Player who Returned 10,000 years Later

The room was so silent that the sound of breathing sounded like thunder.

Kang-Woo said amidst the nightmarish silence, "You’re wrong."

He didn’t know what was wrong, but it just was. He needed to resolve this misunderstanding no matter what.

"About what? Oh, are you referring to how you called Seol-Ah mommy as she tickled you like a baby?"

However, the truth always prevailed. Kang-Woo flinched as the cold hard fact slapped away his poor excuse.

"N-No, you’ve got it wrong."

"I’ve got what wrong?"

’What’s wrong? Fuck. My life… my life itself is wrong. This has to be a dream. There’s no way this shit is happening for real.’

"Hohoho," Lilith giggled alluringly and continued, "It’s okay, Master Kang-Woo."

"I am willing to accept you no matter what kind of fetish you have."

’Kurgh.’

"N-No. That’s not what I…"

"Would you like to call me Mommy Lilith?"

"NOOOOOOOOOO!!" shouted Kang-Woo as he pulled on his hair.

Kang-Woo’s endless sense of shame, as a man over ten millennia old subjecting himself to roleplay as maniacal as this, crushed him.

"You two have something to discuss… don’t you? I’ll… be outside."

Kang-Woo walked out of the room as if running away, his eyes as blank as a dead fish.

Click.

He closed the door on his way out, leaving Han Seol-Ah and Lilith in the awkwardly silent room. Lilith slowly walked toward Seol-Ah, sitting on the bed, and sat beside her.

"Fufu. It was at least nice to see Master Kang-Woo again after so long," she remarked.

"I’m… sorry," muttered Seol-Ah and lowered her head.

She had monopolized Kang-Woo for the past month.

"Hoho. What is there for you to be sorry about? The woman Master Kang-Woo chose was you, not me."

Seol-Ah did not know how to reply to Lilith, who was talking as if it were completely fine. "Lilith…"

However, Seol-Ah knew it was difficult for Lilith to say such a thing so casually. Lilith had loved Kang-Woo and Kang-Woo only before he even came to be known as the Demon King. As for how long, it was for about eight hundred years. She had loved only one man for that long of a time, but that man ended up choosing someone else.

Not only that, but Lilith taught the woman everything she knew about what the man she loved liked and enjoyed. Her love for the man bordered on madness.

Seol-Ah bit her lip as her expression darkened. She wondered if she could smile as if nothing was wrong if she were put in Lilith’s shoes. She thought about if she would have the heart to watch the man she loved for hundreds of years being stolen by another woman.

’No.’

There was no way she could. Seol-Ah would be spewing all the curses she knew as she begged the woman not to take Kang-Woo away from her; she wouldn’t be able to cheer them on with a smile.

"What’s wrong?" Lilith asked.

"Are you sure… you’re fine with it?"

"Pardon? About what?"

"Well… about me and Kang-Woo dating."

Lilith lowered her head. Her eyes gazing at Seol-Ah filled with sorrow. She smiled and raised her head again.

"If I said I was fine… I would be lying.

"After all… despite all that time pouring him with my love… he didn’t choose me in the end."

Lilith placed her hand on her chest with deeply sunken eyes. Seol-Ah’s eyes shook. She couldn’t imagine the emotions Lilith was going through or how immense her despair and sorrow were.

"At first, I resented Master Kang-Woo. I wondered why it wasn’t me… and why it was you… I was so bitter and frustrated. Hohoho. It’s no surprise… considering how long I’ve loved Master Kang-Woo. But…" Lilith grabbed Seol-Ah’s hands, locked the fingers together, and smiled. "Even so, I’m… satisfied as long as Master Kang-Woo is happy."

Lilith recalled her king in Hell. She recalled his back as he walked in front of her, exuding only madness after losing everything precious to him. She was willing to do anything as long as it would bring happiness to him, even if it meant she wouldn’t be part of it.

"Liar," Seol-Ah replied as she sharply glared at Lilith.

Tears were gathered around Lilith’s eyes despite saying she was satisfied. Seol-Ah carefully extended her hand and wiped Lilith’s tears. Lilith flinched.

"You don’t have to lie after coming all the way here, Lilith.

"Besides… I asked to talk with you privately because I wanted to settle things once and for all."

"Seol-Ah…" Lilith’s voice shook as her shaking eyes staring at Seol-Ah were filled with anxiety.

"Haaa," Seol-Ah sighed with her hand on her chest. "Let me be honest with you."

She bit her lip as if she were pained, and her clenched fists were shaking.

