After Ten Millennia in Hell

Side Story Chapter 56 - Biohazard (2)

"Karrr?"

"GureEEEEEEEEE!!"

The monsters screamed incomprehensibly like metal nails on a chalkboard, unable to be translated even with interpretation magic. Perhaps because they could communicate with one another, the scattered monsters multiplied many times over and filled the surroundings. Anyone would tremble in fear from the sight.

[How... pathetic.]

However, it did not faze the Prince of Wrath whom even the demons of the Ninth Hell feared. Satan couldn't help but chuckle as insignificant insects warmed his way. He examined the monsters with deeply sunken eyes.

'Pathetic.'

There was no other word to describe mere insects baring their teeth at the Prince of Wrath.

Satan said coldly, [You will regret even thinking of baring your teeth at the Prince of Wrath.]

His red eyes blazed calmly despite being surrounded by monsters that looked like they were born from the Primordial Darkness. He was Satan; the Prince of Wrath as well as the epitome of fear in countless demons. No being was unafraid of h—

"That's enough bullshit," Oh Kang-Woo stated.

[Gasp?!] Satan expressed shock.

His calmly blazing red eyes shook crazily as if facing a storm. He crouched quickly and raised his arms to protect his head.

"What are you doing?"

[N-Nothing.] Satan, momentarily stricken with fear, coughed as he stood up. [That aside, what is happening...?]

He looked down at himself in disbelief. He remembered being summoned by the Demon King and acting as his puppet several times but this was the first time his consciousness was summoned with him in such a vivid form.

He was normally summoned with his consciousness hazy as if he were high but this time, not only could he think clearly, but he also had a proper physical form instead of shaking mucus.

Whoooom!

Immense demonic energy surged from Satan's hands, about as much power as he possessed during his prime at the Nine Hells as a prince— no, his demonic energy was even denser compared to back then.

"I went all out on this summoning," said Kang-Woo as he lightly stretched.

Since he couldn't rely on reinforcements from Guardians, he needed other forms of reinforcements to eliminate the continuously replicating swarm of monsters.

'I'd like to summon more, but...'

He could only summon one demon with their consciousness perfectly intact.

'I could summon more demons that move like puppets, but it would be pointless.'

The demons summoned from the Abyss were immortal like Kang-Woo but lacked attack power and mobility. The monsters invading the city possessed physical prowess and vitality far surpassing zombies commonly seen in films. Mere puppet demons couldn't stop them no matter how many Kang-Woo summoned.

'It's better to have one more reliable ally than many useless ones.'

Kang-Woo turned to Satan who was looking down at himself with mixed feelings. Satan's Authority of Extinction could dismantle a target's body into tiny pieces once he made contact with them. No matter how persistent the monsters were, they wouldn't survive once they took a direct hit from Satan's Authority.

"It would've been great if I could've summoned Bael, but..."

Summoning Satan was the best Kang-Woo could do with the powers he currently possessed.

"Right then, let's start again."

Kang-Woo smiled as he gripped Wrath, Satan's former weapon. Since he had summoned a dependable ally, it was time to massacre the monsters.

He pointed the greatsword at the monsters and shouted, "Go, Satan! Show them the power of the Prince of Waste!"

[I-I am Wrath...]

"Okay, okay. I get it, so kill those damn monsters first," Kang-Woo interjected as he got into position.

Satan stared at the greatsword in Kang-Woo's hands, his eyes shaking.

[Th-That's my sword—]

"Hurry up! There's no fucking time, dammit!"

Bash!

Kang-Woo kicked Satan's ass, sending him rolling.

"KuRRRRrrrAAAAAA!!!"

The monsters surrounding them charged as they screeched.

"Die, you motherfuckers!!"

Kang-Woo charged as he wildly swung his greatsword. The flesh of the monsters exploded, splattering all over the place.

[Hurghhh... M-My sword...]

Satan followed Kang-Woo's orders despite bursting into tears. He was still a prince of Hell even without his weapon; he could easily wipe out monsters of this level with his bare hands.

[Raaaaaaaaaaahhh!!]

"KiiiiiiiiAaaaaaaaaaaAA!!"

Satan vented his rage on the monsters. With each swing of his fists, the monsters burst like balloons.

[Why?! Why?! WHY?!! WHY ONLY ME?!!]

Satan attacked even more ferociously as his wrath surged. He obliterated dozens of monsters in less than a minute.

[IT WASN'T ME!!!] he screamed in resentment. [I DON'T EVEN FUCKING KNOW WHO ALEC AND REYNALD ARE!!! WHY ARE YOU FUCKING DOING THIS TO MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE?!!]

The monsters caught in his rage were dismantled helplessly.

"Good! I'm proud of you, Satan!! Kill every single one of those fucking dragoons! Kill them all with your shit and piss!!"

[ARGHHHHHHH!!! I TOLD YOU IT'S NOT WASTE, IT'S WRATH!!!]

