After Ten Millennia in Hell

Tap.

He swung his cane down at the ground. Black demonic energy flowed out of it and made contact with the sandstorm.

Poof!

The sandstorm exploded and scattered.

The old man, who'd just stopped a natural disaster with one simple motion, turned away while completely expressionless.

He started to walk again… nonstop.

Soon, a collapsed ruin appeared in front of him.

The old man looked around with sharp eyes, and…

"Aah…"

A short exclamation came out of him. He trembled in excitement, crouched, and dug through the sand. A book with a black cover appeared from beneath the sand.

"Ke… Keke…"

He burst into chilling laughter, his eyes filled with madness.

"Finally, finally…!"

He trembled while holding the book in his hands.

"I've found the truth!"

He smiled like Archimedes shouting 'Eureka!,' and he cheered while shivering in excitement. Mad energy permeated from the old man.

"Ke… keke."

He turned toward the desert.

Earth… a star where countless humans lived and a star filled with malice and madness. To him, this star—and all the people that breathed and lived on it—were targets of resentment.

"Now…"

The ends of the old man's mouth went up.

"The end is near."

* * *

"Hmm. You care more about that human than I had expected," Lilith said in surprise.

After all the time that they had spent together, she knew how much Oh Kang-Woo cared for his subordinates, yet she had never seen him give so much care to one particular subordinate.

"I am getting a bit jealous," Lilith said playfully while hugging Kang-Woo's arm.

Kang-Woo smirked.

"I'd say it's more of a matter of efficiency than care."

Even if Kang-Woo killed Kalgia himself, there wasn't much he could gain from it. Taking into consideration their current forces, there were only three who could fight against an Aspect of Evil on their own…

'Halcyon, Balrog, and Kim Si-Hun.'

The strongest one at the moment was Halcyon, then Balrog. Si-Hun was at the bottom.

'The one who can get the most out of killing Kalgia is…'

There was no need to think too deeply. There was one big difference between demons and demonic beasts, such as Balrog and Halcyon, and the human Kim Si-Hun.

'Si-Hun is a Player.'

He was blessed by the system. In other words, he could gain EXP and level up by killing Kalgia, which wasn't the case for Balrog and Halcyon because levels and EXP didn't apply to them.

It was inevitable that their growth expectancies would be different.

'Well, considering Balrog's recent doings, maybe that's not the case.'

One of the most surprising pieces of news for Kang-Woo as of late was when Balrog had awakened a new power known as the Overlord Armor, which should have been logically impossible.

'The limit of a demon is decided the moment they're born.'

A prince of Hell was born to be one. Demons of the Eighth or Ninth Hell were born in their respective Hell layer.

Surpassing that wall with their own strength was almost impossible.

'But…'

Somehow, Balrog had surpassed that wall and had overcome his limits and killed Belphegor. This wasn't only because Balrog had become stronger thanks to Kang-Woo's Demonic Energy stat rising. After all, one couldn't kill a prince of Hell just because their available demonic energy had increased.

'I'm sure he'll grow even more from now on.'

One who had surpassed their limits once could aim even higher. Just like Kang-Woo, Balrog would likely be able to reach even higher. That was why Balrog had been immersed in training lately.

"Anyway, can you make the preparations?" asked Kang-Woo.

"Yes. I will take measures so that we can go as soon as we confirm the location."

"We can't send Si-Hun by himself, so… make it so that an army can go with him."

There was no way Kalgia would be by himself. There was a high chance that the remaining forces of the Demon Cult were gathered around him.

'After all, he's the last remaining Aspect of Evil.'

From the Demon Cult's point of view, he was their last hope. In that case, sending an army was a must for Si-Hun to be able to face Kalgia one-on-one.

"May your will be done, my king."

Lilith slightly lifted the hem of her skirt and bowed.

"…"

Kang-Woo silently stared at her. He recalled the recent incident with Halcyon.

"There's something I wanted to ask."

"Anything you would like."

"You said you can't tell human beauty, right?"

"Ah, yes."

"You actually find them a bit disgusting, don't you?"

"…"

Lilith remained silent.

Even if they looked at humans as beings that were like fish, if demons had to choose whether humans were beautiful or not, they would most likely veer in the direction of humans not being beautiful.

'Some fish honestly look a bit hideous.'

Although it depended on the species, the ones that lived in the abyssal zone looked no different from demons.

"Mm. I do not find them beautiful or pretty, at the very least," Lilith answered while making a troubled expression.

Considering how she was answering in such a roundabout way, it seemed she actually found humans disgusting.

"Then does that mean I also look that way to you?"

"Fufu," Lilith giggled softly.

