Player who Returned 10,000 years Later-Chapter 25Epilogue : Outing to Hell (2)

“Why Hell out of the blue?”

Oh Kang-Woo tilted his head in wonder at Kang-Hyun’s sudden request.

“Umm… I want to meet Uncle Balrog.”

“Balrog?”

This content is taken from freeweɓnovel.cѳm.

Balrog was ruling Hell in Kang-Woo’s place, but that did not mean he spent his days only in Hell. He visited Earth now and then and had built a rather close bond with Kang-Woo’s children to the point they called him uncle.

‘But was Kang-Hyun that close with Balrog?’

Balrog had been unable to come to Earth lately because he was busy but not long enough for Kang-Hyun to want to go to Hell to see him.

“Did you want to see Balrog that much?” Kang-Woo asked.

“There’s that too, but… there’s another reason.”

“What is it?”

“Umm…” Kang-Hyun slurred as he averted his gaze from Kang-Woo. He thought momentarily and replied firmly, “I want to learn how to become stronger from him.”

“...” Kang-Woo stared blankly at his son, surprised by the unexpected answer. He sighed deeply and said, “Kang-Hyun. I told you that you don’t need to rush.”

“Yes, I know.”

“Then why are you doing this?”

“Because… I have someone I want to protect now.”

“Someone you want to protect?”

‘C-Could it be?!’

Kang-Woo recalled the inexplicable tension between Kang-Hyun and Kim Si-Ah during their cherry blossom viewing in Yeouido Park.

“Hehe. Look at you?”

‘I guess you’re a man too. Since when were you in that sort of relationship with Si-Ah?’

“By someone to protect… Is it who I’m thinking of?” Kang-Woo asked.

“Yes, probably.”

“Shieeet! You’ve grown so much already, my son!”

“Urgh… F-Father…!”

Kang-Woo burst into laughter as he messied Kang-Hyun’s hair.

‘I heard kids grow up quickly these days.’

He couldn’t believe a second-grader already had someone he could proudly say they wanted to protect.

“So, who confessed first?”

“Pardon…?”

“Hmm, I guess you guys haven’t gotten together yet, huh? In that case, allow your dad to tell you a surefire way to get the girl—”

“What are you talking about, Father?”

“Huh? What do you mean? You said you have someone you want to protect.”

“Yes, because I have Springie now.”

“...”

‘Oh, you were talking about Springie?’

“What about Si-Ah…?” Kang-Woo asked.

“Pardon? What about her?”

“Haaa… I’m disappointed in you, son.”

“D-Disappointed?”

Kang-Woo turned away from his confused son and clicked his tongue.

“So you’re saying you want to go to Hell and be trained by Balrog, right?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“I’ll just let you know… it’ll be incomparably more difficult than training with me.”

Kang-Woo did not excessively push his children to master their usage of demonic energy and Authorities because he wanted them to enjoy a normal life.

‘But Balrog is different.’

He would be hard on even his own child— no, he would be even harder on Kang-Hyun because he was the Demon King’s son.

“Yes, I’m prepared.”

Kang-Hyun nodded, his eyes blazing with determination. Kang-Woo smiled at his dependable son.

“Alright. We’ll go to Hell this weekend.”

Kang-Woo could also bring Balrog to Earth but Hell was the best place to train if the goal was to awaken demonic energy. No place on Earth was as abundant in demonic energy compared to the Nine Hells.

“Okay! Thank you very much, Father!”

“Alright. I’m going to discuss this with your mothers.”

Kang-Woo turned around and headed to the living room where his wives were.

Clack.

Kang-Hyun was left alone in his room. He clenched his fist and smiled faintly.

“Someone I want to protect… huh?”

He couldn’t bring himself to be honest with his father for some reason but Springie was not the first one he thought of when he said there was someone he wanted to protect.

“I can’t believe you! I don’t care anymore! You can get hurt for all I care!”

It was the girl who had secretly followed him out of worry. Just as she had, he wanted to tell her proudly as well.

“B-Because I’ll protect you.”

He wanted to tell her that he would protect her as well.

***

“So you’re going to take Kang-Hyun with you to Hell?” asked Seol-Ah.

“Yeah.”

“Haaa. There’s no stopping that boy.” Seol-Ah sighed as she expressed worry. “There’s no need for him to rush…”

“That’s what I told him.”

Kang-Woo couldn’t bring himself to refuse when he saw the determination in Kang-Hyun’s eyes. Unlike the worried Seol-Ah, the biological mother Cha Yeon-Joo shrugged nonchalantly.

“Isn’t it fine as long as it’s what he wants?”

“Should you be so cool about the fact that your son wants to go to the Ninth Hell?” Kang-Woo asked.

“What’s there to be worried about? He’s gonna be with Balrog, isn’t he?”

