Side Story Chapter 61 - Happy End? (3)

Riiing.

The familiar bell chime that all Players knew rang as a blue message window appeared in the air.

[There is no threat to his life.]

"Phew."

"Haaa..."

"Sniff, waaaaaaaaaaahhh!"

The women sighed in relief after reading the message and shed tears.

Boom!

Balrog, the muscle-bound red demon so large that he made the large room look tiny, grimaced fiercely.

He shouted, "The king collapsed?! What in the world happened?!"

He couldn't help but be shocked by the news of Oh Kang-Woo, who devoured the Demon God and Bael then became the Demonic Sea, collapsing.

"Wh-What is happening to Kang-Woo?" asked Han Seol-Ah as she stuttered.

There was fortunately no threat to his life but she couldn't help but be anxious from seeing him unconscious and in pain.

Lilith asked calmly, "Eve... was it? Could you explain to us what's happening?"

A bell chimed as a blue message window appeared to answer her question.

[I suspect the Light of Akart flowed into the Demonic Sea through the guardian deity's wound made during his battle against Akart's subordinate.]

"The Light of Akart...?"

[It is a light infused with the power of Akart, the Titan of Light, Truth, and Balance. It holds the power to disintegrate the Demonic Sea.]

The light made an injury that would have normally been healed instantly, into a critical wound. Not even Bael had overcome Kang-Woo's immortality but Akart had dome so easily.

"No way..."

Cha Yeon-Joo bit her lip in pallor. If a power capable of disintegrating the Demonic Sea entered Kang-Woo, who became on with the Demonic Sea, it was no different from ingesting a deadly poison.

"Then what's gonna happen to Kang-Woo—"

[Like I said, there is no threat to his life. Even if the light is capable of disintegrating the Demonic Sea, the guardian deity cannot be killed with such a small wound.]

"But he's not getting up!"

[He has simply lost consciousness momentarily to push the Light of Akart out of his body. He will naturally wake up over time.]

"When is that... exactly?"

[I do not know exactly when.]

Sighs of relief filled the room again. No one knew when he would wake up but their anxiety was lessening since the System confirmed he would wake up over time.

"It won't take years or anything, right?" asked Yeon-Joo worryingly.

She had only just become one of Kang-Woo's lovers, so it would be hard for her to endure if he did not wake up for years.

[It would take around three months at most.]

It was a short yet long amount of time. However, the fact that he would wake up in only three months was extraordinary, considering Akart was a Titan.

"You... goddamn sleepyhead."

Yeon-Joo poked the unconscious and bedridden Kang-Woo's cheek.

"Three months... three whole months..."

Seol-Ah burst into tears as if the world was ending. She could barely be without Kang-Woo for a day but now she couldn't talk to him for three months. He was physically here but it was meaningless if he were unconscious.

"Ah..."

Unfathomably dark emotions welled up from inside her. Her consciousness flickered as an unquenchable thirst ripped her throat apart.

"Is there anything we can do?" asked Balrog in a low tone.

[The process can be hastened if the Demonic Sea is stimulated.]

In the first place, Kang-Woo only lost consciousness from the power of a mere subordinate of Akart instead of Akart himself because his reconstruction was incomplete. If the Demonic Sea could exert its full power, forget losing consciousness— his immortality would have never been affected in the first place.

"Stimulate the Demonic Sea...?"

Balrog's eyes darted, panic-stricken. He already knew how to stimulate the Demonic Sea because Kang-Woo had come to the training room for Balrog's help.

'His life needs to be threatened.'

If Kang-Woo was on the verge of death, the Demonic Sea instinctively took action to hasten Kang-Woo's reconstruction. The reconstruction would naturally take place over time even if the Demonic Sea was not stimulated, but they needed to hasten the process since no one knew when Akart would attack Earth.

'But... it's impossible with my current power.'

It was not because Balrog was too weak to make the Demonic Sea feel threatened; Kang-Woo had already become accustomed to Balrog's attacks through their training together. In other words, the Demonic Sea no longer treated Balrog's attacks as a threat.

'It's impossible for that brat as well.'

Since Kim Si-Hun had also participated in the training, he couldn't stimulate the Demonic Sea anymore either.

'If that's the case...'

Balrog looked around with deeply sunken eyes in search of someone strong enough to stimulate the Demonic Sea as well as who had never joined the training sessions with Kang-Woo.

'Come to think of it...'

There was someone perfect for the job. Balrog's eyes shone as he looked at Seol-Ah.

'She fell from grace not long ago, if I remember correctly.'

In exchange for losing her healing and buffing magic, Seol-Ah gained powerful curse magic. She had also obliterated several battleships by herself during the space invasion not long ago.

'She's more than enough to threaten the Demonic Sea.'

From what Kang-Woo had told Balrog, she could temporarily surpass even Si-Hun in strength. In that case, she could easily stimulate the Demonic Sea with her curse magic!

"King's woman," called Balrog as he bowed to Seol-Ah.

"Y-Yes?" Seol-Ah raised her head, which had been lowered in despair.

"Could you give it stimulation?"

"Uhh... I-I think I misheard you. Did you say you want me to give Kang-Woo stimulation?"

