After Ten Millennia in Hell

Chapter 517 - Miracle (2)

"Wh-What the hell?"

Cha Yeon-Joo, who was stopping the black mucus from approaching them, turned around in surprise. Translucent light containing inexplicable power was pouring out from Han Seol-Ah and lighting up the earth covered in the tsunami of black mucus.

"What the hell is happening?!" entreated Yeon-Joo.

She had no idea why such power was pouring out from Seol-Ah.

'It's different from usual.'

The soul of Celestial Goddess Seraph was inside Seol-Ah, so most of her magic spells were powered by sacred power.

'But this is...'

Yeon-Joo narrowed her eyes. She had felt this power from somewhere before.

'That rogue brat?'

She recalled the rogue Player who had appeared like a supernova and defeated Kim Si-Hun with an overpowered item he happened to find in a dungeon. Yeon-Joo was sure that the translucent light coming out of Seol-Ah was the same as the light flowing out from Kim Tae-Hyun's necklace during his duel against Si-Hun.

"What's going on...?"

She couldn't understand why that light was suddenly coming out of Seo-Ah.

'Not just that...'

It was overwhelmingly brighter than the light the necklace used to pour out.

Grrrrrrk!

"Urgh!"

The black mucus reached a hair's breadth away from her while she was distracted. Yeon-Joo quickly stepped back to widen the distance from the mucus that was slowly closing the distance.

"Yeon-Joo! Focus!" yelled Lilith.

"But Seol-Ah is—"

"We don't have the leeway to worry about that!"

Yeon-Joo anxiously bit her lip and nodded.

Clatter—!

Even more red chains poured out of her bracelets.

"Okay," she answered. It was not the time to worry about what was happening to Seol-Ah or whose power that was. "Fuuu."

She took a deep breath, lowered her stance, and spread the chains like a net. The only thing she could do was to protect Seol-Ah until she was finished healing Balrog. They could only struggle to keep their hold on the sliver of hope,

"Red Lotus, Third Form."

Whirl—!

The red chains surged like a tornado.

"Red Petal Obstruction."

A red lotus bloomed and the petals made of red chains surrounded the area like a dome.

Grrrrrrrk!

"Kuh..."

The red lotus blocked the tsunami of black mucus. Yeon-Joo's arms trembled from the immense pressure on the chains. She panted heavily and her legs shook like crazy; she could tell she wouldn't be able to hold it much longer.

"Seol-Ah."

Yeon-Joo looked back at Seol-Ah, her expression mixed with worry and hope.

Whoooom!

Beautiful light particles that looked like crystal fragments were still coming out of Seol-Ah.

"A-Aaaahh," Seol-Ah groaned as immense power boiled inside her.

'It's so hot.'

It felt like she was burning from the inside. She bit her lip. She could pass out at any second from the raging current of power inside her, but she couldn't afford to lose herself right now.

"What was..."

Seol-Ah gazed at the blue message window that appeared in front of her. It said that the activation condition for Miracle had been fulfilled, along with additional information underneath.

[The skill 'Miracle' can only be used once.]

[All power granted by 'Nostrian' will vanish once used.]

'Nostrian?' Seol-Ah had heard that name somewhere before. 'Lilith was looking for them, if I remember correctly.'

She was not exactly sure what the beings known as Titans were.

'They're... something like the creators of the universe.'

At least, that was how Oh Kang-Woo described them. They were likely not completely almighty, considering there were multiple of them, but it did not change the fact that they were extraordinary beings.

'In that case.'

Seol-Ah pointed her hands at Balrog's corpse.

"Please..."

'Let there be a miracle that lives up to their name.'

Seol-Ah closed her eyes. She had no idea why such a power entered her and who the being known as Nostrian was— no, she didn't even know whether or not this Miracle skill could bring Balrog back to life.

'But...'

Whoooom!!

Translucent light burst. Seol-Ah placed her hands on Balrog's chest and prayed on the sliver of hope she was holding on to.

"Ngh..." Seol-Ah grimaced.

Her hands trembled as she barely held on, currents of power rampaging inside her like river rapids.

"How much longer, Seol-Ah?!" shouted Yeon-Joo as she kept the black mucus at bay.

Over half of the red lotus surrounding the area had been devoured by the mucus. The massive black wave would soon engulf the red lotus and the three women whole.

"More." Seol-Ah bit her lip and continued, "Just... Just a little more, Yeon-Joo."

Whoooom!!

The translucent light particles coming out of her gathered around her hand.

"Miracle."

The translucent light flowed into Balrog.

Crack! Crunch—!

The flesh on Balrog's chest ripped open and exposed his crushed heart. His two arms disappeared and covered him in black blood.

"Wh-What the hell?" Yeon-Joo's eyes shook as she saw what was happening. She bit her lip as the injuries Seol-Ah had healed came back. "Did it... fail?"

