Side Story Chapter 103 - Demon King of Pandemonium (1)

"Kang-Woo!!! Wake up, Kang-Woo!!!"

A voice echoed in Oh Kang-Woo's head. He woke up as if he were being pulled out by the voice, filled with worry and anxiety. It felt like he had resurfaced from deep water.

"Urpp!! Bleeeeegghhh!!"

He instinctively turned to the ground and vomited as soon as he regained consciousness.

"K-Kang-Woo!!!"

Han Seol-Ah placed a hand on Kang-Woo's back as she teared up. He could feel her soft and gentle touch through his clothes.

"Hey!! Are you okay, Oh Kang-Woo?!"

"Calm down and step back, both of you. You're making the king uncomfortable."

Kang-Woo also heard Cha Yeon-Joo and Lilith's voices. Seol-Ah and Yeon-Joo took their hands off Kang-Woo as Lilith said.

"

Huff, huff, huff!

"

Kang-Woo panted heavily with his hands on the ground. He felt dizzy, and his vision was distorted. The fragments of his memory that had torn his brain apart until just now were making his brain throb.

"A-Arghhh."

Kang-Woo turned around as he trembled. He saw Seol-Ah in confusion, not knowing what to do. He quickly stretched out his arms and embraced her tightly.

"H-Huh? K-Kang-Woo?"

"..."

The crying Seol-Ah became wide-eyed from suddenly being embraced. Kang-Woo did not answer her and stretched his arm toward Yeon-Joo to embrace her as well.

"Wh-What the hell are you doing first thing you wake up?!"

Yeon-Joo let herself be embraced despite shouting. Kang-Woo stretched out his other hand.

"Fufu, you don't have to be so desperate, my king." Lilith grabbed Kang-Woo's hand and embraced him from behind. She gently whispered, "Your Lilith is right here."

Kang-Woo's chaotic mind calmed down a little from Lilith's sweet voice.

" A little bit..." he muttered with the three women in his arms. "Let me stay like this for a little bit."

"..."

"..."

The three women nodded in silence and either caressed Kang-Woo's head or hugged his arms tightly. Their warmth traveled into Kang-Woo. He could feel the darkness shrouding his consciousness being lifted.

'Fuck.'

Kang-Woo suppressed his curses.

'So this is what you call a trauma.'

It was his memory of falling into Hell for the first time and his wretched fourth day there.

"..."

Kang-Woo remained silent. The trauma did not end with just that day; every day in Hell was a nightmare and filled with wretched battles. His life in Hell flashed before his eyes. Of course, he did not remember every memory of the ten millennia he spent there, but the especially horrifying days were amplified and replayed in his head.

'I did my best to forget them.'

The blades made from his memories tore him apart. Kang-Woo swept back his hair drenched in sweat.

"Huuu... I'm okay now."

Kang-Woo caught his breath and backed away from the three women. Just like how it was with nightmares, the fragments of his memories quickly disappeared not long after he woke up.

"How long was I out?"

He felt like he had been asleep for years.

"For a day," answered Lilith as she wiped Kang-Woo's mouth with a handkerchief.

"A day..."

Kang-Woo let out a hollow laughter. He couldn't believe it had only been one day.

"Are you sure you're okay, Kang-Woo?"

Seol-Ah grabbed Kang-Woo's hand in worry.

"Yeah. I'm fine now, Darling. When did you wake up?"

"The three of us woke up after about an hour."

"Ngh."

It seemed like he was the only one who slept in.

"What exactly did you remember?" asked Yeon-Joo cautiously.

"Well, I mean... things." Kang-Woo avoided answering and clicked his tongue.

He had nowhere hear enough time to tell her everything he went through in the Nine Hells.

"Sigh..." Yeon-Joo softly sighed and lightly pinched Kang-Woo's flank. "You'd better tell this noona everything later, got it?"

"Why? Are you curious?"

Kang-Woo smiled playfully and stared at her. Yeon-Joo's cheeks turned as red as her hair.

"N-No! I'm not curious!! I-I mean... well..." she stuttered as she averted her gaze from Kang-Woo. Her lips quivered as she twisted around, and she then answered quietly, "We're not m-married yet, but... our relationship is close enough, isn't it? Yeah, and s-spouses shouldn't keep any secrets from each other! Yeah!"

Her expression looked like she was dying of embarrassment. Kang-Woo's eyes widened. His heart almost stopped.

"Kaaaaaaahhh!! You're so goddamn cute, Yeon-Joo noona!!"

"Arghh!! Wh-What the hell are you doing, dammit?!"

Kang-Woo embraced Yeon-Joo and kissed her repeatedly. She was cursing and swinging her fists in his embrace, but Kang-Woo couldn't find her any cuter.

"Hehehe! You're right, we may not have had the wedding yet, but we're practically spouses! Yeah, yeah!"

The disturbing memories melted away before Kang-Woo realized it and were replaced by an irresistible impulse. He went beyond kissing her cheek and sucked it.

"Y-You crazy fucker!!! Let go!! Let go of me!!!"