Satan massacred the monsters as he screamed madly, about to shed tears of blood. The speed at which the monsters were dying had noticeably increased compared to when Kang-Woo was killing them by himself.

Squelch.

A green tentacle crawled out of Kang-Woo's shadow as he and Satan took care of all the monsters in the area.

"GYEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEHHH!!" Kang-Woo screamed as he widened the distance between him and the tentacle, his legs shaking uncontrollably.

"Ah, ahh. Can you hear me, my king?"

Just as Kang-Woo was about to swing Wrath out of reflex, the tentacle wriggled as Lilith's voice came out of it.

"Uhh, yeah. I can hear you."

"The communication devices aren't working, so I had no choice but to contact you this way."

"Ohh..."

Kang-Woo nodded in understanding.

'I'll never understand why tentacles have to look like that, though.'

He shook his head in disgust and asked, "So, did you find the host?"

"No, not yet, but I've found some unique lifeforms."

"Unique lifeforms?"

"Yes. They are monsters far bigger than the others. The smaller monsters are starting to group around the larger ones. Also, the way they are hunting humans has changed from random chasing to strategic methods."

"How have their hunting methods changed?"

"They're not killing the humans but kidnapping them and using them as bait."

"For fuck's sake."

It would make obliterating the monsters more difficult than it already was.

"Hoho. No need to be so down, my king. This is a great opportunity for us," Lilith mentioned.

"It is?"

"The unique lifeforms have taken charge of different regions as if they are receiving orders from someone."

Kang-Woo's eyes sparkled. The regular monsters were gathered around the unique monsters, who were divided into different regions and strategically hunted humans.

"In that case..." Kang-Woo slurred.

"Yes. We can find the host once we capture one of the unique monsters and interrogate them."

"Alright."

Kang-Woo smiled and nodded. As Lilith said, this was a great opportunity.

"I will give you the location of the unique monster nearest to you. I will also let Yeon-Joo and Seol-Ah know so your targets won't overlap," Lilith stated.

"What about Echidna?"

"Mm... I'm a little reluctant to leave it to Echidna by herself."

"That's true."

They were still unsure about how strong the unique monsters were; Kang-Woo could trust Seol-Ah and Yeon-Joo's abilities but was worried about leaving one of them to Echidna.

"Then tell Echidna to focus on gathering and protecting survivors," Kang-Woo ordered.

"Understood."

The green tentacle disappeared into Kang-Woo's shadow.

Bash! Rumble—!!

Kang-Woo could hear explosions and see red chains sprouting into the sky.

"Looks like Yeon-Joo has already started."

Cha Yeon-Joo seemed to be battling the unique monster.

"I guess I should pick up the pace!"

Kang-Woo grabbed Satan's tail and flew into the air using the Authority of the Sky.

[Aaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhh!]

Satan's screams filled the skies of the city.

***

It didn't take long for Kang-Woo to find the unique monster Lilith mentioned.

"AaaaaaaaaKAraaaaaaaAA!!"

"Kyaaaaaaaaahhh!!"

"S-Spare me!!! Please let me live!!!"

At the center of a group of about a thousand monsters was a monster about five meters tall. It did not look strikingly different compared to the other smaller monsters; it was just a large lump of flesh as if several monsters were clumped together.

"For fuck's sake, it looks hideous."

Kang-Woo couldn't help but curse at the sight. As Lilith had reported, the monsters were using the people they had caught as bait and enticing the survivors drunk on heroism to save them.

"What a fucking waste of time."

He didn't expect anyone to be stupid enough to charge at the horde of monsters only to save the captured people.

"Raaaaaaaaaaaaahhh!!"

"You damn monsters!!"

"The fuck?" Kang-Woo remarked.

'They're trying to save the captured people for real?'

"Die, you fucking mons— Kurgh!!"

"Gaaaaaahhh! H-Help me!! Wh-What the fuck?!"

Several people who seemed to be Players charged at the monsters with weapons in hand but their limbs were torn apart without even getting a chance to swing them. They were never a match for the monsters since they were outnumbered nearly a hundred to one.

"Are they a new breed of dumbass or something?"

'Why the hell would they run in there when they're weak as fuck?'

The bitten Players convulsed as they vomited blood, then became monsters themselves and joined the horde.

"Fucking hell. They're gonna get as large as an actual army at this rate."

'I have to act fast.'

"SATANMON!!! I CHOOSE YOOOOOOOOOOOOU!!!" shouted Kang-Woo like an inhumane psychopath who kidnapped, imprisoned, and brutally tamed Pokemon and called them his friends as he forced them to take part in murderous battles.

He took a throwing stance like a major-league baseball player, pulling back his right hand grabbing Satan's tail, and raising his left leg into the air.

[GAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!!!]

BOOM!

Kang-Woo threw Satan with all his might. Satan twirled uncontrollably in the air and landed in the middle of the horde of monsters.

[I-I am... wr-wrath...]

The Prince of Wrath slowly stood up from the crater made under him.