able to surpass that demon with his current level of power.

[Not a bad struggle.]

"Kurgh."

[But a small fry will be just that, no matter how hard it tries.]

"Damn…"

Clatter. The El Cuero Blade fell to the ground as Si-Hun lost strength in his hand.

Satan approached him and asked, [Are you frustrated?]

"…"

[Do you feel like you’re about to lose all reason from wrath? Do you feel like your mind is about to turn blank?]

"Shut up," Si-Hun barked at Satan, who was mocking him.

Satan snickered. [Good. I like your eyes. They're full of wrath and resentment. That desire is what leads life itself.]

"Enough bullshit and put an end to this alr—"

[I won't.]

"...What?"

[Why would I end something so fun?] Satan said cheerfully.

"What do you..."

[I've taken a liking to you. Your wrath and resentment made me tremble. It excited and thrilled me.]

Satan moved his hand that still held Alec's neck, who continued to flinch in pain.

If Alec were a normal person, he would've died already. Nevertheless, Alec was a superhuman with superb physical capabilities, so he would be able to survive even if he were to stop breathing for an hour.

"What are you trying to do?" Si-Hun asked anxiously.

Satan grabbed Alec's face and brought it closer to his own.

[Do you want to save this man?]

"...Yes," Si-Hun replied with a nod.

Madness filled Satan's gaze.

[You were quite desperate. Your determination and fighting spirit have impressed me.]

"…"

[Hence...]

Crack.

A horrifying sound rang out as Satan crushed Alec's head. His skull burst, and his brain was turned to mush. Dark red blood and white brain matter dripped down.

"H-Huh…?"

Si-Hun's mouth fell open, and his eyes widened. He couldn't understand what he'd just seen.

Alec had died. The Sword of Justice, the person he'd admired and meant so much to him, had died in front of him just like that.

"A-Aaaah."

Si-Hun couldn't say anything; he struggled to form words. He trembled, and his mind went blank. The wrath that Satan had mentioned dominated Si-Hun's body.

"YOU SON OF A BIIIIIITCH!!"

Si-Hun picked up his sword and stabbed Satan with all his might.

Nonetheless, he no longer had any strength left in him. He was struggling even to hold his sword.

Ting. His sword fell away, deflected by Satan’s darkness.

Si-Hun tumbled to the ground yet again. He tried to get up, but he was too weak. He fell to the ground trembling. Yet, he still tried to crawl over to Satan.

[Yes, those are the eyes,] Satan said with satisfaction and nodded.

He laughed at how desperate Si-Hun looked. Satan approached Si-Hun relaxedly and lifted him off the ground.

While looking into Si-Hun’s resentful eyes, Satan slowly said, [The wrath and resentment you feel right now will nourish your growth.]

"…"

[Struggle desperately. Struggle while thinking of me.]

Satan's face closed in on Si-Hun’s.

[I am death, I am the end. I am wrath and resentment.]

The red mask tilted.

[I am Satan.]

"…"

Unable to speak, Si-Hun shut his mouth while the red mask was ingrained deep into his memories.

[Become stronger, human. Use the wrath and resentment as nourishment for your growth. And...]

The demon laughed next to his ear.

[Kill me.]

Thwack.

Satan struck Si-Hun's stomach with his fist. Si-Hun had been barely holding on, and with this, he finally lost consciousness.

After Si-Hun lost consciousness, Kang-Woo took off the red mask.

"Fuuu. What a shitty manner of speech.”

He couldn't help but cringe at what he had said to Si-Hun.

"How did that son of a bitch Satan talk like this?"

Kang-Woo imitated Satan’s usual manner of speech to speak to Si-Hun.

'Well, it wasn’t just the manner of speech that was the same.'

The situation was similar as well. When Kang-Woo first fought Satan, he suffered an overwhelming defeat.

After that, Satan said something similar, "Become stronger, human. Use the wrath and resentment as nourishment for your growth. And... kill me."

'And then I actually killed him.'

Satan's end was rather funny. Satan, who had been expressing all sorts of vanity, had not expected that Kang-Woo would grow strong enough to kill him. Once death was right around the corner, Satan became a pathetic being.