Yeon-Joo screamed as she cursed and kicked Kang-Woo, but he paid it no mind and added more strength to his arms, embracing her. Seol-Ah and Lilith stared intently at them and narrowed their eyes.

"I wonder if Yeon-Joo's doing that on purpose?"

"Hmm, who knows? It doesn't look like it. I think she just has a talent for it."

Stimulating the desires of men with natural cunning charms— it was truly a frightening talent if it was not through careful calculations.

"Sh-Should I curse like Yeon-Joo too?" Seol-Ah asked with shining eyes.

"Fufu. Why don't you give it a try?" Lilith smiled faintly.

Seol-Ah clenched her fists and nodded.

"K-Kang-Woo!"

"Yeah?"

"M-Motherfxxker!!"

"Huh? What's with you all of a sudden?"

"Fxxking Bxxxh! Dipsxxt!"

"The hell?"

𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

'What's with all the X's? Are we X-Men now?'

"Wh-What's wrong, Darling?" Kang-Woo stared at Seol-Ah in confusion.

"Urgh..." Seol-Ah's shoulders drooped in dejection after not getting the reaction she had hoped. "Cursing at Kang-Woo... I-I can't do it!"

"You just did a ton."

Kang-Woo stared at Lilith in exasperation and pointed at Seol-Ah as if telling Lilith to explain what was going on.

"Hohoho, isn't our Seol-Ah rather lovely as well?"

She shrugged and embraced Seol-Ah with a wide smile.

"I mean, she sure is, but..." Kang-Woo sighed as he stared at Seol-Ah, still unable to understand. He then looked around and asked, "That aside, where's Horos?"

Lilith pointed at a part of the hallway and said, "Way~ over there."

"A-Aaaahh."

Horos was hugging his knees and trembling in pallor. Tears were dripping from his eye the size of a pumpkin.

"What trauma did you see?" Kang-Woo asked in curiosity.

Horos looked up at Kang-Woo in pallor and shouted, "P-Please spare me!!! Please!!!"

'The fuck's with you all of a sudden?'

"I won't resist anymore! Please!! Please don't bash my head in as you scream weird things!!!"

'Oh.'

"Did you... see me as your trauma?" Kang-Woo asked.

Horos ferociously nodded.

"Oh, umm... Well... sorry about that."

"

Sniff—!

I-I was so scared!"

"I won't do anything to you as long as you listen to me, so don't worry."

Horos was far more useful than Kang-Woo expected. He could examine places that Kang-Woo couldn't even detect with the Authority of the Beholder and he was also very knowledgeable about Pandemonium.

'I was gonna eat him once we entered the Corridor, but...'

Kang-Woo still had a use for him.

"

Sniff...

R-Really?"

"Yeah, of course."

His looks aside, Horos followed orders well and was rather decent personality-wise.

"Right, shall we get back to it?"

They had fallen behind by one day because Kang-Woo woke up too late. Horos nodded and stood up.

"Just straight down, right?" Kang-Woo asked.

"Y-Yes."

"Let's go." Kang-Woo took the lead and the party went down a long flight of stairs. "Is this all there is to it? This isn't what I had in mind for a place called the Corridor of Trials."

Kang-Woo wasn't one to talk when he was the slowest to wake up, but considering even Horos woke up without issues, the Corridor of Trials did not seem very difficult despite its grandiose name.

"I've heard there remains something called the Trial of the Demonic Sword at the deepest point of the corridor," Horos replied.

"Trial of the Demonic Sword?"

"Yes. That trial is likely the most dangerous and difficult in this ancient dungeon."

"What kind of trial would a sword give, though?"

Kang-Woo tilted his head in confusion.

Horos explained, "They say Demonic Sword Midir is imbued with the soul of a powerful ancient demonic dragon. If you aren't acknowledged by the demonic dragon, you go insane and die."

"The demonic sword is an Ego Sword?"

Kang-Woo's eyes shone. Ego Swords were powerful weapons commonly seen in fantasy tropes.

'Come to think of it, Ingrium also had an ego.'

The demonic sword that betrayed Kang-Woo also flew around according to his will.

"Then the chances of the Demon King running with the relic should be pretty low."

Since it was a trial given by a ten-star relic, Kang-Woo was sure even the Demon King of Pandemonium would have a hard time.

"I... can't give you a clear answer on that." Horos shook his giant eye for a head. "Although Demonic Sword Midir is one of the most powerful relics that exist in the Tower... I believe the Demon King would pass its trial without much difficulty considering the legendary feats he has shown in Pandemonium."

"I see."

It meant they did not have time to waste. They needed to reach the end of the corridor as soon as possible to prevent the Demon King of Pandemonium from getting away with the relic.

"Let's go."

The group quickened their steps. There were a few things that looked like traps on their way, but like the others, they were inactive, likely because the Demon King ahead of the group destroyed them. They reached the end of the corridor soon after and saw thick darkness engulfing the surroundings like a swamp.

"Who... are you people?"

Within the darkness was the Demon King.