Descent of The Demon Master [EN]: Chapter 1895

KWA-AA-AAANG! A deafening explosion erupted. A ghostly smile touched Gongryung’s face. ‘So, they’ve gone all in?’ This place was the heart of Guangzhou. No matter how much they tried to control it, it was impossible to stop people from coming and going. No, even if they could control people’s movements, there was no way to hide this place from the eyes of those watching from afar. But those rushing toward him now didn’t seem to care about any of that. KWA-AA-AA-ANG! The force of the attack grazed him, shattering the window and embedding itself in the building across the street. ‘Not a bad choice.’ If they had tried to subdue him without being noticed by others, they wouldn’t have stood a chance. Gongryung wasn’t someone who would fall for such tricks. In that sense, this choice was right. In the end, what mattered was getting results. If they could capture Gongryung, they could come up with any ridiculous excuse to cover it up. They wouldn’t have to worry about being suddenly attacked and having their bodies exposed to the media, like before. Yes, not bad. But… “It’s fundamentally flawed.” CHWAA-AA-AAK! Hundreds of wires shot out from his fingertips simultaneously. Thinner than hair, the wires flew toward the Crimson King’s warriors like living snakes. SWISH! SWISH! The energy-infused wires pierced, sliced, and grabbed, tearing apart the warriors’ bodies. The thin wires easily cut through the bodies of the trained warriors as if they were rotten radishes. The thinner the weapon, the harder it is to infuse it with energy. The fact that he could infuse such energy into wires thinner than hair and control hundreds of them at the same time was proof of how powerful Gongryung was. PA-AA-AAT! With a tearing sound, the Crimson King’s warriors’ bodies were torn to pieces and scattered in all directions. Blood poured like rain, and pieces of severed organs fell to the floor. Even the most hardened warriors would be terrified by such a sight, but the warriors who had rushed in stepped over their comrades’ corpses and charged at Gongryung without hesitation. “Huh?” Gongryung let out a short sigh. These warriors were clearly on a different level than the branch warriors he had faced so far. It was obvious that they had sent the right people to capture him. But… “It seems…” Gongryung curled up the corners of his mouth. “They underestimated me quite a bit.” CHAREUREUREUK! With a sound like silk unfurling, his wires danced in the air. The bodies of those who had charged in were pierced countless times by the wires and fixed in mid-air. “Kuh!” “Kkeueh…” The groans of those hanging in the air grew more and more gruesome. Think about it. What would happen if wires so thin that they were barely visible pierced your body countless times? It wasn’t particularly painful, nor was it a serious injury. If they could just remove the wires, the wounds would heal in less than five minutes. But that was only for now. With every breath, every twitch, the wires tore through flesh and bone. Every time their body weight pressed down on the wires, their bodies slowly split apart. “Keureuk, keueueueuk…” “Th-this… you bastard…” Gongryung muttered as he watched them. “I don’t get it.” It was a sight he saw every time, but he still found it hard to understand. Did these people have a cause? Was there something they wanted to achieve so badly that they were willing to risk their lives? Well. Probably not. They didn’t sympathize with the Crimson King’s cause. They didn’t know what the Crimson King was thinking or what he was ultimately trying to do. They were just people who followed the Crimson King’s name. Yet, they threw their lives away without a second thought, as if it were their mission. “Do you even understand what your mission is?” They were just expendables. They were only there to hold Gongryung back with their lives until those who could face him properly surrounded him. They couldn’t even do that properly. Gongryung wondered if they really knew what their role was and if they were truly satisfied with it. “Is it worth risking your lives for this?” Let’s say they completed their mission perfectly. Let’s say that Gongryung’s head was cut off at the cost of their lives. Would they really be able to die satisfied? “It’s meaningless.” Gongryung chuckled softly. No matter how many cheap lives he cut down, lives that couldn’t even face what they wanted to do, it wouldn’t satisfy his hunger. Gongryung lightly pulled his finger. CHAREUREUREUK! The wires tore through the bodies they had pierced. Gongryung stared at the corpses, now reduced to pieces beyond recognition, before turning his head and walking toward the window. “Hmm.” A thick killing intent emanated from the dark nightscape. On the surface, it looked like an ordinary scene, but by now, the Crimson King’s warriors who had gathered to kill him must have formed an impenetrable perimeter around the area. “They’re more capable than I thought. As expected.” It was interesting. In the past, it wasn’t easy to encounter people this capable. No, to be precise, the tools of the modern world made even those who were no match for the strategists of the past look like capable individuals. In the past, it would have been impossible to signal each unit and have them surround the area in such a coordinated manner in such a short time. What the strategists of the past could only achieve through near-prophetic prediction and preparation, the commanders of today could accomplish by sitting in their seats, looking at a screen, and giving a few orders. Yes. That was certainly