After Ten Millennia in Hell

Chapter 509 - I Knew You Would Open A Door

"H-Hihihihi," Bael laughed in a twisted way. He swept up his black hair and mumbled, "Yeah, you were always like this."

The Demon King had been this kind of person even when he used to crawl like a dog and lick Bael's feet back in Hell. No matter how humiliating a situation he was put in, he was always shamelessly prideful. He never broke nor bent down; he was always so relaxed as if he were always mocking his opponent.

'No.'

The Demon King was not like that at all times. Bael knew how to break that vulgar and shameless Demon King.

'You'll break soon enough.'

"H-Hihihihi!! Kihihihihi!!"

Bael's shoulders moved up and down as he stuck his long tongue out and cackled.

"..."

Oh Kang-Woo frowned slightly.

'What is this?'

An unknown sense of uneasiness ran down his back. He unsheathed Ingrium from his waist.

"Fuuu." Kang-Woo could feel himself calming down after grabbing the sword made with the branch of the corrupted World Tree. He erased the uneasy feeling from his head and said deeply, "Why don't we leave the chit chat here? We're not here to discuss whether we're human or not, are we?"

It was certainly surprising that Bael had been one of the humans who had fallen into Hell with Kang-Woo and that they had never been human.

'But that doesn't matter right now.'

The truth did not matter after all this time; Kang-Woo couldn't care less about an insignificant surprise twist. All that mattered right now was his battle against Bael.

'Think.'

Kang-Woo thought about ways to defeat Bael and stop the Apocalypse.

'... I shouldn't hold off on opening the Doors to the last minute.'

He had never opened the Doors as soon as the battle began— no, he couldn't because it was a trump card with a time limit. If he used it initially, he would only be driven to a disadvantage as time went on. For example, it was like a berserk mode that bosses used in games when they were in low health. Not opening the Doors was never an option against Bael, but it was far too inefficient to use it before the battle even began.

'But...'

Kang-Woo was prone to death when the Doors weren't open. He would die if he were beheaded or if his heart were crushed, just like all lifeforms.

'Should I shoulder the risk and put off opening the Doors, or eliminate the risk and choose an inefficient option?'

The later the Doors were opened, the better it was. However, if Bael was far stronger than Kang-Woo had anticipated, Kang-Woo might die just because he was adamant about putting it off.

"..."

Kang-Woo bit his lip. He still wasn't sure when to use his trump card.

'In the first place, I have no idea just how strong Bael is at the moment.'

The Bael Kang-Woo had met in Aernor was not strong enough for Kang-Woo to immediately open the Doors. It was more efficient to buy some time as they fought and find the perfect time to open the Doors.

'But...'

Now that Bael possessed the Demon God's heart, it was near impossible for Kang-Woo to predict how much stronger Bael had become.

"Hihi, what's wrong? Weren't we gonna fight right away?"

Bael stared leisurely at Kang-Woo, who simply gripped Ingrium tightly without answering.

"I guess I have no choice, then." Bael spread out his arms and slowly placed his right hand over his heart. "Open."

"...!" Kang-Woo's eyes widened. "Oh, sh—"

He quickly jumped backward.

Crash—!!

Black mucus poured over the area where Kang-Woo had been standing. Countless mouths contorted, broke, and tore apart the surroundings.

"How did you...!" said Kang-Woo in shock.

He then recalled what Bael had said.

- You and I... We are but vessels made to complete the Demonic Sea.

"Shit!" Kang-Woo cursed.

Based on that, it meant he and Bael were fundamentally the same— vessels made to hold the colossal power known as the Demonic Sea.

'In that case...'

It was not strange at all for Bael to be able to open the Doors as well.

"... I thought you said you weren't able to complete the Demonic Sea," asked Kang-Woo after just barely dodging Bael's attack.

"Heh." Bael smiled. "Yeah, it's not as complete as yours."

He nodded and raised his arm which had turned into black mucus and swung it.

Splash!

Black mucus covered in mouths shot at Kang-Woo. He quickly rolled to the side to dodge them.

"But I can also use it to an extent. Hihihi."

Bael burst into innocent laughter and stared at his hand hazily. Kang-Woo frowned.

'It must be thanks to acquiring the Demon God's heart.'

Bael did not open the Doors when Kang-Woo fought against him in Hell— no, to be more precise, he couldn't. Considering that, the only possible explanation he could use the Demonic Sea to an extent was because he now had the Demon God's heart.

'Because the one who keeps the Demonic Sea intact is... the Demon God.'

Kang-Woo did not want to admit it, but the Demonic Sea inside him could only stay intact thanks to the power of the Demon God inside the Abyss. It was only natural since the Demon God was the one who created the vessels. In other words, if a portion of the Demon God's power flowed into Bael, there was no reason why Bael couldn't open the Doors.

"H-Hihi. Kurgh!" Bael flinched. "Bleeeeeeghhh!" He suddenly clenched his chest and vomited black mucus. "Kurgh, urghhh!"

Bael trembled and swayed as if he lost strength in his legs. Kang-Woo's eyes shone.

'But it's not perfect.'

