Player who Returned 10,000 years Later

“Are you ready?” Oh Kang-Woo asked.

[I am ready to depart at any time, hyung-nim,] answered Kim Si-Hun nervously through the smartphone.

“Hehe. Don’t be so nervous.”

[I-I’m not nervous!] Si-Hun shouted.

“How’s Layla?”

[She still has things to take care of. She’s been in her office since this morning.]

“Shouldn’t you be helping her?”

[I tried, but… our work is so different, so…]

“You have a point.”

In workforce terms, Si-Hun worked in the field and Layla had a desk job. Their general tasks were very different.

[But she’ll be done by tomorrow.]

“Alright.”

Kang-Woo had contemplated whether to bring Layla with them, but he decided to include her in the operation because of her unyielding determination.

‘Personally… I’d prefer if she didn’t come.’

Kang-Woo bitterly clicked his tongue.

[Has Balrog departed already?]

“Yeah.”

Balrog had set out at dawn to fulfill the mission Kang-Woo gave him.

[To be honest, I… have no idea what you’re thinking, hyung-nim.]

“Hehe. You’ll know once we get there.”

Kang-Woo couldn’t let people know about his plan— especially Si-Hun.

‘Because he won’t be able to accept it.’

Si-Hun was fundamentally a good person; he was kind and virtuous.

“...”

Hence, he wouldn’t be able to accept or understand the need for an unfathomable slaughter— the decimation of an entire world.

“That aside,” Kang-Woo awkwardly changed the subject. “Is its name all you know about the world Zexal?”

Zexal was the satellite world they needed to stop over before heading to Akart’s world. There was no information about it other than its name and that it invaded the continent of Aernor.

[Well… it hasn’t been long since the invasion began so we couldn’t find much information about it.]

The otherworldly invasion had only just begun as Si-Hun mentioned. Information like the world’s name and other simple records had crossed over to Aernor but not its residents. In other words, they were severely lacking in information about Zexal.

“Well, we’ll figure it out once we’re there.”

They had no choice but to go there if they wanted to get to Akart’s world. Having so little information was unfortunate but it was not enough to thwart Kang-Woo’s plan.

‘It’s not that hard to plunge a world into despair.’

Kang-Woo was more worried about the world not being inhabited by beings with intelligence. That meant there wouldn’t be anyone to express negative emotions, hence it would not fulfill Midir’s awakening conditions.

‘If that’s the case, I’ll have to go to another world.’

Since otherworldly invasions were happening one after another, it wasn’t difficult to go to other outer worlds. Kang-Woo had other alternatives even if Zexal wasn’t inhabited by beings with intelligence.

“Right then, see you tomorrow. Make sure to take care of yourself.”

[Okay, hyung-nim.]

The call with Si-Hun ended.

“Huuu.”

Kang-Woo leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes as he organized his thoughts once more.

‘Alright.’

He had gone through several simulations to assess the success rate of his plan.

‘I can’t say… it’s high.’

The plan was full of variables— flawed in many ways. Kang-Woo’s past self would have laughed at such a shoddy plan.

‘Even so.’

If he succeeded, his chances of being able to kill Akart would rise dramatically— no, even if he failed, it was better than simply waiting until Akart attacked Earth.

‘I’ve had enough of being on the defense.’

He had continuously stopped enemy forces from invading as if he were playing a tower defense game. It would be different this time.’

‘This time… they’ll have to defend against my attack.’

“Right, then.”

Kang-Woo opened the door and headed to the living room. He saw a woman with her red hair in a ponytail. He smiled and walked toward her.

“Urgh, tomorrow’s the day, huh?” remarked Cha Yeon-Joo as she stretched on the couch.

Kang-Woo noticed her cutely wiggling her toes in her white ankle socks.

“Are you ready?” asked Kang-Woo as he sat next to her.

He grabbed one of her feet and massaged it.

“What are you doing?” she asked.

“Massaging my wife’s feet.”

“Hmm,” Yeon-Joo snorted and narrowed her eyes. She did not seem to hate it since the corners of her mouth rose. “Make sure to massage them with care.”

She blatantly placed her feet over Kang-Woo’s thighs.

“Yes, ma’am.”

Kang-Woo smiled and massaged Yeon-Joo’s feet. She was humming, likely because it felt good.

“Hehehe. This feels great.”

“Really? My wife deserves to get what she likes.”

‘That aside, she’s changed a lot after the engagement ceremony.’

Yeon-Joo would have cursed and kicked him before but she had been asking for more and more skinship[1] lately.

After some time, Yeon-Joo slightly raised her head and asked, “Is it fine for us to be so relaxed…? We leave tomorrow, don’t we?”

“We’re already as ready as we can be.”

It had been three days since Kang-Woo decided to attack Akart first. They had already prepared everything they needed to; all they could do now was maintain tip-top shape. They would head to the satellite world Zexal through Aernor tomorrow.

“Who’s coming tomorrow?” Yeon-Joo asked.

