Descent of The Demon Master [EN]: Chapter 1033

‘Seriously, what is going on?’ Team Leader Jeon Byeong-su was suffering.

Step, step.

With each step he took on the stage, the sound seemed to echo throughout the entire auditorium.

Of course, this wasn’t his first time experiencing this. Due to the nature of such a large hall, sounds tended to reverberate, and he always had to deal with this when cleaning up after the new recruits had left or before they arrived.

But that wasn’t why Jeon Byeong-su felt like he was dying. It was because the auditorium was already packed with people.

There wasn’t a single sound in the auditorium, which held over three hundred people. In his more than ten years of conducting training, this was a first for him.

‘What’s with this eerie atmosphere?’

Jeon Byeong-su subtly raised his head and looked forward.

Those in suits were seated, but no one was opening their mouths.

The training Jeon Byeong-su knew wasn’t like this.

The unique tension and excitement of new recruits should be mixed together, and that subtle, excited energy should be radiating out. That energy that Jeon Byeong-su called the vitality of youth should be filling this place…

‘Vitality, my foot.’

If you brought a potted plant here, it would wither and die.

Let’s say the new recruits might hesitate to talk because they don’t know each other well. Even so, people would subtly try to make conversation with the person next to them while sizing them up.

Unless they were just passing acquaintances, they would try to build some rapport since they would have to see each other throughout the training. But these people didn’t do any of that.

It was as if they had zipped their mouths shut, staring straight ahead with their lips tightly closed.

And couldn’t their eyes at least look a little kinder?

Three hundred of these hulking figures were sitting in rows, staring ahead, and even Jeon Byeong-su, who was used to standing in front of large groups, felt a chill run down his spine.

How much more would the others feel?

“…Team Leader.”

“Huh?”

“Is this training really going to be okay?”

“We haven’t even started yet, what’s with the whining?”

“It just feels so different from the training we’ve done so far…”

“Ugh.”

He spoke harshly, but Team Leader Jeon Byeong-su was thinking the same thing.

‘Is this really going to be okay?’

At first, he thought they were just awkward because it was their first time training people who weren’t new recruits, but at this point, it wasn’t just that.

These guys were definitely a bit strange.

“Are they really people who do normal office work?”

“Hey, what are you talking about?”

“Isn’t it the truth?”

Deputy Yang Jin-chan looked at the seated people with a strange expression. Then, he whispered so quietly that no one else could hear.

“No matter how I look at them, they don’t look like office workers.”

That was a spot-on observation.

Jeon Byeong-su had never seen such a fierce-looking office worker in his ten years of company life.

First of all, their physiques were not those of typical office workers.

Of course, there’s no set body type for office workers, but this was beyond that. It wasn’t that there were a few exceptionally well-built people; they all had shoulders as broad as the sea, and their forearms were like thighs.

How could he describe this?

‘Ah, a national team send-off ceremony.’

It was like when the national team members take a group photo in suits at Incheon Airport before their departure. It was a bit more rugged than that, but that situation was the closest comparison.

“Stop talking nonsense and check the microphone one more time.”

“…Yes.”

As Yang Jin-chan muttered something and headed towards the stage, Jeon Byeong-su sighed and looked around the auditorium.

‘They are definitely a bit strange.’

It was strange enough to be training external personnel, but the bigger problem was that he couldn’t figure out the identities of these external personnel. If they were training 300 office workers, it meant it was a fairly large company, but it was incomprehensible that there were no rumors about it in the industry.

Of course, the higher-ups wouldn’t be asking them to do anything illegal, but no matter how he looked at it, the situation was a bit strange.

‘But why are these guys so quiet?’

Did they have glue on their mouths?

That’s when it happened.

‘Huh?’

The heads of the people sitting in their seats turned in unison. It was a synchronized movement, like a group of meerkats turning their heads together.

‘What is it?’

Everyone’s gaze was directed towards the entrance at the back. A person slowly walked in through that entrance.

Jeon Byeong-su blinked.

‘Am I having a heatstroke?’

No, wasn’t this strange?

It was understandable that attention would be focused when someone entered. It was a bit odd that the heads of so many people turned in unison, but let’s say that was possible.

But no matter how much he thought about it, it seemed like their heads turned faster than the man entered? Did they have CCTV cameras installed?

Jeon Byeong-su looked at the person entering with a puzzled expression.

‘Who is that?’

It was the person who had subdued the one who had been rude to him earlier in an instant. The man whom Chief Jo Kyu-min had spoken to respectfully.

Jeon Byeong-su swallowed hard.

Jo Kyu-min was quite a cool person.

To put it nicely, he was cool, and to put it badly, he was dry. Jeon Byeong-su had never heard of Jo Kyu-min socializing with the staff. Even Jeon Byeong-su, who was of a similar age, had only exchanged a few work-related words with Jo Kyu-min.

And that wasn’t the attitude of someone who was friendly. It was clearly the attitude of someone addressing a superior. Although there was no formality, that aspect was evident in his attitude and tone.

Then what was that person?

How could someone who looked so young receive such respectful treatment from Jo Kyu-min?

Kang Jin-ho, who had entered, scanned the surroundings.

The sight of those who were quietly seated entered his eyes.