threatening. However… “It’s a sad thing.” Even so, it was futile. No matter how coordinated the encirclement was, no matter how impenetrable the net was, it was meaningless if the net itself was rotten. He could sense countless presences, but Gongryung didn’t feel particularly threatened. “They still haven’t understood.” If they had just retreated, they might have avoided bloodshed. But if they came at him like this, what Gongryung had to do was obvious. Gongryung turned and started heading downstairs. “Dieeeeee!” “You bastard!” The people who had been waiting in the hallway, filling it to the brim, charged at Gongryung all at once as soon as he stepped out of the room. “They lack understanding.” Gongryung lightly waved his fingers left and right. At the same time, those who had charged at him were cut into dozens of pieces and fell to the floor without even being able to scream. An unreal sight. A sight that seemed impossible in this world. Gongryung narrowed his brow and went down, and down again. The same thing happened over and over again. Warriors who seemed to half-sense their own deaths, yet charged at Gongryung like Pavlov’s dogs. And Gongryung, who cut them to pieces without any emotion. Such things were repeated over and over again as he went down more than ten floors. Just as Gongryung was starting to feel bored with this meaningless slaughter. PEE-EE-EE-ING! With a high-pitched whistling sound, something flew toward Gongryung. “Hmm?” Gongryung’s eyes flashed as he deployed his wires. ‘A flying dagger?’ The flying dagger, imbued with a blue aura, became entangled in the wires he had deployed. However, even though several layers of wires blocked its path, the flying dagger did not lose its power. CLACK! CLACK CLACK CLACK! The wires were pulled taut, like a net ensnaring a wild beast. The dagger, which had been shaking right in front of Gongryung, eventually lost its power and hung limply in the air. “Is it a silver thread?” “It seems modern.” “How ridiculous. Are those old returnees using modern technology as weapons?” Gongryung looked at those approaching him with a strange glint in his eyes. ‘These are the real deal.’ The feeling was completely different from the branch guys who had been spouting nonsense at him earlier. The refined purity that came from a hundred times refined steel. The calmness that could only be felt from those who had trained themselves like steel was felt from them. ‘I thought they were just a bunch of nobodies… Well, I guess that’s how they were able to unify the Central Plains and act so cocky.’ Gongryung twisted his lips as he looked at the dozen or so men who had appeared before him. Unlike the ones he had faced so far, he liked the way they were dressed in the unique martial arts uniforms. “You’re a little late, aren’t you?” “We’re already regretting it, you damn bastard.” The newcomers gritted their teeth. Blood dripped down the stairs above. It was like a scene from a horror movie. The unfortunate thing was that the subgenre of this horror movie was a slasher movie. That blood wasn’t an illusion; it was real. “It’s a shame that I can’t draw that much blood from your body. But don’t worry, I’ll make you feel all the pain that the dead felt before I kill you.” Gongryung flicked his fingers with an expressionless face. “Weak dogs bark first.” “This bastard…” “If you’re the ones they were waiting for while sacrificing their lives, it’s a pity. They threw their lives away for something worthless.” Gongryung took a step forward. At the same time, the dozen or so men in front of him didn’t back down but instead closed in on Gongryung. “Know this before you die. We are members of the Heavenly Martial Unit, one of the three main units of the Crimson King’s forces.” “A grand name.” Gongryung gave a strange smile. “There’s no need for you to know my name. It’s useless after you die.” “…I’ll tear that mouth of yours.” Gongryung slowly looked around. Then, he began to smile strangely. “Your goal is to kill me?” “That’s obvious.” “No.” Gongryung shook his index finger left and right. “One thing is missing. It’s to deal with me as quietly as possible.” “…You know it well.” “Then let’s start with that first.” “What?” The Heavenly Martial Unit, feeling an unknown unease, tried to rush at Gongryung. But Gongryung’s movements were much faster than they had anticipated. CHWAA-AA-AAK! The wires that shot out from both of his sleeves spread out like the wings of a flamingo. The blood-soaked wires began to pierce the outer walls of the building, not the Heavenly Martial Unit. CLACK CLACK CLACK! CLACK CLACK! With a strange noise like stones rubbing against each other, the wires dug into the walls. “Wh-what are you…?” “I’m not particularly fond of flashy things. But it’s better than watching some guy talk big.” “A building is burning, and people are dying. Yes, that’s a very big deal. But…” Gongryung’s eyes were filled with madness. “Don’t you think a building of this size collapsing is an even bigger deal?” “Stop him!” “AAAAAAAH!” The Heavenly Martial Unit hurriedly screamed and charged, but Gongryung smiled as he watched them. Then, his hands crossed each other and pulled the wires. PA-AA-AAT! The wires that had dug into the building were pulled out all at once. Those who had stopped without realizing it looked around with blank faces. CRACK. CRACK CRACK CRACK. Clear lines began to appear on the walls that had been fine just moments ago. “Then let’s meet downstairs.” “Y-you… you crazy bastard! AAAAAAAAH!” KWA-RURURURURUNG! The roar of something collapsing, which followed, completely drowned out the screams of the Heavenly Martial Unit.