Descent of The Demon Master [EN]: Chapter 663

A Voice.

It was an utterly calm voice.

Without highs or lows, neither fast nor slow.

At first listen, one might think it was just an ordinary voice, but the fact that it echoed in this dark and gloomy space created a strange sense of disharmony.

Ryu Wei unfolded his crouched body.

Then, as if possessed, he rose from his spot.

Perhaps he could have attempted a timid resistance. Pretending to be absent while holding his breath, or finding another escape route.

But Ryu Wei knew.

That all resistance was futile.

If the person on the other side was the ‘one’ he expected, then any resistance would be meaningless.

Ryu Wei desperately suppressed his trembling knees and headed for the door.

Grabbing the doorknob, he flinched several times before finally twisting it and opening the door.

Creak.

As the door opened, Ryu Wei felt a sense of relief.

It was rather fortunate.

Because now he didn’t have to tremble anymore.

At least from this moment, he was free from the fear that the person would come looking for him. Because the one here couldn’t come looking for him again.

Of course, now a new fear would arise, the fear of facing that person.

Ryu Wei slightly raised his head.

But his gaze couldn’t meet the other’s eyes. Fixing his gaze around the chin and shrinking his body was the best he could do.

‘It seems you don’t understand what I’m saying…’

‘P-please, spare me.’

‘I was wrong. I was wrong. So please, spare…’

‘Get dressed.’

‘…Yes?’

Ryu Wei raised his head.

Then, he met Kang Jin-ho’s eyes. At that moment, Ryu Wei realized.

It was different.

He couldn’t pinpoint exactly what it was, but something was different. The Kang Jin-ho he saw that day and the current Kang Jin-ho seemed like completely different people. The one standing before him now was just an ordinary person you could see anywhere.

His appearance was a bit striking, but at least this person fit within the standards of a human.

But that fact didn’t reassure Ryu Wei. If you consider how terrifying a human being can be when they can step outside the standards of a human and then return, you can never be at ease. Rather, the nausea worsened.

‘We have to go film, so get dressed.’

Ryu Wei was thrown into confusion.

Filming? Did he just say filming?

‘I told you.’

Kang Jin-ho reached out and grabbed Ryu Wei’s face. It wasn’t a strong grip. He just held his face. But Ryu Wei trembled all over as if a hot iron was branding his face.

‘I told you I’d come back for you when your time was up. Didn’t I already show you what would happen to you then?’

‘Heeu…’

Sweat poured down Ryu Wei’s entire body like a waterfall.

How could he forget?

How could he.

Those moments he wanted to believe were just a dream.

A hallucination.

The hallucination where his entire body was slowly… and meticulously dismantled, that vivid pain.

If people had found him in the elevator just a little later, Ryu Wei would probably have died of shock.

If he had woken up from that hallucination just a little later.

And Ryu Wei knew. That the scene he saw and experienced then was just a hallucination, but the man before him had the power to make that hallucination a reality.

So how could he not be afraid?

Kang Jin-ho whispered softly.

‘I told you to think. Why you’re alive. You survived because you’re useful. But you’re not very useful right now.’

‘Now, tell me, with your own mouth. What do you have to do to survive?’

There was no need to think.

His brain was spinning more furiously than ever since he was born.

‘I-I need to be useful.’

‘You know it well.’

Kang Jin-ho nodded calmly.

‘Then tell me. What is your use?’

‘I, I am…’

Ryu Wei’s eyes trembled.

What was his use?

No, what part of him did this person consider useful? His activated brain quickly found the answer.

‘A-an actor!’

Ryu Wei shouted.

‘I am an actor!’

‘I know.’

Kang Jin-ho removed his hand from Ryu Wei’s face.

At this moment, Ryu Wei was more grateful than ever that he was an actor. And that there was still filming left.

‘You’ll have to prove your usefulness yourself now.’

Ryu Wei nodded his head vigorously without even opening his mouth. He knew all too well what would happen to him if he was deemed no longer useful.

A strong will to live dominated him.

‘Let’s go.’

Kang Jin-ho turned and walked ahead.

‘Ah…’

As if possessed, Ryu Wei followed behind, and then he saw Kang Jin-ho stop.

Kang Jin-ho opened his mouth without turning around.

‘Just in case, it’s better not to hide and bother me like this next time. If you die, filming will be difficult… but if the main character loses a leg in an accident, we can cover it with the scenario, right?’

Ryu Wei couldn’t answer.

He couldn’t bring himself to say anything. Anything at all.

‘The picture is coming out.’

‘It is.’

Jang Xiang stroked his chin while looking at the screen.

‘It feels like something that was lacking has been filled.’

Choi Yeon-ha was good at acting.

Jang Xiang admitted that. In the first place, if Choi Yeon-ha couldn’t act, he wouldn’t have cast her no matter how good her visuals were. When selecting the actress for this female lead role, the most important thing was her acting ability.

Since the male lead’s acting was a mess,

the female lead had to be good at acting to cover it somehow.

Sometimes, when two people with different acting abilities were captured on the same screen, the bad acting would stand out, but that was something Jang Xiang could cover to some extent with his directing skills.

