Chapter 197: A Hero Is Born from Despair (2)

'What should I do?'

He sat on the chair while looking into the training room.

It had been three months.

Nearly 100 days had passed.

'It hasn't been that long.'

You couldn't say that it was short, but it wasn't that long either.

Lucifer's forces and the Demon Cult had been fighting for the past three months, but there hadn't been much progress.

Although they'd been fighting, they hadn't bitten each other's neck yet.

'But...'

For Kim ShiHoon, the past 100 days probably felt like forever.

KangWoo looked at Kim ShiHoon's sunken eyes.

He was crying while desperately trying to hold his sword.

It not only looked desperate, but it also looked pathetic.

'He probably hasn't felt such a wall blocking his path before.'

It was the first time Kim ShiHoon had fallen like that since he became a player.

Thanks to his talent, Kim ShiHoon had grown at a faster pace than anyone else.

He was the Sacrum, after all.

He wasn't sure about stuff related to martial arts, but according to Cheon MooJin, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that he had a talent given by the sky.

In reality, from a 'human' perspective, Kim ShiHoon had grown at an unbelievable pace.

Kim ShiHoon also hadn't gone through the 'ultimate effort' that most players went through.

He was comparing himself with KangWoo, but he had never experienced his growth being blocked in the first place.

No, the problem wasn't that his growth was blocked.

'He hit rock bottom.'

A swordsman who can't grab a sword...

Kim ShiHoon's identity was collapsing, and he was nothing but trash at the moment.

"FUCK!!" ShiHoon cursed.

KangWoo's expression hardened.

He was expecting it to happen, yet he didn't feel comfortable seeing ShiHoon like that.

He stood up and turned his body away.

'I should get ready.'

It wasn't something that he could do alone.

No, to be more precise, the plan didn't include him as an actor.

KangWoo began moving.

He first went to go meet Balrog.

Balzac, who was doing laundry, was also there, and so was Lilith.

[Hahaha, why have you called Balzac, ruler of death?]

"Please, take off that apron..."

He sighed while looking at the pink apron.

"My reason for calling you..."

He talked to his three underlings.

The more he talked, the more intensely Balzac's eyes shone. Lilith smiled as if she was expectant.

Eventually, Balzac frowned as if he found it unpleasant.

[Is that human worth going so far for?]

He couldn't understand it.

KangWoo nodded without hesitation.

"Of course."

Kim ShiHoon could grow to become stronger than Balrog.

It wasn't a groundless assumption—just looking at Kim ShiHoon's status window made it clear.

'An SSS-rank attribute.'

The rank of the first attribute Kim ShiHoon had Awakened...

It was an attribute rank not even KangWoo had been able to unlock after the 8th Awakening.

'Archduke Slayer is SS-rank.'

A scam-like attribute that allowed him to control the power of an archduke was SS-rank.

If Kim ShiHoon could fully use the potential of his SSS-rank attribute, there was a chance he might surpass Balrog and become as strong as an archduke.

'No, maybe even more.'

He was a human who seemed to be receiving the blessings of the world.

He thought he might be able to reach even further beyond.

[If the King says so, I'll do so...]

Balrog bowed his head while making an unpleasant expression.

KangWoo patted his shoulders while crying.

"If you spend time with Kim ShiHoon, you will also naturally notice it."

[Hngh. I still don't feel comfortable moving for the benefit of someone who isn't the King.]

"It's for me," he firmly said.

It wasn't because he felt pity toward Kim ShiHoon or because of the relationship they'd built until that point.

'I need it.'

He couldn't do everything alone.

He wasn't a god—he wasn't all high and mighty.

No, not even Gods were all high and mighty.

He'd learned that through Gaia.

If Balrog, Lilith, and Echidna hadn't helped him in the battle against Mamon, the volcano wouldn't have been stopped from exploding.

It wasn't hard to imagine what would've happened if the volcano exploded.

The Guardians would've been annihilated, and the world that had gathered as one would've been torn apart.

"Even if I didn't consider ShiHoon as my little brother, I would've still done this the same way."

It was better to have as many strong cards as possible, and Kim ShiHoon was one of the strongest cards.

"You can do it, right?" he asked them.

Balrog, Lilith, and Balzac knelt and bowed their heads.

[Everything as the Demon King wishes.]

He nodded and turned around.

It wasn't hard to get those three to participate in the plan.

Lilith would be in charge of the plan, so there was no need to consider its quality.

'The problem is...'

He narrowed his eyes.

It wasn't enough with just those three.

He had the protagonist and antagonist, but there wasn't a heroine.

He needed someone to spice things up, and he couldn't do it.

He was too strong to need help, so that wouldn't stimulate Kim ShiHoon.

'Then...'

There was only one possible person.

KangWoo threw the transparent communication crystal, and the gate that led to the Hall of Protection opened.

* * *

"Yes...?"

She had light-brown hair, extremely white skin, and a thin body that appeared as if it would break at the slightest touch, and she was trembling.

"What are you talking about?"

"It's for ShiHoon."

"B-but still!"

Gaia stood up from the wheelchair, lost balance, and collapsed.

KangWoo spread his hands and grabbed her. He carefully sat her in the wheelchair.

