Descent Of The Demon Master [EN]: Chapter 777

Bator’s decision was quite significant.

And perhaps it was the most urgent matter for the Assembly right now.

The Assembly, by allying with the Demonic Cult, had replenished its lacking forces and seized an opportunity to build a solid power base. However,

simultaneously, it faced a major problem.

In the past, the Assembly was a system where a few strong individuals led the many, but with the Demonic Cult joining, it fell into a dilemma where the number of strong individuals who exceeded a certain level was extremely small compared to its size.

Both quantitatively and qualitatively.

“More than anything…”

Wiggins slammed the whiteboard hard.

“Compared to the Hongwang faction, we lack big names.”

“Big names?”

“Famous people! Ah, of course, I don’t just mean famous. I mean there aren’t any strong individuals who can make their name known in other factions.”

Everyone nodded.

“But we have the Assembly Lord, don’t we?”

“The Hongwang faction also has the Hongwang.”

Lee Hyun-soo, at a loss for words, shut his mouth.

“If the strength of the commanders is equal, the battle is ultimately decided by the quality of the troops.

In that sense, we have only filled the number of troops, and their quality is terrible.”

“So from now on…”

“No.”

Lee Hyun-soo tried to argue, but Wiggins cleanly cut him off.

“Troops can be trained. But intermediate commanders are not beings that can be easily cultivated. To put it simply, to match the balance with the Hongwang faction, we need at least ten more warriors of Bator’s level.”

“…Ten?”

Lee Hyun-soo blinked.

“Ten, you say?”

“Isn’t that obvious?”

Wiggins said firmly.

“You’re not thinking that we’re equal to the Hongwang faction just because we’ve barely managed to win once, are you?”

“Of course not, but is the difference that big?”

The corners of Wiggins’s mouth curled up. No matter how quickly Lee Hyun-soo’s mind worked, he was still just a frog trapped in a small well called Korea [a common idiom referring to someone with limited experience or perspective].

“There’s no need to even discuss the Hongwang faction. The Round Table alone is enough. If you compare the Round Table and the Hongwang faction one-on-one, the Round Table can’t even dare to be compared to the Hongwang faction. But the Round Table has ten knights and one master. Each of the knights has skills equal to or greater than mine.”

“…Really?”

“Do I need to belittle my own skills?”

There would be no need for that.

“But even if they are knights, to be equal to the Master…”

Wiggins shook his head.

“They’re not equal, they’re better.”

“Huh?”

“I chose the wrong tech tree. I couldn’t focus on either swordsmanship or magic, so I can’t match them.”

“Isn’t it okay to be good at both?”

“Of course, there may be geniuses in the world who can do both well. But I’m not one of them. I didn’t become that kind of talent. So I’m just mediocre in both. They are definitely stronger than me.

In a fight, I can gain a certain advantage with tricks and experience, but the more I fight, the more my chances of winning will drop to the limit.”

Wiggins coughed dryly.

“You made me say this with my own mouth. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

Lee Hyun-soo smiled awkwardly while receiving Wiggins’s sharp gaze.

“Anyway.”

Wiggins wrapped up the situation.

“What the Assembly needs most right now is a backbone, Lord. We need to reinforce this part somehow.”

Kang Jin-ho said with a rather blank expression.

“I know that, but it’s not like it’s something that can be solved just by knowing it.”

“That’s the problem.”

“Do you have a countermeasure?”

“We can bring in talent. But honestly, I don’t think it’s a good method. The Assembly is already too mixed. Eventually, problems will arise.”

“O…”

“In the end, we have to be self-sufficient.”

“What do I have to do?”

“It’s simple.”

Wiggins snapped his fingers.

“If you don’t get stronger, you die.”

“That’s clear.”

Kang Jin-ho got up from his seat.

***

Whether it should be called pride or not, Lee Myung-hwan was feeling quite excited.

“Hey, Lee Myung-hwan! You did a great job, didn’t you?”

“You guys worked hard!”

“I should have been the one who went.”

The rumor that Lee Myung-hwan and the others had risked their lives to save Kang Jin-ho spread throughout the Assembly in an instant. In a way, it could damage the dignity of the Assembly Lord, but neither Kang Jin-ho nor Lee Hyun-soo were the type to control information. Their position was that if they were worried about their reputation, they shouldn’t do anything that would damage it in the first place.

Thanks to this, the exploits of the demonic flames that had crossed over to China were dramatically transformed with a bit of exaggeration and drama added.

So, cheers were bound to pour in.

“Welcome back! Welcome back!”

“The Chinese guys probably can’t even sleep properly. You really gave them a good hit.”

“Wow, your face looks handsome today.”

He knew he had to maintain his composure.

But that’s how people are, aren’t they? No matter how calm you try to be, if someone keeps fanning the flames next to you, you’ll end up floating into the sky.

Lee Myung-hwan pretended to be calm and composed on the outside, but inside, he was completely inflated.

“With this, you’ve definitely gained the Assembly Lord’s trust. You’ve secured a key position, haven’t you?”

“Hey, I’m jealous of Myung-hwan. Don’t forget me when you make it big later.”

He waved his hand, but Lee Myung-hwan’s mind was already looking 30 years into the future.

‘It’s not impossible.’

