Descent of The Demon Master [EN]: Chapter 732

“Who is it?” Kang Jin-ho asked calmly.

He had been feeling it for a while now—a gaze mixed with killing intent and rage. It was a reaction as if they had met their mortal enemy.

“Chai Ke-chang.”

“Chai Ke-chang?”

“You could say he’s the second-in-command of the Red King’s faction. No, it’s a bit ambiguous to call him the second-in-command. The term ‘Chief Manager’ might be easier for the master to understand.”

“Chief Manager?”

“Think of him as someone like Lee Hyun-soo.”

“Understood.”

Kang Jin-ho quietly stared at Chai Ke-chang. If he was in charge of the internal affairs of a massive faction like the Red King’s, then he was no ordinary person.

“He seems to lack composure?”

“Heh heh, how could someone who has the master as their enemy maintain their composure? I was the same. Even though I thought I should remain calm, I ended up giving in to my emotions. There’s something about the master that makes people agitated.”

Bator gave a wry smile. Those who faced Kang Jin-ho all felt something similar.

It had to be now.

Kang Jin-ho was growing stronger at an alarming rate. At the same time, the forces surrounding him were also growing, keeping pace with Kang Jin-ho’s growth.

How long had it been since Bator had fought Kang Jin-ho? Could the Kang Jin-ho of then be compared to the Kang Jin-ho of now?

No, they couldn’t be compared. The seasons hadn’t even changed yet. But in that short time, Kang Jin-ho had become more than twice as strong. Moreover, the Assembly was also growing at an incredible rate.

In that short time, Bator and Knight Wiggins had joined, and they were establishing their own forces within the Assembly, training young martial artists. And if these demons joined now?

‘It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that their power would double in an instant.’

Perhaps even more than that.

Bator couldn’t predict how strong they would become if Kang Jin-ho directly trained the demons. His prediction was a minimum estimate. Even with just the minimum, the Assembly’s power would double.

‘Thinking about it, it’s terrifying.’

It was a part he hadn’t really been aware of. He knew they were getting stronger, but even Bator, who was part of the Assembly, couldn’t comprehend how they had become so strong in such a short time. The moment he understood, he was filled with shock.

If Bator, a member of the Assembly and a confidant of Kang Jin-ho, felt this way, what must Chai Ke-chang be feeling?

‘He must feel like he has a fire burning behind him.’

Or like he’s watching a time bomb’s timer ticking down while being completely tied up.

That’s why he had such a face. Just by looking at Chai Ke-chang’s face, Bator could imagine what kind of expression he had when he fought Kang Jin-ho. He must have had a face melted with anxiety. He must have been tormented by the obsession that if he didn’t win now, if he didn’t kill him now, he would never be able to kill him in the future.

Chai Ke-chang must be the same. No, he must be feeling an even greater pressure than Bator did back then. Unlike Bator, who only had to focus on Kang Jin-ho, Chai Ke-chang also had to be wary of Kang Jin-ho’s forces.

If Bator were in Chai Ke-chang’s position, he would have gone insane. It was like feeling a sharp knife slowly piercing his back while being unable to come up with any proper countermeasures.

So, his reaction was understandable.

Then, Kang Jin-ho opened his mouth.

“Didn’t the Red King come?”

Chai Ke-chang spat out his reply.

“You overestimate yourself. Do you believe you are worth the Red King’s personal visit?”

“Looks like he didn’t come.”

From Chai Ke-chang’s perspective, it was a provocation, but Kang Jin-ho didn’t seem to care. He just rubbed his mouth a couple of times and looked around.

“For someone who didn’t come, you’ve brought quite a crowd.”

A sharp killing intent was felt. It was a killing intent that made Kang Jin-ho’s skin tingle. Those who could emit such killing intent could not be ordinary.

‘Bator was right to say that he wasn’t among the strong.’

It was a bit of an exaggeration, but it wasn’t entirely wrong. If they could mobilize this many people with this much power, then logically, there must be quite a few martial artists stronger than Bator.

Kang Jin-ho was once again realizing the power of the Red King’s faction.

‘To possess this many martial artists in this era….’

It wasn’t an era where martial artists could be openly trained like in the past. Now that the system of the state was more complete than in the past, the state could not condone such power. Although the existence of martial artists was tacitly acknowledged, revealing their existence to the general public was a different matter. To possess this much power under such adverse conditions was a remarkable feat. Moreover, there were two more factions of this size in China.

It was incomparable to the Central Plains of the past [a historical region in China]. However….

‘It wouldn’t be meaningful to simply count numbers.’

Kang Jin-ho also hadn’t fully grasped their power. In terms of the power of the forces, it was incomparable to the past, but what was important was the level of martial arts.

If the level of martial arts in this era that Kang Jin-ho had seen so far was all there was, then there was no need for the Demonic Cult to step in. But what if that wasn’t all?

He could find out from now on.

“The Red King didn’t come….”

Kang Jin-ho bared his teeth.

“Arrogance sometimes devours oneself. How is it, do you still think that choice was right?”

Chai Ke-chang’s eyes wavered. Kang Jin-ho’s words were accurately pinpointing Chai Ke-chang’s inner thoughts.

‘It might have been a mistake.’

