After Ten Millennia in Hell

“Seoul... It’s been a while.”

The concrete jungle. After the Day of Calamity, Seoul’s resources were mostly replaced with the mana stones collected from monsters, resulting in skies so blue that one wouldn’t think they were in a city. Despite returning to their home world after half a year, the expressions of the party members could not be darker.

Cha Yeon-Joo sighed. “Haaa. I didn’t think we’d come back feeling like shit.”

They had crossed to a different dimension for an expedition to eliminate the Demon God’s heart, but it had been a wasted trip in terms of results.

“It’s peaceful,” Yeon-Joo muttered as she looked around at the people in the streets.

There were no noticeable changes. People were walking around as usual; some were listening to music, laughing on a call, or going to the supermarket as they held hands with their children.

Yeon-Joo bit her lip and closed her eyes. This peaceful sight would not last much longer; these streets would soon be dyed with madness and destruction once the beings from outer worlds invaded.

She sighed deeply and asked, “There’s a possibility that the otherworldly forces are friendly, isn’t there?”

“They could be, but we ultimately won’t be able to avoid chaos,” Oh Kang-Woo replied.

Even if one or two parties were to approach Earth with amicable intentions, it would still cause chaos to an extent. Moreover, the chances of an otherworldly force that they had no relation to, approaching them with amicable intentions were low.

‘And it’s not like we can be sure they have the intelligence required for communication.’

There would be even less of a chance that they would be friendly if the otherworldly forces invading Earth were highly unintelligent like demonic beasts or monsters.

Kang-Woo narrowed his eyes and looked around the streets. As Yeon-Joo mentioned, it was peaceful.

‘Well, I couldn’t care about less what happens to these people.’

It was none of his business whether these people became food for demonic beasts or were torn apart by demons. He was not delicate enough to worry about what happened to people whom he had no relations with. Unlike Kim Si-Hun and Yeon-Joo, whose eyes were filled with emotions, Kang-Woo fell into thought nonchalantly.

‘Maybe I should prepare an escape route just in case.’

If Earth were to be brought to the brink of collapse after being unable to endure otherworldly invasions, it would be nice to have a place to run away to with a few people. In other words, Operation: So Long, Earth.

‘Darling, Si-Hun... Echidna, Yeon-Joo. I’ll of course take Balrog, and as long as Lilith stays in this form...’

Kang-Woo thought about the people he would take. As long as they were with him, he couldn’t care less about Earth’s destruction.

‘Well, it would only be in a worst-case scenario.’

Since the entire Triad would be destroyed according to the prophecy, he would not be able to settle in Aernor. He needed to find a world free from the Gaia System’s influence. Just finding a world like that would not be easy, and he was getting a headache just thinking about how to set up a stable life there.

‘Not just that, my delicate and kind darling would no doubt be heartbroken.’

Kang-Woo had invested too much on Earth to give up on it. He decided to set aside planning the operation for now and began to think of an alternative plan.

‘Alright, let’s organize the situation first.’

Earth had lost its ability to block otherworldly invasions due to the Gaia System’s collapse. Although Gates still existed, its numbers would skyrocket to an incomparable number once the invasion picked up speed.

‘Also, the interference of the gods.’

There was no telling what the beings possessing Deific Essence, who had been stuck in the divine realm due to the System’s restrictions shackling them, would do now that they had been freed. No, to be more precise, Kang-Woo more or less knew what they would do.

‘They would fulfill their desire.’

Actual gods were different from the almighty gods that religious organizations of Earth worshiped. Beings who possessed Deific Essence were closer to humans with special powers than gods. Since that was the case, they would do as their desire directed now that they were free to do as they liked.

Kang-Woo narrowed his eyes and tapped his thigh with his finger.

‘Guardians won’t do.’

Players would not be able to block the disasters that would come.

‘In that case... the only way is to get the gods’ cooperation.’

He needed help from beings possessing Deific Essence; he would not be able to block all the invasions by himself. Just like how Guardians had been made through the gathering of Protectors, an organization consisting of beings who possessed Deific Essence needed to be made. Then, the organization would keep the other gods in check so that they couldn’t run wild as they desired.

“Hyung-nim?” Si-Hun called the thinking Kang-Woo.

“Oh, huh?”

“What... should we do now?”

“...”

“...”

“First,” Kang-Woo turned to the party members and continued, “Go back home and get some rest. It’s been half a year since we’ve been back.”

“R-rest? How can we rest in a situation like this?!” Yeon-Joo shouted.

“There’s nothing we can do right now even if we don’t rest.”

“That’s true, but...”

“We need a break. If we don’t rest now, we might not have a chance to later. You should stop by the Red Rose Guild, shouldn’t you?”

“Yeah.”

“Right, then. All of you, go get some rest. Si-Hun, you go visit your mother too.”

“Okay, hyung-nim.”

“I’ll call you all once I’ve finished preparing.” Kang-Woo turned around and grabbed Han Seol-Ah’s hands. He continued, “Go back home first with Exchidna and Halcyon, darling. I have some stuff to talk about with Lady Gaia, so I’ll stop by the Hall of Protection.”

“I’ll go with you then,” Seol-Ah answered desperately as she tightened her grip on Kang-Woo’d hands.

