After Ten Millennia in Hell

The door to Oh Kang-Woo's room opened. Kang-Woo, who was reading a Guardians mission report that he received from Gaia in his room, turned his head.

An innocent-looking woman was smiling and looking at him. Her pure image turned immediately to one of a lustful enchantress just from a simple smile.

"What's up?" Kang-Woo asked.

"I have something to report," she said.

Kang-Woo turned his chair and faced Lilith.

She continued, "I finished brainwashing three cardinals, so I sent the first batch back to the Demon Cult."

"Already?"

Kang-Woo looked at her in surprise. It had been only a week since that disastrous fight against Satan and Lucifer had ended. The three were cardinals of the Demon Cult, so he hadn't thought that they would fall under submission so easily.

A deep smile appeared on Lilith's face.

"Fufu. Master Kang-Woo, you know how good my honey-trapping techniques are."

"… You even used the honey trap?"

He couldn't understand it. In Lucis's case, Lucis had the same sense of beauty as a demon, but that wasn't the case for the cardinals. Even though they had accepted demonic energy into their bodies, they were still normal human beings.

No, even if they had become more demonlike after accepting the demonic energy, their values and tastes shouldn't have become that different from a human's.

'At least that was the case for me.'

Kang-Woo frowned.

"Yes. Fufu. My looks seem to be very effective even on humans."

"…?"

Kang-Woo thought, 'What kind of nonsense is that?'

"I created a clone of myself and locked the cardinals away in tentacles for three days straight."

"…"

"Aah, to think they would fall so easily with just a clone… Humans are so simple." Lilith stuck out her long snake-like tongue and licked Kang-Woo's cheek. "But still, my real body and feelings are only directed toward you, Master Kang-Woo."

"… Urpp."

Kang-Woo quickly covered his mouth.

Most of the captured cardinals were old men full of wrinkles. Imagining what they had to go through made him want to puke.

'I'm glad I left things entirely to Lilith.'

He might have seen something horrifying if he had wanted to check things out and see how they were doing.

"So, did you get anything out of them?"

"I still have not gained any information regarding Satan's exact movements, but"—Lilith stroked her chin—"every cardinal that was brainwashed was sent to the same branch."

"Which branch?"

"A branch in Russia. It is the biggest branch that we have seen. There are at least ten thousand cultists in it."

"Ten thousand, huh?"

It was certainly the biggest branch of the Demon Cult they'd found.

"If it's that big, perhaps it's their headquarters and not a branch?"

"No. Based on the information I received from the cardinals, it does not seem to be their headquarters either."

"I see."

He nodded.

'Does that mean Satan is in their headquarters?'

He still didn't know for sure.

He said, "For now, keep track of Satan's movements while focusing on that branch."

There was no way Satan would remain still—he was definitely going to make a move.

'I must wait.'

If Kang-Woo rushed things, there was the possibility of Satan running away like Lucifer did. He couldn't let that happen. He would kill Satan once Satan fully came out of hiding.

"Is that all for the report?"

"Yes. I will let you know immediately once I learn anything new."

"Good work."

"Fufu, anything for you, my king."

Lilith laughed.

Kang-Woo groaned. This was why he couldn't come to hate Lilith despite everything that she had done to him.

'She's not only extremely capable but also loyal.'

It would be weirder if he hated her.

Kang-Woo laughed bitterly and turned around.

He asked, "Oh, you didn't forget about tomorrow, did you?"

"No, of course not. I also contacted Balrog earlier."

Kang-Woo had decided that he could connect the people he had met on Earth with his comrades from Hell.

In other words, a get-together.

They would just be spending time together while eating and drinking.

"I'll see you tomorrow, then."

"Hmm?" Lilith tilted her head, and the tips of her mouth went up. Her hair started to turn into tentacles.

"W-Wait."

"My, my. It would truly be a shame to go back so soon."

"Save me."

"You know that rewarding your subordinates for their accomplishments is the duty of a king… do you not?"

"Gasp."

A long tentacle stretched out and locked the door.

* * *

Chop, chop, chop.

The sound of ingredients being chopped on a cutting board was heard. The ingredients were cut uniformly as if a machine had cut them.

"Ngh…"

Han Seol-Ah looked at the closed door.

'I wonder what they're talking about.'

Lilith had entered the room, and she wanted to know what she was talking about with Kang-Woo.

"Haaa."

She sighed. She sadly lowered her head and kicked the ground while wearing slippers.

'I've barely been able to talk to Kang-Woo lately.'

After the appearance of a prince of Hell named Mammon, Kang-Woo had become even busier than before. Due to his Guardians work, training, and many other things that he needed to take care of, their chances to talk had plummeted.

'It's a bit…'

Lonely. Or at least, that's what she felt. Although they lived under the same roof, she felt like they were drifting apart.

"…"

Seol-Ah put the ingredients she'd just cut into a pot. The kimchi stew, which she could now prepare with her eyes closed, was boiling and emitting a delicious aroma.

