Descent Of The Demon Master [EN]: Chapter 2061

Crackling.

‘What, what is going on!’

‘Damn it, why isn’t it working! The channel! Change the channel, now!’

‘It’s the same everywhere else! It seems like the cameras are broken.’

‘Don’t talk nonsense! How can so many cameras break all at once?’

Foul language erupted from the mouths of the Knights who were watching the battle through the screen. They were individuals who had been vetted for their dignity to reach the esteemed position of Knight, but they were so agitated that they forgot how to control their anger.

But it wasn’t their fault.

Because those present had clearly seen it.

The sight sent by the crude video device, before the screen went dark.

A realm that no one had ever reached, a realm that was unbelievably sublime.

Power couldn’t possibly be transmitted through a screen. No matter how great the power, it couldn’t be felt from the other side of the world. But those who had seen the screen all shared the sensation of vividly experiencing a fragment of the formidable power that Wiggins had unleashed.

Even though they hadn’t actually seen the moment the power erupted.

‘How can a human…’

‘Master Wiggins…’

Shivers.

What other word could describe it?

It was, in the truest sense, the pinnacle of magic. Magic was about uncovering the principles of the world through research, grasping those principles, and manipulating the laws of the world.

If that was the case, then the sight they had just witnessed perfectly embodied the essence of magic. A power that humans could never obtain, a power that they shouldn’t even try to obtain, was being wielded freely by a mere human made of flesh and blood.

It was there.

What they had so desperately desired.

What they had only dreamed of was right there.

‘…Wiggins.’

Some bit their lips, despairing that the one who had first set foot in the place they so desired was the traitor of the Round Table.

But the reactions of some were completely different.

‘…If the result is right, then everything is justified.’

‘While we were bound by the Round Table system, Master Wiggins went that far.’

Blatant displeasure.

But within it, a clear light of longing began to emerge.

Everyone knew.

That was Icarus flying towards the sun. [A reference to the Greek myth of Icarus, who flew too close to the sun with wax wings and fell to his death.]

A sight akin to the last desperate cry of someone who had stepped into forbidden truth and was flying towards a predetermined end.

Even so….

‘Can we reach it?’

None of those present pitied Wiggins, nor did they fear the realm that they themselves might one day reach.

They were beings who had already been captivated by magic.

They were willing to sell their souls if it meant they could obtain the truth they desired.

‘I don’t know if we can reach it. But…’

One of the Knights murmured in a low voice.

‘The path certainly exists.’

That was enough.

Just confirming the existence of the path would allow them to progress. If they didn’t know of the existence of the universe, they couldn’t study it, and if they didn’t know of the existence of stars, they couldn’t study them.

Just having a clear landmark was enough to give them the motivation to move forward.

‘Knight Wiggins…’

‘Master.’

It was a very strange thing.

The Master had given them everything before he left. His death had left a clear mark on their hearts.

But….

What Wiggins, the worst traitor of the Round Table, had given them might be greater than what the Master had left behind.

Even an unwavering belief was nothing more than meaningless labor if it lost its direction.

‘Maybe…’

‘He wouldn’t do that.’

‘However.’

Someone murmured quietly.

‘Whatever his intentions, he wanted us to see this sight.’

‘That’s enough.’

The Knights closed their eyes.

Master. Wiggins.

It was the moment when an era that symbolized the Round Table came to an end.

Bang!

‘What a load of crap!’

The members of the General Assembly, unable to contain their anger, smashed the TV and gnashed their teeth.

It was an excessive manipulation to cut it off there. They should have shown more, at least a little more.

The sword that Baek Yeon-hong had shown was that shocking.

‘How…’

The true essence of that sword could never be captured by a TV with its limited frames.

Never.

It was a realm that could only be felt by seeing it with one’s own eyes. But even the trajectory visible on the crude screen, even its elegance, was enough to steal the souls of all who watched.

A realm that was too sublime.

A realm so distant and unreachable that they couldn’t even dare to follow.

Before that realm, friend and foe disappeared. Those who were captivated by the sword even forgot that it was aimed at Wiggins’s neck.

‘If only I could have seen a little more… I feel like I could have grasped something.’

‘…It’s not something you can grasp just by looking at it.’

‘I know! I know! But still, something… that…’

A topic.

Anything needs a beginning.

It was impossible to imitate that sword, but it was possible to keep it in their hearts. But the trajectory of the sword, which they thought was vividly imprinted in their minds like a brand, was gradually fading in that short time.

As if it was impossible for them to even remember the sword with their current abilities.

‘…What would it feel like?’

‘What?’

‘What would it feel like to wield a sword like that?’

‘…It would be amazing.’

They had forgotten the trajectory of the sword, but they remembered Baek Yeon-hong’s expression as he wielded it. His face was so gentle, so full of joy.

‘A sword that has reached completion…’

Who would have imagined that something like that would actually be possible?

