Player who Returned 10,000 years Later

"Since we have a lot of empty rooms in the Hall of Protection, why don't you stay there, Mr. Reinald?"

"Understood. There are many things I don't know about this world, so it would be good if I stayed there and learned about it."

"Hehe. I'm going to help you with that, so you don't need to worry about it."

"I'm glad I met Ms. Gaia."

The two apostles were talking as if they'd already become friends.

It was as if the two apostles chosen by gods were attracted to each other.

'I guess there's a good chance that's true.'

It had been only a few hours since they'd met.

In that short period of time, they already became used to each other. That probably had something to do with Tyrion's light entering Gaia's body.

"…"

It was obvious that Kim ShiHoon would feel anxious while looking at them.

It seemed like he didn't dare take a step forward, but he felt too anxious, standing still without doing anything.

No, it seemed like he couldn't understand what he was feeling at the moment.

'ShiHoon, don't worry.'

He put his arm around Kim ShiHoon without saying anything.

Kim ShiHoon was too good by nature, so it seemed like he wasn't sure about what to do.

'Just believe in Hyeongnim.'

"Hyeongnim?"

"Ah, you just seem a bit let down."

"Th-that's not true, hyeongnim. Hahaha. It's just that my head is a bit messed up at the moment," Kim ShiHoon said while scratching his head.

"Is it because of Reinald?"

"N-no! It's nothing like that."

'Nothing like that? Don't joke with me. It's all over your face.'

KangWoo smirked and patted his shoulder.

"Don't worry. I think Ms. Gaia is interested in you."

"It… it's nothing like that!"

"Hahaha! Why is a man embarrassed about something like that?"

"Hyeongnim!"

He felt the way Kim ShiHoon was glaring at him while blushing was cute.

He thought that maybe having a real brother would feel like that.

KangWoo laughed and followed Gaia and Reinald.

"Ah. Where is Ms. Gaia staying?"

"I usually stay in the Hall of Protection because I have difficulty with my daily life if Grace isn't there to help me…"

"Ah. Then do I have to stay there with both of you?"

"Fufu. It's okay. The Hall of Protection is quite big, after all; it also has everything you need for an extended stay."

"But still, staying with the two of you at the same place…"

"You don't need to worry about that."

Kim ShiHoon bit his lips while hearing the conversation between Gaia and Reinald.

It was obvious for him to react like that. After all, not only had they suddenly gotten close, but they were going to live together.

'I'll have to deal with this quickly.'

Seeing Kim ShiHoon like that made his heart ache.

'He’ll also start suspecting something if I keep using the mask.'

He wasn't doing this for his benefit, but it was true that leaving Reinald like that was dangerous.

If he was going to deal with him, it was better to do it as quickly as possible.

'Let's see…'

KangWoo began thinking while narrowing his eyes.

How to deal with Reinald while avoiding being suspected…

He had to think of a way to do that.

'In reality, there's a very good way to do that.'

The problem was how he was going to carry it out.

That's what he couldn't come up with.

"Hmm."

He fell into thought.

'Here…'

He narrowed his eyes. It was at that moment…

"Let's start tomorrow. If Balzac became Satan's underling, we can probably find Satan through Balzac."

Gaia seemed troubled by Reinald's proposal.

"I'm sorry. I understand your passion, Mr. Reinald, but we don't have a way to find Balzac. Not only that, but we don't have a way to track the Demon Cult, the organization he's part of."

They couldn't deny that reality.

At the moment, the Guardians didn’t have a way to track the Demon Cult.

Reinald smiled at her words.

* * *

"You don't need to worry about that. I can't track the Demon Cult, but thanks to Mr. Tyrion's blessing, I can find where Balzac is."

"Is… is that true?!"

They were all astonished by what Reinald said.

KangWoo wasn't an exception.

'What the?'

That was an unexpected development of events.

KangWoo's expression hardened.

'This isn't time to be staying still.'

The story changed if he could track Balzac's location.

Reinald spoke while looking at the astonished people.

"Yes. Once a day, when the sky becomes covered with a golden light, I can know where Balzac is and what he's doing."

"Woah."

"Such an ability…"

Everyone exclaimed in surprise.

It was an ability that could tell them where Balzac was and the location of other core enemies.

The eyes of other Guardians members began burning with passion.

They could take that opportunity to find out where the Demon Cult was hiding.

'Hey, you scammer…'

Of course, KangWoo was frowning.

He wasn't sure what kind of god Tyrion was, but compared to Gaia, there were too many things he could do.

He couldn't help but think that being able to exercise such abilities on Earth, which wasn't the Ernor Continent, was a scam.

"We should take it seriously."

"Yes. We could take this opportunity to expose the Demon Cult."

Kim ShiHoon nodded while his eyes shone.

It seemed like he thought it wasn't the time to be jealous of Reinald.

"Then, let's take some time to figure out Balzac's location and status."

"Yes. The sky should become covered with a golden light at about sunset.”

"Right, there are not many hours left, so I'll wait."

The Guardians became passionate.

'Fuck…'

KangWoo placed his hand on top of his forehead as if it hurt.

'I need to move immediately.'

Once he received the revelation, it would be over.