Choi Yeon-ha had perfectly met Jang Xiang’s expectations so far.

But there was one thing.

‘There are many actors who are good at acting.’

It’s harder to find someone who can’t act among those who make a living as actors. Especially those who can appear in a work of this scale have acting skills as a basic requirement.

Visuals or other aspects must be added to that acting ability to become a star.

To truly become a star through acting alone, it’s not enough to just be good at acting. You need to have the power to captivate people with your acting.

Until now, Choi Yeon-ha was just an actress who was good at acting.

But at this moment, Choi Yeon-ha, captured on camera, had become a different actress than before.

‘There’s a sense of longing in her.’

‘Hmm.’

She could evoke a person’s sadness with just one expression.

Even while watching the screen, the thought that Choi Yeon-ha was beautiful didn’t even cross his mind.

‘That’s what an actor should be like.’

A female actor must be beautiful. But to become a true female actor, she must make those who watch her work forget that she is beautiful.

Something that Choi Yeon-ha was lacking was now being filled.

‘What could have changed?’

‘…Isn’t it because Ryu Wei isn’t here?’

‘…I want to say no, but that’s a possibility.’

Jang Xiang chuckled.

‘There’s no way.’

Choi Yeon-ha disliked Ryu Wei. But within the work, she had to fall in love with Ryu Wei. That gap was preventing Choi Yeon-ha from fully immersing herself in her acting.

Of course, Choi Yeon-ha was a professional, and when filming started, she was someone who could act love perfectly. But love that was perfectly acted was ultimately like a mass-produced product from a factory.

The same acting would come out no matter who you put in place of Ryu Wei. No one would feel awkward. Conversely, that meant abandoning the uniqueness that could only come out because the other actor was Ryu Wei.

But now, Choi Yeon-ha’s acting was breaking free from being a mass-produced product.

It was as if she had truly fallen in love.

It might be easier for her to act because Ryu Wei wasn’t in sight, but that wasn’t an emotion that could come from such ease.

‘It’s like she’s fallen in love.’

‘Yes?’

‘Okay! That’s great!’

Jang Xiang ignored the assistant director’s words and gave a success sign. Then, Choi Yeon-ha shrugged her shoulders.

‘Thank you for your hard work.’

‘You did great! You really did great. It was perfect!’

Jang Xiang got up from his seat and applauded Choi Yeon-ha. When he applauded, the others also applauded.

Choi Yeon-ha looked around with a flustered face.

‘It was really perfect. If you keep doing this, I can film without any worries.’

‘There wasn’t anything special, don’t flatter me.’

‘There wasn’t anything special? You have to monitor this later. It came out really great.’

‘Really?’

A pleasant smile formed on Choi Yeon-ha’s face. For an actor, being told that their acting was good is the best compliment.

‘That’s right, now that we’ve roughly finished the solo shots…’

Wrinkles formed on Jang Xiang’s forehead.

‘Ryu Wei, did you get in touch with that bastard?’

‘…No, not yet.’

‘Seriously.’

Jang Xiang’s face contorted.

Now that they had finished all the solo shots, what were they supposed to do if they still couldn’t contact the lead actor?

Just as Jang Xiang was about to shout,

Choi Yeon-ha raised her hand.

‘Just a moment, director.’

‘Huh?’

‘Eun-sol, did you get in touch?’

‘I’m texting with them now. They said they’re bringing him.’

‘Okay. I understand.’

Choi Yeon-ha looked at Jang Xiang with a confident face.

‘They said they’re finding Ryu Wei and bringing him now.’

‘What?’

Jang Xiang’s face was filled with bewilderment.

What was this about?

Who was finding Ryu Wei and bringing him when even the agency couldn’t find him?

‘Wh-who?’

‘There is someone. A superman.’

Choi Yeon-ha smiled mischievously.

Just as Jang Xiang was about to frown at the reaction, which was unclear whether it was a joke or serious.

‘He’s coming over there.’

Choi Yeon-ha pointed behind her. When he turned his head, a white van covered in dust was entering the set.

‘That’s Choi Yeon-ha’s car, isn’t it?’

Was Ryu Wei in there?

And why was Ryu Wei coming in Choi Yeon-ha’s car?

With people’s questioning gazes fixed on it, the car stopped.

Clunk.

Then, the side door opened, and a familiar-faced man slowly got out of the car.

‘Ryu Wei!’

‘You, you bastard! Where have you been…’

Those who were about to shout all closed their mouths at once.

‘What?’

‘What happened?’

Ryu Wei’s face was not human. It was questionable if a face like that could be made by locking a person in a coffin and starving them for a few days.

And Ryu Wei’s expression was not the one he usually showed. Where had his confident expression gone? Ryu Wei, who was terrified, kept glancing behind him and looking around.

‘What happened?’

Click.

At that moment, the driver’s seat opened, and a man wearing a mask and sunglasses got out.

‘Cheer up.’

At the one word he uttered, a bright smile appeared on Ryu Wei’s face.

At that bizarre sight, people’s gazes focused on the person who got out of the driver’s seat.

‘What kind of guy is that?’

There was no one to answer his question.