It was something he couldn’t have even dreamed of before, but with Lee Joong-geol and Bang Jin-hoon stepping down, the Assembly had become a place where only skill mattered. In the past, Lee Myung-hwan’s rapid promotion would have been impossible just because he had learned demonic cultivation, but now, if you had the skills, you could rise as much as you wanted.

And if he kept rising and rising?

‘There’s no reason why it can’t be done.’

The Assembly wouldn’t be able to remain under Kang Jin-ho’s system forever. Of course, if Kang Jin-ho wanted to, he could stay in the position of Assembly Lord until the day he died, but the Kang Jin-ho that Lee Myung-hwan saw was not that kind of person.

He was someone who naturally hated being tied down. Eventually, there would come a time when Kang Jin-ho would shake off the Assembly and retire.

Then, who would be the next Assembly Lord?

Of course, there were many candidates. It would change slightly depending on the time. But why couldn’t he be among those candidates?

Lee Myung-hwan slightly curled up the corners of his mouth.

He had never thought about it before, but looking at it calmly, Lee Myung-hwan was already on the road to success.

He was the Assembly Lord’s bodyguard, and among those bodyguards, he held the position of bodyguard captain.

Of course, the position of bodyguard captain was not an officially designated position, but if most people acknowledged it, what difference was there from it being official?

‘Stay calm.’

He had only just taken his first step.

Kang Jin-ho wouldn’t like a person who got excited over something trivial. At times like this, he had to maintain his composure.

But what was clear was that a clear goal had begun to appear in Lee Myung-hwan’s eyes.

The next Assembly Lord.

It was a very long and difficult path to reach that goal, but at least at this point, it seemed clear that Lee Myung-hwan had joined the race for the next Assembly Lord.

‘Besides, it’s not like I don’t have any strengths.’

The people leading the Assembly right now were all capable. Their capabilities were at a level that Lee Myung-hwan couldn’t even dare to follow.

But they had one fatal flaw.

They were outsiders.

Lee Hyun-soo, Wiggins, Bator… they were all people that Kang Jin-ho had brought in from the outside. Of course, they were extremely capable and necessary for the Assembly, so there weren’t many people who opposed them, but there would be many who felt regret that the leadership of the Assembly was not of pure Assembly blood.

Even if it wasn’t right now, when the time came to choose the next Assembly Lord, the voices wanting pure Assembly blood would grow louder.

Especially now that the sense of crisis had grown with the entry of the Demonic Cult.

‘Then, you never know.’

Lee Myung-hwan’s steps became lighter.

It was too far in the future. Kang Jin-ho losing his strength and stepping down from the position of Assembly Lord was something that couldn’t be hoped for in the first place. It had to be when Kang Jin-ho got tired of it and stepped down from the position of Assembly Lord.

What did Lee Myung-hwan have to do until then?

It was very simple. He just had to silently carry out his assigned duties.

Lee Myung-hwan shrugged his shoulders and entered the training room.

He hadn’t done anything particularly great, but right now, he was definitely on track. If he continued to do his job silently, an opportunity would surely come.

His steps were light.

After being noticed by Kang Jin-ho by chance, Lee Myung-hwan’s life was changing dramatically.

If he put in just a little more effort here, his life would change completely.

Lee Myung-hwan opened the door with a confident smile on his face.

“Good morning…”

Kwaaaang!

Something huge flew past Lee Myung-hwan, who had opened the door, and crashed straight into the wall.

“…it is.”

Lee Myung-hwan’s head turned slightly to the side.

‘A person?’

He thought it was a scene only seen in cartoons….

A person was stuck in the wall right next to the door. Yes, stuck. There was no other way to describe it. How else could he describe a person whose upper body was stuck in the wall and whose legs were stiffly raised?

‘What is this? Is it a dream?’

Lee Myung-hwan’s eyes trembled.

The rosy life he had been living just a moment ago suddenly began to smell fishy.

Lee Myung-hwan’s bent head slowly began to turn forward.

Who was the person who had created this terrifying sight?

Lee Myung-hwan’s eyes widened a little more.

No, why is that person here?

There were many people in the training hall, but there was only one person who was suspected of creating this scene. Anyone would think so.

Looking at the head that barely didn’t touch the ceiling.

Looking at the unique size that stood out like an egret among crows [a Korean idiom for someone who stands out from the crowd].

Anyone would have no choice but to think so.

‘Bator-nim?’

Lee Myung-hwan’s head tilted to the side.

Why was that person here? And why was this guy stuck in the wall….

“Are you doing okay?”

Bator’s booming voice echoed through the training hall. It wasn’t a voice filled with any particular emotion, but the atmosphere of the training hall instantly turned into a horror movie set.

“The owner… no, the Assembly Lord said he would come to guide you, but you’re just chatting and playing around?”

A vein popped out on Bator’s forehead.

Only then did Lee Myung-hwan realize what was going on. And what their fate would be from now on.

“Hoo…”

Bator took a deep breath and his eyes shone.

“Right. The Assembly Lord respects autonomy.”

Lee Myung-hwan nodded without realizing it.

“But I don’t.”

Bator’s upper body muscles began to twitch. It was clearly visible even though it was covered by his clothes.

“From today, I will fix your rotten minds! I will make you reborn as true warriors! Do you understand, you trash!”

A satisfied smile formed on Lee Myung-hwan’s lips.

The next Assembly Lord?