Descent of The Demon Master [EN]: Chapter 145

“Ugh, aaaaaaack!”Noh Soo-bong screamed and jolted upright.Startled, the squad members turned to look at Noh Soo-bong.A familiar feeling.Some squad members turned pale at the sight.Lee Sang-yeop was one of them.”A-are you okay?”Lee Sang-yeop knew his question was pointless.A bloodless face.Sweat pouring down like rain.Confused eyes and a trembling lower lip.He was definitely not okay.”Should we call the medic?”Though he asked the obvious, Lee Sang-yeop already knew.Noh Soo-bong’s current state was not much different from Kim Hak-cheol’s initial strange behavior.But no one could say it out loud.Joo Young-gi and Kim Hak-cheol.If Noh Soo-bong also had problems, that would mean three people in their squad were affected.It was obvious that an audit would come to the unit starting today, and if Noh Soo-bong also became strange, they had no idea what to do.”Sergeant Noh Soo-bong?”Noh Soo-bong looked at Lee Sang-yeop with unfocused eyes, then slowly nodded.”…I’m fine.””Are you really okay?””W-water, please…”At Lee Sang-yeop’s signal, Kim Do-hyung quickly got up to fetch water.Lee Sang-yeop watched Noh Soo-bong, who was rubbing his face while sitting, and couldn’t shake off the uneasy feeling.Soon, Noh Soo-bong gulped down the water Kim Do-hyung brought, slammed the cup down with a clatter, and staggered to his feet.”…Sang-yeop.””Corporal Lee Sang-yeop.””Report to the officer of the day that I’m not feeling well and will skip morning roll call.””Yes, sir.”Noh Soo-bong left those words and went outside.A cold silence filled the barracks where Noh Soo-bong had left. No one dared to speak easily. The scream that had echoed a moment ago felt like an ominous prelude to what was about to happen.”What’s going on?”At Kim Do-hyung’s words, Lee Sang-yeop shook his head.”…It’s just stress, so he might have had a nightmare.””But why today of all days…””It’s because it’s today, isn’t it?””Did you see Sergeant Noh Soo-bong’s face?”When Kim Do-hyung spoke with a horrified expression, Lee Sang-yeop tried to dissuade him with a reluctant face.”Stop it.””Sergeant Noh Soo-bong is known for his courage. But I’ve never seen him so terrified.””I said, stop it.””Isn’t it possible that there’s a ghost or something…””I said, shut up, you bastard!”Lee Sang-yeop shouted without realizing it.”You old fart, do you want to talk about ghosts? The squad atmosphere is already a mess! Why? Do you want to do a ritual or something? To make things worse!””…I’m sorry.”Kim Do-hyung lowered his head, and Lee Sang-yeop sighed.”Sorry for yelling. Hurry up and get ready for roll call.””Yes, sir.”Lee Sang-yeop bit his lip as he watched Kim Do-hyung start folding his blanket.Click, click.His hands were shaking, making it hard to light the lighter.Noh Soo-bong tried several times, but eventually threw the lighter to the ground.Thud!The sound of the lighter breaking was eerie.The cold mountain air was rushing down.Noh Soo-bong sat on a bench, staring blankly into the distance. His trembling hands spoke volumes about his state of mind.”What should I do…”Why hadn’t he listened more carefully to Kim Hak-cheol?Nightmares and compulsions couldn’t come so regularly at the same time.He shouldn’t have overlooked the fact that he had dozed off even on the night he was supposed to watch Kim Hak-cheol.It was already proven that he couldn’t stop it from coming.’What is it?’Noh Soo-bong recalled the shadow’s appearance.A grotesque body that looked like a mass of black something.He couldn’t understand how such a thing could exist in the world.’No.’He couldn’t figure out its identity like this.The key was already by his side. No, it had been.Now that it was clear that Kim Hak-cheol’s words were not the ravings of a madman, he should go back over what he had said.If the culprit wasn’t a demon… no, even if it was a demon!It would be inside this unit. Among the people in the unit, who would have a grudge against him and Kim Hak-cheol?There were too many to pinpoint.But…Noh Soo-bong’s lips trembled.”Kang Jin-ho.”The words spilled out as if he were spitting them out.His actions of burning Joo Young-gi’s notebook despite finding it, and not asking anything from him afterward.And…If he thought about Kim Hak-cheol, who had woken up from the nightmare and tried to kill Kang Jin-ho, everything fit perfectly.However, one thing…What he couldn’t understand was what the figure that had appeared before him last night was. And what was the power that had made him unable to move a finger?’Don’t try to understand.’Noh Soo-bong knew.This was not something that could be understood through reason. No matter how much he tried to analyze it, he would end up with nothing. Now, he had to focus on the phenomenon itself.There was someone in the unit targeting him, and that person had an unknown power.So, what should he do now?Against the shadow?Noh Soo-bong’s body began to tremble.Just thinking about the shadow brought a fear that made it hard to maintain his sanity.The black form with red eyes, breaking him down piece by piece.Just thinking about that image, which seemed to shatter his very soul, made his heart feel like it was about to burst, and a chill ran through his entire body.’A week?'”Hehehehe.”Noh Soo-bong laughed.A week.Even one day was like hell, so he had to go through that for another week?”Ah, no way.”Noh Soo-bong jumped up from his seat.Noh Soo-bong, who had been staring at the barracks with fear-widened eyes, approached the 5th barracks with hesitant steps.”What’s the matter?”He was calm.As if he were someone who had nothing to do with it.’Is it not him?’For a moment, Noh Soo-bong couldn’t help but doubt his judgment. Kang Jin-ho was looking at him with such a calm face.Kind-looking eyes.He couldn’t believe that the eyes looking at him now were the same as the demon that had torn his body apart yesterday.”