After Ten Millennia in Hell

“Mm, you’re already taken?” Zeus asked as he glanced at Oh Kang-Woo. He scanned Kang-Woo from head to toe and said as he smiled slyly, “He does not deserve a beautiful blue bird like yourself.”

He laughed heartily and looked back at Han Seol-Ah flirtatiously. “I can guarantee that I can make you far happier.”

“Shut... up.”

“Hahaha! Great! There’s nothing that makes a man more passionate than a woman hard to get!”

Zeus laughed even harder as Seol-Ah glared at him in displeasure. He exhaled heatedly as he scanned Seol-Ah from head to toe.

“Not even Aphrodite would be a match for your beauty! To think there was such a precious gem hidden within the physical realm...”

Zeus then turned to the other woman behind Kang-Woo.

“By the gods, how can this be?!” His eyes lit up as he looked at Lilith. “Hahaha, there is not one but two flowers! Is this a festival?!”

“My, you flatter me.”Lilith smiled and walked toward Kang-Woo, placing her hand on his shoulder and smiling seductively. “But unfortunately for you, this man has acquired both of these flowers.”

“Hmm,” Zeus groaned, slightly astonished. He then turned to Kang-Woo and laughed heartily. “Hahaha! What a predicament. It is still not too late for you to change your mind and do as Lady Gaia says. At this rate, you’ll be embarrassed in front of your lovely ladies!”

“Zeus!” Gaia shouted, unable to endure it any longer. “I told you to behave yourself!”

“Hahaha. It’s just a joke, Mother. Not even I would covet a woman who already has a beloved.”

“Bull! You’ve caused countless incidents in the divine realm because of that!”

“Oh, had I?” Zeus turned back to Kang-Woo as he smiled slyly. “Anyway, may I spend some time alone with your women if you fail the test?”

“No,” Seol-Ah answered in Kang-Woo’s place. She hid behind Kang-Woo, embracing his arm as she trembled and gritted her teeth. “Why are you trying to get between me and Kang-Woo?”

She glared at Zeus with empty eyes.

“Hahaha. I am not trying to get between you two. I am simply heartbroken to see a flower entangled by the stifling vines known as a relationship.”

Seol-Ah frowned aggressively due to Zeus’s sly attitude. As twelve translucent wings were about to sprout from her back...

“Calm down, darling,” Kang-Woo expressed.

“Kang-Woo?”

He grabbed Seol-Ah’s shoulder and pulled his arm out of her embrace. “That’s fine. However, could you do one thing that I ask you if I pass the test?”

“Hahaha! Of course! I swear on my Deific Essence of Lightning!” Zeus nodded as he laughed heartily. He shrugged and turned to Gaia. “Alright, then. Is there a decent place to carry out the test around here?”

“Zeus,” Gaia muttered.

“Hahaha, there is no need to be so worried, Mother. I will not severely injure your precious retainer.”

Zeus looked around and lightly snapped his finger.

Crackle.

Blue sparks spread from his hand to the walls.

“Oh, I found the perfect place,” Zeus said as he walked to the large training room that Kim Si-Hun usually used.

As Kang-Woo was about to follow Zeus inside, Gaia grabbed his arm with an anxious expression.

“My child, think this through again. No god in Olympus surpasses Zeus in terms of combat. Even if you’ve received my power... it will not be enough to face Zeus.”

Kang-Woo smiled as Gaia begged him desperately. He entered the training room without answering her. Gaia stared at Kang-Woo’s back in pity.

Uranus slowly approached and grabbed Gaia’s shoulder. “Do not worry. I will intervene if Zeus is about to go too far.”

“But...”

“Your retainer will also get a chance to experience how powerful the gods are. He will give up on his absurd plan of keeping all the gods in check.”

Gaia brought her hands together in worry. White light flowed out from her and entered Kang-Woo. A barrier made of Divinity enveloped him so that he would avoid severe injuries.

“Haha. Your love for your retainers is as strong as always.” Noticing the light, Zeus chuckled. He said leisurely, “Well then, I will let you attack first.”

Kang-Woo smiled widely and bowed. “I look forward to your guidance.”

“Hahaha! At least you have a minimal level of courtesy! Do not worry. I will do my best to embarrass you as least as possible in front of your women—”

Kang-Woo turned into a golden light and disappeared.

Tap.

“Hm?”

Kang-Woo teleported behind Zeus and grabbed him by the back of his head. Kang-Woo swung Zeus’s head down and his knee up.

Bash!

“Kurgh!” Zeus grunted after getting a knee slammed into his face.

Kang-Woo grabbed Zeus’s head with both hands and slammed his knee into Zeus’s face again and again. The protective barrier of Deific Essence around Zeus shattered and his nose broke.

“W-Wa...” Zeus quickly shouted.

However, Kang-Woo slammed Zeus’s head into the ground and stomped his feet.

Swish!!

Hundreds of golden swords sprouted from the ground like a graveyard of swords. Kang-Woo then ran with Zeus’s head on the ground.

Slash!

“Aaarrrggghhh!!!” Zeus screamed.

Zeus’s head was split, blood pouring out of his head from being slashed by the swords of splendor on the ground. He frantically twisted himself out of Kang-Woo’s hand.