Everything should be certain. According to Chai Ke-chang’s calculations, there was a zero percent chance that Kang Jin-ho would survive this day. But the moment he saw Kang Jin-ho in person, that possibility jumped tenfold.

Ten percent. The probability of Kang Jin-ho surviving and escaping even if they used all their power.

Ten percent. It was a probability that could normally be ignored. But now, Chai Ke-chang couldn’t ignore that ten percent probability at all. Probability was just probability. What was the point of calculating the probability of success after something had already happened?

‘I should have brought him, even if it meant incurring the Red King’s wrath.’

If he had, the probability would have been zero. Moreover, the Red King had also wanted to meet Kang Jin-ho in person. It was Chai Ke-chang who had dissuaded him. Chai Ke-chang’s pride had brought the situation to this point.

“I see.”

Kang Jin-ho didn’t miss the moment Chai Ke-chang’s expression changed. A clear sneer formed on his lips.

“It’s not the Red King who’s arrogant. It’s you who’s arrogant. Isn’t that right?”

“That’s right. No matter how strong one is, someone who can’t see reality properly can’t sit in such a position. The weakness of the Red King’s faction was none other than you.”

“Shut your mouth! You bastard!”

Blood vessels stood out in Chai Ke-chang’s eyes. But his shout somehow lacked power. Kang Jin-ho’s words were hitting Chai Ke-chang’s sore spot.

‘His judgment was right.’

He had to be killed. By any means necessary. He had to be killed before Kang Jin-ho grew this much, no matter what. The Red King’s judgment was accurate. From the moment he discovered Kang Jin-ho’s traces, the Red King had tried to eliminate Kang Jin-ho by any means. At times, he even seemed to be more wary of Kang Jin-ho than the other three kings.

Every time, it was Chai Ke-chang who had dissuaded the Red King, citing reality and the situation. And at this moment, Chai Ke-chang realized that all the judgments he had made were wrong.

This man was dangerous. Perhaps even more dangerous than the other three kings. He had to be killed by any means before he became such a burden.

‘Why did I do such a thing?’

The Red King was great in every aspect. Even in his ability to read the situation, Chai Ke-chang couldn’t dare to follow the Red King. Knowing that fact, why did he oppose the Red King’s opinion?

Because he truly believed it was right? Or was it really because of his arrogance, as Kang Jin-ho said?

“There’s no point in worrying about it.”

Kang Jin-ho’s voice pierced his ears.

“Because the result will be the same.”

Chai Ke-chang smiled bitterly. Yes, there was no point in worrying. Because the result would be the same. No matter what mistakes he had made so far, no matter how bad the situation had become because of them… none of that mattered.

If he could kill Kang Jin-ho here, it didn’t matter.

“Right. We’re not exactly in a position to have a conversation.”

“You know it well.”

Chai Ke-chang took a deep breath and focused on the front. A wall of men. During that short conversation, numerous demons had gathered around the black van. It was something he had allowed. But he couldn’t shake off the unpleasant feeling of following the opponent’s intentions. Just by throwing short words at Chai Ke-chang, Kang Jin-ho had bought time to reorganize his ranks.

‘Was it calculated, or was it instinctive?’

Either way, Kang Jin-ho was skilled at handling large forces. The more he saw, the more dangerous he became.

‘Then, what I have to do is….’

Only one thing. Chai Ke-chang clenched his fist. Those guys….

It was at that moment. Bator, who had been silently listening to their conversation, suddenly rushed forward. And the demons followed behind Bator. A black wave. A wave of black men surged forward in an instant, centered around Bator.

Chai Ke-chang flinched for a moment. Bator was heading towards the pile of burning trucks.

‘Why?’

Chai Ke-chang’s eyes were instantly filled with questions. The place he should be attacking was….

‘Could it be?’

Chai Ke-chang’s eyes widened like saucers. He had realized Bator’s, no, Kang Jin-ho’s intention.

“S, stop them!”

But his realization was a bit late. Bator, like a fired cannonball, rushed towards the pile of trucks and slammed his powerful stance into the ground.

Kuuuuuung!

Bator’s legs dug into the ground up to his ankles. A huge crater formed on the ground, and the world shook. Even the heavily stacked pile of trucks couldn’t withstand the impact and shook.

And then….

“Uwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!”

With a tremendous shout that seemed like it would burst eardrums, Bator unleashed an attack with all his might towards the pile of trucks. His arm, pulled back as if his waist would twist, was flung forward with rotational force.

Kwaaaaaaaaaaang!

An explosion. It had to be called an explosion. When Bator’s strike hit the pile of trucks, the trucks, which had been spewing acrid smoke and devilish flames, exploded and flew in all directions.

“D, dodge it!”

“Damn it!”

The martial artists who had been tightening the left and right sides of the truck pile scattered in all directions. Chai Ke-chang saw it clearly. The pile of trucks flew in all directions, and a large path opened in the center. When the barricades and trucks were all blown away, a large gap appeared in the center.

The demons rushed into that path. Without looking back.

“You crazy!”

“Kuhahahahahahaha!”

Bator’s loud laughter was signaling the start of the battle. The martial artists who had surrounded them on all sides finally came to their senses and rushed towards Bator.

“Come on, you little punks!”

Bator roared like an incarnation of the way of the fist.