"I want to monopolize Kang-Woo. I don’t want to share him with anyone… even with you, Lilith."

Seol-Ah felt like her obsession was suffocating her. A turmoil of emotions made her head feel hot. She felt her sense of reason thinning every time she thought about Kang-Woo. His smile, his eyes, the touch of his skin, his warm and loving embrace— she wanted more. More, more, more, more, more, more.

’Kang-Woo, Kang-Woo, Kang-Woo, Kang-Woo, Kang-Woo.’

’Iloveyouiloveyouiloveyouiloveyoumorethanthatbitchlilithwholovedyouforhundredsofyearsidontneedanythingaslongasihaveyouidontneedfriendsorfamilyillmakeyouhappyonlylookatmeonlylovemeonlythinkaboutmebesidesimtheoneyouchosearen’ti?Thentheothersshouldjusttakeafuckinghintanddisappearfromyourlifehowdaretheytrytoplaythepitygametogetyourattentionwhentheyreobviouslylyingwhydotheyalltrytotakekangwooawayfromme?’

’Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why?’

’Why?’

"Seol-Ah?"

"Hurgh! Huff! Huff!" Seol-Ah panted heavily as she crouched and clenched her chest.

The white angel wings that sprouted from her back were flickering black like a broken lightbulb. Seeing that, Lilith smiled bitterly and stood up.

"If that’s how you feel… I’m sure Master Kang-Woo feels the same way. I’ll be on my way now."

Lilith turned to the door and walked toward it as if running away, just like Kang-Woo. Seol-Ah grabbed Lilith’s arm as she was about to open the door.

"I-I’m sorry… that was my obsession talking. It came over me all of a sudden."

Seol-Ah took a deep breath with her hand over her chest. Her flickering black wings returned to the usual white as she slowly caught her breath.

She yanked Lilith toward her and said firmly, "It’s true that I want to monopolize Kang-Woo, but…" She slowly raised her head and looked Lilith in the eyes. "I feel the same way as you."

Seol-Ah knew how hard Lilith worked and the many sacrifices she made for Kang-Woo to be happy.

"Kang-Woo’s happiness is more important than anything for me as well."

Kang-Woo had chosen her, but he likely harbored feelings for Lilith to an extent as well. Seol-Ah could tell from how much he trusted Lilith. She was sure Kang-Woo would be sad if she forced him to be separated from Lilith forever, and she couldn’t have that; nothing was worth more than Kang-Woo’s happiness. Seol-Ah needed to quell her raging obsession and accept Lilith, just like what Lilith had done for her.

"Then you mean…" Lilith slurred.

"Yes," replied Seol-Ah as she suppressed her burning obsession and smiled. "I hope we get along from now on as well, Lilith."

"Seol-Ah!!"

Lilith ran to Seol-Ah as tears glistened from her eyes and hugged her.

"Ugh…" Seol-Ah averted her gaze from Lilith in embarrassment and pouted slightly. She then touched the ring Kang-Woo gave her and said, "B-But I’ll be the one to m-marry Kang-Woo first."

"Hohohoho!!" Lilith burst into laughter with one hand covering her mouth. She exhaled in excitement and stared at Seol-Ah, who was turned away from her. "Haaa~ I think I know why Master Kang-Woo loves you so much. How could he not, when you’re so cute?"

She smiled widely and kissed Seol-Ah on the lips.

"L-Lilith?!"

"That aside, how long are you going to address me so formally?"

"What do you mean…?"

"We’re family now, aren’t we?"

"Yes…" Seol-Ah nodded perplexedly.

Lilith smiled and continued, "Then we should speak casually with each other, wouldn’t you agree?"

"Oh." Seol-Ah nodded as if she understood. "G-Got it. I’ll do that. Lilith… unnie."

It was the most apt way to address Lilith since she was several centuries older than Seol-Ah.

"My, my~ unnie? You’re so cute, my little Seol-Ah."

Lilith, seemingly taken a liking to being addressed as unnie, trembled in joy and kissed Seol-Ah repeatedly on the cheek.

"S-Stop that, unnie!"

"Fufufu. We’re family now, so we should deepen our sisterly bond~"

"S-Sisters don’t do this with each other!"

"Now, now, relax~ My, look at these breasts. How do you manage to get breasts as large as these with such a slender waist?"

Lilith smiled seductively and pushed Seol-Ah down on the bed. Her hair squirmed like living beings, and its ends turned into green tentacles.

"U-Unnie, those are…"

Seol-Ah’s face turned pale.

Squelch.

"KYAAAAAAAHHH!!"