She extended her hand and touched Kang-Woo's cheek.

"That is not important. No matter what you look like, even if you look like the hideous Halcyon… I would still love you."

"…"

"Do you remember when you saved me from the hands of Asmodeus? Countless demons sought my love. They used to tell me that they would offer their lives to me like it was nothing. But…"

Lilith carefully caressed Kang-Woo's cheek as if she were touching a precious treasure.

"You were the only one who had stood between me and the prince of Hell."

"That was…"

"I know. You wanted the forces that followed me."

Lilith smiled.

"But still, I was happy. It made me think that, even if the whole world were to be destroyed, I would be happy if you were as well."

"…"

"Hohoho. I will get going, then. I will come again once the investigation is complete."

Lilith turned away.

"Thanks," Kang-Woo said quietly while looking at her walk away.

Lilith turned and smiled softly; then she closed the door.

Tap. Once the door closed, there was only silence left.

"Fuck…"

He clenched his hair. His mind had become unnecessarily jumbled.

'Well, first…'

He took a deep breath and shook his head. He couldn't focus on Lilith at the moment.

"Let's go raise my demonic energy control."

Kang-Woo got up. He was not trying to let Si-Hun grow by giving him Kalgia for Si-Hun's sake.

'I have to make my forces as strong as possible.'

The future became uncertain after the Satan Coin crashed into oblivion.

'There's only one thing I have to do.'

Just like when he had fallen into Hell, when he entered the Ninth Hell, when he declared war on all seven princes of Hell, and at any other time…

'I have to go higher.'

Keep moving forward while devouring everything in the world.

* * *

"Let us depart."

Si-Hun, who was standing in the front, turned. The Sirius Corps, the force under his direct command, stood in front of the gate in the Hall of Protection that led to the Middle East.

"Like last time, we will be acting on our own." A silver-haired angel approached Si-Hun. It was Shalgiel—Raphael's second-in-command and the angel sent to both help and keep an eye on Guardians.

Behind Shalgiel were angels that one could say were the elites among Raphael's forces and the Watchers of Light who were their servants.

"Yes, I would appreciate it," Si-Hun said while making a relieved expression.

Although he was in command of this operation, he still felt awkward around the angels. Commanding in such a situation would be uncomfortable, so having them act on their own made it easier.

"Understood." Shalgiel turned around.

"Alright, then…"

Si-Hun took a deep breath. A heavy sense of anxiety was weighing down on his shoulders, unlike usual.

"Come to think of it, where's Kang-Woo?" Cha Yeon-Joo asked while looking around. She was also a member of the Sirius Corps, but she seemed more like a party member than a corps member due to her personality.

"Hyung-nim said he couldn't come because he's busy with something."

"Busy?" Yeon-Joo frowned. "What could that guy possibly be busy with?"

She seemed highly dissatisfied that he was not taking part in this operation.

Si-Hun shook his head while making a bitter smile.

"I'm not sure, but…"

He remembered how sorry Kang-Woo looked because he couldn't join them—his expression had been dark and extremely serious.

"I'm almost certain it is a serious matter."

For someone who despised evil as much as Kang-Woo to not participate in the operation to defeat the final Aspect of Evil, he likely had something very important to do that Si-Hun was not aware of.

'Hyung-nim…'

Si-Hun thought of Kang-Woo, who was likely working busily elsewhere. He always thought of others, made sacrifices, and was more righteous than anyone else.

Si-Hun respected him more than he did anyone else in the world. If such a person was doing something without telling him, it was most certainly something too difficult to even express in words.

Light particles gathered around his hand, forming a pure-white sword.

Clack.

He grabbed Ludwig and swore an oath.

"I will finish off the Demon Cult in your place, hyung-nim."

* * *

Click.

"Whoa, it worked."

Kang-Woo's eyes shone while looking at the item he'd cleverly created using the Authority of Projection and the Authority of Subordination. He had created it for this very moment.

Si-Hun's field of view was put up in front of him like a TV screen.

"Ngh, I'm a little tired," Kang-Woo said with drowsy eyes.

He had become dead-tired from all the extreme practicing to surpass the limit of his demonic energy control. For the past few days, he had practiced without any sleep.

'This isn't something that can be recovered with the Authority of Regeneration.'

Even a demon king would become mentally exhausted after staying between the border of life and death every second of the day.

'To be honest, I'm extremely sleepy, but…'

He couldn't afford to miss such an opportunity.

Kang-Woo reached for the object he'd prepared for this moment. He cracked open a can of beer and munched on some of the popcorn he'd prepared beforehand.

"Go, Si-Hun!"

He waved his light sticks.

"You got this, my little bro!!"