Descent of The Demon Master [EN]: Chapter 912

Park Yu-min chuckled and replied,

“We just kept fighting.”

“…Huh?”

“I said we kept fighting.”

A look of emptiness washed over Kang Jin-ho’s face.

He had expected some grand solution, but the answer he got was a bit absurd.

“That’s the solution?”

“Yeah, I think so.”

“What kind of solution is that…”

“No, actually, this is kind of important,” Park Yu-min quickly added when he saw Kang Jin-ho looking disappointed.

“The reason we fight is very simple. It’s because my pride gets hurt, and I don’t want to admit what the other person is saying.”

There can be all sorts of reasons for a fight.

But in Park Yu-min’s opinion, most fights don’t stray from that scope. Even if they’re disguised with other reasons, the fundamental problem is always that one thing.

“It’s not easy for five people to gather and come to a conclusion that everyone can agree on. Everyone has their own reasons. But if we close our mouths because we don’t want to fight and settle for a vague agreement, there’s no progress. So we fight. We keep fighting and fighting. Then, at some point, the answer comes out.”

Kang Jin-ho furrowed his brow.

“What about the emotional damage in the meantime? Isn’t team harmony important?”

“Harmony? It’s important. But what you’re talking about doesn’t sound like harmony. It’s compromise.”

“Compromise…”

The word ‘compromise’ lingered in Kang Jin-ho’s mouth.

Compromise, compromise…

“Because we don’t want to get more emotional. Because if we do, the problem will get bigger, so we back down without touching each other’s sore spots. And we vaguely agree with each other and move on. But I don’t think that’s right.”

Park Yu-min was firm.

The old Park Yu-min didn’t have this kind of firmness. Just as Kang Jin-ho had changed, Park Yu-min had definitely changed too.

The world of professional gamers is not yet socially recognized.

But that world is made up of a series of matches. A world where a decision is always made, whether you win or lose. It seemed that Park Yu-min had learned firmness while being in that world.

“Because the reason we play games isn’t to get along well. No, to be precise, the reason I play games isn’t to have fun with my teammates. It’s to win.”

Kang Jin-ho nodded.

That was definitely true.

“Then we have to focus all our actions and thoughts on one thing. What do I need to do to win now, and to keep winning in the future? If you think like that, the answer is obvious. If we compromise at a moderate level without hurting each other’s pride, it’ll be comfortable for now. But while other teams are developing, we’ll fall behind. I didn’t want that.”

“You’re right.”

It was a strange feeling.

In the past, it was mostly Kang Jin-ho who said these things. And Park Yu-min was the one who agreed with Kang Jin-ho’s words.

But recently, Park Yu-min had been giving advice more often than Kang Jin-ho. And just looking at their recent behavior, Park Yu-min seemed to be much more resolute than Kang Jin-ho.

‘I was arrogant.’

Kang Jin-ho realized it anew.

The reason he was able to talk so confidently when he first came to this world was paradoxically because he hadn’t fully adapted to this world.

This world is incredibly complex.

Even the relationships between people are not as clear-cut as they used to be. In order to do one thing, you have to consider countless things, whether consciously or unconsciously.

The social impact of my actions, the relational impact, and even the economic impact.

The world had become more complex and more closely connected. And the Kang Jin-ho of the past was a person who was one step away from that complex web of relationships.

So he could be simple.

Because there was nothing to consider, nothing to worry about. He just had to think about what the most correct direction was. That’s why he was able to talk so arrogantly.

Looking back now, he realized how simple and ignorant the solutions Kang Jin-ho had offered were. He felt his face flush.

Once he had wrapped himself up in relationships, his actions became restricted. He remembered Park Yu-min shouting at Kang Jin-ho’s advice, ‘You can never understand me.’

What did he say back then?

That could be true. But if you ‘just stay still, nothing will change’?

‘I really had no idea.’

He had said such obvious things so easily.

And Park Yu-min had listened to those obvious things so well.

Kang Jin-ho was someone who worried about even the smallest things. So what was he thinking when he could speak so simply about other people’s deep concerns?

The saying ‘ignorance is bliss’ was spot on.

“Jin-ho.”

“Huh?”

“Hmm.”

“It seems like you’re getting more and more complicated these days.”

“I agree with that too.”

Joo Young-gi chimed in.

The fact that both friends were saying the same thing meant that Kang Jin-ho’s worries were very obvious. Kang Jin-ho sighed.

“Is that so?”

“You weren’t like that before. Our Jin-ho was kind of… well, this might sound a bit strange, but he had a reckless and simple charm.”

Isn’t that an insult?

It sounds like an insult?

“A simple charm?”

“Don’t take it badly. I mean it in a good way. The old Jin-ho seemed to speak without thinking, but he always got to the core of the matter. It was like he gave the most accurate and simple answer in that situation.”

Kang Jin-ho turned his head to look at Joo Young-gi.

The person who best fit what Park Yu-min was saying was Joo Young-gi. That’s what Kang Jin-ho thought.

“It’s a little different.”

Park Yu-min scratched his head. He wanted to explain what was different, but he looked apologetic to Joo Young-gi to say it as it was.

“…Just don’t say it, man.”

