Descent of The Demon Master [EN]: Chapter 1109

“Hmm.”

Lee Hyun-soo frowned.

“The coffee is just…”

The faces of those watching Lee Hyun-soo soured.

“That crazy bastard!”

No matter how you looked at him, he wasn’t right in the head.

It was somewhat understandable that a hostage would calmly ask for coffee. Knight Bellinger had told them to avoid provoking him if possible.

They could even accommodate that much.

But to complain about the taste of coffee in this situation?

How could a person act like that unless their nerves were made of whale tendons?

“This is undrinkable. Do you have any cola? I think I’d prefer that.”

“Do you think this is a hotel, you son of a bitch?”

“There’s no need to be so stingy. You should have a cola or two.”

The man watching Lee Hyun-soo sighed and went to the refrigerator, taking out a can of cola. He then threw the can at Lee Hyun-soo.

“Here, drink it.”

“Thank you.”

Lee Hyun-soo tapped the top of the can a few times.

Then, he opened it.

*Tss!*

The can’s lid popped open with a cheerful sound.

Lee Hyun-soo drank the cola without another word.

“Ah, I feel a bit better.”

“Ha…”

Hans Wilhelm stared at Lee Hyun-soo with a distorted face.

He was a man of honor.

He knew that taking hostages and threatening opponents was not a noble act. He also knew that he should show at least some respect to those taken hostage.

Although the situation had forced him to do something disgraceful, he was originally a member of the honorable Teutonic Knights. He had no interest in torturing or tormenting prisoners.

But this was a bit different.

This felt less like a matter of honor and more like they were being ignored.

“I’ve never heard that Easterners are so arrogant…”

“Tsk, tsk, even after being criticized worldwide, you’re still making racist remarks. Talking about Easterners and Westerners is just stupid. Everyone is different. I thought your country would teach you that properly, but I guess not?”

“And instead of lumping me into the broad category of ‘Easterner,’ it would be nice if you called me Korean.”

“You’re quite arrogant.”

“Well, I hear that often.”

Wilhelm glared at Lee Hyun-soo with cold eyes.

“Do you think you’ll get out of here alive?”

“Well, maybe a fifty-fifty chance?”

“That’s different from your attitude.”

“Ah, attitude. Yes, attitude.”

Lee Hyun-soo smiled wryly.

“I’m definitely reflecting on it. I don’t think I’ve acted particularly different from usual, but I keep hearing that I’m arrogant. I’ve come to realize that my usual attitude is a bit arrogant.”

“This…”

Lee Hyun-soo quenched his thirst with the cola.

‘I’ve become a chatterbox.’

They seemed to think he was acting very calm, but in reality, Lee Hyun-soo was so nervous that his throat was parched. The fact that he was talking so much was proof of that.

‘Escape is impossible.’

This was a bit too much protection.

He was in a normal hotel room. He wasn’t sure if it was a hotel since he had been moved while unconscious, but it was clear that there were no special devices for confinement.

But the problem was the three people in front of him.

Three warriors who appeared to be members of the Knights were guarding him. And they were in the same room.

Even if just one of them was sticking close to him, escape would be impossible for Lee Hyun-soo. But there were three of them. He could tell how important they considered him.

In the end, escape was completely impossible.

Escape by using his wits like in a spy movie?

Well, maybe he could. But unfortunately, escaping wasn’t the end of it. In the first place, their mobility was faster than a car, and their senses were like high-precision sensors. Even if he escaped this room, he would be caught and brought back before he could get 100 meters away.

Realistically, there was no way to escape their grasp.

“Haa…”

Lee Hyun-soo sighed softly and lay down on the bed.

He was occupying the bed simply because it was at the innermost part of the room. It wasn’t a matter of convenience, but rather a ploy to make surveillance easier.

But they didn’t seem to like his attitude.

“Get up.”

“Yes, yes.”

Lee Hyun-soo raised both hands slightly and sat up. Then, with a listless face, he opened his mouth.

“Can I at least watch some TV?”

“No.”

“Or give me a book. You’re not going to give me back my phone, are you?”

“No.”

“…So, are we just going to spend our time with four men staring at each other?”

“It won’t be much different.”

“This is maddening.”

Lee Hyun-soo sighed deeply.

He had felt it with the Chevaliers before, but these Knights were all the same, as if they had sold their flexibility somewhere.

He was sorry for calling the older martial artists in Korea ‘꼰대’ [kkondae – old fogeys]. The real old fogeys were in Europe.

“Yes, yes, I understand.”

No matter what he said, it wouldn’t work. Then there was no need to waste his energy.

They were just simple tools.

They followed orders when they received them. They didn’t try to verify whether the orders were right or wrong, or if there were any errors. He had no way of knowing if they were like that from the start, or if they had become that way through rigorous training, but either way, it didn’t matter.

‘The problem is that they’re not wearing masks…’

The men guarding him were showing their faces. This was not a good sign.

