Descent of The Demon Master [EN]: Chapter 1992

[Hey! Kang Jin-ho! Can’t you talk straight?]

“……I’m your older brother.”

[Older brother, my foot! If you’re an older brother, act like one! What the hell are you doing?]

Kang Jin-ho looked up at the ceiling with a resigned expression.

‘I’m going to die.’

The problem wasn’t that Kang Eun-young was going crazy. It was that everything Kang Eun-young said was right.

“Don’t worry. I’ll take care of it cleanly and come back.”

[Oh my god, you’re so bold. Oh, mom. How did you give birth to that human? His guts are bigger than his head!]

His stomach hurt.

It wasn’t a joke; his stomach really hurt. Even though he was a martial artist, it seemed he couldn’t avoid nervous gastritis.

[No!]

“Oh, Mom!”

Kang Jin-ho quickly cut her off.

[She’s bedridden! You idiot!]

[What exactly are you planning to do?]

Kang Jin-ho sighed.

There was one lesson he had learned in this world. It was that reason doesn’t work with family.

He could somehow get others to understand by explaining the necessity of what he had to do, but that didn’t work with family. After all, family members are people who care more about the safety of their siblings and children than whether the world is destroyed or not.

That’s why they’re family, that’s why.

Even in the midst of frustration, a smile crept onto his lips.

“Tell her not to worry too much.”

[How can she not?]

“Eun-young.”

[…….]

“While I’m gone, you have to take care of Mom and Dad. You know that, right?”

[What… you’re talking like you were the one taking care of them all the time.]

“I can’t argue with that.” Kang Jin-ho chuckled softly and asked again,

“Where’s Dad?”

[He won’t answer. He said he’s said everything he needed to say.]

“……Okay.”

Kang Jin-ho slowly nodded. That was just like his father.

[Brother, think again… no, that’s right. There’s no way you’d change your mind just because I said that.]

[Please don’t get hurt. Mom will really die.]

“Don’t worry. I’ll come back safe and sound.”

[Really…….]

“I have to hang up now. I’ll call you later if I have time.”

[I don’t know. Do whatever you want.]

Hanging up the phone, Kang Jin-ho gave a bitter smile.

It was too much.

Thinking about how his family would have reacted to what he said on TV, he still felt guilty.

But he didn’t have the courage to face them and talk.

“It’s not easy.”

Nothing in this world is.

Kang Jin-ho rubbed his face as the door opened and Lee Hyun-soo walked in.

“……Couldn’t you at least knock?”

“What’s the point of knocking for someone who can hear a needle drop 100 meters away?”

“……Still, it’s polite.”

“What’s with the politeness between us? Don’t be so cold.”

‘Should I just beat him up?’

Kang Jin-ho looked at Lee Hyun-soo with a serious expression.

Come to think of it, this might be a path of no return. So, it might be wiser to resolve the bad feelings now…….

“I can roughly guess what you’re thinking, but change your mind. You have to come back, no matter what.”

That guy is like a ghost.

At this point, it’s not just being quick-witted, it’s like he’s a mind reader.

“How is it?”

“It’s a mess, what else.”

Lee Hyun-soo shrugged.

“It’s starting with who the Guild Leader is, and why the governments are silent while ordinary people are stepping up.”

Kang Jin-ho quietly nodded.

‘The politicians must be tired too.’

They exist to solve problems.

But there are definitely problems in the world that cannot be solved. No matter how hard you try, there are things you can’t do anything about. But people don’t distinguish whether something is solvable or not.

“It’s their job to hold on.”

“They’ve bet everything they can. If this goes wrong after the government’s support, they have to be prepared for the consequences.”

“I see.”

“If it wasn’t for what the Guild Leader has done so far, you wouldn’t have been able to get this much support. It was huge that the US, Europe, and Korea actively stepped up.”

“Korea and the US are understandable, but I thought Europe would only have bad feelings towards me?”

“The Round Table’s position and Europe’s position are different.”

“It’s complicated.”

Kang Jin-ho scratched his head.

Anyway, those complicated problems didn’t matter. He didn’t need to worry about such things anymore.

“What about the martial artists?”

“Well, there’s no way to check the martial artists’ reactions separately. But… according to the Red King faction, the number of those joining the Blue King faction has clearly decreased.”

“Good.”

Kang Jin-ho nodded.

That was enough.

Those who had already made up their minds wouldn’t change their minds. Martial artists are usually stubborn, including Kang Jin-ho.

The important thing was those who were watching.

The fact that the number of those joining had decreased meant that the martial artists had also decided to watch the match between Kang Jin-ho and the Black King.

“Not bad.”

“You can say that you’ve achieved your goal. But… is this really okay?”

“There’s no other way.”

Kang Jin-ho leaned back on the sofa and took out a cigarette.

Click.

Kang Jin-ho lit the cigarette and slowly exhaled the smoke.

“You can’t have everything. If there’s something to gain, there’s something to give up.”

“That’s true, but…”

From Kang Jin-ho’s perspective, he had lost too much.

