After Ten Millennia in Hell

Chapter 516 - Miracle (1)

Grrrrrrrrrrk—!!

A tsunami of black mucus spread and voraciously devoured everything in its path. The black sea grew larger at an extraordinary rate as if it were trying to devour the entire world.

"A-All forces, evacuate!!" shouted Layla, who was commanding Guardians in Kim Si-Hun's place.

A black tsunami suddenly appeared as they were in the middle of a fierce battle against Bael's army. It did not take long for Layla to judge that they needed to stop the battle and run from the calamity that looked as if it would devour everything in its path.

"What in the world is that...?"

Layla stared at the black tsunami in shock. Black mucus was endlessly pouring out from a black sun made of gold and black flames that had risen above Seoul.

'Those flames...'

Those flames were the unique color scheme of one of Oh Kang-Woo's main techniques.

Layla bit her lip anxiously. An inexplicable sense of uneasiness ran down her back.

"Please..." Layla prayed with her hands clasped together.

'Let there be a miracle to stop the Apocalypse.'

***

"P-Please wait, Lilith!" Han Seol-Ah shouted hastily as she was getting pulled by Lilith, who was running away from the range of the black tsunami, with her hair.

Lilith firmly replied, "There is no time to dawdle."

She could tell just from the black tsunami devouring everything in its path that Kang-Woo was not in a normal state.

'At this rate...'

Kang-Woo would end up killing his loved ones with his own hands.

Lilith bit her lip.

- If anything were to happen to you...

She recalled what she had said to Kang-Woo in the past.

- I'll stop you, my king.

Lilith shut her eyes tightly. She realized how arrogant the words she had spouted were.

"What should I..."

Lilith's voice shook. She couldn't even begin to figure out how to stop Kang-Woo in that state.

'My king.'

Lilith turned around and looked at the black tsunami quickly devouring everything in its path. Inside that tsunami was her king— her love. There was Kang-Woo, who was screaming in pain and agony.

She recalled Kang-Woo; she recalled his gentle hands and his warmth. Tears welled around her eyes.

'Yes.' Lilith clenched her fists as if she had come to a resolution. 'I made a promise.'

She had promised that she would stop Kang-Woo if anything were to happen to him.

'In that case.'

There was only one thing she could do. She stopped in her tracks.

"Lilith...?"

"Wh-What's wrong?"

Lilith put down Seol-Ah and Yeon-Joo, and said, "Both of you, go on ahead."

"Wh-What the hell are you talking ab—"

"There is... something I must do."

Lilith looked back at the black sun, her eyes filled with conviction. Yeon-Joo frowned.

"What are you gonna do? Do you know a way to bring Kang-Woo back?" She clenched her fists and continued, "If you do, I'll help. No, let me do it."

Lilith bit her lip. "You can't do it."

"I can't?"

"Yes. This is... something only I can do."

"What the hell is it, then?!" Yeon-Joo shouted in frustration.

Lilith's lips quivered, hesitating to answer. She thought for a moment and then looked at Yeon-Joo as if she had no plans of backing down and said, "I'm going to try... shock treatment."

"What?"

"Master Kang-Woo is in a state of unconsciousness. If he experiences a large enough psychological shock... he might come back to his senses."

There was no logic or evidence to back up her claims; it was but a guess filled with desire and hope.

"I'm sure... he will."

However, there was no other way but to grab hold of an uncertain hope in such a crisis.

"How are you going to shock him?" asked Yeon-Joo as she narrowed her eyes, a faint sense of uneasiness running down her back.

Silence fell again.

Yeon-Joo grabbed Lilith's arm and asked again fiercely, "How exactly are you going to psychologically shock Kang-Woo?"

"That's..."

"Tell me now."

Lilith averted her gaze from Yeon-Joo and whispered, "... then he might come back."

"What?"

"I said, he might come back to his senses if I jump into that wave of black mucus."