Although Bael could open the Doors, it was nowhere near as stable as Kang-Woo's technique. He wasn't sure, but Bael probably wouldn't be able to open anything past the First Door.

Crunch—!

"Kurgh!"

Mouths attached to Kang-Woo's arm and bit into it relentlessly.

Slash!

Kang-Woo severed his entire arm without hesitation using the Authority of Blades. The black mucus would never come off of a body part once it stuck to it; the only way to remove it was to sever the body part that it had attached to.

"..."

Kang-Woo narrowed his eyes. It would be pointless to stall for time and hope for Bael's Door to close. Not only was it highly risky, but he had no idea when it would end.

'No, maybe...'

There was a possibility that it wouldn't end.

'Because his Demonic Sea isn't complete.'

Kang-Woo couldn't keep the Doors open forever because the power of the Demonic Sea would grow so massive to the point he couldn't keep it under control and devour him whole. Bael's Demonic Sea was not complete— that fact might rather be what could allow Bael to keep the Door open and avoid the Demonic Sea from devouring him.

"Haaa," Kang-Woo sighed deeply.

He looked down at his severed left arm and raised his right arm. He did not have to think for long.

'I have to open it.'

There was no other way to face Bael. He slowly placed his right hand over his chest. Just then...

Zzzzzzt.

[A specific incantation is required to use the second effect of 'Ruler of the Demonic Sea.']

[The incantation is ????????????????????????.]

"Kurgh."

Kang-Woo's vision blurred. The system window which he hadn't seen in a while appeared in front of him.

'The second effect? An incantation?'

All sorts of questions popped up in his head. Even if he wanted to check what the incantation was, he couldn't because the letters were filled with static.

'What the hell?'

What was the point of an incantation if the letters were covered?

Crunch!

"Kurgh!"

Black mucus bit off Kang-Woo's flesh before he even had a chance to finish his thoughts.

'I'm out of time.'

He did not have the leeway to think about the second effect. He placed his right hand on his chest again and muttered, "Open."

Two Doors opened.

Fwoosh—!!

The surrounding area shook as the Flames of Voracity wrapped around Kang-Woo. A thrill traveled across him as he felt an inexplicable sense of omnipotence. He could feel the sea of demonic energy flooding into him through the open Doors.

"Haaa," Kang-Woo sighed heatedly.

It was only in moments like this when the Doors sealing the Demonic Sea were opened that the concept of death disappeared.

Kang-Woo turned his head and said, "Bael."

Although the duration he could maintain the Demonic Sea had increased thanks to his Twelfth Awakening Trait, he could still feel his sanity flickering.

"I'll show you what the real Demonic Sea looks like."

Kang-Woo smiled and stared at the incomplete and shabby-looking Demonic Sea. He couldn't tell before, but he could now tell after opening the Second Door how pathetic Bael's Demonic Sea was.

"As I've thought." Kang-Woo chuckled. "You're nothing."

He was sure of his victory. He could feel the power of the Demonic Sea spreading from his heart eating away at his sanity. No, it was more apt to say that it was melting away. Kang-Woo slowly raised his hand and the branch of the corrupted World Tree, which fell on the ground after he severed his right arm, floated into the air.

Fwoosh.

Kang-Woo grabbed Ingrium wrapped in the Flames of Voracity. The space around him distorted as he dashed at Bael, reaching him in an instant. He gripped Ingrium tightly and stabbed Bael who was almost half black mucus.

Pierce!

"Argh!!"

Ingrium went straight through Bael.

"..."

Kang-Woo frowned.

'What was that?'

Bael was not unable to dodge Kang-Woo's attack; rather, he did not bother dodging. He simply spread his arms widely as if he wanted to be stabbed by Ingrium.

'Something is...'

Kang-Woo felt uneasy and tried to pull out Ingrium. However...

Grab.

"Kihi! Hihihihihihi!!!" Bael laughed like a maniac as he clenched Ingrium's blade. "Pfft! Hihihihi!! Yeah! I knew you would do that!!"

Bael looked right into Kang-Woo's eyes.

"Yeah, yeah. I knew it. After all, you're smart. You're not an idiot. You're... You're... You're..." Bael mumbled as if humming. "Special."

He stretched out his long tongue and licked his lips. He then leaned his head toward Kang-Woo.

"..."

The two demons' eyes locked.

"I knew you would open a Door," said Bael with a smile.

"... What?" Kang-Woo stared at Bael, unable to understand.

Whoooom!!!

Ingrium began to shine black.

"Do you know what the role of the World Tree is?" Bael asked.

"Kurgh!"

Kang-Woo tried to let go of Ingrium but no matter how hard he tried, his hands did not leave its hilt.

Bael continued, "It acts as a link between worlds. Then what do you think the role of a corrupted World Tree is?"

Wriggle, wriggle.

The black mucus pouring from Bael's chest and the Flames of Voracity wrapping Kang-Woo connected as one.

"It's no different. A corrupted World Tree... also acts as a link for something."

"Oh, shit—"

Kang-Woo grimaced.

Crush—!!!

A colossal hand shot out from Kang-Woo's chest.