Descent of The Demon Master [EN]: Chapter 681

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“Magic, you say?”

“That’s right.”

“Magic, huh…”

Lee Hyun-soo looked somewhat wronged. At that moment, Wiggins’ face turned stern.

“Do you have a complaint?”

“How could I?”

Life is made up of many choices. Sometimes there are important choices, and sometimes there are trivial ones. What’s certain is that the choice he made now was a very important one…

‘And that choice was a bust.’

Just by looking at Wiggins’ gaze looking down at him, he could feel how terrible the choice he had made was.

“Um, but…”

“Hmm?”

“I heard that Western culture is very open and doesn’t really adhere to formalities and etiquette? That the relationship between a master and disciple is just a contract and a transaction…”

“Who told you that?”

“Huh?”

Wiggins scoffed.

“The West is actually stricter than the East. What you saw was just a shallow contractual relationship. In places where they pass down teachings through proper rituals, a hell you can’t even imagine unfolds.”

“…Is it like that there too?”

“People are the same everywhere.”

“Ah!”

It was a normal thing to say, but why did it sound so eerie now?

“But, magic? Are you saying I’m going to learn magic?”

“Why? Do you have a problem with that?”

“It’s not that I have a problem… It’s just that, while I’m curious about being a mage, I’m not sure if I can do it well…”

“You foolish fellow.”

Wiggins chuckled.

“Magic is your calling. Magic is a discipline that explores the truth. Do you know what that means?”

“Doesn’t it mean there’s something metaphysical? Something different from rolling around with your body?”

“No. It means your head will be cracked open.”

“Exploring the truth can’t be easy. So magic is difficult too. Simple, right?”

“No, the first thing you said sounded very profound…”

“That’s how everything is in the world. Things have to sound plausible for something to go wrong. Isn’t that right?”

The fish that had been caught by plausible words was flapping around.

“Can I become stronger?”

“Of course.”

Wiggins said firmly.

“I am a magic swordsman. I use both magic and swords. Although I haven’t reached the same level as Bator or the Clan Lord with my sword, I am still a swordsman recognized for my skills. And I’m telling you, if you learn magic properly, it’s by no means inferior to martial arts. It’s perfect for you, who has no talent for learning anything physical. You’re smart, at least.”

“But I’m old, aren’t I?”

“Magic isn’t a field that you have to start learning early like martial arts. If you have the will, you can catch up. It all depends on how much you understand and how hard you work.”

Wiggins reached out and ruffled Lee Hyun-soo’s hair.

“I believe you can do well.”

Lee Hyun-soo looked at Wiggins with slightly trembling eyes. It had been a long time since someone had placed such expectations on him.

“I will do my best.”

He felt like he had been slightly tricked, but it was also true that a new path had been opened for him. Besides, if his master was Wiggins, wouldn’t he be able to trust and follow him more than anyone else?

Lee Hyun-soo decided that he had to seize this new opportunity given to him.

“But there’s one thing you need to remember.”

“Yes?”

“I originally wanted to be a mage. But I changed my path to become a magic swordsman. Do you know why?”

“Well, I don’t know?”

“Because it’s damn difficult and hard.”

“Huh?”

“Even for me, reaching a high level with magic was terrifying. It was truly hell. Orthodox mages are all crazy.”

Wiggins smiled kindly.

“But I believe you can walk that path well. I will do my best to teach you.”

No, Master.

Looking at you now, I think you’re crazy enough even if you’re not an orthodox mage.

Lee Hyun-soo couldn’t bring himself to say those words out loud.

***

“Already?”

“Hmm…”

Bator looked at Kang Jin-ho with a slightly puzzled expression.

“Since you caused an incident here, everyone will be flocking to this place. Is there a reason to leave so soon? Master, I think it would be okay to stay a little longer?”

“It’s meaningless.”

Kang Jin-ho shook his head.

“The main goal isn’t to stall for time. It’s important to stall for time while achieving our goal. And the position here is a problem for that.”

“Hmm, that’s not wrong.”

Bator nodded quietly.

This place was remote even within the capital. No matter how much Gangnam [a district in Seoul] had developed, the center of China was still Gangbuk [another district in Seoul]. The situation was even worse in the Murim world [a martial arts world].

Although the Murim world had gone through several major upheavals, the central forces centered around Gangbuk had not changed much. The Murim world in Gangnam had become more active than in the past, thanks to the Hongwang Clan establishing its base near Gangnam, but the center of the Hongwang Clan was also in Gangbuk rather than Gangnam.

To create waves and draw attention in China, it was necessary to leave Sichuan and head to Gangbuk.

‘Actually, anywhere but here is fine.’

Sichuan was too remote, even for China.

“But you don’t look very happy.”

“Considering the efficiency of our work, it’s right to leave quickly. But now that I’m about to leave, I feel a little uneasy.”

“Is it because of that woman?”

“Hmm…”

Bator chuckled.

The Kang Jin-ho he was looking at was an unpredictable person. Sometimes he seemed to have no thoughts at all, but other times he was surprisingly insightful. He gave off the feeling of an old master who had gone through all sorts of hardships, but at other times he was so naive that he seemed foolish.

