Descent Of The Demon Master [EN]: Chapter 413

Kang Jin-ho ran like a beast.

It wasn’t a conscious decision. Before his thoughts could even form, he was already running. At a speed no human could achieve, he leaped over everything in his path, heading straight for the wall. In an instant, Kang Jin-ho began to scale the building.

‘Damn it!’

As he became aware of the danger, his entire body became hyper-sensitive, and his mind began to work rapidly. Still clinging to the wall, Kang Jin-ho made a call.

He reached the third floor as the first ringtone sounded, and by the second, he had leaped to the fourth.

[Hello? Mr. Kang Jin-ho, are you enjoying the amusement park tour?]

“The ceiling is collapsing!”

[Excuse me?]

“The ceiling here is collapsing right now!”

[Wh-what are you talking about?]

“There’s no time to explain. Do whatever it takes to get everyone out of here right now. Somehow!”

[…….]

A brief silence followed.

But Kang Jin-ho didn’t rush Jo Gyu-min. The Jo Gyu-min he knew wasn’t someone who would panic in this kind of situation. This silence was just a process of finding the best solution.

Kang Jin-ho didn’t doubt Jo Gyu-min’s silence, and Jo Gyu-min didn’t try to distinguish between truth and falsehood in Kang Jin-ho’s words.

The strong bond of trust naturally led to the best response.

[I’ll move immediately. However, it will take some time. First, get the children inside out right away. Right now.]

“I’ve already instructed Choi Yeon-ha.”

[Choi Yeon-ha, Choi Yeon-ha… I understand. I’ll contact her. What about you, Mr. Kang Jin-ho?]

“…The kids are on the ride.”

[God damn it.]

A genuine curse escaped his lips.

There was a sound of something being kicked, and then Jo Gyu-min’s voice returned, louder.

[I’ll do everything I can right now. So you must save those kids, Mr. Kang Jin-ho. You must!]

“Of course!”

[Good luck!]

The call ended without waiting for a reply. That meant Jo Gyu-min was just as urgent.

Kang Jin-ho ran forward without a shred of doubt or hesitation. Evacuating the people here wasn’t something he could do. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t match the impact of a single phone call from Jo Gyu-min, who had Jae-kyung on his back.

So, what he had to do was simple.

Leave everything else to Jo Gyu-min,

and do what he had to do, what he must do.

Kang Jin-ho, who had reached the ride area in an instant, narrowed his eyes and assessed the situation.

He had said the ceiling was collapsing, but it wasn’t quite that bad. The accurate situation was that the rails installed on the ceiling were falling off.

Moreover, the rail above the ride where the children were was already detached from the ceiling. If things went wrong, the rail could fall off like a thread unraveling, causing the ride to crash, or the rail could break, causing the ride to fall.

“Step back!”

Security guards ran towards Kang Jin-ho, trying to push him away.

“Can you cut the power?”

“First, step back…”

“There!”

Kang Jin-ho’s voice roared like a tiger, and the security guards who were trying to push him away turned pale and stepped back.

“My siblings are on that ride.”

“…Are you family?”

“Answer me first. The power? Can you cut the power?”

“Well, that’s…”

The security guard was sweating profusely.

“The power is managed centrally, so it’s not easy to cut off the power to just the ride. If we cut off the power to the whole area now, this entire section will be completely paralyzed, and if that happens…”

“I understand.”

Then there would be problems with the evacuation. The people on the rides would be stranded inside.

For now, the only option was to keep the power on until the people on the current rides could get off…

“If the ride keeps moving, the rails will take more impact.”

“I understand your concern, but this is hindering the rescue. The paramedics and rescue teams are on their way, so please follow our instructions and go outside to wait. We will definitely save your family.”

It was the best they could say, and the best response they could offer.

Kang Jin-ho understood their position. There was only one thing he didn’t understand.

‘The rescue team will be too late.’

It was impossible.

When the rescue team arrived, they would find a way. They could bring a ladder truck through the central road where the parade was taking place, or they could climb the dome-shaped ceiling from the outside and lower ropes inside.

Yes, there were many ways.

But all those methods required time. And from Kang Jin-ho’s perspective, there wasn’t enough time.

“Yes.”

Kang Jin-ho turned back without hesitation.

“Thank you.”

‘No need to thank me.’

He had never said he would listen to them.

Kang Jin-ho stepped back and closed his eyes slightly.

‘Let’s stay calm.’

Don’t let emotions take over.

This wasn’t a battle, but a rescue. So he had to be calm. The result of his excitement could lead to the children’s deaths, not his own.

‘What should I do?’

He had jumped up in an instant, but rationally, if he wanted to perfectly save the children, it might be better to wait below the ride, not here.

What if the children fell while he was approaching the ride?

‘That can’t happen.’

Kang Jin-ho made up his mind.

Being suspended above wasn’t what would kill them. The situation he had to prevent was someone falling from there, or the entire ride falling to the ground.