She sat down in a chair and fell into thought, thinking about Kang-Woo.

'I wonder what Kang-Woo thinks of me.'

They'd been living together for two years. It was enough time to make even enemies fond of each other.

Not only that, but she had been interested in him from the beginning. It would be weird if she wasn't—he'd saved her from a life that would have been hell. Despite that, he had never asked anything of her and had just wanted her to stay by his side.

On one hand, she thought that falling in love with someone just because they had saved her life was like some cheesy 80's TV drama, but he'd done so much for her that it would've been weirder if she hadn't fallen for him.

'No.'

She shook her head.

She didn't have feelings for Kang-Woo just because he had saved her and pulled her from a life of hell. She pictured him; his eyes were sharp enough to look slightly fierce. He did whatever needed to be done without hesitation. He gave off the feeling that one could trust him and that everything would be okay as long as one stayed by his side and followed him.

'But…'

At the same time, his eyes sometimes looked too dark. He sometimes looked so miserable that he was on the verge of breaking down.

They were two completely different appearances.

It was as if he were forcing himself to move forward with rusted joints that barely moved.

On one hand, she trusted him, but she also wanted to protect him.

She had been sure of such feelings for some time. She wasn't sure if Kang-Woo had felt it, but she had sent him signs so that her feelings would be obvious to him.

Thanks to that, they were as close as family.

"But…"

She wasn't able to close the gap between them any more than that. It felt as if one more step would seal the deal, but that step couldn't be taken.

Seol-Ah pouted and angrily kicked the cushion at her feet.

"H-He even asked me to marry him."

Her face turned red. She recalled the first thing that he had said to her while grabbing her hand on the day they had met.

At first, she thought he was quite a peculiar person, but after hearing about his past, she understood everything. He'd met a person for the first time after spending ten millennia in Hell.

'I-I guess it's kind of like… destiny?'

He'd been locked away in Hell for ten millennia, and the first person he had met after crossing dimensions to Earth to protect it from the Demon of Prophecy, Satan, was her.

If that wasn't destiny, then what was?

Bubble! Tsss!

"Kyaa!"

She unwittingly screamed after hearing the pot bubble over. Seol-Ah ran toward the stove and turned off the fire.

"Haaa, haaa. C-Calm down."

She put her hand on her chest, bit her lip, and tried to get herself together. She controlled her breathing and turned around to look at the door again.

It was still closed.

Although it had been an hour since Lilith had entered, they still hadn't come out.

Seol-Ah suddenly began feeling anxious. She recalled what Cha Yeon-Joo had said to her a few days ago, "That idiot will never realize your feelings if you don't become more assertive."

'Assertive…'

Seol-Ah clenched her fist.

She'd never dated a man, so she wasn't sure about what to do. But, she wanted to at least take the challenge.

"Fufufu. I will see you tomorrow then, Master Kang-Woo~!"

At that moment, Lilith walked out.

"Oh?"

Her eyes met with Seol-Ah's, and a deep smile appeared on Lilith's face.

Seol-Ah's body stiffened.

Lilith was staring at her as if she knew everything. She walked toward Seol-Ah, grabbed her shoulder, and whispered in her ear.

"Winning the demon king's heart will not be easy," she said in a bittersweet tone. "I have tried for a very long time, but… I failed."

"Ah…"

Lilith wiped her wet eyes and gave a bright smile. "Please tell me your secret if you manage to do it."

"U-Umm…"

Seol-Ah hesitated because she did not know how to answer. Her relationship with Lilith was still awkward. No, even if they were close, it would be hard to answer. It was obvious that they were rivals aiming for the same man.

'Ms. Lilith spent a thousand years with Kang-Woo.'

Jealousy boiled within Seol-Ah.

She took a glance at Lilith's appearance. Lilith looked both pure and lustful at the same time. Although they were both women, Seol-Ah couldn't help but be impressed by Lilith's beauty.

She had seen Kurosaki Yurie in the news in the past, but she looked more beautiful than back then.

'I remember her saying that her real form is even more beautiful.'

It was hard to imagine a more beautiful appearance than that.

'She failed to win Kang-Woo's heart even when she's this beautiful…'

Seol-Ah's self-confidence vanished.

"Then, I will be rooting for you." Lilith waved and turned away. Although she had said that, she seemed sure that Seol-Ah would fail.

As Lilith walked out of the house, Seol-Ah anxiously bit her lip.

Clack.

"K-Kang-Woo?"

"…"

When she opened the door, she saw Kang-Woo sitting on the bed.

His eyes looked blank, and his cheeks were hollow. He looked like a soldier who had come back from war. He was even moving weirdly, like a broken watch or a broken wooden doll.

'He must be tired.'

It was natural, considering how busy he had been lately.

Seol-Ah's face was dyed with disappointment. It did not seem to be the right time to have a talk with him.

'I wonder how I can… win Kang-Woo's heart?'

She sighed and quietly closed the door.