“You, me, Si-Hun, Layla, Seol-Ah, Echidna, and Lilith.”

Balrog was given a separate mission so he was excluded from the group.

“Seven? Isn’t that too little?”

It was a party made to attack a world— a paradise created by a Titan, no less. Even if they were easily the strongest people on Earth, seven people was too little compared to the scale of what they were about to do.

Kang-Woo smiled and replied, “Don’t worry. We’re fine in terms of numbers.”

Rather, taking more people along would breed more unnecessary conflict.

“What the hell are you planning on doing…?”

“You’ll see once we get there.”

“Why aren’t you telling any of us? What could it possibly be?” Yeon-Joo repeatedly poked Kang-Woo’s flank with her toes. “Well, whatever.” She turned away with a dark expression and asked, “Will we… be alright? Can you win?”

Her voice was shaking anxiously. Kang-Woo could feel her trembling from her toes. Even Yeon-Joo, who loved to fight just as much as Balrog, couldn’t help but be nervous. Their opponent was Akart, one of the most powerful of the Titans born from the Primordial.

“Hehe. You don’t trust your oppa?” Kang-Woo chuckled exaggeratedly.

Yeon-Joo frowned. “Why are you my oppa?”

“Now, now. Why don’t you call me oppa~ like you always do?”

“Fuck off!”

Bash!

Yeon-Joo kicked Kang-Woo on the cheek. There was quite a lot of power behind it but it didn’t particularly hurt.

“It’s okay.” Kang-Woo placed his hand on Yeon-Joo’s calf and continued, “I can win.”

‘Just as I always have.’

“Hmph…” Yeon-Joo snorted and turned away. Her cheeks were as red as a tomato. “If you lose… I’ll kill you.”

“Kehehe. Just trust your oppa.”

“Son of a bitch…”

Yeon-Joo glared at Kang-Woo.

“A-Aaaahh!” Han Seol-Ah came out of her room and yelled as she discovered them before Yeon-Joo could say something. “Wh-What are you doing, Yeon-Joo?”

Yeon-Joo was lying on the couch with her feet on Kang-Woo’s thighs. Seol-Ah’s eyes blazed as she witnessed the sight of a happy couple.

“H-Huh? W-Well…” Yeon-Joo stuttered in surprise and glanced at Kang-Woo.

Kang-Woo sensed her desperate gaze. He nodded and said without hesitation, “Yeon-Joo ordered me to massage her feet with care.”

“You fucking bastard!!!”

Yeon-Joo’s expression turned pale.

“Yeon-Joo…?” Seol-Ah asked, her cold eyes gazing into Yeon-Joo’s soul.

“N-No!! He started massaging them out of nowhere!!” Yeon-Joo shouted in frustration.

“Haaa, I can’t believe you.” Seol-Ah stared intently at Yeon-Joo and sat on the couch as she pouted. “Massage me too, Kang-Woo.”

She placed her pale feet on Kang-Woo’s thighs and pulled her long skirt that reached her ankle slightly up.

“Mmm,” Kang-Woo groaned.

Four feet were on his thighs. He gulped and straightened his back as he massaged the two women’s feet like a robot. He hadn’t realized it when he was with just Yeon-Joo but this was considerably embarrassing.

“H-Hmm.”

“Th-This feels nice.”

Yeon-Joo and Seol-Ah averted their gazes from Kang-Woo, reddening in embarrassment.

Yeon-Joo changed the subject, “C-Come to think of it, where’s Lilith unnie?”

“She left early in the morning to sort out some stuff.”

“R-Really?”

Silence fell again. Only the sound of Kang-Woo’s hands massaging feet could be heard in the living room.

“He… Hehe.”

Seol-Ah giggled as the awkwardness faded over time.

“Hm! What are you guys doing?”

Echidna opened her door and entered the living room. She assumed Kang-Woo was playing with his wives and ran to him as she snorted.

“I wanna step on Kang-Woo too!”

“Wha—”

Echidna sat on Kang-Woo’s shoulders as if getting a piggyback ride and straightened her legs to place her feet on Kang-Woo’s thighs. Six feet were now on his thighs.

‘Am I being harassed right now?’

“You’re making me cry,” Kang-Woo said as he wiped his tears with his fists.

“I want to… stay like this forever,” mumbled Seol-Ah.

“You want to keep stepping on me?”

“N-No! That’s not what I meant!” Seol-Ah put her feet off Kang-Woo’s thighs in surprise. “I-I meant… I want this peace to last forever.”

“Hehehe. I know.”

Kang-Woo nodded as he chuckled and stood up.

“Kang-Woo! Don’t stand up yet!”

He could feel the piggybacking Echidna’s legs flapping. He grabbed Echidna’s legs and smiled.

“We’ll be able to stay like this forever.”

‘I’ll make it so.’

***

The next day, the seven heading to the satellite world Zexal gathered before the Rift.

1. Skinship is a Korean and Japanese term, meaning intimate physical contact. ☜