Descent of The Demon Master [EN]: Chapter 1166

“I believe everyone is aware of the current situation. The enemy has infiltrated through the West Sea, and the exact landing points of additional enemy forces are currently unknown.”

Bong Jin-hoon, who had been subdued by the tense atmosphere, spoke up.

“Aren’t all our forces gathered on the East Sea right now?”

“Yes, that’s correct. We are currently rapidly moving the units gathered in the East Sea to the West Sea. The Ma Yeoms [a group of elite martial artists] have been left in the East Sea to prepare for any unforeseen circumstances.”

“The main force…”

“The Ma Yeoms are the only ones who can prepare for a possible emergency with a small number.”

“Hmm… that’s true.”

Bong Jin-hoon nodded as if he understood.

Wiggins continued in an organized tone.

“The fact that the enemy’s advance team has entered is not good news. No matter how calmly we respond, our forces will inevitably be dispersed. They will probably try to land additional forces in that gap. And as this incident has shown, if the enemy attempts to land by jumping into the sea, there is no way to stop them.”

Kang Jin-ho nodded.

The sea is not the domain of martial artists. If they use the method of approaching by ship, we will have to confront them by ship as well. But ships cannot block each other’s paths.

“Isn’t it enough to respond like when those Japanese bastards invaded last time? We can just make a mess on the sea.”

Wiggins shook his head at Bong Jin-hoon’s words.

“It’s impossible. First of all, those guys aren’t stupid either, so they’ve prepared countermeasures. Firstly, they used large cruise ships that could carry many people before, but this time they have dispersed their forces on several fishing boats. Even if you board one boat, it’s hard to catch up if the other boats ignore you and leave.”

“…Those bastards, it’s so humiliating to ride on stinky fishing boats.”

Bong Jin-hoon’s face twisted in disgust.

“And there’s also the issue of nationality. The biggest problem is that these boats are Chinese.”

Everyone sighed at the mention of China.

Lee Hyun-soo added.

“As you know, it’s not that Korea doesn’t have the power to stop illegal fishing, so we leave it alone. If we wanted to, we could sink all the Chinese fishing boats that come into the West Sea, or capture them. But if we did, those gangster bastards would go berserk, so we have no choice but to leave them alone.”

“Ugh.”

“If they continuously use fishing boats, we can only do so much with the Coast Guard. And since the Coast Guard doesn’t carry weapons, they can only block them by pushing them with their boats. But since they anticipated that and are using large fishing boats… it’s physically difficult to stop them.”

“I see.”

Bong Jin-hoon sighed.

In other words, it was not easy to deal with them as long as the Japanese bastards were using Chinese fishing boats. They could just push in a bit and jump into the sea.

What could they do to stop a martial artist who jumped into the sea? They couldn’t just shoot them with machine guns, nor could they catch them with nets.

It was a hopeless situation.

“Anyway, those damn Chinese bastards!”

Bong Jin-hoon gritted his teeth.

“The Hongwang Group must be behind this, right?”

“Obviously.”

Wiggins clicked his tongue at Lee Hyun-soo’s question.

Chaikechang [likely a reference to a specific person or group].

There was no way anyone but him could poke at such a sore spot. If you could put aside the anger of being on the receiving end, it was an admirable move.

“So, in the end, there’s no way to stop additional forces from landing.”

“Yes.”

Kang Jin-ho nodded heavily.

“Are there any other countermeasures?”

“There is a way to monitor the West Sea widely, but if those guys land without any countermeasures like now, we could end up in a situation where a small number is facing a large number, and we could be defeated individually. The situation would be reversed.”

Kang Jin-ho looked at the map and took out a cigarette.

Indeed.

If you disperse your forces and deploy them when a foreign tribe enters the border, only a weak point will be breached. There are only two ways to deal with foreign tribes: either build a high wall to block their invasion at the source, or lure them in and intercept them.

And the method to choose now was the second one.

“Wiggins.”

“Yes!”

“Give up on preparing for the landing.”

Wiggins raised his head and looked at Kang Jin-ho. Seeing his resolute eyes, Wiggins nodded heavily.

“Understood.”

“It seems like they intend to draw attention with the advance team and easily land the rear…”

Kang Jin-ho raised his hand and pointed towards Gunsan [a city in South Korea].

“That’s an operation that would only be beneficial if the advance team wasn’t annihilated.”

Everyone understood what Kang Jin-ho was saying.

Landing by dispersing forces might be a good operation to achieve the goal of landing. But every operation or scheme in the world has its pros and cons.

They might be able to land easily, but the fact that the forces are dispersed is clearly a weakness.

Even the attacking side has to accept the numerical disadvantage. But to divide that small number again? If they are discovered, they will not be able to avoid annihilation.

“Establish a siege and tighten it. About a thousand of them can be dealt with at any time if they are discovered.”

“Yes!”

Wiggins replied in a disciplined voice.

“Move, Bator.”

“I’m here, Master!”

“Join and take command on the field.”

“Of course! I’ll crush them all.”

Kang Jin-ho nodded.

Those who saw Bator’s size sometimes mistakenly thought that Bator was dull. But those who knew Bator well would scoff at such a misconception.

Bator was definitely not just a strong idiot. He was a capable general and a brave warrior who could be trusted with command on the field.