…Kang Jin-ho.””Corporal Kang Jin-ho.”Noh Soo-bong said in a trembling voice.”A-are you not?””I don’t know what you’re talking about.””Really not… right? You’re not, right?” Kang Jin-ho frowned.”If you could be more specific, I might be able to answer. Right now, I don’t know what you’re talking about, so it’s hard to answer.”Noh Soo-bong’s breathing began to quicken.”…You, that notebook.””Are you talking about a notebook?”Kang Jin-ho tilted his head.”I don’t know what notebook you’re talking about.”Noh Soo-bong’s head turned to the side.”Sung Tae-ho.””Yes?””Give us some space.”Sung Tae-ho looked at Noh Soo-bong with a displeased expression. Even though he was a senior, it was unsettling to leave his squad member alone with someone who looked like that.”It’ll be quick.””Yes, sir.””…Just keep the others from coming out for a bit.””Yes, sir.”Sung Tae-ho nodded and got up from his seat. As Sung Tae-ho, who was heading inside the building, turned his head, Kang Jin-ho nodded lightly.’It’ll be okay.’No matter how notorious Noh Soo-bong was, he wouldn’t be able to touch Kang Jin-ho.As Sung Tae-ho disappeared, Noh Soo-bong opened his mouth in a trembling voice.”You.””Yes.”Kang Jin-ho’s expression didn’t change.”Th-that notebook… why did you burn that notebook? That notebook.”Noh Soo-bong’s words trembled.”Are you curious about that?””I… I thought you would… would ask me for some kind of price. But you didn’t ask for anything. Why? Why? Then why did you burn that notebook? Why?”Noh Soo-bong’s face was turning mad.Kang Jin-ho’s appearance began to overlap with ‘that’ from last night.”Why! Why! Why did you burn it? Why?” Kang Jin-ho shrugged.”I’ll say it again…””I don’t know what you’re talking about, Sergeant Noh Soo-bong.”Noh Soo-bong’s eyes wavered.”You burned it! That notebook! Young-gi’s notebook!””Who told you that?””Hak-cheol did! Kim Hak-cheol!””I’m sorry, but it seems like Corporal Kim Hak-cheol is mistaken about something. I’ve never done such a thing. I don’t know what notebook you’re talking about, but I’ve never touched or burned anything related to Young-gi.”Noh Soo-bong glared at Kang Jin-ho as if he were dumbfounded.”So, it’s all a lie?””Why don’t you ask Corporal Kim Hak-cheol later?””Heh, hehehe…”Ask Kim Hak-cheol.Kim Hak-cheol, who hadn’t regained his sanity even after regaining consciousness. He wasn’t dead, but he would now live his life as a madman.Ask that Kim Hak-cheol?”And…”Kang Jin-ho opened his mouth quietly.”Isn’t this not the time to be asking about this?””…What?””You don’t have much time, do you?”With those words, a subtle smile appeared on Kang Jin-ho’s lips.That smile.Though the form was different, that smile was all too familiar.Noh Soo-bong felt his whole body tremble at the eerie feeling. His body reacted faster than his mind at the sight of Kang Jin-ho’s smile.”Uaaaaaaah!”Noh Soo-bong screamed and lunged at Kang Jin-ho. Noh Soo-bong grabbed Kang Jin-ho’s neck, pushed him down, and shouted.”You bastard! Die! Dieeeeee!”At that moment, the door burst open, and Sung Tae-ho and the others rushed out and pulled Noh Soo-bong away.”Ah, damn it, really!”Sung Tae-ho cursed.”What are you doing! Get a grip!””Let go! Let go! Let go! That bastard! I have to kill that bastard! I! Uaaaaaaah!”As the 3rd squad members held Noh Soo-bong down, Sung Tae-ho let go of Noh Soo-bong and approached Kang Jin-ho.”Are you okay?””Yes.””…No, damn it. Why are you doing this? You and Hak-cheol. What did you do to the 1st squad?””Do I look like I did something?””That’s what I’m saying. I don’t understand, really.”Sung Tae-ho glanced at Noh Soo-bong, who was foaming at the mouth and struggling, and shook his head.He had seemed fine just a moment ago, but he couldn’t understand why he was suddenly acting like this.”Is there really something going on?”Noh Soo-bong, who had been dragged back to the barracks, looked around with glazed eyes. No one tried to make eye contact with him.”Hehehe.”Noh Soo-bong laughed.That reaction was also familiar. It was the reaction others had shown when Kim Hak-cheol first started showing signs of madness.It meant that in their eyes, he was also starting to go mad.”I have to write it down.”As if possessed, Noh Soo-bong opened his locker and took out a pen and notebook.He might go mad.The person he was today might be different from the person he would be tomorrow. So, he had to record it.So that he wouldn’t go any more insane.Noh Soo-bong gripped the pen tightly.