Kang Jin-ho nodded at their attitude and slowly walked towards the front. Then, he sat down in an empty chair.

Thump!

As soon as he sat down, the person sitting next to him handed Kang Jin-ho a cold iced Americano.

“Huh?”

When Kang Jin-ho turned his head, Jo Hyuk-min, who had been scolded by him earlier, was giving him an awkward smile.

“What is this?”

“It’s coffee. I thought you might like it.”

Kang Jin-ho chuckled.

It was cute, considering it was a bribe. Kang Jin-ho took the Americano and took a sip.

“Did you convey it properly?”

“Yes. I delivered it to everyone without missing a single person.”

Ugh, okay.

Kang Jin-ho nodded.

Then, Jo Hyuk-min let out a deep sigh. It seemed he hadn’t been marked, thankfully.

And the faces of those sitting on the opposite side also began to brighten slightly.

‘We’re really getting training with the Clan Lord.’

‘This is a strange feeling.’

Everyone’s gaze was directed at Kang Jin-ho.

It was understandable.

The office workers often crossed paths with Kang Jin-ho. Most of them worked in the main building, and Kang Jin-ho went to the Clan Lord’s office in the main building, so they could see his face at least once in the morning.

But that only meant their paths crossed; it didn’t mean that Kang Jin-ho and they were close. Kang Jin-ho’s interests were mostly focused on the martial arts division, and they had unknowingly felt a sense of alienation.

But now, Kang Jin-ho was directly participating in this training program.

This was nothing less than a declaration that he would be directly involved with the office workers.

Of course, in reality, it was a bit of a stretch, but those who didn’t know the details could only assume that.

Jeon Byeong-su subtly raised his head to check the time.

‘It’s on the dot.’

Jeon Byeong-su wiped his forehead and headed towards the stage. The situation was ambiguous, but he had to do what he had to do.

“Let’s get ready.”

“Yes!”

The instructors lined up at the front. Once the preparations were roughly finished, Jeon Byeong-su went up onto the stage.

“Ahem.”

Jeon Byeong-su tapped the microphone a couple of times and cleared his throat before opening his mouth.

“Welcome to the Jae Kyung Group’s new recruit… no, training program. I am Jeon Byeong-su, the team leader of the training team, and I will be in charge of your training and evaluation during the upcoming training program.”

Jeon Byeong-su bowed his head.

It was silent.

Jeon Byeong-su, who had bowed his head, couldn’t raise it and was sweating profusely.

This shouldn’t be happening…

“Clap, clap!”

As soon as someone opened their mouth, thunderous applause suddenly erupted.

Only then did Jeon Byeong-su raise his head and wipe his forehead.

‘No, what’s with this reaction?’

It was something Jeon Byeong-su couldn’t even guess.

How could he know?

The people he had to train from now on were martial artists, and martial artists were basically a group of people who were severely lacking in social skills.

There was a reason why Kang Jin-ho, who was still struggling to adapt to this world, felt a sense of comfort in the General Assembly [a gathering of martial artists]. Where would those who had been busy training in secluded rooms or mountains since childhood learn social skills, rather than interacting with others?

Of course, there were martial artists who learned how to communicate with others through their own communities, but their communities were too rigid compared to the communities of general society.

Therefore, their basic reactions were bound to be different from those of ordinary people.

“So…”

At the moment when Jeon Byeong-su momentarily forgot what he was about to say, Yang Jin-chan came up to the stage and whispered something in Jeon Byeong-su’s ear.

“Really?”

“Yes. Right now.”

“…Okay.”

Jeon Byeong-su cleared his throat and opened his mouth again.

“Originally, we were going to take the time to explain the upcoming training program, but since someone has come to see you now, we will skip that process. Everyone, Chairman Hwang Jeong-hu, the chairman of the Jae Kyung Group, has visited this place to encourage you. Please welcome him with applause.”

As soon as the word applause came out, thunderous applause poured out. It wasn’t applause that came from understanding the words, but rather a reflexive applause.

As the applause was dying down, the situation was being assessed.

“Hwang Jeong-hu?”

“Jae Kyung Group’s Chairman Hwang Jeong-hu? That person came?”

Those who had been silent began to murmur.

Even though they lived isolated from society, they had at least basic knowledge.

There was no one here who didn’t know Hwang Jeong-hu of Jae Kyung. Even for martial artists who didn’t care about how the business world outside was doing, the name Hwang Jeong-hu was firmly established.

But that Hwang Jeong-hu had come to visit, how could they not be surprised?

From the back of the auditorium, a person slowly walked inside. Everyone’s gaze was focused on that direction.

A small physique.

But a definite presence.

An old man who had no martial power was now capturing the attention of those who were here.

‘That person is Chairman Hwang Jeong-hu.’

‘He has presence.’

Even the martial artists were impressed by his uprightness. Hwang Jeong-hu, who had gone up onto the stage while receiving everyone’s attention, barely acknowledged the greetings of the training team and grabbed the microphone.

Then, without delay, he opened his mouth.

“I am Hwang Jeong-hu.”

A simple greeting. But it was a greeting that didn’t need anything more.

“I heard that you things that aren’t even human are getting training, so I came to take a look.”

And with the following statement, the martial artists of the General Assembly opened their mouths wide.