The three women could feel the sliver of hope they were holding on to for dear life, disappearing.

"Wait." Lilith, who was staring at Balrog covered in blood, widened her eyes. She smiled brightly and said, "It... didn't fail."

"What? His injuries are getting worse again! Wh-What are you ta—"

"No. They're not getting worse."

Lilith shook her head and stared at Balrog with no arms and horrible injuries all over him.

"Time is... getting rewound."

It was what Balrog looked like when they first saw him.

***

He was walking within the darkness... the boundless Abyss. His consciousness had long since burnt to a crisp. He no longer had any sense of reason or intelligence left. He couldn't remember who he was or what he was doing.

Step.

He simply walked.

Step.

He walked forward, through endless darkness, without even knowing why he was walking.

'Why...' he thought. 'Why am I walking?'

He could not see the end of the road— no, an end did not even exist. There was nothing more pointless than continuing down a road with no end without rest.

'There's no need to keep walking.'

He knew there was no end. He knew his walk would never end. He was tired. His shoulders were heavy and his legs were shaking.

'I'll stop.'

It was pointless. He should stop here. Stopping here, lying down in the darkness, and waiting to disappear was a far smarter decision.

'It's not a bad idea.'

The darkness was comfortable. It was endless and vast. He felt like he would have no regrets even if he were to melt into it.

'I'll stop.'

There was no meaning or purpose in his walk. He did not even know why he was walking forward. There was no reason at all he should keep walking.

Step.

However...

Step.

However... However... However...

"A-Arghh."

He kept walking. He moved his right leg and then his left to keep moving forward. He didn't know why; he might never know why.

"For...ward. For...ward."

However, he did not stop. Even if the weight on his shoulders was crushing him and he could barely breathe...

"I..."

He needed to keep moving forward. He continued to walk through the endless Abyss.

[My king.]

Just then, a demon covered in red muscles appeared in front of him. He remembered seeing the demon before he entered the Abyss.

"Balrog."

He remembered that one name. He did not remember what his own name was, but...

"Balrog, Balrog, Balrog..."

He knew that the name of the demon in front of him was Balrog. That was all he remembered.

[Yes, my king.] Balrog smiled faintly and nodded. He approached the man and placed his hand on his shoulder. [You have done so well until now, my king.]

"I have?"

[Yes. You have... pushed through and came all this way with so much on your shoulders.]

"I don't... remember."

[Even if your memories have disappeared, everything you have done until now is right here.]

Balrog raised his hand and snapped his finger. Countless demons appeared before them, so many that they could fill the endless Abyss.

[You have defeated every single one of these beings.]

He remained silent. He did not remember anything about them.

[My king,] Balrog called. The man could feel the warmth from Balrog's hand on his shoulder. [You can... rest now.]

[You don't have to... continue that wretched battle anymore.]

Sweet whispers entered the man's ears. His legs were just about to break anyway. His shoulders were about to be crushed anyway. There would be no better place to rest than here if he were to stop.

[You have really...] Tears welled around Balrog's eyes. He got on one knee and bowed. [Done so well, my king.]

The man stared at Balrog in silence. "Did you say... I can rest?"

He felt something was wrong.

"I did well until now?"

He couldn't explain it, but it felt like a piece of a puzzle did not match.

"No."

[Pardon?]

"You're... not Balrog," the man said as he fiercely glared at Balrog.

- You can just do as you have always done.

The man heard a voice. It was the same voice as the Balrog in front of him but they were different.

The man stepped forward and reached out.

[My king...]

"Don't fuck with me."

He grabbed Balrog by the neck. He bared his teeth and clenched harder.

"I..."

Crush.

The red demon's head exploded.

"Will not stop."

He had never stopped.

Wriggle—!

The Abyss sloshed and collapsed as it tore apart.

"Ah..."

The man's vision came back. He could see light beyond the collapsing Abyss.

"Kang-Woo!"

"Darling?"

Kang-Woo saw Seol-Ah. Next to her were Yeon-Joo and Lilith.

"Wh-What the hell... happened to you...?" Yeon-Joo was staring at him in pallor.

Kang-Woo looked down at himself.

Only his face was out of the black mucus; it was no wonder why Yeon-Joo was horrified.

"I..."

Kang-Woo could feel his consciousness burning away. His memories flickered and his vision blurred.

Grrrrrk.

The black mucus began to devour him again. Just then...

"Didn't you say I would be in for it once this was over?"

Kang-Woo heard a voice.

"Huh?"

"I don't think you'll be able to keep that promise with the state you're in."

A hearty laughter echoed throughout the area. Kang-Woo slowly turned his head.

"Bal...rog?"

He saw a demon covered in red muscles smiling brightly at him.