Chapter 520: Epilogue

Bang—!!

A thunderous noise echoed inside the Hall of Protection, the fortress considered to be the Guardians' base of operations. A door swung open so hard that it could have ripped off its hinges, and a man who could be mistaken for a sculpture ran into the room. Tears flowed down his cheeks the moment he saw who was on the bed.

"H-Hyung-nim..."

"Oh, Si-H—"

"HYUNG-NIIIIIIIIIIM!!"

"Kurgh!!"

Kim Si-Hun ran at the speed of light and hugged Oh Kang-Woo.

Kang-Woo struggled in Si-Hun's arms and yelled, "Th-That hurts, dammit!!"

"Oh, I-I'm sorry. I was just so happy that I..." Si-Hun smiled awkwardly and let go of Kang-Woo. "Hm?"

As he was stepping backward, a thought crossed his mind.

"It... hurts?"

Si-Hun stared at Kang-Woo with trembling eyes. He had indeed used too much strength because he was so happy, but simply using too much strength would not be enough to hurt Kang-Woo.

"Hyung... nim?" Si-Hun anxiously looked down at Kang-Woo and realized something he had not noticed until now. "Huh...? Were you always this small?"

He tilted his head in confusion. He had always been taller than Kang-Woo, but the height difference was never significant.

Si-Hun's mouth was left agape as he saw Kang-Woo, who had shrunk to the point that he barely reached Si-Hun's chest. Now that he took a closer look, Kang-Woo had also become very slender. Although Kang-Woo was never covered in swollen muscles like Balrog, he was fairly muscular. Now, he looked extremely frail.

"Wh-What in the world...?"

Si-Hun stared at Kang-Woo in shock. It was more accurate to say that he had become smaller than younger.

"Haaa." Kang-Woo clicked his tongue and shook his head. "The Demonic Sea I absorbed hasn't fully settled in my body yet."

"Shit, I was completely fine when I first arrived..." Kang-Woo mumbled in dissatisfaction.

"Wh-What does that mean, hyung-nim?"

"Well, it's temporary, so don't worry."

Kang-Woo chuckled. He had successfully devoured the Abyss of the Demonic Sea and managed to dominate it after nearly an eternity of battle.

'No, dominate isn't the right word to use.'

To be more exact, his physical form had become one with the Demonic Sea.

"It's... temporary?" Si-Hun asked.

"Yeah. It's only like this for now because my body is being reconstructed using the Demonic Sea."

Once the Demonic Sea completely replaced his physical form, his former power and form would return to normal.

'Well, I guess it wouldn't be the same.'

Kang-Woo smiled. Once his body was fully reconstructed and became the Demonic Sea itself, it would be no different from having the Third Door open at all times.

'I wonder if I could devour even a Titan now?'

Based on what happened with Bauli, Kang-Woo doubted even a Titan would be a match for him.

'I guess it's too hasty to say that's the case since they created the universe.'

The only Titans Kang-Woo knew were Bauli and Nostrian; among those two, he only knew the extent of Bauli's strength. He had no idea how powerful the other Titans were.

"H-How long will you be like that for?" Si-Hun asked, staring at Kang-Woo in worry.

Kang-Woo had not just become smaller; he had no access to his powers while his body was being reconstructed. Based on the energy Si-Hun could feel from Kang-Woo, he was only as strong as a slightly above-average Player. Considering how powerful Kang-Woo used to be, he had practically lost everything. It would be weirder if Si-Hun wasn't worried.

"Who knows? I have no idea."

Kang-Woo shrugged and shook his head. He could instinctively tell that his body was in the middle of reconstruction, but not even he knew how long the process would be.

Si-Hun stared at Kang-Woo passionately and clenched the hilt of the sword on his waist. "Until your powers return... I will stick to you twenty-four-seven and keep you safe."

"Screw that."

'Please. I don't wanna be stuck with a dude every hour of the day.'

"B-But...!"

"Don't worry, Si-Hun," said Han Seol-Ah, who had been listening in silence, and gently hugged Kang-Woo. Her eyes lit up as she continued, "I will keep Kang-Woo safe."

"Ngh..."

Si-Hun flinched and glared at Seol-Ah, his eyes filled with jealousy. Kang-Woo frowned.

'The hell? Why are you getting jealous?'

"I can take care of mys—"

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Just then, noises echoed throughout the hallway. An entity covered in red muscles squeezed through the doorframe.

"M-MY KIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIING!!!"

"Kurgh! Gaaaahh!!"

Kang-Woo felt like he was being squeezed by a hydraulic press the moment Balrog embraced him. Not just that, he reeked of sweat, probably because he had been in the middle of training.

"F-Fuck!! S-Stop!"

'I'm gonna die...!'

