Chapter 518 - I Am Satan

Chapter 518 - I Am Satan

"How...?"

Oh Kang-Woo stared at Balrog in disbelief. The stupid demon covered in red muscles, who crushed his own heart to protect his king, was somehow alive.

"It's thanks to Seol-Ah," Lilith answered in Balrog's place.

"What?"

Kang-Woo stared at Han Seol-Ah, unable to understand. He knew her extraordinary healing abilities and how they far surpassed his Authority of Regeneration. However...

"You brought a dead person... back to life?"

The power of resurrection was on a whole other level than healing. It was impossible to bring the dead back to life even if she possessed the soul of Seraph. After all, even Celestial Goddess Seraph was but a god.

"How in the world..."

Kang-Woo stared at Seol-Ah, his eyes shaking anxiously. The miracle she had pulled off was impossible with just her powers. His current self was the perfect example of what happens if one uses powers beyond their capability.

"It was... the power of Nostrian," Seol-Ah answered.

"Nostrian?"

Nostrian, the Titan of time. Kang-Woo's expression was dyed in confusion after the name that he thought had become irrelevant after Kim Tae-Hyun's necklace broke was mentioned again.

"My king. Let us leave the questioning for later," said Lilith as she approached him. As she had mentioned, there was no time to wonder in detail about Nostrian. "We have to get you out of th—"

Lilith approached Kang-Woo to pull Kang-Woo, whose head was the only part of his body exposed, out of the black mucus.

"Stay back," commanded Kang-Woo as she glared at her.

Lilith flinched. Kang-Woo's eyes were filled with sorrow.

"If you come here... you'll die too."

Even now, he felt like his consciousness would be burned away at any second. The desire to eat was about to take over him.

"My king..." Lilith muttered as she shed tears.

"Kehehe. How unlike you, my king," Balrog snickered as he walked toward Kang-Woo.

Kang-Woo's expression filled with shock as he hastily yelled, "You fucking muscle pig! Do you wanna die again that badly after you were brought back to life?"

However, Balrog did not stop.

"I have already died once." He smiled and continued, "I guess it wouldn't be so bad to die for my king again."

"Hah," Kang-Woo chuckled. "Fucking hell, stop trying to act like a badass."

He couldn't help but snicker.

Balrog smiled and said, "I could say the same for you, my king."

"What?"

"Ye who pass me... to the city of grief."

Kang-Woo's eyes widened. "Y-You fucking..."

"Hehehe. It was a rather magnificent incantation."

"Y-You son of a bitch! You were listening?! No wait, you were dead at the time!!"

Balrog tilted his head in wonder and answered, "Hmm. Come to think of it, I was. But I have memories after the fact for some reason."

"Balrog."

"Yes, my king."

"You should just die again."

"Hehehe. I will set my life ablaze as many times as it takes for you, my king."

Balrog got on one knee and bowed his head.

Silence fell.

"Pfft." Kang-Woo burst into laughter unbeknownst to himself. "Bwahahahahahaha!!"

His consciousness was fading, his sense of reason and intelligence were being eaten away by desire, and he was in so much pain that he could go insane at any second, but...

"Hahahahahaha!!"

Kang-Woo couldn't stop laughing. He found the stupidly joyous situation and the happy ending mixed with coincidence and fate all too precious to him.

"My king," Balrog called quietly. His mischievous expression from earlier was nowhere to be seen. He stared at Kang-Woo, who was covered in black mucus, and asked, "Will you... be able to endure it?"

He had once seen Kang-Woo in this state; at the climax of the thousand-year war during his battle against Bael. During that battle, the Demon King opened the Second Door of the Ten Thousand Demon Core and destroyed everything around him, his sense of reason completely gone. It was no exaggeration to say that Kang-Woo's survival after that battle was no less of a miracle than Balrog's resurrection.

'But...'

The situation was different; he had opened not two but all three Doors. He destroyed himself as the vessel and allowed the Demonic Sea to run out of control. Even if the same miracle were to occur, Kang-Woo would not be the same as before. There was only one way.

'The king has to... devour the Demonic Sea.'

Kang-Woo needed to beat the Demonic Sea into submission and gain complete control over its power— no, he needed to become the Demonic Sea itself.

