Player who Returned 10,000 years Later

[Hahaha! Yes! It was all planned by me!!] Satan screamed out in agony.

KangWoo, who was looking at him, nodded.

'He finally admitted it.'

It seemed like he had finally reached a point where he couldn't lie anymore.

Despite trying to act dumb, his true colors finally showed.

'I knew it.'

It was impossible to hide the truth.

Even if Satan tried to cover the truth with lies, it was as futile as trying to block the sun with the palms of your hands.

The truth had finally come to light.

"SATAANN!!"

Anger brimming from his very core, Raphael charged toward Satan.

KangWoo sat with his legs crossed while using the Authority of Concealment.

'It would be perfect if I had some popcorn.'

They said that the most entertaining forms of entertainment were watching fires and fights.

Although he'd never watched a movie in a cinema, he could guarantee it wouldn't be more entertaining than what was going on in front of him.

'Huh?'

He turned around.

"Lud… wig…"

He looked at Kim ShiHoon, who had re-joined the battle after stopping the landslide pouring toward the Guardians’ rear base.

Kim ShiHoon stood in front of Ludwig while holding the Holy Sword.

Ludwig looked at Kim ShiHoon with blank eyes.

"Hmm…"

KangWoo fell into thought.

'Should I make Ludwig retreat?'

To be honest, Ludwig's role in his strategy was already over.

The best thing would be to order him to retreat if he wanted to use him later.

"Damn it, damn it, damn it!!" Kim ShiHoon screamed.

Seeing the first friend he had made as an undead was making him suffer.

KangWoo clicked his tongue.

'Making Ludwig retreat could be worse.'

An Abyss Knight was quite useful because of its strength.

After a simple test, he realized it had strength comparable to Kim ShiHoon’s, but…

That was Ludwig’s limit.

Kim ShiHoon had a bright future; he would keep getting stronger, but Ludwig couldn't advance any further.

'Pushing Kim ShiHoon all the time could bring worse results.'

Up until that point, Kim ShiHoon had just suffered because of Satan—he hadn't been able to overcome Satan's evil plans.

'If things keep going on like this…'

Even if it were Kim ShiHoon, he would end up breaking, and he would blame himself even more for not being able to do anything.

'That could be troublesome.'

The carrot and whip needed to be balanced.

Granting his friend, who had been turned into an undead at Satan’s hand, eternal rest would be a great opportunity for ShiHoon to stop blaming himself.

'So this is it for Ludwig.'

- Master…

At that moment, he received a call from Balzac.

- Should I order Ludwig to escape?

"No, let him fight."

- Hmm.

Balzac didn't seem to understand why.

- Understood. Then I'll order him to deal as little damage as possible.

"You don't need to. Make him fight with everything he has."

- Will that be okay…? he asked in a worried voice.

KangWoo nodded without hesitation.

Based on the situation, the one who was at a disadvantage was Kim ShiHoon.

Although they were similar in terms of strength, Kim ShiHoon had just finished stopping a landslide with his sword.

It was incredible he'd gotten there without having exhausted his body.

'Still…'

KangWoo smirked.

'Kim ShiHoon's going to win.'

He didn't have a reason to think that—it was just a guess based on his intuition.

You could call it trust.

'That’s just the way he is.'

It wasn't just because his talent was incredible. ShiHoon’s will was also incredibly strong.

'He's a reckless person who’s even willing to borrow my strength.'

He would win at all costs.

"You don't need to worry about ShiHoon.":

- Understood, then…

"Don't show yourself. Just use the undead to gather the angel corpses."

There were numerous angels taking part in the war.

It would be better if Balzac didn't appear.

- Everything as the King wishes.

The communication ended.

KangWoo raised his head.

Satan and Raphael were clashing in the sky.

"How long are they going to keep fighting for?"

It was about time they reached a conclusion.

'Should I join?'

The moment he began wondering if he should join the fight…

BOOM-!!!

"Huh?"

A strong torrent was heard, and KangWoo frowned and looked toward it.

'That's…'

Satan was holding something that was the size of his fist.

A huge amount of demonic energy fluctuated with a black object at the center.

'What's that?'

KangWoo's expression hardened.

It wasn't a Demonic Energy Stone—it felt too foreign for it to be that.

He narrowed his eyes.

Badump. Badump.

His heart beat fast. He felt his lips dry and a huge craving in his neck.

'Why does it feel so familiar?'

Darkness swirled around it.

It was definitely something he'd never seen before, even when he was in the Hell of Nine Skies or after he'd returned to Earth.

But…

For some reason…

'I recognize it…'

His head hurt.

The demonic energy inside the Ten Thousand Demon Core fluctuated.

Just like he always did, he reigned it in.

'Calm down.'

He had to maintain his rationality.

The moment he let it go, he would get devoured by his demonic energy.

KangWoo took a deep breath and held his chest.

He looked at the fluctuating darkness.

"Ugh! What's that?!"

It wasn't just Raphael who was surprised.

He felt a huge fear from the darkness Satan had taken out.

'That's…'

His two eyes widened.

'Why is that here…?'

His body trembled.

A long time ago, in the mythic era…

In the times of gods and giants…

There was an item known as the 'First Darkness' that the heavenly gods Seraphim, Gaia, and Celestial Dragon Tae MooGeuk divided into three pieces and sealed away.

The Root of Evil…

That fragment of the ‘First Darkness’ was fluctuating in Satan's hands.

"Sa… tan… You bastard…"

Raphael's expression paled.

Satan vomited blood as he held the ‘First Darkness’.

[Ugh, agh, ah.]

A huge amount of demonic energy was fluctuating in his hands.

Satan couldn't handle that crazy strength.

