Descent of The Demon Master [EN]: Chapter 1370

Bang Jin-hoon’s hands didn’t know where to settle. He lifted them slightly, then put them back down, then touched his face, and then scratched the back of his head. It wasn’t just his hands. He bounced in place, then stepped forward slightly, then returned to his spot. He was shaking his legs while standing, and he was repeating the action of almost sitting down and then standing up again. Cheon Tae-hoon sighed deeply as he watched him. “…Please calm down.” “Hey, you bastard! Is this a situation where I can calm down!” Bang Jin-hoon yelled. Cheon Tae-hoon, seeing his bloodshot eyes, stepped back, thinking, ‘Ah, he’s really on edge.’ He looked like he was about to pounce at any moment. “I don’t even know how things are going in North Korea right now!” “…It’s not like the situation will change just because we’re fidgeting here.” “Hey! It’s great that you’re so calm and collected, you bastard! I envy you, I really do!” Cheon Tae-hoon quietly turned his head. Trying to have a conversation with someone who is agitated and not listening is a foolish thing to do. Right now, the priority was to calm Bang Jin-hoon down. “They’ll be fine. Come on, are they the kind of people who would be easily defeated? Actually, if you think about it the other way around, aren’t they the kind of people you can’t even figure out how to kill?” “That’s true, but…” Bang Jin-hoon nodded as if he was somewhat convinced, and Cheon Tae-hoon sighed deeply. “No, still, you never know with people…” Cheon Tae-hoon looked blank. ‘No, when did Master become such a negative person?’ He was the same person who fought Lee Joong-geol even in that desperate situation. ‘Well…’ Thinking about it, it’s not something that can’t be understood. The moment Kang Jin-ho disappears, the Assembly will lose its identity and collapse. Then, there’s a high probability that the situation will become even more terrible than before Kang Jin-ho appeared. First of all, there’s a high probability that even the Demonic Cult members who are currently in South Korea will turn into enemies. Cheon Tae-hoon, who had imagined situations he didn’t want to think about, unconsciously brought his hands together in front of his chest. He felt like he wanted to pray without realizing it. Cheon Tae-hoon understood why Bang Jin-hoon was so anxious. “Anyway, those bastards.” Bang Jin-hoon gritted his teeth. Thinking about the guys who brought the situation to this point, he felt like a fire was burning inside him. “M, Master, over there!” “Huh?” Bang Jin-hoon turned his head sharply. The magic circle installed in front of him was emitting light. “Oh!” Bang Jin-hoon clenched his fist tightly. But Bang Jin-hoon still couldn’t relax. There was a possibility that things could go wrong and only Wiggins would return. Bang Jin-hoon focused his eyes on the light. Then, the light seemed to weaken a little, and a human form began to take shape within it. “Assembly Leader!” The moment the figure in front of him became complete, Bang Jin-hoon screamed and ran forward. He couldn’t see anything else. Bang Jin-hoon could only see Kang Jin-ho, who was covered in blood. “Assembly Leader, are you okay? Damn it! Call a doctor quickly!” “Don’t make a fuss.” Kang Jin-ho waved his hand lightly. “It’s just a little bit of blood.” A little? Bang Jin-hoon looked at Kang Jin-ho with a dumbfounded expression. His whole body was covered in blood. Even his hair was matted with blood. And he was saying it was just a little? “You need to get treated.” “I will.” Kang Jin-ho raised his head and looked around. “Where is this?” “It’s a research lab built in the basement of the Assembly.” “The Assembly, huh?” Kang Jin-ho released Lee Hyun-soo, who he had been holding. Then, the two of them collapsed to the floor. “Ugh…” Lee Hyun-soo groaned and pushed himself off the floor. Lee Hyun-soo barely managed to get up, then sat back down and leaned against the wall. “Ugh… I thought I was really going to die.” “Assembly Leader! You need treatment…” Lee Hyun-soo complained to Bang Jin-hoon. “No, I’m also injured…” “You can die.” “…Huh?” “No, I wish you would die.” “Wow… Are you bringing up old grudges?” “Shut up. Be quiet.” “Yes, sir.” Bang Jin-hoon examined Kang Jin-ho’s condition in detail. It was true that, as Kang Jin-ho had said, there were no internal injuries. It was fortunate that he was only injured externally and not internally. “Move aside.” Kang Jin-ho lightly pushed Bang Jin-hoon aside and took out a cigarette from his pocket. “You’re injured…” “Like it’s something new.” Kang Jin-ho lit a cigarette and sat next to Lee Hyun-soo. Then, he took a deep drag. “Give me one too.” Without a word, Kang Jin-ho handed a cigarette to Lee Hyun-soo. Lee Hyun-soo took the cigarette, lit it, and leaned against the wall. His eyes were glazed over. “…I really thought I was going to die this time.” “Yeah.” Kang Jin-ho agreed with that statement. “It’s like you came back from a battlefield…” “It was a battlefield.” “That’s exactly right.” “Huh?” Bang Jin-hoon tilted his head, not understanding the two’s reactions. When he turned around to ask for an explanation, Wiggins had a wry smile on his face. “There’s no way to describe it. You should have seen the way the shelling was pouring down.” “What? Shelling? Are there that many martial artists in North Korea?” “No. It was actual shelling.” “Huh?” Bang Jin-hoon’s eyes widened as much as they could. “If we had dragged it out a little longer, it wouldn’t have ended with shelling, it could have turned into bombing.” “…Are they crazy?” Bang Jin-hoon couldn’t speak. He thought he might have a hard time in North Korea, but who would have imagined that the military would be mobilized and firing cannons? “Then, those injuries are from that?” “That’s right.” “…Well, when you think about