After Ten Millennia in Hell

"Kim Yeong-Hun…?"

Kim Si-Hun's expression stiffened when he saw who had appeared in front of them.

Kim Yeong-Hun… He was the vice guildmaster of one of Korea's five great guilds, the Mir Guild. Not only that, he was also the son of Kim Jae-Hyun, the CEO of Mir Electronics.

In other words, Yeong-Hun was born wealthy.

He had practically been fed with a golden spoon coated in diamonds as a baby. However, the heavens had not given him everything.

Unlike Jae-Hyun, who was among Korea's two most talented Players, Yeong-Hun was only slightly above average.

That weakness, however, was covered by Jae-Hyun's money and influence. The father-son pair had a massive amount of money that could overcome Yeong-Hun's lack of talent.

"Do you know him?"

"Isn't that person the vice guildmaster of the Mir Guild?"

Han Seol-Ah and Kang Tae-Soo each asked a question as they looked back and forth between Si-Hun and Yeong-Hun.

Yeong-Hun bowed slightly and opened his mouth.

"Nice to meet you. My name is Kim Yeong-Hun. Wow, you have such a beautiful lady in your party, Si-Hun."

Yeong-Hun smiled after looking at Seol-Ah.

"… Why are you here?"

Si-Hun glared at Yeong-Hun. He was emitting bloodlust so powerful that one wouldn't believe it was coming from someone as calm-hearted as him.

"Huh? Why else would I be here other than to hunt?"

"Then hunt somewhere else and get out of my sight."

"Hahaha! You shouldn't talk like this to your hyung."

"How dare you?!"

The moment Si-Hun heard Yeong-Hun call him hyung, he started to tremble. He glared at Yeong-Hun and said, "How dare you call yourself my hyung?!"

"Hahaha! True, I guess we aren't normal brothers."

Yeong-Hun laughed as if he found the situation funny.

"After all, unlike me, you have the blood of a commoner running through your veins."

"You son of a bitch!!"

Si-Hun unsheathed his sword while frowning angrily.

The blood of a commoner…

The words he had heard countless times sent a piercing pain through his heart.

"Why? You'd dare rebel against me?"

Yeong-Hun unsheathed a blue sword from his waist. Just a glance was enough to know that it was an excellent sword.

Si-Hun trembled a bit after looking at him. Yeong-Hun was strong. No, to be more precise, all the expensive equipment Yeong-Hun was wearing had made him strong.

"…"

"Haha. Okay, okay. Hmph. There have been some rumors going around about you."

"Rumors?"

Si-Hun looked at him while scowling.

"You've got an incredible Trait, haven't you? I heard that it's at least S-rank."

"…!"

Si-Hun's eyes widened.

"Man, I never thought that you'd awaken as a Player with such a high-ranking Trait at the perfect time."

"… What are you talking about?"

"We just happened to be in need of a sacrifice like you," Kim Yeong-Hun said with a smile as he licked his lips.

"Sacrifice…?"

Si-Hun frowned after hearing that ominous word.

Yeong-Hun looked with great interest at the other party members as well.

"Mm, your other party members seem fairly talented, too. Damn, we've hit the jackpot!"

"…"

"Oh, I won't be using that beautiful lady over there as a sacrifice, though. I can think of much better uses for her."

Yeong-Hun looked at Seol-Ah with lustful eyes.

Seol-Ah felt as if a snake was crawling up her body. She scowled in disgust.

"… What the hell are you planning?" Si-Hun asked.

"Haha. If you follow me like a good little boy, you'll find out even if you don't want to."

"Who would follow a guy like you…?!"

"Well, if you don't want to, feel free. I can always just force you."

Yeong-Hun raised his sword and said to the man next to him, "You, stay put. Si-Hun is my prey."

"Understood," the person standing like a statue next to Yeong-Hun replied shortly while bowing.

"Kuh…"

Si-Hun trembled with anger. He recalled the humiliation that he had suffered at Yeong-Hun's hands.

They were half-brothers, but the lives they'd lived were completely different. Si-Hun was born as the result of an affair, so he'd been bullied by Yeong-Hun since they were little.

One day, Jae-Hyun had become bored of Si-Hun's mother, so he kicked both of them from the house even though his mother was sick at the time.

No one had helped them.

Si-Hun had struggled to survive until now while locking away the boiling rage deep inside him.

'If only I was stronger…'

It was a thought he had harbored more than a thousand times.

After wishing to be stronger for such a long time, he finally got a chance—the soul of the Martial God Tian Taihuang and an SSS-rank Trait.

He could become stronger at a pace that couldn't be compared to other Players.

'But…'

There was despair in Si-Hun's eyes.

Just facing Yeong-Hun was enough to see the overwhelming difference between them. Yeong-Hun had achieved his Sixth Awakening, so there was too much of a difference between their levels. Even Si-Hun's incredible Trait was not enough to overcome the massive difference.

'If only I had more time.'

Maybe if he was at his Fifth Awakening, or even his Fourth at the very least, he would've had a chance.

But it was pointless to think about that now… He was currently just a low-level Player in his Third Awakening.

"Right, then, I guess it's time to teach my conceited little brother a lesson on proper manners!"

Yeong-Hun raised his sword and leaped forward.

He approached Si-Hun at incredible speed and swung his sword with great vigor.

Clang!

"Kurgh!"

It was Tae-Soo who blocked Yeong-Hun's attack.

Tae-Soo bit his lips as the shock traveled through the shield. He opened his mouth to say, "I'm not sure what relationship you have with Si-Hun, but as long as I'm here, you won't be able to lay a hand on him!"