"M-My king? Wh-What happened to you?"

"Huff, huff."

"Why have you gotten so squashed?"

"What?"

'Squashed? Is that something you should be saying to your king?'

"I'll explain, so get off of me, damn muscle p—"

Slam!

"KANG-WOOOOOOOOOO!!"

"Kurgh!"

"Hm! Hm! K-Kang-Woo!! I missed you!! I missed you so much, Kang-Woo!!!"

"S-Save m—"

"Sniff...! You told me you would never leave me alone! You said we'd be together forever!! Sniff! But... But... Waaaaaaaaaaaaahh!!"

"Ah..."

'I'm dying. Forget reconstruction, I'm gonna die before that.'

"Haaa. Everyone, calm down," a bewitching voice echoed throughout the room.

Lilith, Layla, Iris, Halcyon, and Vaal Zahak were standing side by side in front of the door, likely having been contacted by Seol-Ah and Cha Yeon-Joo.

"Waaaahh! M-Master Kang-Woo!" Halcyon clasped his hands together as he burst into tears. "Sniff, I-I missed y— Sniff! You."

"M-Me too!" shouted Iris as she raised her arm. She wiped her tears and continued, "I can't believe I got to see you again... It was worth putting off all my work in the empire to stay on Earth."

"No, you shouldn't have put them off."

'Is the Arnan Empire even running at this point?'

"It has been a while, Master." Vaal Zahak bowed courteously. "I have been keeping your room spick and span so that it would be ready for you when you returned."

Clatter.

Vaal Zahak raised his arm and cleaning tools poured out from who knows where.

"Uhh... I see."

Kang-Woo nodded reluctantly as he stared at the skeleton, the light in his eye sockets shining brightly and with a duster in his hand.

"That aside..." Lilith walked through the room that was no different from a busy market street, looked down at the small Kang-Woo, and asked in worry, "How did your body... become like this?"

Kang-Woo sighed.

'I should've waited to explain until everyone arrived.'

He was too lazy to repeat himself; it was not like he had a macro for it.

"You see..."

Kang-Woo concisely explained what was happening to him.

"Ah...!" Layla's eyes widened after hearing the explanation. "I-I get it now!!"

"What do you get...?"

"You're saying it's that kind of situation, aren't you?" Layla snorted in excitement and grabbed Kang-Woo's hands. "Oneshota[1]!!"

"Pardon?"

'What the hell is that?'

"I knew you were an M!!"

'What the hell are you talking about, woman?'

"Ahhh. I-I can see it. Seol-Ah... Lilith... and Yeon-Joo, who is always on the side of getting teased..."

'What the hell are you seeing?'

"I feel like I've already seen three volumes of an ero manga!"

'You're not even trying to hide it anymore, are you? You used to try so hard to hide it. You used to be a frail and delicate character.'

"Urgh! Ah, I-I'm getting a nosebleed..."

Kang-Woo grabbed his forehead as if he were getting a headache. The moving emotions everyone was feeling from reuniting with Kang-Woo after three years were fading.

"Hmm, I'm not sure what Layla is talking about, but..." Lilith approached Kang-Woo as her eyes shone. Her hair moved as if it were alive and turned into green tentacles. "You're wanting... something like this, right?"

The tentacles slowly wrapped around Kang-Woo.

"F-Fuck!"

Kang-Woo turned in shock to get away, but the tentacles lifted him before he could escape.

"Ahhh, how long I've waited to be reunited with you, Master Kang-Woo..."

"S-Save me, Balrog!" Kang-Woo desperately called.

"That's enough Lilith," Balrog said in a low tone and released Kang-Woo from the tentacles by force. "The king dislikes it."

"B-Balrog..."

'You goddamn muscle pig son of a bitch... I fucking knew I could count on you!'

Wham!

"The king has been severely weakened! It is in times like this I should protect him by his side at all times!"

Balrog hugged Kang-Woo with one hand, his terrible stench of sweat attacking Kang-Woo's nose.

"Kurgh! F-Fuck..."

"Aaaahh! My king! There no nothing for you to worry about!"

"S-Stop..."

"I will not let you go until your powers return!!"

"Please stop..."

'Save... me.'

"What are you talking about, Balrog?! I will be the one to protect hyung-nim!"

"Hm! Me too! Me too!"

'Ahhh.'

"Damn muscle pig! How dare you get in the way of my lovey-dovey time with Master Kang-Woo?! Do you have any idea how long I've waited for this day?!"

"S-Sniff... Wh-Why am I the only one you don't greet, Master Kang-Woo? I-Is it because I'm ugly?"

'Fuck.'

Kang-Woo twisted and turned as he pulled on his hair. His sense of smell was getting attacked by Balrog's stench of sweat, and Lilith's tentacles were entering through the openings of his clothes. His limbs were being pulled in all directions as if he were getting tortured.

