Player who Returned 10,000 years Later

Side Story Chapter 90: Capture the Relic (1)

"Come on, Kang-Woo. I told you it was just a joke!"

"..."

Oh Kang-Woo stared at Han Seol-Ah with narrow eyes. A day passed since he nagged Eve into letting him leave the Law of Titans maintenance office. He barely managed to stop his butthole from being penetrated in his sleep.

"I swear it was a joke~ I would never do something like that while you’re unconscious~," Seol-Ah said cutely as she embraced the sulking Kang-Woo.

"Then why did you bring the cat ears and tail?"

"I-I told you, it was just a joke."

Seol-Ah smiled awkwardly as she averted her gaze from Kang-Woo.

Kang-Woo grabbed her chin to force her to look at him and said, "Look into my eyes and say it."

"U-Urghhh." Her eyes darted all over. Her lips quivered, and she lowered her head. She said lifelessly, "I’m… sorry."

"I wanted to see it at least once…"

"I mean, the ears are fine, but…"

’I’d rather die than wear that tail.’

"Oh! Does that mean you’re willing to wear the ears?!"

Seol-Ah smiled as radiantly as the sun.

"No, I changed my mind. No ears either."

"Ah! Y-You just said it was fine!"

"In any case, you went too far this time, Darling."

"Urgh… I’m sorry. I couldn’t help myself after seeing you unconscious." Seol-Ah scratched her head with an awkward smile. She then asked sweetly, "To make up for it, I’ll make you a super delicious dish I learned in my cooking class. Will you forgive me?"

Seol-Ah stuffed Kang-Woo’s face between her voluptuous breasts and gently caressed his head.

"Ahh…"

The sensation on Kang-Woo’s cheeks was soft beyond belief. Seol-Ah’s scent tickled his nose, her hand gently stroked his hair, and the warmth of her embrace that felt like he was submerged in a hot spring spread throughout his body.

"Fufu. Kang-Woo…"

Seol-Ah lowered her head and teasingly bit his ear. The ticklish feeling filled Kang-Woo with delight.

"Dammit," Kang-Woo remarked.

’Are you even a man if you don’t forgive your girl in this situation?’

Kang-Woo distanced himself from Seol-Ah. He coughed and said, "Alright. Don’t ever do it again, got it?"

"Fufu. I love you, Kang-Woo."

"Yeah. I love you too, Darling."

Seol-Ah and Kang-Woo locked eyes with each other. They approached each other as if they had made a promise within the heat caused by their passionate love.

"Enough with this shitshow." Cha Yeon-Joo on the couch stared at the two lovers. "Let’s eat already. I’m hungry."

"Okay. Gimme a second. It should be done soon," said Seol-Ah as she headed toward the oven in the kitchen.

"An oven dish?" Kang-Woo said in slight disappointment since he preferred Korean dishes over Western dishes.

’There aren’t many Korean dishes that require an oven.’

Nevertheless, Kang-Woo was still excited since Seol-Ah had learned it in a cooking class that required applicants to take a test to attend.

Kang-Woo sat down at the table and asked Yeon-Joo sitting across from him, "What about you, Yeon-Joo? You went to learn cooking too, didn’t you?"

"Oh. You see, I-I…" Yeon-Joo stuttered as she looked away from Kang-Woo.

Seol-Ah giggled with her mouth covered and answered, "Yeon-Joo was scolded by the instructor."

"What did they say?"

"We were making a chicken dish but the instructor said that it was so raw that she should take it to a vet to save it."

"Pfft!"

’The instructor has a sense of humor.’

"Sh-Shut up! Everyone makes mistakes! I don’t like that instructor! He’s not even the instructor for the basic class…"

"I’m sure he’s giving you special attention because you’re the master of Red Rose."

"Why would someone who’s giving me special attention outright insult me?"

"Fufu. Maybe that’s just the way he teaches people."

"For fuck’s sake, he talks so much shit," Yeon-Joo complained, badmouthing the instructor.

"I mean, you’re not one to talk about talking shit," Kang-Woo remarked.

"The fuck you say?"

"See? You didn’t even hesitate to swear at me."

"Argh! Sh-Shut up!" Yeon-Joo shouted and stomped her feet with her head down.

Kang-Woo could hear her mumbling "D-Does he dislike women who swear a lot? Wh-What do I do?" with her head down.

"Pfffft…"

"Wh-What the f— I-I mean, you son of a— no, not that either. U-Urghhh!!!" Yeon-Joo pulled on her hair and twisted around as if in pain. "Y-You… A-Aaaahh…"

"BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!" Kang-Woo burst into laughter.

Yeon-Joo blushed immensely. "Wh-Why are you laughing?!"

"Kehehe! Pfft! It’s just that you not trying to swear was too cute."

"Wh-What?"

"You don’t have to force yourself to stop."

’I have a potty mouth too.’

Besides, Yeon-Joo was the cutest when she cursed out of embarrassment.

"I like it when you curse, Yeon-Joo."

"Y-You do? R-Really?" Yeon-Joo’s eyes widened. She looked around as she pondered and carefully muttered, "S-Son of a bitch."

"Hehe! Yes! Curse as much as you want!!"

’That’s my Yeon-Joo!’

"H-Huhuhu! D-Do you like getting insulted that badly?!"

"Hehe. Yeah. You’re the cutest and most beautiful when you curse."

"I-I am?" Yeon-Joo snorted like Echidna and shouted, "Motherfucker! Dipshit!!!"

"Yes!!! That’s it!"

’Keep it up, Yeon-Joo!!!’