“Okay, I won’t.”

Park Yu-min smiled.

Then, he spoke again with a serious face.

“I’m not saying you should go back to how you were before. I thought the old Jin-ho was more fun, but the fact that you’re like this now must be the result of your own thinking.”

“…”

“So let’s just remember one thing.”

“What is it?”

“I think what’s important is what I want to do. The reason I try to give proper feedback even while fighting with my teammates, the reason why my teammates understand that. We need to know what that is.”

Park Yu-min took a small breath and continued.

“In my opinion, the reason you’re in that situation is because you haven’t set a goal.”

“A goal?”

“Yeah, a goal.”

“I think I have a goal.”

“Isn’t that goal different for everyone?”

At that moment, Kang Jin-ho looked like he had been hit hard.

Park Yu-min’s words struck him heavily in the chest.

A goal.

He has a goal.

Kang Jin-ho’s goal is clear.

But is that the goal of the General Assembly? [A group or organization]

‘What is Lee Hyun-soo thinking?’

What about Bator? Wiggins? Jang Min? Bang Jin-hoon?

And what are Kang Jin-ho and the ordinary members who follow them thinking?

Kang Jin-ho had never thought about that even once. He thought that his goal was naturally the goal of others. Because it had always been like that.

When he was the leader of the Demonic Cult, the goal of the Demonic Cult was up to Kang Jin-ho to set. No one questioned it. Only Cheongma shook his head at Kang Jin-ho’s goal. [Cheongma is likely a character or a title within the Demonic Cult]

So Kang Jin-ho only had to deal with Cheongma. He shared his opinions with Cheongma… no, to be precise, it was more like they were arguing with each other, but anyway, once the two of them set a goal, the others followed it without question.

But it’s different now.

Just as there are a thousand different thoughts if there are a thousand people, there are bound to be a thousand different goals. How can they communicate if they have different goals?

It was like being hit with cold water, and he suddenly came to his senses.

“…That’s where it started.”

“It seems like something’s been resolved?”

“Well, maybe.”

Kang Jin-ho jumped up from his seat.

“I think I need to go now.”

“Already? We’ve only had one drink?”

Joo Young-gi complained, but Kang Jin-ho just smiled to accept his complaint.

“Sorry. I’ll make it up to you next time. I’m going.”

“Okay… um.”

As Kang Jin-ho quickly left the bar, Joo Young-gi frowned.

“What’s he so busy with?”

“He has a lot of work to do.”

“I don’t even know what kind of work he does.”

Park Yu-min smiled.

“Why? Am I not enough for you?”

“Man, honestly, aren’t you the same?”

Joo Young-gi silently filled his glass with beer and gulped it down.

Joo Young-gi put down his glass and sighed.

“He must be busy. He’s a successful guy, so a lot of people must be looking for him, and he must have a lot to do. I understand. I understand, but…”

Joo Young-gi’s voice trailed off a little.

“Thanks to having such a successful guy as a friend, it’s not easy to even have a drink. It’s a bit disappointing…”

“Ugh…”

“Back when we were running the pizza place together, we used to have a drink together after work, and it was fun to hang out while working… these days, that guy seems too busy. But I can’t exactly whine and ask him to hang out with me at this age.”

“I can hang out with you.”

“Man! You’re even busier than Jin-ho! It’s hard to even see your face, what am I going to see you for? These days, when I miss you, I watch your live streams. Sometimes I think I’m crazy for watching my friend on a screen.”

“But at least you have a girlfriend.”

“…She’s just a friend.”

“Huh?”

“That’s why I need more friends. Save me.”

Watching Joo Young-gi shrug his shoulders, Park Yu-min made a decision in his heart.

‘I should take it slow with dating.’

He was busy right now, but even if he had time, Park Yu-min decided that he should take it slow with dating.

‘He must be very busy.’

Park Yu-min had realized it for some time now.

He knew that Kang Jin-ho was doing something big that they couldn’t even imagine. But recently, he had a feeling that he might be doing something even bigger than Park Yu-min had guessed.

Otherwise, Kang Jin-ho wouldn’t be worrying so much.

Kang Jin-ho was someone who could easily solve most problems with his own abilities. The fact that Kang Jin-ho was worrying so much meant that the work he was in charge of was that important and heavy.

‘I should contact him more often.’

So, leaving him alone was not the right thing to do.

That’s why he needed to contact him more often and talk to him more often. That’s what friends are for. Even if it doesn’t provide any practical help, just talking and hearing each other’s voices can be a source of support for each other.

Park Yu-min reflected on himself for neglecting to contact him because he was busy.

“Young-gi.”

“Yeah?”

“Can you take about three or four days off?”

“Why? I can if I schedule it in advance.”

“Well, then let’s set a date sometime.”

“…What for?”

“We were talking about that trip we wanted to take. Jin-ho seems a bit tired, so I was thinking we could set a date and go on a trip together. I’ll have a week off after the season ends.”

“A trip? Oh, that trip to Japan we talked about?”

“Yeah.”

“I’m in! Let’s set it up!”

The two of them were genuinely concerned about Kang Jin-ho.

But they were two people who did not foresee that the result would flow in a direction that was not pure at all.