Descent of The Demon Master [EN]: Chapter 2025

“Ugh…”

It was clear that the phrase ‘gasping for breath’ was meant for times like this.

The members of the General Assembly couldn’t take their eyes off the screen, their faces flushed red.

A bizarre situation where rough breathing and silence coexisted.

It was someone’s explosive shout that broke the silence.

“Aaaaaaaah!”

“Woooaaaaah! Aaaah! Aaaah!”

“We won! You bastards! We won!”

Desks were sent flying into the ceiling like fireworks, and chairs crashed against the walls.

People grabbed and threw whoever was in front of them, and those on the floor pounded it relentlessly.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

The floor quickly cracked, lines spreading like a spiderweb.

Usually, they would have been horrified and tried to stop it, but now, they seemed to have lost all sense of reason.

The large auditorium was instantly wrecked.

“Aaaaaaah! Director Bang!”

“Hahaha! He did it! Did you see that, you bastards?!”

Though the windows shattered and the ceiling shook, their excitement showed no signs of waning.

“Oh my god… Oh my god, Director Bang!”

“What do you mean, ‘Oh my god,’ you bastard! It’s obvious!”

“You were looking like you were about to piss your pants just a moment ago, but now you’re talking big!”

“Actually, I did pee a little.”

“What? Really?”

Those who had been going wild focused their attention on Bang Jin-hoon, who was limping back to his spot.

“Master…”

“His arm…”

Those watching bit their lips tightly.

It was just one victory.

It might be considered just one of the countless victories in a martial artist’s life.

But…

Those who understood how much determination Bang Jin-hoon had to have and how many hardships he had to overcome to achieve that one victory could never think of it that way.

“Damn it, it’s making me tear up.”

“It works. See! I told you! The martial art created by Director Bang is the best!”

“China, the Demonic Cult [a fictional martial arts sect], no matter how great they are! We’re not inferior, that’s what I’m saying!”

Their hearts ached and swelled at the same time.

It would be a lie to say that there was no sense of defeat in the hearts of those present, though they didn’t say it out loud.

Those who were not chosen by Kang Jin-ho, those who were not even disciples of the directors who were the core of the General Assembly. Who wouldn’t have thought that the martial art created by Bang Jin-hoon was a lower-level martial art given to them?

They thought it was inevitable.

They hadn’t proven that they deserved to learn a strong martial art.

But now, Bang Jin-hoon had proven it with his two fists.

That the martial art they had learned was by no means inferior, that if they worked hard and diligently, it was a martial art that could stand against anyone in the world.

And more than anything, that the Korean martial arts world was by no means weak.

That great place.

Bang Jin-hoon, representing Korean martial artists, not only stood proudly in that great place where the strongest martial artists in the world gathered to decide the fate of the martial arts world, but he even achieved victory.

How could they not be overwhelmed?

Chun Tae-hoon covered his mouth and chuckled softly.

‘I can’t do anything with that man.’

One thing was certain.

From this moment on, no one here, nor anyone in the General Assembly, would dare say that Bang Jin-hoon became a director based on seniority rather than skill. Bang Jin-hoon had proven himself enough.

And…

What he, Bang Jin-hoon’s disciple, had to do now was crystal clear.

“Don’t just watch and be moved, you bastards.”

Those in the front all turned their heads to look at Chun Tae-hoon.

“You don’t think the director was screaming like that just to show off after winning, do you? He fought for you, for you guys.”

“We know.”

“We’re not idiots, how could we not know that?”

“So now it’s your turn. And my turn.”

Chun Tae-hoon slowly nodded.

“The master showed that it’s possible, but if we don’t do it right, it just means we’re the idiots. You don’t want to be treated like that, do you? The excuse that you can’t win because the level of martial arts you’ve learned is different doesn’t work anymore.”

The eyes of the General Assembly members became resolute.

“I don’t have any ill feelings towards the Demonic Cult. I’m grateful to the directors who came from other countries. I think those who went to learn from those directors made a good choice. But!”

Chun Tae-hoon bit his lip and said,

“Honestly, I don’t want to lose.”

“Winning by overwhelming numbers is meaningless. You know that, right? The directors aren’t directors forever, and the Assembly Head isn’t in that position forever. Someday, the day will come when the subordinates will compete for those positions. I have no intention of giving those positions to those bastards. This is Korea, and the General Assembly is the Korean Martial Arts General Assembly.”

The members clenched their fists.

“So…”

Chun Tae-hoon nodded heavily.

“Next is our turn.”

It wasn’t a particularly impressive statement. Everyone here probably had the same thought.

But there was a clear difference between keeping those words in one’s heart and hearing them from someone’s mouth. Keeping them in one’s heart meant there was still some hesitation.

But the moment those words flowed from Chun Tae-hoon’s mouth, there was no turning back.

Watching them quietly steeling themselves, Chun Tae-hoon smiled.

‘I have done my duty as a disciple, Master.’

The greatest reward a disciple could give to his master was to spread and carry on his master’s will.

“…Are they crazy?”