"How could I do that to Guardian Kim ShiHoon..."

Gaia lowered her head.

"You know Kim ShiHoon's current state, right?" he said in a low voice.

"..."

"Are you going to watch Kim ShiHoon crumble and do nothing about it?"

"N-no! There's no way I'd do that!" she quickly shouted.

She kept talking as if she couldn't understand.

"But still, using a strategy like that..."

"Kim ShiHoon's current problem isn't physical. His hands fully healed some time ago."

"..."

"You know that, right? His reason for not being able to hold a sword is psychological."

Gaia nodded.

In reality, she also knew it.

KangWoo had an ability to heal that could be considered almost miraculous, yet Kim ShiHoon still couldn't hold a sword.

"ShiHoon must overcome it by himself. We're just creating a situation that can help him with that."

"But if Kim ShiHoon crumbles..."

"He won't," he said firmly.

If it were a novel, Kim ShiHoon would be the protagonist.

He wouldn't give up, no matter what.

There weren't many people whose convictions went beyond death.

"He isn't someone who'll crumble."

"..."

Gaia remained silent.

"Am I the right choice?" she asked in a trembling voice.

"You just have to shout a little bit."

To be honest, he didn't expect that much from her.

He'd dragged Gaia into his plan because she was the woman hero Kim ShiHoon had fallen in love with and had sworn to protect.

Gaia seemed like she was bad at lying, so she probably wouldn't be able to make the situation extreme.

"Understood..."

Gaia nodded with a heavy expression.

"I'm going to do my best."

KangWoo smiled.

'And with this...'

The casting of actors was finished.

Next, it was time to create the scene.

'This is quite fun.'

It felt like looking at things from the perspective of a writer.

A weird sensation of excitement ran through his back.

'I'm going to use it again in the future.'

KangWoo smiled.

* * *

"A walk so suddenly... Did something happen?"

A man and a woman were walking through a quiet forest with a gentle brook bubbling alongside them and birds singing, Gaia and ShiHoon.

"N-no. It's just that you seem to be going through a harsh situation, Guardian ShiHoon."

"..."

Kim ShiHoon remained silent.

He looked at his hands that were pushing the wheelchair.

His hands were trembling.

He wasn't holding the handle. He was just placing his hands against the handles and pushing them.

To be more precise, he had no choice but to do that.

He felt a pain in his chest.

"I'm, okay," he said in a weak voice.

"..."

It was clear that he wasn't okay.

Gaia extended her hand and grabbed Kim ShiHoon's.

"I... also went through harsh moments when I lost both eyes, and my legs couldn't move anymore."

"..."

"I felt that I became worthless trash."

"That..."

"That's why I understand your current feelings, but..."

Gaia smiled and started to stroke his hands softly.

"Please, don't hate yourself."

"Ms. Gaia..."

"Fufu. It's funny I'm saying this since I usually rely on other people... but I wish for you to not suffer anymore."

There was a heavy silence.

Kim ShiHoon and Gaia...

A strange atmosphere started to blossom between the two.

"Ms. Gaia—"

-BOOM!!!

"Wh-what?!"

There was a huge explosion.

A being that emitted demonic energy appeared across the forest.

"HAHAHA! I finally found you!"

The being was easily over five meters tall and was covered in horrifying green tentacles.

It was a breathtaking amount of demonic energy.

"KIIEEKK!"

"KRR, KRR."

Undead started to appear behind the monster.

"Y-you..." ShiHoon stared at the monster, and his voice trembled.

The tentacle-covered demon shouted.

[I'm Satan's loyal servant, Yogsaron!!!]

BOOM-!

He stomped on the ground.

The tentacles spread in all directions.

[Kneel in front of the god of death, human!!!]

* * *

'Woah.'

KangWoo was using the Authority of Observation from atop a tree about a hundred meters away from where Kim ShiHoon and Gaia were.

'Nice setup.'

Seeing Balrog's changed appearance, thanks to the help of Lilith, made him want to vomit.

The undead Balzac made also created a huge effect.

'Nice!'

KangWoo looked at everything with shining eyes as if he were a movie director.

"KYAAA!!"

Balrog spread his hands and grabbed Gaia.

'Good!'

The weak heroine being snatched away by a demon...

It was a movie-like scene.

'If they cover Gaia's mouth here...'

They could stop Kim ShiHoon from figuring out what was happening because of her bad acting.

Then...

"M-Mr. ShiHoon!!! S-save me!! Mr. ShiHoon!!"

'Huh?'

"L-let me go, you filthy demon!!"

'What the...?'

She let out a desperate and soulful cry that made your heart sink just by hearing it.

'What's up with her?'

Gaia's desperate cry kept going on.

"Wh-what are you planning to do with me?!! Y-you horrible demons!!"

'What's going on?'

"Where are you looking?! D-don't tell me..."

'Why is she so good at acting?'

"You dirty servant of evil! Y-you're planning on doing something filthy to me with those tentacles!! I don't want to be violated!"

'Hey, no.'

"I don't want to be violated!!!"

'Don't say it twice.'

He covered his face with his hands.

He felt as if she'd hit him on the back of the head.

'Sister-in-law, why are you doing this to me...?'

It was supposed to be suitable for all audiences...