He'd said, "H-How could a human... have gotten their hands on the Demonic Sea?!"

"That's why you should always kill people when you have the chance instead of trying to act all cool," Kang-Woo stated.

He tapped his chest, where the Ten Thousand Demon Core resided.

Satan had been devoured by the endless sea of demonic energy in the core. Kang-Woo had not been able to devour the prince's soul, the most important part, because it had escaped into the Hell Armament. Nevertheless, he had managed to devour Satan’s Authority and his immense amount of demonic energy.

'I can't use it though.'

Kang-Woo hadn't been able to use the princes' Authorities even before his Ten Thousand Demon Core got sealed. Using a prince's Authority was impossible even for Kang-Woo, who had reached an incredible height in terms of controlling demonic energy.

"That aside..."

Kang-Woo glanced at Si-Hun, who had lost consciousness. He wondered if he'd overdone it but shook his head in the end.

'Si-Hun needed some stimulation.'

Si-Hun had everything—talent bestowed by the heavens, a marvelous master known as the Sword Emperor, and even benefits from the system. However, there was one thing he was lacking.

'Desperation.'

Kim Yeong-Hun and Kim Jae-Hyun were in prison. All the weight that Si-Hun had been shouldering had disappeared. His only motivation now was his admiration for Kang-Woo and the desire to become as strong as him.

'That's not enough.'

This was not child's play. To get stronger, a person needed to be desperate. That was the only way they could overcome the indolence that could strike at any time and grow instead.

'Please understand, Si-Hun.'

Kang-Woo had no choice but to use a radical method. Even if he had ordered Si-Hun to “be desperate”, it was completely different from actually being in desperation.

'Your sword needs to get dirtier.'

Si-Hun needed to turn his sword into one that reeked of blood, a sword that wouldn't hesitate to cut an enemy down in crucial moments. If he couldn't do that, he'd die.

'Just like Alec.'

Kang-Woo smiled bitterly and approached Alec's corpse. He extended his hand, and black flames burned Alec's corpse.

"I guess that puts an end to this."

He'd eliminated Alec and given Si-Hun strong stimulation. Si-Hun’s power-up had been a bonus. Now Kang-Woo just had to wait for Gaia to approach Si-Hun.

"I'll have to break my level cap somehow while I wait."

Leaving the Traits aside, weakening the seal of the Ten Thousand Demon Core was important too. Thinking about the level cap made him sigh.

'At least give me some sort of hin—'

His thoughts were suddenly cut short. He heard the distinct chime of a bell, and blue message windows appeared before him.

Riiing.

[You have defeated a Protector.]

[The energy of the system blocking your level has weakened.]

[Your level cap has risen to 69.]

[Applying accumulated EXP.]

[Your level has risen by 10.]

[You have achieved your Seventh Awakening!]

[Your stats have risen: Strength +11, Dexterity +9, Health +8, Wisdom +4]

'Huh?'

Kang-Woo's eyes widened. His level cap had lifted. What he'd craved so much had happened when he least expected it to.

'Killing a Protector was the way to break my level cap?'

Kang-Woo laughed in disbelief.

He would've continued on cluelessly if he hadn’t killed Alec.

Then Kang-Woo carefully looked at the system messages.

'I thought the next cap after Level 59 was at Level 89.'

After the first cap, there were no other ones besides Level 89, the end of the Ninth Awakening—also known as the Limit of Talent.

'But I'm capped at Level 69.'

There was no need to think about it anymore. The system had been suppressing his growth on purpose.

'And the way to lift that cap is to kill a Protector, huh?'

Kang-Woo looked at Si-Hun, who was unconscious.

For a short moment... For a really short moment, Kang-Woo drooled a bit, tempted to turn Si-Hun into his prey.

"No."

Kang-Woo shook his head and pushed aside his desire.

"Even if I can, I won't."

Si-Hun was his subordinate who had pledged his loyalty to him, as well as a comrade whose soul was bonded to him.

"Si-Hun..."

'You trust me, right?'