Joo Young-gi stared at the screen with trembling eyes.

The battle that had begun to appear on the screen a little while ago was making people’s hearts burn in many ways.

Scenes that seemed like they were from a movie.

Scenes that one wanted to deny were real unfolded one after another. But it was too vivid to be CG [Computer Graphics], and too real.

That’s why they had to believe it.

But that’s why…

“That crazy bastard, that…”

He couldn’t help but swear.

Every time the figure of his friend sitting in the back chair was caught on the screen.

“That guy, isn’t he a crazy bastard! That jerk!”

Joo Young-gi gritted his teeth.

He was angry.

He was so angry that he couldn’t stand it.

Why wouldn’t he know that Kang Jin-ho was not ordinary? From the first time he was saved by Kang Jin-ho, he couldn’t help but notice that there was something special about him.

If he didn’t know that, he couldn’t dare call himself his friend.

Even so, the reason why he was so angry, as if a fire was burning inside him, was probably because the life of Kang Jin-ho that he was seeing now was too miserable compared to the life he had imagined.

A world where people’s heads flew off without a second thought.

A world where not only the losers but even the winners writhed in pain.

Who would have imagined that that indifferent-looking guy was living in such a world?

At that moment, Kang Jin-ho’s indifferent face, sitting in a chair and smoking a cigarette, was caught on the screen.

“You damn bastard!”

Joo Young-gi shouted.

“You should have said something, you bastard! If you’re a friend, you should have said something! You crazy bastard, going to a place like that without saying a word! Who’s going to clap for you if you die, you son of a bitch!”

Joo Young-gi reached out and slammed the TV.

Bang!

Then, Park Yoo-min, who was sitting next to him, grabbed Joo Young-gi to stop him.

“Calm down, Young-gi.”

“Did you know?”

“Did you know that that bastard was doing something like that?”

“…If you didn’t know, how would I know? He’s not the type to tell you something like that in the first place.”

“But aren’t you angry?”

“…I am. I’m angry too.”

Joo Young-gi looked at Park Yoo-min. Seeing him biting his lip slightly, he felt that his own anger was ridiculous. Because when he got angry, Park Yoo-min would be ten times angrier than him.

“But I don’t have the right to be angry.”

“What are you talking about?”

“I could have asked.”

“You knew too, that Jin-ho was doing something out of the ordinary. But you didn’t ask.”

“No, that’s…”

“Because I thought Jin-ho would handle it well. Because he would handle it well without me asking. It also felt like unnecessary meddling.”

“Yeah. So…”

As Joo Young-gi’s voice faded, Park Yoo-min sighed deeply.

“But Young-gi, do you remember?”

“What?”

“He would sometimes suddenly come to us, stare blankly at our faces, and then leave. Sometimes he would say something strange and then nod and leave.”

“I thought it was because Jin-ho was always like that. But… now I understand. Jin-ho was having a hard time too.”

“No…”

Joo Young-gi tried to say something but closed his mouth.

Because he knew that was right.

“Damn it, you have to say something to know! Who would think that a company president who makes tons of money and has a celebrity girlfriend is having a hard time!”

If he had known that he was living in such a world, he would have tried to stop him, even if it meant shoving a gun down his throat.

Or maybe he couldn’t say anything because he knew he would act like that.

“It’s just… so… so sad, Young-gi. It’s not that I’m sad that I didn’t know something about Jin-ho, but I’m angry that I didn’t know something that I could have known if I had tried. I feel like such a bad guy.”

“You’re talking nonsense. Why is that your fault?”

“Every time Jin-ho cut off contact and came back, it felt a little strange.”

“Every time, Jin-ho must have been in a place like that. And then he would appear in front of us as if nothing had happened and smile.”

“Damn it…”

“I’m resentful, but… I feel so sorry for Jin-ho, Young-gi.”

“Stop it, man!”

Park Yoo-min, looking at the fuming Joo Young-gi, sighed softly and looked at the screen where Kang Jin-ho was appearing.

He had been calling him several times since earlier, but he couldn’t get through. In the end, all they could do was watch Kang Jin-ho from here.

‘Jin-ho.’

That place is too dangerous.

If Kang Jin-ho wasn’t there, Park Yoo-min and Joo Young-gi might have been watching the screen with a sense of wonder. But from the moment they saw Kang Jin-ho standing there, they could no longer watch with open eyes.

Because they were afraid that the sharp blades and the huge explosions would engulf Kang Jin-ho.

Because they were afraid that their friend would bleed and fall.

‘I don’t want anything, Jin-ho.’

Park Yoo-min didn’t know what the future they were talking about was.

He wasn’t interested in the changes in the world caused by the martial arts world that the media was constantly talking about.

He only wanted one thing.

‘Please come back safe, please. I’ll get angry then.’

Park Yoo-min put his hands together and closed his eyes, looking at Kang Jin-ho’s indifferent face.

‘Mother Superior.’

Because all a desperate person could do was pray.

‘Please protect Jin-ho.’

The tightly clasped hands trembled pitifully.