[Damn it!] Satan cursed aggressively.

In reality, he wasn't planning to use it like that, but since he couldn't see the Demon King, he had to at least get rid of Raphael.

'I don't have time.'

The duration he could control the strength inside the Roof of Evil for was just a few seconds.

He had to end it before the time ran out.

'First, I must eliminate Raphael.'

After that…

Black blood spurted out of Satan's mouth.

His red mask turned black.

For his plan to work, he had to face the Demon King and Raphael simultaneously, but that plan had gotten twisted.

The Demon King hadn't appeared and was making fun of him from a distance.

—The plan had failed.

'It isn't over yet.'

Satan's eyes shone.

He knew what kind of crazy bastard the Demon King was, and he'd already thought of the worst possible scenario.

He had thought of what would happen if the Demon King didn't die after he used the Root of Evil.

'If I can drag the Demon King to that place…'

He would win.

Satan accepted the wavering demonic energy into his body and raised 'Anger.'

A huge vortex of demonic energy was created.

[Die, Raphael.]

"Where did you get such a horrifyingly evil thing?!" Raphael shouted.

The eight shining wings and the holy spear of light targeted Satan.

BOOM-!

A loud, nightmarish sound boomed through the sky.

* * *

KangWoo returned to his senses after hearing that loud noise.

"Was that Satan's hidden card?"

KangWoo narrowed his eyes at Satan.

As long as Satan wasn't stupid, he thought he would surely have a hidden card.

'That’s also why I sent Raphael first.'

KangWoo looked at Satan with sharp eyes.

As expected, Satan revealed one of his hidden cards.

'Was that… how the archdukes were able to recover their strength in a place without demonic energy like Earth?'

To be honest, it surprised him.

He knew they probably had a hidden card.

Just like a sprout didn't grow in a dry land, there was no way the Demon Cult could have grown so much in a place with no demonic energy like the Earth, but…

'I didn't expect it to be this strong.'

Satan was able to overwhelm Raphael as the darkness surrounded him.

If he'd faced it upfront, he wouldn't have been able to beat him without using the Ten Thousand Demon Core.

"Well, he doesn't seem to be in a good state either."

Satan was vomiting blood while fighting against Raphael.

There was probably a strength not even archdukes could control within that ‘Darkness’.

"As expected."

He began to crave that strength, and saliva gathered in his mouth,

His heart began beating faster, and his body felt hot.

'I wonder how it would feel…'

‘To eat that.’

"Haa."

KangWoo took a deep breath and tried to control his craving.

Crack-!

"Cough! Ugh!"

He heard something being crushed and raised his head while wetting his dry lips.

'Is it over?'

Raphael was shouting in pain after being pierced by the pitch-black sword.

KangWoo narrowed his eyes.

'Is he dead?'

He saw Raphael losing a lot of white blood.

KangWoo clicked his tongue.

'He's alive.'

Raphael was flapping his wings.

Although he'd been critically wounded, he hadn't died.

KangWoo turned his head to Satan.

[Haa! Haa! Cough!]

Satan kept vomiting black blood.

Although he targeted Raphael's vital point, he failed to hit it and pierced another part of his body.

Satan frowned.

'I can’t push it further than this.'

It was too bad he couldn't finish Raphael, but using more of the Root of Evil’s strength was too dangerous.

[Ugh.]

Satan looked around and saw the Demon King sitting on top of some debris.

Although he was hiding his body while using an Authority, he could perfectly see through it at that moment.

'Demon King…'

Satan glared at him.

His last card…

It was something he had kept for the worst scenario.

WHOOM-!

He used the fluctuating ‘Darkness’ to create a black fissure.

"Agh!"

"R-run!!"

Demons and players screamed as they tried to escape the Darkness.

It was as if a small black hole had appeared.

Satan threw his body into the black fissure.

"Ha…"

KangWoo laughed in disbelief when he saw the black fissure.

"So that's what you're going to do?"

It was like Satan was saying that he would have to follow him into the fissure if he wanted to kill him.

KangWoo slowly got up and looked at the black fissure.

"It's obvious that it's a trap."

The way Satan had looked at him made it obvious.

'What a cute bastard.'

He really sucked at acting.

"Okay, then…"

KangWoo didn't think any further and turned away.

An obvious trap set by the enemy…

'There's no reason to answer it.'

Why would anyone fall for such an obvious trap?

'I can keep using Satan later…'

His thoughts were cut short.

KangWoo lowered his body while holding his heart.

"Ah, ugh."

His eyes widened.

A strong craving he'd never experienced before was burning within his heart.

"Fuck. What's this?"

His body trembled.

A horrifying craving stimulated his neck.

‘Eat it-.’

He heard someone's voice.

‘Crunch it, devour it-.’

It was a voice he couldn't refuse.

His consciousness blurred.

"Oh, fuck."

KangWoo lowered his body and planted his hands on the ground in an effort to hold himself back.

"What's this?"

It was a craving so intense that it was like a nightmare.

It wasn't that a black dragon that had been sealed away had been set free. What was going on?

KangWoo desperately tried to control the demonic energy running amock inside him.

'Damn it.'

His legs began moving on their own as if he'd turned into a puppet.

KangWoo's expression distorted.

'I can't go against it.'

He knew he didn't have the strength to control his actions.

"Fuck."

KangWoo didn't try to defy it anymore.

'If I can't go against it…'

He would at least enter on his own.

Ignoring the craving pushing him, he jumped into the fissure.

Ting-

[You've entered the nightmare of the 'First Darkness.']

A blue message window appeared.

['Divinity' has forcibly interfered with the system.]

[Your level has been set to 1.]

[All of your stats have been set to 1.]