“Huff, huff, huff!” he panted heavily as he stared at Kang-Woo in disbelief. “H-how did you break the Deific Essence protection...?”

“Because I also have Deific Essence.”

“What?”

Zeus was left astonished by Kang-Woo’s calm answer. He turned to look at Gaia momentarily but shook his head. A god couldn't grant Deific Essence to anyone but their incarnation.

‘That means...’

The human had acquired Deific Essence with his own strength. Zeus knew how impressive of a feat that was.

“Forgive me for the disrespect.” Zeus stopped underestimating Kang-Woo and widened his stance. “Can you tell me your Deific Name?”

Crackle!!

Zeus’s eyes shone as blue lightning enveloped him. His sly expression from earlier vanished and had been replaced with one befitting the dignity of the God of Lightning.

Kang-Woo said as he stared at Zeus, “Splendor. My Deific Name is Splendor.”

He said the name of his Deific Essence which he had acquired after overcoming countless adversities.

Flash—!

Blinding light filled the Hall of Protection.

Riiing!

[Affiliating Gaia’s retainer, the God of Splendor, with Olympus.]

[Error, error.]

[The God of Splendor’s entry to Olympus has been canceled due to an unknown reason.]

***

The battle between the God of Lightning Zeus and the God of Splendor Oh Kang-Woo had gone in a completely different direction than expected.

“N-no way...”

Heracles’s mouth gaped open in shock as he watched the battle, chills running down his back. The battle had been overwhelming, but the problem was...

“Cough! Kurgh...”

The one on the ground was Zeus, one of the strongest gods of Olympus.

“I-I’ve lost,” Zeus said as he lowered his head in front of Kang-Woo.

He did not want to admit it, but he had no choice after being beaten so one-sidedly. He had lost so miserably that the word was not enough to describe his loss.

Zeus nodded and continued, “I see that... your declaration to keep the gods in check wasn’t just talk.”

It was not just the fact that Kang-Woo possessed Top-rank Derific Essence; the God of Splendor was so powerful that the entire force of Olympus might not be a match for him.

“Can I take that as an agreement to my plan?” Kang-Woo asked.

Zeus glanced in silence at Gaia, whose mouth was still gaped open in disbelief. He nodded slightly and said, “The ultimate decision is up to Mother, but I at least will agree.”

His pride did not allow him to take back his word after losing so miserably. Kang-Woo smiled. He did not need to look at Gaia’s response since she had most definitely realized that he had the power to back up his words.

“Well, then...”

Kang-Woo grabbed Zeus’s shoulder. He had gotten what he wanted, but he could not let Zeus’s ogling of Seol-Ah and Lilith slide. “Could I ask you to do that one thing as promised right now?”

“Mm.” Zeus averted his gaze from Kang-Woo. He had put his Deific Essence on the line since he had been sure that he would win, but regret swept over him after losing. “... Tell me what you want.”

“Oh, it’s nothing special. You only need to stay still for it.”

“...?”

“Please follow me.”

Kang-Woo helped Zeus up and smiled. He told Gaia that he needed to discuss something with Zeus privately and headed down to the Hall of Protection’s basement where Guardians equipment and potions were stored.

Creak.

Kang-Woo slid open the thick steel door.

“Where is this place?” Zeus asked.

“A storage room.”

“Why are we here...?” Zeus asked as he tilted his head incomprehensibly.

Kang-Woo looked back at him and smiled. “My request is simple. Just stay in here for a few hours without using any of your powers.”

“What?” Zeus frowned after hearing the unexpected request. “Mm... I don’t know what you’re thinking, but okay.”

Zeus gladly nodded and sat on a chair in the storage room. Kang-Woo walked behind him and then extended his right hand outward. Slushy jumped out of the Key of the Demonic Sea and onto Zeus’s face.

“Urpp! Wh-what is th—”

Slushy covered Zeus’s eyes and Kang-Woo tied Zeus’s hands and legs together using the Authority of Sealing.

“Kurgh! L-let me go!!” Zeus shouted.

He was unable to escape from the Authority of Sealing because he was not able to use any of his powers as he had sworn with his Deific Essence on the line.

“Lord Zeus,” Kang-Woo called.

“Kuh! D-dammit! What are you trying to do to me?!”

Kang-Woo brought his mouth closer to the struggling Zeus’s ear.

“Have you ever heard this saying?” Kang-Woo placed his hand on Zeus’s shoulder. “Every beautiful flower...”

Squelch.

“... Has tentacles.”

Squelch, squelch.

Green tentacles poured out from the seams of the storage room walls.

“Wh-what? What does that m— W-wait! Wh-what are these strange sounds?!! Kurgh! S-something is crawling up my b-body!”

“Hahaha. I will erase your memories after, so you don’t have to worry. It’ll just feel like a nightmare once I do.”

‘A nightmare so terrible that it’ll traumatize you, that is.’

“Well, then...” Kang-Woo nodded at Lilith, who was looking his way as she waved, and headed to the storage room door.

“W-wait! P-please!! P-please, let me go!!”

Clatter, clatter, clatter.

Zeus struggled frantically behind him.

Creak.

Kang-Woo closed the thick steel door.

“GAME OVER.”

Thump.

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