“Wiggins.”

“Yes, Lord!”

“How far can you go?”

Wiggins narrowed his eyes. After quickly finishing his calculations, he replied in a firm tone.

“As the enemy’s expected infiltration route changed from the East Sea to the West Sea, the magic circles we had prepared in advance are all useless.”

“That’s not good news.”

“But the use of the magic unit is still possible. If you give me control of the magic unit and the Chevaliers [likely a group of elite warriors], I will use them as a single army.”

“Ultimately, follow Bator. But I will give you that command.”

“Thank you.”

“Bong Jin-hoon.”

“Yes, Chairman. I will lead the regular members. I will be able to fully handle the adjustment and communication of the overall siege, and the role of the central army.”

“Good.”

This time, Jang Min shouted first before Kang Jin-ho could even speak.

“Oh, Great Demon Lord! The cult is ready! We will make sure that those wicked ones do not return alive from this land. I will lead a thousand demons who have received the cult’s baptism and ravage the enemy’s rear!”

“However…”

Kang Jin-ho said quietly, looking at Jang Min.

“This is not China.”

“Yes, Oh Great Demon Lord.”

“It’s good to be wild. But be careful not to be noticed. If you cannot control your demonic nature and cause harm to civilians, I will cut off your head first.”

“I will keep that in mind! I will keep that in mind!”

Jang Min thumped his head on the floor.

Kang Jin-ho looked at Jang Min with calm eyes.

Moving the Demonic Cult was a gamble. The Demonic Cult had never been quiet about anything they did.

They start quietly, but once they see blood, they become as wild as hungry wolves. Even the hundred or so Ma Yeoms sometimes go out of control, so it would not be easy to control nearly a thousand demons.

But it was something that had to be done.

The world has changed. Now, the demons also have to learn how to adapt and live in the world. When they don’t have power, they can’t go wild even if they want to, so it’s not a problem. The problem is after they gain power.

If they cannot control themselves and go wild in a world like this, the Demonic Cult will eventually be destroyed. This is not just an instruction considering the General Assembly’s position. They had to find a way for the future of the Demonic Cult as well.

Jang Min, who had been subtly watching Kang Jin-ho’s mood, raised his voice.

“Oh, Great Demon Lord, controlling the cult has been a concern for the elders for a long time. Those who cannot control themselves and cause trouble for the Great Demon Lord will have their heads cut off without hesitation as a warning to others. Please do not worry!”

“Hmm.”

Kang Jin-ho nodded quietly.

Jang Min would be able to do well.

“Lee Hyun-soo.”

“Yes, Chairman!”

“Stick with Bator.”

“Yes!”

“You have to watch the overall war situation. Assist Bator.”

“Yes!”

Lee Hyun-soo answered loudly.

Then, as if he had remembered something, he looked at Kang Jin-ho.

“Then what about you, Chairman?”

“I have something else to do.”

“Ah…”

Lee Hyun-soo nodded heavily.

Normally, it would be unimaginable not to include Kang Jin-ho’s power in the plan. If the General Assembly had 100 units of power, Kang Jin-ho’s existence had at least 50 units of weight.

To make a strategy without Kang Jin-ho was no different from cutting off both arms and telling someone to go into the ring.

‘He must have a plan.’

But the orders of war are absolute. Lee Hyun-soo accepted Kang Jin-ho’s orders without complaint.

“Any other problems?”

“No!”

There were still some minor problems, but those were problems that the directors had to solve on their own in the field. If the direction was set, it was now their turn.

“Go.”

“Yes!”

The directors stood up from their seats with firm faces. Then, they rushed out quickly.

As everyone who had filled the conference room rushed out, Kang Jin-ho stubbed out the cigarette he had been holding in the ashtray.

‘Hmm…’

It felt like a slightly heated air was rushing in. He always felt this kind of air when the battlefield was approaching.

Kang Jin-ho quietly clenched and unclenched his fist.

‘This feeling is different again.’

In any battlefield, Kang Jin-ho was always at the forefront. It was rare for him to watch the fighting from behind. He only watched wars where there was no need for Kang Jin-ho to be at the forefront, or minor skirmishes on the outskirts.

Not rushing to the front in such a large-scale battle was a new experience for Kang Jin-ho.

But this time, he had to hold back a little.

The General Assembly was not just a place where he had put his body, like the Demonic Cult of the past. It was a place where his life and his entire existence were contained.

Therefore, he had to be more ruthless.

Through this war, everyone in the General Assembly would properly experience what it means to live with a sword in their hands. If they could survive with that experience, the General Assembly would definitely become stronger.

Whoosh.

Kang Jin-ho opened the subspace and took out Jeokru and Cheongru [likely the names of his swords].

As he grasped his familiar beloved swords, his slightly excited heart calmed down.

“I have to do what I have to do.”

The corners of Kang Jin-ho’s mouth curled up slightly.

This was the first war that Kang Jin-ho was experiencing where he had to protect something.

But whatever the war, a war is a war. There was no way Kang Jin-ho would lose in a war.

Thud, thud.

Kang Jin-ho, holding Jeokru and Cheongru, slowly walked down the empty and eerie hallway. A long black shadow was cast behind him.

The demon that smelled blood was slowly sharpening its claws.