Making Balzac go somewhere distant wasn't going to solve anything.

He didn't know exactly how much information the revelation gave him, so he couldn't create any unnecessary variables.

KangWoo narrowed his eyes and fell into thought.

'I can't move as I did before.'

Creating a dummy with the Authority of Cloning and moving was too risky.

'I'm not sure what effects Tyrion's protection has.'

That was the biggest problem.

He wasn't sure how much influence the god named Tyrion could exercise, so moving could become too risky.

'Then…'

He had to make someone else move.

KangWoo began thinking at a fast speed. He was thinking about what he should do in that situation.

'Wait…'

His eyes shone.

He turned and looked at Reinald, who was making plans.

A handsome young man whose appearance was comparable to ShiHoon’s…

Their personalities were also quite similar.

'To be more precise, he's closer to Alec than ShiHoon.'

Thanks to his influence, Kim ShiHoon hadn’t become like Alec.

But Reinald was different.

Although his nature was similar to Kim ShiHoon’s, KangWoo hadn’t been around to influence him, so he was like a Kim ShiHoon who resembled 'Alec.'

"Then…"

He mumbled in a low voice.

He licked his lip.

'I can use him.'

The revelation Reinald received from his god—there was a way to use that in reverse.

KangWoo separated from the rest of the Guardians that were in the middle of a meeting and took out a communication crystal.

It wasn't the one given by the Guardians but one he'd created to communicate with his summoned monsters.

'Being righteous is tiring.'

KangWoo laughed.

* * *

"Ms. Gaia, there's something I wanted to tell you…"

"To me?"

"Yes. ShiHoon, you too. Come."

"But, Hyeongnim, it's going to be sunset soon…"

"It isn't like we're going to move as soon as we receive the revelation. Aren't we going to analyze the Demon Cult based on the information obtained over the next few days?"

"Yes. That's true."

Kim ShiHoon and Gaia seemed surprised by KangWoo's sudden proposal, but they followed him.

They went to the Hall of Protection’s training room.

KangWoo turned around after reaching the huge white room.

"Why did we come here, Hyeongnim?"

"I've seen the videos of when Satan invaded. Since there's a chance we might find Satan through Reinald, a battle with Satan might happen."

"Ah, I see."

"So I wanted to test it," KangWoo said while touching the ring on his right middle finger.

"Test what?"

"If we could handle Satan at the moment."

"…"

"There's something I've felt after looking at Mr. Reinald… How important being chosen by a god is."

"Hyeongnim…"

"ShiHoon, you don't need to feel intimidated. You have the soul of the Martial God inside you. If Reinald can do it, you can do it, too."

KangWoo picked up his weapon.

"Now that I think about it, this seems like the first time we’ve sparred against each other."

"Hahaha, you're right."

After realizing KangWoo's intentions, Kim ShiHoon took out the El Quero Blade.

KangWoo turned to Gaia.

"Ms. Gaia, please try to feel if you can sense what you felt from Reinald inside ShiHoon."

"So that's why you called me. Understood."

Gaia nodded and focused her attention on Kim ShiHoon's energy.

KangWoo and Kim ShiHoon's spar was about to start.

'Although this isn't really why I called you.'

KangWoo made a faint smile.

The reason why he'd called both people was to separate them from Reinald.

He focused on his left eye. What the summoned monsters were seeing was shared with him.

- Balzac, are the preparations done?

- Of course, master.

- Do as planned.

- Yes.

- Hngh! KangWoo! I'm also going to do my best!

- Okay.

They exchanged a short conversation.

"Ha-ab!"

Kim ShiHoon, who had taken the El Quero's Blade out, stomped on the ground.

* * *

"Ah."

The Hall of Protection…

A short exclamation came out of Reinald.

He could feel an energy inside his body.

The revelation was starting.

- Kyaah!

- Hahaha! This is quite a good offering!

"Th-this…"

A girl’s screams reached his ears.

He saw Balzac.

He saw a sharp gorge and crumbling rocks.

It was the place that was attacked by Satan a few days before Reinald had gone to Earth.

He saw Balzac holding a frail little girl.

Balzac opened his mouth while his eye sockets shone with a yellow light.

- Reinald. You thought I, Demon King Balzac, wouldn't know you've come to this world?

"D-don't tell me…"

- Hahaha. You probably realized where I was through the revelation.

Balzac's creepy voice spread through his ear.

- KYAAH! S-save me!! Please, help me!

- Reinald, if you want to save this girl, come here alone.

After saying that, Balzac violently grabbed the girl's neck.

- Cough! S-save me…!

The girl wriggled her legs in pain.

"You bastard!! What are you doing…?!"

Reinald's eyes widened.

The anger blew his reason away.

"Balzac!" The hero screamed.

Balzac's evil laugh spread through his ear.

- Hahaha!! Did you think you'd be able to face me if you had the Protection of Tyrion? Did you think anything would change if you met Gaia's underlings?

Intense yellow light came out of the skeleton's empty eye sockets.

- Reinald, did you forget who I am?

Balzac raised his hand, and a huge amount of demonic energy came out of him.

The black robe fluttered.

- I'm Demon King Balzac.

Flutter.

There was a pink apron visible under the hem of his robe.