With this one move, Kang Jin-ho’s life would change almost beyond recognition. Compared to what he gained with this move, it might be nothing, but…….

‘That standard is different for everyone.’

At least for Kang Jin-ho, he was sure that the size of what he lost was not small compared to what he gained.

The Black King was that kind of opponent.

He couldn’t even stand on the same stage without making that much sacrifice.

“As you know… after you come back, you’ll have a headache for a while.”

“……I don’t have the luxury to think about the aftermath. I don’t even know what will happen.”

“No. You have to think about it.”

“Huh?”

Lee Hyun-soo looked at Kang Jin-ho with determined eyes.

“It’s something that the Guild Leader will definitely experience. You must think about it and come up with a solution. Definitely!”

Kang Jin-ho stared at Lee Hyun-soo and then slowly nodded.

“Okay. I’ll think about it.”

“Yes.”

As if to change the mood, Lee Hyun-soo changed the subject.

“I didn’t think the Black King would accept this move so easily… but it really turned out as you said, Guild Leader.”

“Because that’s who he is.”

People have different goals.

If what the Black King really wanted was something personal, the gamble Kang Jin-ho had tried would never have worked. But Kang Jin-ho agreed with the Black King’s words.

“He said it himself. He did this for the sake of the era, for the sake of the martial artists.”

“I just believed those words.”

Lee Hyun-soo chuckled.

It was a strategy that could only be done because he believed the most untrustworthy person without a shred of doubt.

Could there be anything more ironic than this?

“Anyway, we can’t back down now.”

“I know.”

The die had already been cast.

All that was left was to decide who would survive.

“As you know, that place isn’t a space where a large number of troops can enter.”

“I know.”

Kang Jin-ho exhaled cigarette smoke.

Seeing his calm face, Lee Hyun-soo felt uneasy for no reason.

“You’re not thinking of going alone, are you? That’s absolutely not allowed.”

“I’m not that stupid.”

Kang Jin-ho chuckled.

“And they’re not alone either, so there’s no reason for me to face them alone.”

“Why?”

Kang Jin-ho asked, puzzled, as Lee Hyun-soo looked at him with strange eyes. Then Lee Hyun-soo gave an awkward smile.

“No. It’s just… it feels new. I thought the old Guild Leader would have said that he could take down anyone alone.”

“I would have if it was the old me.”

“But I know now. I’m not alone.”

“Yes?”

Lee Hyun-soo tilted his head at the incomprehensible words.

“Betting everything doesn’t mean just throwing my body at it. ‘I’ means myself, but it also means the life I’ve lived.”

Kang Jin-ho shrugged.

“Then, the real fight is when you use everything you’ve built up in your life. Whether it’s money, power, or people.”

“Why?”

“No, it’s just….”

Lee Hyun-soo scratched his head.

“I just thought you’ve really become an adult.”

“……Was I a kid before?”

“Honestly, I can’t say that you didn’t have that side.”

“I guess.”

Kang Jin-ho chuckled.

“They’ll do everything they can too. This is that kind of fight.”

Who is stronger?

It doesn’t just mean brute force.

There’s no romance in this fight. You have to take down your opponent by any means. And only the one who survives will have the right to speak.

‘It’s cruel.’

Survival of the fittest.

A truth that was so obvious in the world of martial artists.

But even though he had lived his life talking about survival of the fittest as naturally as breathing, this was the first time he felt this rule was so violent.

“So, who are you going to take with you?”

“Lee Hyun-soo.”

“Yes, Guild Leader.”

“Not you.”

“Ah, I know. I’m not stupid….”

Lee Hyun-soo clicked his tongue.

He and Kang Jin-ho had been together for a very long time. He wanted to be with him in this fight that would decide all their fates.

But he also knew.

That it was just his own greed.

If he went with him, he would only be a hindrance. That bunker would be a space of pure force, where tactics would be meaningless.

“There’s no need to think about it.”

Kang Jin-ho got up from his seat.

“There are two conditions.”

“First, they have to be strong enough to help you against those guys, right?”

“That’s right.”

“Then what’s the other one?”

“Hmm.”

A subtle smile appeared on Kang Jin-ho’s lips.

Seeing that slightly playful smile, Lee Hyun-soo became even more curious about Kang Jin-ho’s answer.

“It’s a more important condition than the first one, in a way…”

“Yes.”

“Someone who I won’t feel sorry for even if they die there.”

That sounded like something obvious, but also like something that lacked humanity.

“Let’s go. Let’s go get those insignificant lives.”

“……Please, I’m begging you, don’t say that to them.”

“I’ll think about it.”

“Haa……”

Lee Hyun-soo sighed deeply.

Anyway, this person was not ordinary until the very end.

As Kang Jin-ho walked towards the door, Lee Hyun-soo didn’t follow him right away, but stared at his back.

‘You’ve come this far.’

That back had led him this far.

That back.

Lee Hyun-soo followed Kang Jin-ho with determined eyes. He wouldn’t miss a single moment from now on.

And he had to tell them someday.

No matter how it ends…….

That there was someone who carried the fate of the world on his not-so-big shoulders.

Because that would be the duty of the survivor.