"You parent-less fuck!"

"Huh?"

’That’s a bit of a low blow.’

"I at least have a dad!!!"

’Though I killed him!!!’

"Yeon-Joo, that kind of insult is a little…" said Seol-Ah as she grabbed the excited Yeon-Joo.

Yeon-Joo blushed and scratched her head. "Oh, s-sorry. I got a little too fired up."

"Fufu. Take a seat, everyone. It’s ready."

"I’ll bring Echidna."

"Okay~"

Kang-Woo brought Echidna, who had been gaming in her room.

"Man… just a little more and I could’ve killed the Twin Princes[1]…"

"You can after you eat."

"Okay!"

Everyone but Lilith, who was away due to business, sat at the table. Seol-Ah brought the dish out of the oven and placed it on the table.

"Ta-dah~! This is what I learned from my instructor~!"

"Bread…?"

A giant load of bread the size of a human thigh was on a tray.

"Fufu, are you sure it’s bread?"

Seol-Ah smiled confidently and sliced the bread in half.

"Wh-Whoa!"

"Is that meat inside?!"

A scrumptious slab of meat filled the inside of the crispy bread.

"It’s called a Beef Wellington. The meat inside is tenderloin and ham."

"This is insane."

Kang-Woo could never have imagined a combination of crispy bread, beef tenderloin, and ham.

"I’m sure it would taste amazing with kimchi stew."

"Stop saying stupid shit and eat," Yeon-Joo said sharply.

Kang-Woo stared at the slice of the Beef Wellington in slight disappointment and took a big bite.

"It’s so good!!!"

As expected, Seol-Ah’s cooking was impeccable.

***

"Huuu, that was a great meal."

Kang-Woo pounded on his stomach in satisfaction. Even he, who didn’t particularly like Western foods, ate it like there was no tomorrow.

’It was a bit fatty, though.’

It was only natural since it was bread, beef, and ham together.

"At times like this, you need a piping hot pot of kimchi stew…"

Clack.

As Kang-Woo was planning on having kimchi stew for dinner, Lilith walked into the apartment from the front door. She was holding a small sculpture a little bigger than a fist.

"Welcome back."

"I’m back, my king."

"What’s that sculpture?"

It was a crude sculpture that looked similar to a dol hareubang[2] or a Moai statue.

"Oh, I was planning on talking to you about this," Lilith said as she placed the sculpture on the table and sat down. "Players have been discovering objects like this in the Mega Gate in Egypt lately."

"These Moai-like statues?" Kang-Woo asked.

"No, they come in different sizes and shapes. Some of them are weapons or armor, and others are masks, totems, or sculptures."

"So, what is this thing?"

"From what I’ve heard… they are called relics."

"..."

Kang-Woo remembered hearing about relics when he was in the Den of the Night Demons.

’I believe it had something to do with the Tower of Creation.’

In any case, humans and demons alike were desperate to find these relics.

"This… came out of a Gate?" Kang-Woo asked.

"Yes. They are being discovered in a Mega Gate."

"How big is a Mega Gate?"

"I heard it’s as large as the Korean Peninsula inside."

"That’s big as fuck."

It was rare for a Gate to be that massive inside.

"But I’ve heard the Gate used to be large before the relic was discovered, but nowhere near as large as it is now," Lilith added.

"Does that mean the inside of the Gate suddenly expanded?"

"Yes."

Kang-Woo narrowed his eyes. An inexplicable chill ran down his back.

"Anyway, relics like these are being discovered in that Gate, right?"

"Yes, but the problem is…" Lilith sighed. "Before we could restrict this information, rumors about these relics have spread to a point that we can no longer block it."

"What…?"

’That means…’

"Players are going mad trying to acquire these relics for themselves."

"Oh, I’ve heard about that too." Yeon-Joo raised her hand as she was listening in silence. "These relics or whatever levels the Players up, right?"

"Oh, you’ve heard about it too, Yeon-Joo?" Lilith asked in surprise.

"Of course, I’m the master of Red Rose. My guild members have been hounding me to send a survey team there."

"Did you?"

"Not yet. I heard it’s a shitshow there right now. People fighting and killing each other… Oh, and there is a weird group of people there, apparently."

"Weird?"

"They’ve been picking fights with people, introducing themselves as whatever-star apostles."

"..." Kang-Woo’s expression hardened.

’No way.’

Just like what happened in the Den of the Night Demons, people from the Tower of Creation had leaked into this world.

’In a large scale this time, no less.’

"Fuck," Kang-Woo reflexively cursed.

He had expected it to happen sooner or later. He knew that the other Earth where the Tower of Creation existed was gradually melting together with his Earth.

’This time, an entire floor of the Tower of Creation might have connected with the Gate.’

The sudden expansion of the Gate’s interior, the discovery of relics that should only be found in the Tower of Creation, and the appearance of apostles, possessing special powers similar to Players, who worshiped gods like Ishvalda and Helya— everything was falling into place.

"I’ll have to investigate this," Kang-Woo remarked.

"What should I do with this relic?"

"Just toss it aside somewhere."

Kang-Woo was sure it would be useless to him. It could level a Player up but he was already at the max level.

Riiing!

[Sir! Sir Guardian Deity!!]

Just then, a blue message window popped up in front of him.

"Huh? What’s up?"

[It’s faint, but I can feel the power of a Titan inside that relic!!]

’What?’

1. This is referring to Prince Lorian and Lothric in Dark Souls III. ?

2. Dol hareubang is a statue commonly seen on Jeju Island. ?