If he was below, he could catch them no matter what happened.

‘I’m going down.’

Kang Jin-ho bit his lip and was about to turn around when his phone started ringing violently.

The moment he saw the name on the screen, Kang Jin-ho answered the phone with a feeling of ‘Oh, crap.’

‘You idiot.’

He had momentarily forgotten that the children had phones. Kang Jin-ho, who usually returned to being a perfect modern man, forgot what time he was living in during these crisis situations.

Kang Jin-ho answered the phone urgently.

[Oppa! Oppaaaa!]

“Yeah, yeah. Mi-hye! Are you okay?”

[Oppa. Oppa, here! Oppa, the ride here!]

“I know, I know. Oppa is watching.”

Kang Jin-ho spoke as calmly as possible. He was worried that if he showed any signs of urgency, the children’s anxiety would worsen.

“I’ll save you soon. Oppa is down here making sure nothing happens, so don’t worry. Just stay still, okay?”

[Okay… but… but, Oppa.]

“Yeah, yeah, Mi-hye.”

[Do-yeon… Do-yeon is in really bad shape.]

“What?”

Kang Jin-ho’s eyes widened.

[She hit her head on the wall when it shook earlier… Maybe it’s because of that, or maybe it’s because she’s anxious, but she… she can’t breathe properly, Oppa. Oppa… what do we do?]

Kang Jin-ho’s face hardened as he listened to Jo Mi-hye’s tearful voice.

“Th…”

[No. No, Oppa. We’ll just wait patiently. We’ll stay here. Don’t push yourself. We… we can hold out here… I’m not asking you to save us. I’m just so, so anxious… I just wanted to hear your voice, Oppa.]

Kang Jin-ho paused for a moment, wondering what to say.

Yes, could they hold out like that?

Would Do-yeon be okay?

[So, Op…]

Click.

The call was cut off.

It seemed the battery had died.

Kang Jin-ho stared at the phone for a moment, then put it back in his back pocket without hesitation.

He could call with another child’s phone, but what would be the point? Anyone could comfort and encourage them over the phone. Anyone but him.

What he had to do was something else.

Whyyyyyyyy!

The siren began to blare throughout the amusement park.

As soon as the ride first twisted and the rail became loose, those who realized the situation rushed out, but many people still remained.

At the same time as the siren, the staff desperately ran out and began to evacuate people.

“You need to go down.”

When he came to his senses, only the staff and he remained on the fourth floor.

“Yes.”

Kang Jin-ho nodded.

“This way.”

As he walked along with the staff’s guidance, Kang Jin-ho chuckled.

‘I’ve become a modern man.’

He was thinking about what was right in this situation.

He was afraid of the impact his actions would have, the image of him captured by countless cameras and spread across the world.

He wanted to live quietly and normally.

Thud. Thud. Thud.

Kang Jin-ho unbuttoned his shirt one by one.

“Sir?”

Rip.

Kang Jin-ho, who had ripped off his shirt and wrapped it around his hands like finger gloves, took a deep breath.

‘It’s a smart and tiring thing.’ To live as a modern man.

You have to consider many things, but you also don’t get hurt. But…

“Who said they wanted to live like that?”

Kang Jin-ho’s body turned around.

“Sir…”

Kang Jin-ho, who lightly pushed away the security guards who were closely following him just in case, began to sprint.

“Stop him!”

“Catch that man!”

As he ran towards the ride area, Kang Jin-ho burst out laughing without realizing it.

He knew.

To be wise, he should wait below.

To be smart, he shouldn’t show this side of himself because of a few children who might be rescued safely.

So what?

Who said they wanted to be smart?

What truly made him unbearable was the children’s voices, who were so scared and anxious that they didn’t know what to do, yet they were comforting him, telling him it was okay, in case he did something reckless.

“Stop him! I said stop him!”

Kang Jin-ho leaped over the security guards who threw themselves in front of him and rushed to the rail area in an instant. Then, he kicked off the railing and launched himself into the air.

“Wh-what is that?”

“Oh my god…”

Kang Jin-ho leaped over the roofs of the buildings that were rising everywhere, and then reached the wall. Kang Jin-ho, who had reached the waiting area for the rides installed on the wall, grabbed the rails installed on the ceiling with both hands and began to move along the rails at a rapid speed.

“Hey, you crazy bastard! You’ll die if you fall!”

The security guards screamed in horror, but Kang Jin-ho couldn’t hear them.

‘Just wait a little longer. I’ll be there soon.’

The eyes of those who watched Kang Jin-ho moving along the rails as if he were running widened.

“Hehehehe.”

In the darkness.

In the very deep darkness.

In the dark shadows where light didn’t reach, his eyes glowed red.

“How touching, how touching.”

Kang Jin-ho’s weakness was too obvious.

He had too many things to protect unnecessarily.

Even if they weren’t family.