Kang-Woo cared for the ones he loved a great deal. If he were to be put in a situation where he would kill one of them with his own hands, he might instinctively try to avoid it. Even in the worst-case scenario where Lilith was devoured, it would at least serve as a huge psychological shock to him.

"Hah." Yeon-Joo stared at Lilith dumbfoundedly. "You want to jump into that mucus? Are you crazy?

"What are you gonna do if you die?"

"Even if I do, that in itself will serve as enough psychological shock."

"Don't bullshit me!!" Yeon-Joo shouted in rage. "Do you even know what Kang-Woo is like? Do you seriously think he would power up and miraculously come to his senses after he gets shocked from killing you?!"

Lilith flinched as her eyes shook.

"Let's say that he does come back to his senses. How do you think that son of a bitch would feel? Huh? Do you think he'll thank you for sacrificing yourself?"

"That's a problem for later."

"It's not a problem to be put off!"

If Kang-Woo found out he killed Lilith with his own hands, he would never be able to live with himself for it.

"THEN WHAT?!" Lilith clenched her fists and lowered her head. "WHAT DO YOU SUGGEST WE DO?!"

Kang-Woo was devoured by the Demonic Sea and lost consciousness. The Demonic Sea was flooding out of control now that all three Doors were open and devouring everything in its path. At this rate, every world would be engulfed by the Abyss of the Demonic Sea.

"DO YOU HAVE ANY OTHER IDEAS?!"

They needed a way to turn around this endless nightmare for the better.

"That's..." Yeon-Joo slurred.

"Right? You don't... There is no other choice... I... I..."

Lilith knew that it was nonsense. It was illogical and completely groundless. It was a nearly hopeless plan. However, there was something that broke her heart more than the extremely low success rate of this plan.

"I don't want to... say goodbye to my king either."

Tears flowed down Lilith's cheeks. If Kang-Woo came back to his senses through her death, she would no longer be able to meet him. She would forever be unable to embrace him and feel his warmth.

"But no matter how sad and pained I am... I made a promise."

Lilith promised that she would stop Kang-Woo if something were to happen to him.

"Lilith." Yeon-Joo stared with shaking eyes at the sobbing Lilith. Her usual seductive and calm demeanor was nowhere to be seen. She grabbed Lilith's hand and said, "I'll go with you."

"Pardon?"

"We need to give him a psychological shock, don't we? Wouldn't you say two people would be more effective than one?"

It was embarrassing for Yeon-Joo to say but Kang-Woo once said that she was precious to him. Hence, she would also be enough to provide Kang-Woo with a psychological shock.

"N-No," said Lilith.

"Why is it okay for you and not for me?"

"That's..."

"Hmph, don't pretend like you're the only tragic heroine." Yeon-Joo snorted and turned her head away. She twirled her red hair with her fingers and continued, "I mean... it's not like I have feelings for that virgin. I'm just... paying him back for all the times he saved my life. Yeah, I can't deny that he helped me many times, and—"

"Pfft!"

"Wh-What the hell?! Why are you laughing?!"

Lilith, who had been crying, giggled with her hand over her mouth. She couldn't help but laugh even in such a despairing situation.

"Really... I understand why the king loves teasing you." Lilith caressed Yeon-Joo's cheek and smiled. "It can't be helped, then. You can come with—"

"Wait, Lilith." Seol-Ah, who had been listening in silence, approached them.

Lilith's expression hardened. "No. You are the only one I absolutely can't allow to—"

"No, that's not what I meant." Seol-Ah shook her head.

"Pardon?"

Lilith's eyes widened.

Seol-Ah pointed at something and said, "Look over there."

She was pointing at the corpse of a demon covered in red muscles; it was Balrog.

"Huh?"

Lilith's eyes widened as she stared at the corpse. The tsunami of black mucus was flowing in a way that avoided only the area around Balrog's corpse... as if there was an invisible barrier around him.

"Wh-What the hell? What's going on?"