"Yes, you could say that."

Since Kang-Woo was the Demonic Sea itself, stimulating the Demonic Sea was the same as giving Kang-Woo stimulation.

"I want you to give the king the greatest stimulation possible."

Her powerful curse magic was more than enough to threaten the Demonic Sea.

"Pardon...?" Seol-Ah stared at Balrog in disbelief. Her face reddened as she twisted in embarrassment. "Th-The greatest stimulation...?"

Seol-Ah panted heavily, her eyes as wide as those of a predator eyeing its prey.

"A-Are you sure it's okay...?" she asked.

"What are you worried about?"

"Umm..." Seol-Ah averted her gaze from Balrog and continued as if she were holding something back, "Are you sure... I can make a mess of the unconscious Kang-Woo... twenty-four-seven?"

Seol-Ah gulped as she did her best to suppress her surging desire.

"Hahaha! So that's what you were worried about!" Balrog burst into laughter.

'She must be worried that the king might die for real!'

Balrog was worried about the same thing back when Kang-Woo first explained the training method to him.

"There is nothing to worry about, king's woman."

No matter how much power she used, she could never kill Kang-Woo. As he had become one with the Demonic Sea, he was the definition of

immortal

.

"You can do anything you like to him," said Balrog.

Whatever curse magic Seol-Ah used, it would not be enough to kill the king.

"A-Anything I like...?" Seol-Ah's eyes shook. She trembled in uncontainable ecstasy. "Are you sure... I can do whatever I like?"

"Of course." Balrog nodded without hesitation.

The more curse magic she cast on Kang-Woo, the Demonic Sea sleeping inside him would feel more threatened and become more active.

'And if that happens...'

It would naturally lead to the healing process hastening and Kang-Woo would wake up even stronger than before. It was like killing two birds with one stone.

"..."

Seol-Ah's eyes blazed passionately.

'I can feel the madness and resolve in her gaze! As expected of the woman the king chose!'

Balrog cheered inside his head.

'To think she can resolve herself so strongly even when she has to attack the man she loves with the intent to kill!'

Even Balrog unconsciously hesitated when he needed to attack Kang-Woo. Although it had been to stimulate the Demonic Sea, it was agonizing for him to attack the king he had pledged his life to. However, Seol-Ah was different.

'An indomitable will!'

Balrog was impressed by Seol-Ah, who was steeling her resolve to endure any pain as long as it was for the man she loved.

"I understand. If it is for Kang-Woo... I have no choice," Seol-Ah answered calmly. However, her eyes were filled with unfiltered ecstasy. "A week— no, that wasn't enough last time."

She slowly caressed the unconscious Kang-Woo as she stared at him like a delicious snack.

She licked her lips and continued, "Ten days... Yes, I will need at least ten days. Yes, fufufu. Okay. For the next ten days... I will make a mess of Kang-Woo without rest."

"Ten days?!" shouted Balrog in shock.

'She's planning on using curse magic nonstop for ten days straight?!'

Magic required significantly more mental fortitude and stamina than one expected. Not only that but curse magic powerful enough to drive Kang-Woo to the brink of death could cause one to collapse from exhaustion after even one spell.

'Such a thing for ten days straight?!'

Balrog couldn't believe it. By regular human standards, it was like sprinting at full speed for ten days straight.

'This must be what true love is!'

Not even Balrog, who had devoted his soul to Kang-Woo, was confident he could mercilessly swing his fists with full power at Kang-Woo repeatedly for ten days straight. Leaving the matter of stamina aside, the idea of attacking his king already broke his heart. Despite that, Seol-Ah had declared she would pour curse magic at Kang-Woo for ten days straight. Balrog couldn't help but be filled with respect for her.

"King's woman— no, my queen. I, Balrog, will trust in you and wait." Balrog bowed deeply. "Well then, we will be outside."

Balrog couldn't bear to witness the horrible sight of someone casting powerful curse magic at the man they loved as well as the king Balrog swore allegiance to.

Grip.

"Hm?"

Kang-Woo's hand grabbed Balrog's leg as Balrog was about to leave. He examined Kang-Woo to check if he had woken up but it did not seem to be the case. His king was still unconscious in bed.

'My king...'

Kang-Woo had likely moved out of pure instinct. Balrog teared up.

'You must be deeply worried about the queen.'

Kang-Woo also knew how agonizing it was to cast curse magic on one's lover. Balrog was sure his king, despite being unconscious, had grabbed his leg because he was worried about letting Seol-Ah endure such agony on her own.

"Do not worry, my king. This is... something the queen has decided herself."

Balrog couldn't get in the way of Seol-Ah's resolve and indomitable will.

"Well, then..."

Clack.

Balrog took the other women out of the room and closed the door. For some reason, he thought he heard Seol-Ah's ecstatic laughter behind the door.

"I must have heard wrong."

He firmly shook his head. Everyone knew how deeply Seol-Ah loved Kang-Woo. She would never laugh when she needed to endlessly cast horrible curse magic at him.

"My queen... however hard it is, you must overcome it."

Balrog bowed respectfully in front of the closed door.