Seol-Ah’s screams filled the room.

***

"Fuck." Kang-Woo pulled on his hair as he sighed while Seol-Ah and Lilith were in the middle of their conversation. "Why did she have to come in at that exact moment?"

He cringed every time he recalled Lilith’s face and her giggles as she stared at him. Kang-Woo closed his eyes tightly. He then turned to grab his smartphone from his pocket.

’Come to think of it, I should meet up with Si-Hun too.’

Kang-Woo needed the help of both Balrog and Si-Hu to regain his powers. No one but those two could even manage to damage him to the point that it could stimulate the Demonic Sea. He pressed Si-Hun’s number on his smartphone.

- Please don’t~ Please don’t leave~ Don’t know why~

"What a catchy song."

’But why do I feel so uncomfortable hearing it?’[1]

[H-Hyung-nim?!]

"Hey, Si-Hun. It’s been a while."

[A-Are you feeling okay now?!]

Kang-Woo could hear the anxiety in Si-Hun’s voice, as if he were contacted by a patient who had been on the boundary between life and death.

Kang-Woo tilted his head in wonder and answered, "Yeah, I’m fine."

Rather, he had always been fine. He couldn’t circulate his demonic energy, but that was because his body was in the middle of reconstruction; he was perfectly fine physically.

[Haaa. What a relief. I’ve been so worried since I heard about you from Seol-Ah.]

"What did Seol-Ah say exactly?"

[She said that your condition suddenly took for the worse and that she would need to focus on your treatment using Seraph’s power twenty-four-seven. Because of that, she said I couldn’t visit you.]

"Oh… I see."

’No wonder he didn’t even call once.’

"Are you free tomorrow, Si-Hun?"

[O-Of course! I’ll always make time for you!]

"Hehe. Alright. It’s been a while, so seeing your face along with Balrog would be nice. I have a favor to ask, too."

[A favor…?]

"Yeah. I’ll tell you in person tomorrow."

Si-Hun would freak out if Kang-Woo told him about his plan to stimulate the Demonic Sea over the phone.

[Oh… I understand. I’ll see you tomorrow! Um… Kang-Woo hyung.]

"Yeah. See you tomorrow." Kang-Woo smiled and hung up. "I might as well give a call to Yeon-Joo as w—"

"KYAAAAAAAHHH!!"

Seol-Ah’s scream echoed from the bedroom as he was mumbling.

"Darling!"

Boom!

Kang-Woo threw aside his smartphone and swung open the bedroom door, witnessing what was happening inside.

"Oh, good of you to join us, Master Kang-Woo."

"K-Kang-Woo… P-Please help…"

Two half-naked women were entangled with each other. The sight was far too impactful that Kang-Woo could not even see the green tentacles, the source of his trauma.

"Hmm."

Kang-Woo stared in silence as he placed his hand on his chin and nodded.

’What in the fucking hallelujah is going on here? Is it my birthday?’

"Hohoho. I was in the middle of deepening my bond with our Seol-Ah."

"Our Seol-Ah?"

"Yes! After all, we’re family now!" Lilith shouted as she panted ecstatically.

Kang-Woo could more or less guess what was going on from her behavior.

"Mm. I see. If it’s to deepen your bond, it can’t be helped."

’I’ll be watching from right here! Right then, onto the next scene…!’

"My, are you planning on just watching?"

"Huh?" Kang-Woo asked.

Lilith licked her lips seductively and stuck to Seol-Ah face-to-face.

Squelch.

She then sprouted her tentacles to wrap them around Kang-Woo and pulled him in between her and Seol-Ah.

"Kurgh, w-wait!"

"Fufu. Deepening bonds is best done with three people."

"...!"

’Is this how people felt when Columbus made an egg stand on its tip?’

Kang-Woo’s eyes widened from Lilith’s shocking proposal.

"Come to think of it, does this mean I would be your mommy too?" Lilith brought the shocked Kang-Woo closer to her and whispered in his ear, "My little Kang-Woo… Fufu, I’m a little nervous because it’s my first time addressing you this way."

"Move over a bit, unnie. I want to hold Kang-Woo too."

"Huh?"

’Huuuh? What is happening? Are we having a double patty burger?’

"Kang-Woo…"

"Master Kang-Woo…"

The two women tangled around Kang-Woo. He let himself be sucked into their embrace without resistance.

1. This song is Please Don’t… by K. Will. It is about heartbreak. the music video portrays a man who longs for his female friend’s boyfriend (who then becomes her husband at the end of the video) and is heartbroken after never (or not being able to) come out about it. ☜