it, North Korea isn’t China, there’s no way there would be a martial artist who could injure the Assembly Leader.” Bang Jin-hoon continued, sounding dumbfounded. “No, but are they really crazy? How can they think of firing cannons at a person?” That’s what long-range artillery is for. Bang Jin-hoon scratched his head, looking like he couldn’t understand at all. “Ah… Then, could it be that you were hit by self-propelled artillery, howitzers… well, anyway, those kinds of cannons, and you only got your skin torn while carrying those burdens?” “That’s right.” Bang Jin-hoon was speechless as he looked at Kang Jin-ho. This man always surprises people. The problem is that the level of surprise increases day by day. “I don’t know if I should say you’re amazing…” Kang Jin-ho leaned against the wall, feeling Bang Jin-hoon’s gaze. His body felt limp like a waterlogged cotton ball. The physical damage he had received was not as great as he had thought. Unlike martial arts that damage a person’s insides, he had been hit by shelling that focused on external damage, so his skin was torn, but his insides were fine. The problem was that the mental stress was more extreme than any battle he had experienced so far. ‘It’s a completely different concept.’ The enemies Kang Jin-ho had fought so far always had a physical form. No matter how strong the enemy was, they were in front of him, and if he couldn’t defeat them with one attack, he could inflict damage by swinging his sword several times, even dozens of times. But the battle he had just experienced was a different concept. Shells were flying from a place he couldn’t even see. And while he could dodge and block them, he couldn’t counterattack. To put it bluntly, he was just getting hit one-sidedly without even being able to fight properly. “Wiggins.” “Yes, Lord.” “Can a martial artist defeat an army?” “As you’ve experienced…” “That’s right.” Kang Jin-ho, who had returned to the modern era, had already thought about this several times. But each time, the conclusion was obvious. An ordinary martial artist cannot stop an army, but a martial artist who has reached the peak does not need to fear an army. But now, that thought had been overturned. No matter how strong Kang Jin-ho was, it was impossible for him to respond to shelling that was pouring down from 10km away. And he couldn’t respond to bombing that was pouring down from the sky. He could endure it. If he gritted his teeth and went wild, he could find a few artillery batteries and turn them into a mess. But if Kang Jin-ho was only at that level, it was obvious what would happen to the others. Even within the Assembly, the only people who could withstand the same attack as Kang Jin-ho were Bator and Jang Min. Out of more than fifteen thousand people, only two. Only two. Kang Jin-ho took a deep drag of his cigarette. Wiggins smiled wryly as he watched Kang Jin-ho. “What you’re thinking about right now, Lord, is something that the Round Table [a group of powerful martial artists] and the martial artists of China have all thought about at least once.” “I guess so.” “That’s why the Round Table and China have been striving to gain power. And now, they have complete power in their hands. That’s why I’ve been emphasizing that the Assembly needs to gain power.” Kang Jin-ho slowly nodded his head. “Martial artists are just hiding in the forest of people, avoiding the power of the military. They’re like parasites. Parasites that cling to the inside of the stomach and cannot be removed by surgery.” “That’s a good analogy.” “There aren’t many people who want to antagonize martial artists. The reason is simple. Martial artists can’t handle the military, but people can’t stop martial artists. Any army has someone who gives orders. And they have no way to avoid the martial artist’s sword. That’s why this balance is maintained.” Kang Jin-ho exhaled cigarette smoke. “It’s something I knew.” He just hadn’t realized it. Kang Jin-ho slowly got up from his seat. “But it means that when the person who can give those orders doesn’t care about their life, anything can happen.” “…As you’ve experienced.” Kang Jin-ho curled up the corners of his mouth. He understood the situation. He understood it well enough. He had experienced it with his own body. Kang Jin-ho’s eyes were rather cold and calm. “Wiggins.” “Yes, Lord.” “Find out Kim Myung-chan’s location.” “Are you planning to move right away?” “Yes.” “Lord, there’s no proof that Kim Myung-chan did it.” “The proof will come from now on.” “…Huh?” “Find out his location. It’ll be one of two things. Either he’ll be the same as usual, or we won’t be able to find his location.” “Ah…” “If he disappears from us, then there’s no need to think any further.” Wiggins nodded his head. “I’ll find out right away.” “Ugh…” Kang Jin-ho turned his head slightly and looked at Jang Pil-jae, who was lying on the floor. “Treat him.” “Yes! And you need to get treated too, Assembly Leader.” “I…” “You need to get treated!” Bang Jin-hoon snorted, and Kang Jin-ho sighed and nodded his head. “Okay. All three of us will get treated.” “I’ll prepare it right away.” Bang Jin-hoon didn’t even think about asking a subordinate to do it and ran outside. At the same time, Wiggins quietly approached Kang Jin-ho and opened his mouth slightly. “Lord.” “Speak.” “Even if Kim Myung-chan is the culprit, he’s the Prime Minister. We can’t touch him easily. If the problem gets bigger, we might have to deal with the government, not just Kim Myung-chan.” “I don’t care.” “…Lord.” Kang Jin-ho opened his mouth in a calm voice. “I’ve learned one thing for sure.” “Yes?” “Coexistence is impossible.” Wiggins’ eyes widened. “T, then…” “If the regime or anyone else resists, I’ll crush them. Let’s see how great this power is that everyone is so eager to wield.” Kang Jin-ho smiled, revealing his teeth.