"What's up with this muscle pig?"

Yeong-Hun seemed bothered by the fact that Tae-Soo had blocked his attack, so he glared at him.

"Haap!"

After blocking Yeong-Hun's attack, Tae-Soo used his shield to charge at him. Then, the two-meter-tall Tae-Soo slammed into Yeong-Hun.

Ting!

"Huh…?"

Tae-Soo let out an exclamation in disbelief. As soon as his shield had touched Yeong-Hun's black leather armor, his shield had been pushed away by a powerful repulsive force.

"How dare you butt into our fight?"

Yeong-Hun swung his sword at Tae-Soo, who had interrupted the fight.

"Watch out, Tae-Soo!"

Slam!

"Kurgh!"

With an explosive sound that was hard to believe came from the swing of a sword, Tae-Soo was blown backward.

His shield had been smashed into smithereens and had fallen to the ground.

"Fuck!"

Si-Hun cursed and leaped toward Yeong-Hun.

'Sleeping Dragon Sword Style, Fifth Movement, Storm Dragon Emergence!'

There were more than thirty levels between them, and Si-Hun didn't stand a chance if he didn't use his strongest attack from the beginning. When he was thinking this, Seol-Ah's buff suddenly flowed into his body.

"Boost!"

His body surged with power momentarily.

'With this, I might…!'

With a cold glint in his eyes, Si-Hun swung his sword enveloped in wind at Yeong-Hun.

"Kuh!"

Clang!

Yeong-Hun quickly blocked Si-Hun's attack with his sword.

Because there was too much of a difference between their stats, Yeong-Hun overpowered Si-Hun in every way. Despite that, he couldn't block all Si-Hun's attacks that were enveloped in wind.

Clang, clang, clang!!

"Damn prick…"

Yeong-Hun flushed red in anger while looking at Si-Hun's sword, which bounced off his leather armor.

The fact that he'd been hit despite the difference in their stats was humiliating for him.

"Yeah, that's how you've always been."

Yeong-Hun glared at Si-Hun in displeasure.

Since they were little kids, Si-Hun had been better than him at everything. Whether it was studies or sports, Yeong-Hun had never been able to win against him.

And now, even talent as a Player.

'But…!'

The corners of Yeong-Hun's mouth curled up.

Talent didn't matter. Thanks to his money and influence, he'd obtained the ability to overcome talent.

Yeong-Hun pushed Si-Hun's sword away and kicked him in the chest. His boots burst in a flash of light, flinging Si-Hun helplessly back.

"Kurgh!"

"Hahaha! Yes! This is your limit! This is the difference between you and me!"

"Kuh…"

"No matter how much you struggle or how hard you work, there is a wall that you can't overcome."

Yeong-Hun approached Si-Hun's sprawled figure on the ground and kicked him in the face.

Bash!

"Kurgh!"

Bash! Smash!

"Hahaha! Well, do you feel like coming with me now?!"

Si-Hun's face was covered in blood.

"Lightning Spear!"

"Holy Strike!"

Seol-Ah and Eun-Bi fired magic at Yeong-Hun to protect Si-Hun.

"Raaaahhhh!!"

Even Tae-Soo, who had lost his shield, charged at Yeong-Hun with bare hands.

"Hah, they've all lost their minds…"

Yeong-Hun slightly moved back in annoyance to dodge Seol-Ah and Eun-Bi's magic.

While Yeong-Hun dodged the attacks, Tae-Soo grabbed Si-Hun and fell back, creating some distance between them and Yeong-Hun.

"Ugh… Argh."

"S-Si-Hun!"

Si-Hun used his sword to prop himself back up.

Seol-Ah ran toward him and treated him with healing magic.

"All of you, run away," Si-Hun stated.

"We can't do that!"

"I have to… take care of this on my own."

Si-Hun staggered toward Yeong-Hun.

"Kurgh."

He was enraged by the fact that he had to suffer so much because of Yeong-Hun. He couldn't endure the reality that he didn't have the power to defeat him, and he could no longer stand his own weakness.

At that moment, he heard someone's deep voice.

- Do you need power?

* * *

'So the Mir Guild was the one with connections with the Demon Cult.'

Kang-Woo's eyes shone while he observed Yeong-Hun and Si-Hun's battle.

Yeong-Hun even mentioned a sacrifice, so it was practically guaranteed that the Mir Guild had connections with the Demon Cult.

'But to think Si-Hun was the bastard son of a chaebol household…'

Kang-Woo had thought that the two had looked fairly similar when he had seen a photo of Yeong-Hun, but he had never expected them to be related.

"I guess I should step in soon."

He had made the necessary calls to carry out his plan.

Kang-Woo slowly stood up and was about to step in when…

"Huh?"

A powerful energy began to rage from within the staggering Si-Hun.

'What's happening?'

Si-Hun, who was covered in powerful energy, raised his sword, which he had been using as a cane.

'Don't tell me he powered up because he's in danger.'

Kang-Woo looked at him in disbelief.

While surrounded by the powerful energy, Si-Hun pointed his sword at Yeong-Hun.

"Yes! I need power!"

'What a time to power up.'

"I need the power to kill my enemies and to protect those precious to me!"

'Wow, how can he say lines like that out loud without cringing?'

The powerful energy surged from him like an explosion.

A blue sword energy incomparably more vivid than before gathered on his sword.

Ring.

[Familiar Kim Si-Hun has accepted the power of the Martial God.]

[Familiar Kim Si-Hun has learned new martial arts: Cloud Dragon Sword Technique and Cloud Dragon Steps.]

'Screw it. You just be the protagonist, man.'