"Fuck... my life... Hurgh."

Tears flowed down Kang-Woo's cheeks.

***

"Haaa." Kang-Woo barely managed to chase his comrades out of the house after the chaos on par with the Abyss of the Demonic Sea died down. "I can finally take a break."

He laid on the bed and sighed in relief. He didn't mind greeting them, but he had been drained of his energy after they greeted him so hard that his bones broke.

He looked at his palm. He couldn't help but smile despite not doing anything.

'I'm back.'

He had returned after overcoming the near-eternal battle.

'I still have some more things left to do, though.'

Kang-Woo looked through his faint memories. He had received a proposal from the System through a message when he had almost fully devoured the Demonic Sea. He recalled the message in his mind.

[Proposing to nominate Player Oh Kang-Woo as a 'guardian deity' to replace the broken Gaia System.]

"Guardian deity, huh...?"

It was an entity that protected the Triad from otherworldly invasions, Gaia's former position.

'Well, I have no reason to refuse.'

The otherworldly invasions were not over yet. Earth's protection had been broken beyond repair due to Bael, so the otherworldly invasions would continue.

"Let them come."

Kang-Woo smiled. Since the protective barrier around Earth was gone, he just needed to take its place and devour all those daring to invade the Triad.

"That aside, how long will my body reconstruction take—"

Someone knocked on his door as he was mumbling.

"Umm... May I enter, Kang-Woo?"

"Darling?"

Kang-Woo's eyes widened, and he got up from the bed. Seol-Ah entered the room with a large pot in her hands.

"Th-That's..."

"Hoho. I made some because I had a feeling you would like some."

Kang-Woo stared fixedly at the kimchi stew that Seol-Ah brought. Saliva poured down from the corners of his mouth.

"As I thought... you're the only one for me, Darling!"

Kang-Woo kissed Seol-Ah on the cheek and reached for the spoon, but Seol-Ah grabbed his hand.

"Hm?"

"You're still unwell. I'll feed you," Seol-Ah remarked.

"I can still eat on my own, you know."

"I'll feed you."

Seol-Ah gripped Kang-Woo's hand tighter as if she would not take no for an answer.

"Uhh... mm, sure." Kang-Woo nodded with an awkward smile.

"Okay, Kang-Woo. Ahhh~"

Seol-Ah placed a piece of pork and kimchi on top of a bed of rice and brought it to Kang-Woo's mouth.

"Ahhh~ nom nom. Kaaahhh! This is it! I've wanted to eat your kimchi stew for so long!!"

"Hoho. We have plenty, so dig in."

Seol-Ah gently patted Kang-Woo as she fed him.

Kang-Woo's expression hardened for a moment.

'It kinda feels like I'm being bred... is it just me?'

Getting forced to be fed made Kang-Woo feel like a goose held captive, being fed for the sole purpose of being killed for foie gras.

'Nah. I'm sure I'm imagining things.'

Kang-Woo shook his head to chase away his negative thoughts.

'Darling is just worried about me.'

Although temporary, he had lost most of his powers. It was only natural the gentle Seol-Ah would be worried about him. Kang-Woo relaxed his hardened expression and let himself be fed by Seol-Ah again.

"Haaah~ Thanks for the meal."

Kang-Woo smiled in satisfaction after emptying the large pot of kimchi stew. Seol-Ah smiled and wiped the stew off of his mouth.

"I'll hit the hay for today, Darling."

Seol-Ah's expression hardened for a moment after hearing that. "Come to think of it, Kang-Woo."

"Hm?"

"You've lost most of your powers temporarily, right?"

"Yeah."

"In that case..." The light in Seol-Ah's eyes disappeared for a fraction of a second. "No matter what I do to you... you can't resist, right?"

'Huh?'

"Dar...ling?"

"H-Hohohoho." Seol-Ah giggled ominously. "I've been holding myself back... from the moment we reunited, you know? While everyone was hugging you and shedding tears of joy... I really, really, really, really, really, really did my best... to hold it in."

Seol-Ah placed the empty pot outside the room.

"So..."

"Umm... Darling?"

"Now... I don't have to hold it in anymore, right?"

"Huh?"

"Kang-Woo..."

Seol-Ah approached Kang-Woo, her eyes in a haze.

"W-Wait a seco— Mmrp!"

Seol-Ah shoved her tongue inside Kang-Woo's mouth before he had a chance to finish his sentence. She reached for the door with one hand.

Click.

The sound of the door being locked echoed throughout the house.

[FIN]

1. This is a Japanese genre of hentai where an older woman (Onee-san) gets "into it" with a young boy (Shota). ☜