Kang-Woo could feel her strong desire of not wanting to let go of him.

“It would be bad if your identity were to be...” Kang-Woo slurred.

‘Come to think of it...’

There was no need to hide the fact that Seraph was within Seol-Ah anymore. The Constellations of Evil who had been sealed by Seraph’s power had already been freed and killed. Not only that but Seol-Ah would not be undermined by the gods since she possessed the soul of Seraph, a Top-rank goddess.

“Alright, then. Darling and Lilith, follow me.”

“Okay!”

Kang-Woo opened the Gate leading to the Hall of Protection. Gaia had already gone to the Hall of Protection with Layla after guiding them to Earth.

‘I’m sure Gaia won’t be the only god there.’

Kang-Woo’s eyes shone. Since the chains shackling the gods had been broken, Gaia’s closest associates would likely have manifested into the physical realm as well.

“I wonder if the gods siding with Gaia will go along with it?” Lilith asked as they headed to the Hall of Protection.

Kang-Woo smirked.

‘It seems like she has an idea of what I’m trying to do.’

As expected of Lilith. No, the idea of creating an organization, like Guardians, of beings who possessed Deific Essence might just be a simple one.

‘Although I doubt there are many who would be able to put such an idea into action.’

How many beings would be able to keep several different gods in check?

“I’m not sure,” Kang-Woo answered.

“There will surely be much opposition.”

“That can’t be helped.”

Even if the gods resisted, Kang-Woo needed them under his control. He couldn't trust Gaia to take care of it.

“I can’t afford to have one foot out the door anymore.”

Kang-Woo had never once taken action directly in Aernor even during his days in Guardians; he had always coordinated the situation from the shadows as he placed Si-Hun as the figurehead. This was because he did not want to shoulder the risk involved with having his identity revealed. However...

“From now on...”

He needed beings who listened to him, obeyed him, and died at his command.

“I’ll personally take action,” he stated with fiercely blazing eyes.

Lilith remained silent.

Kang-Woo reminded her of back when she saw him for the first time in the Ninth Hell.

***

“You’re here, my child,” Gaia greeted him in the Hall of Protection as if she had been waiting for him.

There were many other gods as well.

“Let me introduce you. This is Uranus, the one who had taken on the role of guardian deity in my place while I was incapacitated. And this is...”

Gaia continued with the introductions. The names of the gods that she introduced were all ones that Kang-Woo was familiar with through Greek mythology.

“That blondie who looks like he likes to screw around is Zeus, and the blue-haired one next to him is Poseidon,” Gaia remarked.

“What do you mean, screw around, Mother?” Zeus asked.

“Quiet. Do you have any idea how many incidents there have been in the divine realm because of you?” Gaia said as she glared at Zeus.

Zeus laughed heartily and shouted, “Can you blame me? Just like how a butterfly can’t fly past a beautiful flower, I can’t avert my eyes from the lovely ladies thirsty for love!”

Kang-Woo chuckled as he listened to Zeus’s nonsense.

‘I had an inkling ever since I found out that Gaia was Earth’s guardian deity, but...’

He had not imagined gods with familiar names like Zeus and Poseidon to appear.

‘And their personalities kinda match the legends too.’

Of course not everything was the same as the legends; Kang-Woo was easily able to tell that from the fact that Uranus looked well.

‘According to the myths, he was castrated and became a eunuch.’

Uranus did not look like a eunuch.

‘I mean, it’s a bit weird to say that someone doesn’t look like a eunuch, but whatever.’

It felt weird seeing beings of mythology that Kang-Woo had only read about through children’s books back in the orphanage.

“And lastly, this is... Artemis, the goddess of the moon,” Gaia said as she turned to the black-haired woman standing silently in the corner of the Hall of Protection.

Her eyes were filled with sorrow and loneliness as she leaned against the wall in silence.

‘Hm?’

Kang-Woo tilted his head as he looked at Artemis, who was staring blankly into nothingness. She did not seem to be worrying about the end of the world like the other gods.

Noticing Kang-Woo’s reaction, Gaia continued sorrowfully, “Artemis... lost some precious to her.”

“Due to this incident?” Kang-Woo asked.

“No, not that.” Gaia shook her head. “The Deific Essence of Apollo, her older brother, was annihilated suddenly one day. Yes, as if...” Gaia looked at Artemis pitifully. “As if he broke an oath that he made with his Deific Essence on the line.”

Kang-Woo remained silent. It was no wonder why Artemis was wallowing in sadness since her older brother had been annihilated out of nowhere without knowing why.

“It must have been the Demon of Prophecy’s doing.” Kang-Woo’s eyes teared as if he understood Artemis’s pain.

He knew how agonizing it was to lose those precious to him.

“Haaa... I hate myself for being unable to help her in times like this,” Gaia remarked.

“Not at all, Lady Gaia, You’ve done your best,” Kang-Woo consoled as he patted Gaia’s shoulder.

‘Bael.’

Kang-Woo thought about the demon who had spread unfathomable sorrow and dreamed of even greater disaster.

“Now, then.” Kang-Woo set aside his sorrow, quelled his rage, and said to the crowd, “Let us begin the countermeasure meeting.”

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