Those who intended to return the hostage would hide their faces to prevent their identities from being exposed. But they were openly showing their faces.

Either they thought it didn’t matter if their identities were known when they returned the hostage…

‘Or they think they can just kill me.’

That wasn’t a good interpretation.

Especially not for Lee Hyun-soo right now.

He had tried to sway them with conversation, but they were extremely wary of saying anything that wasn’t asked. They had probably already been told not to talk to Lee Hyun-soo because he could manipulate people with words.

‘This is annoying.’

He wished the conclusion would come quickly.

It was then.

“Aren’t you afraid?”

“Huh?”

“I know you heard me.”

Lee Hyun-soo smiled wryly.

They weren’t emotionless machines after all.

“I am scared.”

“With that attitude?”

Lee Hyun-soo silently held out his hand.

Wilhelm frowned when he saw his fingertips trembling.

“But how can you maintain that attitude?”

“Hmph.”

Lee Hyun-soo said listlessly.

“I’m acting calm because of this situation.”

“I don’t understand the meaning.”

Lee Hyun-soo reached out. He extended his index finger and thumb, folded the other fingers, and pointed the gun-shaped hand at Hans Wilhelm’s head.

“You can’t kill me anyway.”

“Bang!”

Lee Hyun-soo pretended to shoot.

“If I can live, I’ll do anything. I’ll crawl on the floor like a dog and bark if I have to. But that’s something I’d do for someone who can kill me. You’re just guarding me, you can’t kill me. You don’t have the right.”

“What if I get angry and kill you?”

“Then your master becomes an idiot. He’d be ruining things by entrusting me to someone who can’t even control their own emotions.”

“You…”

“Don’t worry. When the master who holds your leash comes, I’ll roll over and pant. Or maybe I’ll lick his shoes. But not you. I’m not so foolish as to bow my head to a tool.”

“Hmph.”

Wilhelm put his slightly raised buttocks back on the sofa.

‘He’s not wavering.’

He thought so.

From Lee Hyun-soo’s perspective, these kinds of guys were harder to deal with. They didn’t get emotionally swayed and stuck to their principles. That’s why they were ordered to guard him.

“If he allows it, I will kill you in the most painful way possible.”

“Well, go ahead.”

Lee Hyun-soo licked his lips slightly.

“But I don’t think this is the time to threaten me? Shouldn’t you be worried about your master?”

“He is not so insignificant that he needs my concern.”

That was firm trust.

But well….

Lee Hyun-soo flopped back onto the bed. This time, Wilhelm didn’t bother him.

‘I’ve passed one stage.’

Since earlier, Lee Hyun-soo had been continuously planting the idea in their minds that ‘according to the orders you received, you can’t touch me.’

And now, they were slowly starting to accept that idea.

If he had argued, they would have resisted, but words that slipped in while they were focused on other things would be planted in their minds without them even realizing it.

‘I’ve secured a certain level of safety.’

Then now he just had to wait.

The odds were still fifty-fifty.

He would either die or live.

However….

“You’ve become a pathetic sight.”

“Hmph?”

Was this a provocation this time?

“If you had stayed quietly in Korea, you would have lived comfortably. But you recklessly stepped into the Round Table and now you’re in danger of losing your life. People should know their place. If you die like that, it would be the most meaningless death.”

“It wouldn’t be a meaningless death.”

“Hmm?”

Lee Hyun-soo smiled as he lay down.

“A meaningless death means dying without purpose, but it also means that the death has no value. But if I die, it won’t be without value.”

“Why?”

Lee Hyun-soo sat up.

“Because all of you will die.”

“Not just you guys here, but the Knights, the Knights, and maybe even the Master. If I die taking that many people with me, it wouldn’t be a meaningless death…”

“Do you think such a thing could happen?”

“You know, there are things that people shouldn’t touch.”

“Well, this might be bad for me. But just because it’s bad for me doesn’t mean it’s good for you. You’ve done something you shouldn’t have. By now, your master, who was called to the Round Table, is probably seeing hell.”

“What are you talking about?”

“You’ll find out soon enough.”

With those words, Lee Hyun-soo closed his mouth.

‘He must be going crazy.’

He had seen enough of how Kang Jin-ho changed when his territory was invaded. If Kang Jin-ho recognized Lee Hyun-soo as his own, then by now….

Lee Hyun-soo’s body trembled.

‘Well, that’s not necessarily good news for me…’

Logically, the outcome was somewhat predictable, but the world didn’t run on logic alone. Humans driven to extremes were consumed by madness and walked the path of destruction without hesitation.

Probably a day.

Lee Hyun-soo’s fate would be decided within a day. And perhaps….

‘The fate of the Round Table will also be decided.’

Wilhelm looked at Lee Hyun-soo, who had a strange smile on his face, and turned his head.

‘He’s crazy.’

Wilhelm no longer wanted to talk to him.