Descent of The Demon Master [EN]: Chapter 1167

‘This is going to be frustrating.’ Kim Won-hyuk’s face was etched with urgency, and his legs trembled incessantly. His gaze darted outside. It was still dawn, a time when the world was asleep. But at this hour, the bus carrying him was speeding down the road, ignoring traffic lights and speed cameras. Dozens of buses followed behind, a convoy of urgency. Those who had been stationed on the East Sea were now racing towards the West Sea. Kim Won-hyuk’s heart was shaking as much as the swaying bus. Kim Won-hyuk sighed, unable to calm his racing thoughts. As a member of the General Assembly and a Korean martial artist, his mind had been filled with the desire to hunt down and kill every last one of those Japanese bastards just moments ago. However, while being deployed on-site for surveillance, a fear he hadn’t known before kept creeping into his mind: death. War always involves death, and what guarantee was there that Kim Won-hyuk wouldn’t be the one to experience it? His gaze shifted slightly to the seat next to him. An unfamiliar face sat there. ‘That bastard…’ A sigh escaped him. Originally, Sung Joo-chan should have been sitting next to him right now. But Sung Joo-chan had ultimately quit the General Assembly, choosing to abandon the path of a martial artist for an ordinary life. He didn’t want to judge whether that choice was right or wrong. To be precise, Kim Won-hyuk didn’t feel he had the right to make that judgment. What was certain was that if he survived this battle and continued on the path of a martial artist, Kim Won-hyuk’s choice would prove superior to Sung Joo-chan’s. Considering the growth of the General Assembly, which was still developing, a higher quality of life would surely be guaranteed than now. Walking the path of a martial artist was not easy, but at least the rewards were definitely taken care of, as that was Kang Jin-ho’s style. But what if Kim Won-hyuk died in this battle? Then, Sung Joo-chan, who had abandoned the path of a martial artist and survived, would have made a much better choice. There was no glory for the dead. Kim Won-hyuk sighed lowly. He wasn’t wavering. Even if he died in this battle, Kim Won-hyuk would not regret this choice. Living as a martial artist was his dream and goal. However, he had only just realized that the resolve he had built up while living as a martial artist was not as great as he had thought. Fight the enemy. Fight the opponent with your life on the line. He had only just realized how heavy those words were, on the eve of war. “Hoo.” Kim Won-hyuk took a deep breath to calm his chest. ‘Well, don’t act like you’re doing something great.’ He was talking to himself. It wasn’t just martial artists who fought with their lives on the line. Soldiers also fought the enemy with their lives on the line. There were many people in the world who were deployed to war with the job of a soldier. There was no way Kim Won-hyuk couldn’t do what they did. “Ah, damn it. Why is it so slow!” Kim Won-hyuk glanced back. Kong Young-gil, who was sitting in the back seat, was twisting his body as if he was uncomfortable. It was unlikely, but every time that huge body twisted, it felt like the bus was shaking. The width could be somewhat resolved by having one person sit in a seat that was originally meant for two, but there was nothing that could be done about the length. He couldn’t stretch his legs properly, so the bus was bound to be uncomfortable. “Hey! Are we there yet?” “We’re going at top speed right now. How can we go any faster than this? If we go any faster, we’ll have an accident.” The people driving the General Assembly’s buses were all martial artists. Because it was a job that required secrecy, they couldn’t use ordinary people as drivers. Basically, martial artists had better reflexes than ordinary people. That’s why they could drive at such high speeds without having accidents. “You can go faster, you idiot. Do you think the guys here will die if the bus flips over? We need to get there as soon as possible!” “If we have an accident, we won’t die, but the people in the other vehicles will all die. And if I cause an accident and kill people, Director Bang will tear me apart.” “It’s wartime, wartime!” “We’re at war, are those people at war?” “Ugh.” Kong Young-gil, who had been yelling, sat down in his seat. He knew that no matter how much he argued, nothing would change. “Hey, don’t bother the driver. If you do, we’ll arrive even later if there’s an accident!” “…Ah, okay, you bastards!” “That bastard, his brain is full of muscles.” Kong Young-gil’s face was full of annoyance at the surrounding criticism. Kim Won-hyuk narrowed his brow slightly as he watched him. ‘He’s different from me.’ Kim Won-hyuk was afraid of going to the battlefield right now. He wanted to deny it, but there was no way to hide his heart, which had been beating like crazy, and his trembling hands. But Kong Young-gil was actually impatient because he couldn’t get to the battlefield faster. Where did this difference come from? Kim Won-hyuk closed his eyes slightly. He already knew the answer. ‘It must be the difference in confidence.’ What they had built up was different. Kim Won-hyuk had also trained hard, but he knew that his training could not be compared to Kong Young-gil’s training, which was classified as Bator-style [a martial arts style known for its rigorous training]. The Bator-style was famous for its hard training, comparable to the demonic flames. The sight of Bator’s disciples being thrown into the sky at the General Assembly training ground had become a spectacle. Now, everyone was used to it and watched it with a smile, but conversely, it meant that they were enduring hard training and punishment to the point where the sight had become a spectacle. So, they would have confidence. In the first place, confidence comes from how much you have. Their training was enough to give them the confidence not to fear war with the Japanese samurai. Kim Won-hyuk clenched his trembling hands. Then, he took a deep breath. ‘Let’s believe.’ He wasn’t as good as them, but he had also trained hard. He had done his best to leave his mark on the General Assembly, which had now become a place where you could rise if you just put in the effort. Kim Won-hyuk’s eyes slowly calmed down. At that moment, a voice was heard from the front. “We’re almost at the assembly point. Please prepare to disembark.” “Oh!” Kong Young-gil wiggled his butt. And the people around Kong Young-gil grabbed the front seats as if they were about to jump out. Screech! The bus, which had been traveling at high speed, suddenly slammed on the brakes. The bus tilted forward as if it was about to flip over, then stopped with a thud. “Disembark!” As soon as the door opened, the people on board rushed forward all at once. It was a quick disembarkation. Kim Won-hyuk closed his eyes and counted to three, then got up from his seat. He couldn’t show as much enthusiasm as them, but he couldn’t fail to do his part. As soon as he got off the bus, he was greeted by the dazzling headlights. The buses that had followed were parked in a line. “To the front. You bastards, line up!” Kong Young-gil shouted. Kong Young-gil’s official position was section chief. In normal times, everyone got along like friends, and even cursed and teased him for being a section chief, but in this situation, that title had power. Even the Bator-style, who usually ignored Kong Young-gil’s words like a dog barking, lined up without saying a word. “Hurry, hurry! You idiots, we have to go kill those Japanese bastards! Line up quickly!” As Kong Young-gil was shouting, a person slowly walked towards them. He couldn’t be seen properly because of the backlight, but everyone could tell who it was just by his silhouette. Everyone here would have recognized him in an instant. “Bator-nim!” Kong Young-gil shouted as he ran towards Bator. “We’re disembarking now. We’ll all be lined up soon…” It was that moment. Whack! With a sound that pierced his ears, Bator grabbed Kong Young-gil’s face. “Guh…” Kong Young-gil couldn’t even scream properly and grabbed Bator’s hand. Kong Young-gil, who had a physique that would make an ordinary person’s jaw drop, was no different from an adult and a child in front of Bator. His hand trembled as he grabbed Bator’s fingers. At that moment, Bator released the hand that was holding Kong Young-gil. Thud. Kong Young-gil, who had fallen to the ground, gasped for breath. “Ba, Bator-nim?” Kong Young-gil looked up at Bator with questioning eyes. Bator looked down at Kong Young-gil with a cold face. “Where did you come?” “…Yes?” “I asked you where you are standing right now.” Kong Young-gil moved his lips a few times, then lowered his head. “It’s the battlefield.” “You know.” Bator raised his head and looked around at everyone. His Korean, which had become fluent in the meantime, flowed out. “Do you know who dies first on the battlefield?” Kong Young-gil didn’t answer and closed his mouth. This wasn’t a question to be answered. It was just a statement to be heard. “It’s the guy who gets excited and runs wild. Rather, the guy who is scared and shrinks back lives a little longer. Don’t think that you’re being brave by being excited right now. It’s just that adrenaline is rushing out like crazy. Do you understand what I’m saying?” “Yes!” Kong Young-gil replied in a slightly trembling voice. As his excitement subsided, his body felt cold as a reaction. “Cool down.” Bator said quietly. His voice, which was not loud at all, was calming those who heard it. “Don’t be ashamed of feeling fear. I also feel fear whenever I go to the battlefield. I’m still afraid of dying. Courage is not about not knowing fear. Courage is about being able to step forward even when you are afraid. Shouting and struggling that you are not afraid is something only an idiot would do.” “…I will keep that in mind.” Bator, who had been watching Kong Young-gil’s condition quietly, turned his gaze and glanced at everyone once. Bator, who thought that the atmosphere had calmed down enough, nodded. “If you want to beat the Japanese bastards, don’t get excited. Your head must always be cold.” “Yes!” “Answer quietly.” “Yes.” Bator nodded as if he was satisfied. When he first came to the General Assembly, it was difficult to find decent guys, but the current General Assembly was different from the General Assembly he had seen in the past. Everyone was trained to the point where they could be called elite soldiers. They were just making mistakes because they lacked experience. “Good. From now on, we will form a siege. Not only here, but Director Bang and Director Wiggins will help with the siege from the left and right. Don’t overdo it, don’t overdo it. If you can just do your job properly, we will never lose. Do you understand?” “Yes, Bator-nim!” Bator slightly gestured with his chin. Then, Lee Hyun-soo, who had been hidden by Bator’s huge body until now, stepped forward. Lee Hyun-soo, who looked at Kong Young-gil and the others with cold eyes, frowned as if he didn’t like them. “Pathetic bastards.” “O…” “Listen carefully from now on. We will form groups of five.” Lee Hyun-soo held up his phone. “I’ve uploaded the organization to the app, so check your organization and gather around the team leader right now. Immediately!” At those words, the people who had gathered began to move noisily. Bator stared at the scene for a while, then said to Lee Hyun-soo. “You’re announcing it through the app?” “Yes. It’s convenient.” “…Well, the world has changed a lot.” Bator was realizing that the changes in the world were even changing war.