Yeon-Joo also stared dumbfoundedly at Balrog's corpse.

Seol-Ah and Lilith's gazes met. "It's proof that Kang-Woo is hesitant to attack Mr. Balrog even when he's unconscious."

"But Balrog is already..."

"It... might not be too late," said Seol-Ah as she bit her lip.

Kang-Woo would most definitely have tried to heal Balrog with all his might.

'But he likely failed.'

That had caused Kang-Woo to end up that way.

"At the very least... I'm confident that I'm better than Kang-Woo in healing."

But of course, not even Seol-Ah could do something as absurd as bringing the dead back to life.

'But even just a little bit...'

If Balrog was breathing just a tiny bit— no, even if he wasn't breathing but could still be brought back to life...

'I can save him.'

A person could still be brought back to life a few minutes after their heart stopped.

Lilith remained silent.

It was uncertain whether or not Balrog could be saved or if Kang-Woo would even come back to his senses after saving Balrog. The chances were so low that Lilith even thought her initial plan had a higher chance of success. However...

"Let's do it."

There was no point in hesitating just because of low chances. After all, they had no choice but to cling to even the tiniest amount of hope in a situation as despairing as this.

"Fuuu, alright." Yeon-Joo nodded.

There was no time to dawdle now that they had decided to do it.

Clatter.

Red chains poured out of her bracelets.

"Both of you, grab on to the chains!"

Lilith and Seol-Ah grabbed the chains.

"Here we go!"

Yeon-Joo raised her arms high and quickly swung them down.

Bang!

The chains smashed into the ground and flung the three women into the air. They were aiming for the area where Balrog's corpse was— the only location protected from the black tsunami that was devouring everything.

Grrrrrrrrrk!

"Ngh!"

Black mucus shot at them as soon as Yeon-Joo flew into the air. She twisted in midair and spread her arms widely.

"Red Lotus, Eighth Form."

Clatter—!

Hundreds of chains slithered as if they were alive.

"Red Lotus Kaleidoscope!"

The chains expanded like a net and protected the three women.

Crack! Crunch!

The black mucus began to devour Yeon-Joo's chains.

"Now!"

Yeon-Joo used the short amount of time that the black mucus was blocked by the chains to link herself with chains to the area around Balrog.

Clatter!

The chains shortened, shooting the three women to the area around Balrog.

Boom!

Once the three of them arrived next to Balrog, the black mucus stopped chasing them. No to be more precise, it was not charging at them; the black mucus surrounding Balrog was slowly reducing its radius.

"Shit... it's slowly getting closer to us. Seol-Ah! Treat Balrog as I keep the mucus at bay!"

"I will assist."

Yeon-Joo and Lilith stood on either side of Seol-Ah to protect her. Seol-Ah nodded and placed her hand on Balrog's corpse.

'Please... Let there be just a sliver of hope. Let me save him.'

Whoooom!!

Blinding light poured out of the twelve wings on Seo-Ah's back.

'Mr. Balrog.'

Seol-Ah bit her lip and focused all of her sacred power on both hands. White light flowed into Balrog, regenerating his severed arms and the horrible injuries all over his body.

'It worked!'

Seol-Ah's eyes filled with hope. However...

"Mr... Balrog?"

No matter how much sacred power she poured, even after healing all of his injuries, Balrog was not breathing. He did not open his eyes.

"Ah..."

Tears welled around Seol-Ah's eyes. She realized that Balrog was dead and that no hope of him breathing again existed.

"I'm sorry." Tears flowed down Seol-Ah's cheeks. "I'm so sorry... Kang-Woo."

It was impossible to bring Balrog, Kang-Woo's precious friend, back to life... unless a miracle were to occur.

Riiing.

Just then, Seol-Ah heard the chime of a bell.

"Huh?"

The crying Seol-Ah raised her head.

[The activation condition of 'Miracle' has been fulfilled.]

Translucent light particles poured out of Seol-Ah and lit up the earth covered in black mucus.