It was like a mix of a child and an old man.

It was the same now.

Kang Jin-ho, who had shown a cruel and cold side that made one wonder if he even had human emotions, was now worrying about the safety of a woman who was nothing special.

“It’s quite surprising that the Master is a romantic.”

“…Don’t talk nonsense.”

“If that’s your command.”

Bator smiled, and Kang Jin-ho sighed.

‘Do I need to dominate him again?’

As the days went by, Bator was becoming more and more sly. According to the original plan, he was going to dominate his mind and make him work like a slave. He thought that was a fair price for what Bator had done.

But after dominating his mind, Kang Jin-ho faced a reality he hadn’t anticipated.

He had dominated him, but there was nothing for Bator to do. Bator had already started teaching the children on his own, and the battles where Bator could be used most effectively had subsided as the conflict ended.

Moreover, since he had unified Korea with a single fight, there would be no trouble unless he deliberately created it.

This slave who was good at fighting had become a useless resource.

So….

Kang Jin-ho looked at Bator with a slightly dissatisfied expression.

He couldn’t order him to go do manual labor somewhere and earn money with his strong body. He couldn’t just beat him up for no reason either, so he had no choice but to tolerate Bator’s recklessness.

“Then, isn’t it just a matter of taking her with you?”

“The work here isn’t finished.”

“Guaranteeing a woman’s autonomy… The Master has a rather gentle side.”

“I think it’s a matter of common sense.”

“Alright. It doesn’t align with my perspective, but it’s the duty of a loyal subordinate to follow the Master’s opinion.”

“It’s a bit awkward to say it myself, but no one would think you look loyal.”

“That’s a misunderstanding. I am loyal enough.”

“…Let’s say that’s true.”

Kang Jin-ho sighed, and Bator smiled.

“Then, isn’t it just a matter of calling someone to protect her here? You seem like you’ll be returning to Korea after finishing your work in China, so you can just use a bodyguard until then.”

“There’s no one suitable to use.”

Kang Jin-ho frowned.

“If I bring in Koreans, it could actually provoke them. Besides, I don’t want to use the General Assembly’s people for my personal matters.”

“You really are a romantic.”

Bator smiled wryly.

Who would complain if Kang Jin-ho used the General Assembly like his private army? Most would do as they were told without any complaints, and about half would gladly accept Kang Jin-ho’s orders.

Perhaps Kang Jin-ho himself was the one who understood the least about his position in the General Assembly.

“They would consider it an honor to work for the Master.”

“I understand that in my head, but…”

Kang Jin-ho sighed.

If the General Assembly were the Demonic Cult [a fictional organization], he wouldn’t have felt any discomfort. Kang Jin-ho had climbed from the bottom of the Demonic Cult to the position of the cult leader. Although he had started as an outsider in both the General Assembly and the Demonic Cult, the time he had spent and the achievements he had made were different.

Although he had become the Clan Lord, Kang Jin-ho still felt burdened by the fact that he shouldn’t handle the General Assembly as he pleased.

“Well, fine. If you’re telling me this, it means you think I have a solution, right?”

“It’s more like I want to ask for your advice.”

“Then I’ll give you advice. There is a solution.”

Kang Jin-ho’s eyes lit up slightly.

Although he knew China well, the China he knew was the China of the past. But Bator had lived in China until recently. He had been active in China until he was defeated by Hongwang, made a contract with him, and imprisoned. He was bound to have a better understanding of modern China than Kang Jin-ho.

“You need to entrust someone with protection. That’s inevitable. If you can’t use the people of the General Assembly, you can call others.”

“Are there any available people?”

“There are two types of people.”

Bator grinned.

“There are freelancers who don’t belong to any faction. They take on all kinds of jobs, from guarding to assassination. The downside is that they’re not very good, so there could be trouble. However, they would never touch their client. They’re useless without trust, so they’re thorough when it comes to trust.”

“Hmm…”

Kang Jin-ho hesitated, and Bator immediately continued.

“Or you could call others. These are people I can vouch for.”

“Vouch?”

“That’s right.”

Bator puffed out his chest.

His already huge body looked twice as big.

“I can call the warriors of the grasslands. They are free spirits, but they know honor. If I call them, they will protect the Master’s woman even at the cost of their lives.”

Kang Jin-ho, feeling that pride and confidence, nodded.

“If you vouch for them, I can trust them. Can you call them?”

“Of course. But there’s one thing the Master needs to keep in mind.”

“You don’t have to worry about that.”

Kang Jin-ho also straightened his back and said.

“If they know honor, I will reward them properly. I will give them due thanks in my name.”

Bator smiled and replied.

“What are you talking about? Give them money, money.”

“The proper reward is money. What’s with putting your name on it? Forget about your name, just give them a lot of money. I need to fix my yurt before winter comes, and there are a lot of places where money is needed. Does honor feed you? Money is honor.”

Kang Jin-ho, who valued honor, received a lesson about reality from the warriors of the grasslands.