It would be a battle against a sea of demonic energy, which had devoured millions of demons, and one person. It couldn't even be called a battle, just like how a person couldn't fight a sea.

'But...'

There was no other way for Kang-Woo to come back. If he couldn't resist the encroachment of the Demonic Sea and devour it, he would not be able to stay as Oh Kang-Woo.

"You're asking if I'll be able to endure it?" Kang-Woo asked.

The battle to devour the Demonic Sea would be nearly endless. He would be engaged in a hopeless battle for almost an eternity.

"What's wrong with you, Balrog?" Kang-Woo smiled. He then said as if the answer was obvious, "You know who I am."

"Kehehehehe!" Balrog chuckled.

"I want to see Si-Hun and the others before I go, but..."

Wriggle.

"Shit, shit, SHIIIIIIIIIIT!!" screamed Amon as he pulled his gray hair. He could tell that everything had failed and that Bael had lost. "How..."

Amon staggered.

"Huup!" Si-Hun took advantage of that opening and pounced like a beast.

Stab!

"Kurgh!"

Si-Hun's sword pierced Amon's stomach.

"How... How did the Third Door..." Amon continued to stare at the black sun even with a sword piercing him. He mumbled, "At this rate, the Primordial Knowledge... the Titan..."

Amon trembled.

"DAMMIT!"

He smashed his staff in two.

Rumble—!!

Enormous amounts of demonic energy stormed as soon as the staff broke.

"Kuh!" Si-Hun grunted as he quickly jumped backward.

Amon, who was staring up at the sky with blank eyes, was slowly sucked into the black storm.

"It was... almost in my grasp." Amon frowned fiercely and shouted, "IT WAS JUST ONE STEP AWAY!!"

His voice was filled with desire. He continued to curse as he disappeared into the black storm.

"Ngh."

Si-Hun was about to swing his sword at Amon as he disappeared into the storm but shook his head.

'I have to get to hyung-nim.'

He did not have any more time to waste. He turned around and leaped forward, speeding to where the black sun appeared.

Grrrrrrk!

"This is..."

However, black mucus began to pour out of the black sun and prevented him from advancing any further.

"Shit!"

He quickly raised his sword and swung it at the tsunami of black mucus.

Slash! Slash!

However, the black mucus regenerated instantly after each slash, no matter how many times he swung his sword.

"Shit, shit!!" Tears flowed down Si-Hun's cheeks. "Kang-Woo... hyung!"

He bit his lip and continued to slash the black mucus. He advanced little by little as he wished for his will to reach Kang-Woo.

***

Split.

A crack formed on the black crystal on the ground.

Shatter!

The orb broke, and black demonic energy surged out of it.

"Gaaaaahh..."

Demonic energy gathered and took the form of a demon with black scleras, yellow irises, and horizontal pupils.

"I am..."

The demon extended his arm enveloped in thick demonic energy.

He said chillingly, "Death. I am... the end. I am the father of all wrath, and I am wrath itself. I am... Satan."

The Prince of Wrath, who had been defeated by the Demon King and devoured by him, manifested once again.

"K-Kehehe."

Satan looked down at himself. Immense power, far more than when he lost to the Demon King, was coursing through him.

"KAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!" He spread his arms wide and burst into crazed laughter. "FINALLY, FINALLY, FINALLY!!!"

He gritted his teeth.

"I... I have returned, Demon King!! To fulfill my rage! My hatred! My wrath will devour you!"

Satan recalled everything the Demon King had done to him— all the humiliating memories.

"I will tear apart everything you have with my wrath!!" shouted Satan, the Prince of Wrath.

Grrrrrrrrk!

"Hm?"

Just then, a tsunami of black mucus engulfed him as he was in the middle of laughing madly.

"H-Huhhh?" Satan expressed confusion. "Wh-What is this?! W-Wait! G-Get off of me!! A-Aaaaahh!"

He was sucked into the black mucus after making contact with it even a little.

"N-NO!! I've... I've only just been revived! NOOOOOO!! Wh-What the hell is this s-sticky substance?! WHAT THE HELLLLLLLL!!"

Grrrrrrk.

He had been sharpening his blade all this time as he imagined his revenge, but he ended up disappearing into the black mucus.

"D-Dammit. Why is this happening to me? S-Stop... Why the fuck are you doing this to me...?"

Urghhhhhh.