“I mean, you have a point.”

However dangerous a place the Ninth Hell was, Kang-Hyun’s safety was guaranteed as long as Balrog was next to him.

“But are you the only one tagging along?” Yeon-Joo asked.

“Yeah, for now.”

“Hmm, I see.” Yeon-Joo pondered momentarily. She then grabbed Kang-Woo’s butt and smiled. “I wanna go too.”

“Why would you wanna come…?”

“It’s only natural for me to tag along as his mother when my son is going somewhere bustling with demons?”

“You’re not wrong, but I thought you said there was nothing to worry about.”

“Ahem! I’m still his mother, so can you blame me for being worried?”

“Hmm.”

‘I’m positive she’s plotting something.’

“Yeon-Joo… didn’t you say you have to go to work this weekend?” asked Seol-Ah as she listened to their conversation in silence.

Yeon-Joo flinched and averted her gaze from Seol-Ah. “H-How can I go to work when such an important family matter came up?”

“Hmm. So what you’re saying is… You want to go to Hell as an excuse to skip working on the weekend and enjoy a date with Kang-Woo?”

“O-O-Of course not!”

“I don’t believe you!”

“Aaaack! S-Say no to violence!”

Yeon-Joo ran away as Seol-Ah charged at her and hid behind Kang-Woo. Seol-Ah stared at Yeon-Joo and snorted.

“If Yeon-Joo’s going, so am I.”

“You, Darling?”

“I’m also Kang-Hyun’s mother, am I not?”

“That’s…”

Kang-Woo had no way to refute it since he had suggested they shouldn’t distinguish whose child was whose and love them all equally.

“My, then do I have to take care of Kang-Hee and Lia by my lonesome?” asked Lilith.

“Ah.”

“U-Unnie, that’s…”

The two women flinched as they argued. Lilith giggled with her mouth covered and winked.

“Fufu. I’m joking. Leave Kang-Hee and Lia to me. You two can go with my love.”

“Lilith unnie…”

“Come to think of it, the two of you haven’t been to the Nine Hells, have you?” Lilith mentioned.

“Yeah, I haven’t.”

“Me too. I’ve only heard stories but never visited.”

Kang-Woo was now able to go to and from the Nine Hells whenever he wanted after gaining the ability to freely control Rifts but they never had a reason to go to the Nine Hells.

“Then take this chance to visit the Ninth Hell with my love.”

“Mmm… but is there anything to see?” Yeon-Joo asked.

“It’s far more bare, arid, and desolate than here, but…” Lilith smiled faintly and turned to Kang-Woo. “It’s where my love survived for ten millennia.”

“That’s…”

It was such a long time that it felt unrealistic.

“Okay. I’ll take this chance to see for myself,” said Yeon-Joo.

“Me too, unnie,” Seol-Ah said as well.

“My, you don’t have to make such serious faces. The Ninth Hell has some sights to see so enjoy them with my love.”

Lilith stretched out her arms to gently hug Yeon-Joo and Seol-Ah and kissed them on their cheek.

‘It’s kinda like seeing a mother and her daughters.’

It could work since Lilith was far older than Seol-Ah and Yeon-Joo— far older than the age difference between a mother and daughter.

“What are you thinking about… my love?”

“Nothing at all,” Kang-Woo replied.

‘Lilith hates her age being brought up so I’ll keep quiet.’

He continued, “Why don’t we just make it a family trip?”

He felt bad leaving Lilith by herself to watch the children.

“Fufu. Thank you for being so considerate, my love.” Lilith kissed Kang-Woo and shook her head. “But I will sit this one out.”

“Why? We can take Kang-Hee and Lia with us.”

“They might get scared by the demons of Hell.”

“Hmm… You have a point.”

Kang-Hyun was an exception since he said he wanted to go to Hell willingly but Kang-Hee and Lia were only first-graders. They might be shocked by the grotesque demons.

“I’ll watch the kids, so have fun in Hell with Seol-Ah and Yeon-Joo.”

“We’re not going there to have fun, though.”

“But you have nothing to do while Kang-Hyun is training with Balrog, do you?”

“Well… no.”

As Lilith mentioned, Kang-Woo was only tagging along just in case— it was not like he had business in Hell. Balrog would be Kang-Hyun’s teacher, not him.

“Then you can use your free time to go around Hell with Yeon-Joo and Seol-Ah. Mmm… yes, just think of it as an outing.”

“An outing, huh…?”

No husband would refuse to go on an outing with their loving wives.

‘If the outing wasn’t in Hell, that is…’

Kang-Woo smiled bitterly and nodded.

“Okay, then let’s go together.”

‘To the arid and desolate Ninth Hell, filled with countless demons under a crimson sky.’