‘Can we do it?’

‘Well, if it were the director, he would say this.’

‘What would he say?’

‘Caterpillars should eat pine needles. Don’t have pipe dreams and just do what you’re supposed to do.’

‘…He probably would say that.’

‘But if it were the Chairman, he would say this.’

‘…What would he say?’

The person who was speaking hardened his expression.

‘There’s nothing that can’t be done.’

It was as if Kang Jin-ho’s voice could be heard. Kang Jin-ho would definitely have said that.

‘Right…’

It would be impossible. They might not be able to reach it even if they invested tens or hundreds of years. No, the probability of not reaching it even if they poured everything into it would be very high.

But….

‘There’s nothing that can’t be done.’

It was enough that the possibility existed.

It was strange.

They didn’t feel competitive with Kang Jin-ho. His martial arts, which were on a different plane, were too far to be a goal.

Baek Yeon-hong’s sword was also distant, but it was clearly different from Kang Jin-ho’s.

Everyone understood instinctively.

That sword was somewhere at the end of the path they were walking. It was so far that it was natural to fall along the way, but that sword definitely existed somewhere on this path.

Just confirming that landmark with their own eyes made them feel different.

‘…The Chinese guys must have seen it too.’

‘Probably?’

Some began to laugh.

The world was now in an unprecedented crisis. Or, to be precise, it was the Murim world [martial arts world], not the world, that was facing an existential crisis.

All these extreme events were nothing more than desperate struggles to avoid that path.

But even though they all knew that, they were ultimately captivated by the martial arts unfolding before their eyes. Like moths drawn to a flame.

‘…How did the match end?’

‘I don’t know.’

Everyone probably thought that the match didn’t matter anymore. No matter who won, they had already proven themselves.

Thud!

‘Cough!’

A tremendous shock was felt in his back. Lee Hyun-soo, who spat out blood from the impact, rolled on the floor.

But what was bewildering him now was not the terrible pain in his back, but the situation itself.

‘What happened?’

He couldn’t understand.

He had clearly been anxiously watching Wiggins gather his magic. Knowing what would happen the moment that magic was released.

But the moment he came to his senses, he was already flying this far, crashing into a solid concrete wall, and rolling on the floor.

Something was cut off.

Like experiencing a blackout from being drunk, he had clearly been awake, but he couldn’t understand what had happened to him.

‘What…’

Lee Hyun-soo, enduring the pain that felt like his head was about to explode, raised his head.

And at that moment, Lee Hyun-soo’s eyes widened.

In front of him.

The directors of the General Assembly were lined up, blocking his path. As if they were protecting him.

‘…You stupid fool, overdoing it.’

‘Hmph.’

Jang Min and Bator stood in front of him, their bodies like rags. Bator’s body, which had been healing, was bleeding again, and Jang Min’s body, which had barely stabilized, was once again stained red.

And Bang Jin-hoon, who was standing behind them, was frozen, unable to take his eyes off the sight in front of him, and Lee Myung-hwan was groaning, having been thrown next to him.

But there was something different.

The only thing that was different between them and him was that they were all staring ahead, unable to even think about turning their heads.

What were they looking at?

No, what had they seen?

Lee Hyun-soo forced his head up, which felt like it would break off at any moment. Between the huge shoulder of Bator and the small shoulder of Jang Min….

He could see a back that he knew so well.

‘…If the Demon Lord hadn’t protected us, we would all be dead.’

‘There wouldn’t even be any bones left.’

Kang Jin-ho.

He was standing in front of them, covered in demonic energy. Judging by the fact that the blazing demonic energy was reaching the ceiling, one could guess how much power he was currently drawing out.

‘What… cough, cough!’

Blood burst from Lee Hyun-soo’s mouth. He couldn’t even understand when such an impact had hit his body.

‘…What… happened?’

Bator and Jang Min looked at each other with similar expressions upon hearing those words. They had clearly seen it, but they couldn’t explain it. It wasn’t because Lee Hyun-soo was ignorant of martial arts, but because they themselves couldn’t express what they had seen in words.

‘…Where is Master?’

Lee Hyun-soo, realizing the emotion in their expressions, began to pursue what was more urgent.

‘He’s over there.’

Bator gestured ahead with his chin.

And at that moment.

The demonic energy that had been surrounding Kang Jin-ho’s body subsided, and the sight that had been hidden by the demonic energy came into Lee Hyun-soo’s view.

‘M-Master…’

Lee Hyun-soo’s eyes widened.

In the center of the plaza.

A circular indentation, as if it had been struck by a giant hammer… no, a floor that had been crushed by pressure rather than being indented.

Two people were standing on that floor.

‘Who…’

Lee Hyun-soo clenched his fist without realizing it.

‘Who won?’

Something that had no meaning.

But something more important than anything else in the world.

As if to provide the answer to that question, Baek Yeon-hong opened his mouth.