Descent of The Demon Master [EN]: Chapter 1230

O O O O O O O Woo I “I”—I~I“I“I“IT Heu! OOOOOOOOOO Of n~I~I~I~I~I~I~I―I~r Heu! Woo woo woo woong! Lee Hyun-soo, reaching out with his unmoving hand, turned off the alarm on his phone and rubbed his face. ‘What time is it?’ The alarm went off, but he couldn’t tell the exact time. After all, an alarm usually goes off about twenty times at five-minute intervals. He forced his eyes open, which were reluctant to do so, and looked at the clock. 6:30 AM. “Aish, damn it!” He should have woken up by 6 AM. ‘I should have just slept at the office.’ What luxury was he trying to enjoy by coming all the way home? If he had just spread out a cot in the office, he could have slept for two more hours. Lee Hyun-soo sighed and staggered out of bed. This damn bed, even though it’s been over a year since he bought it, is still uncomfortable and awkward. In contrast, the office chair he bought just a month ago is as comfortable and cozy as a lifelong friend. ‘Well, it’s not just the bed, though.’ Lee Hyun-soo glanced around. It’s a pretty decent apartment. For someone of Lee Hyun-soo’s age to own an apartment of this size without any loans is quite remarkable. But what’s the point? He never uses the house. Lee Hyun-soo spending money on his house is no different from a computer illiterate buying a top-of-the-line computer just to play online Go-Stop [a Korean card game]. He never gets to experience the many comforts that a high-priced house provides. The top-of-the-line home theater he bought with a pounding heart is covered in dust, and the shiny, double-door refrigerator has nothing but bottled water inside. The home appliances he bought with great effort are in top condition, enough to make used appliance dealers drool. “Haa…” Lee Hyun-soo clicked his tongue, shook his head, and headed for the coffee machine. He brewed a capsule coffee, which required little effort, and habitually turned on the TV. It wasn’t because there was anything to watch or anything he wanted to see, but because the silence, where even the sound of footsteps echoed loudly, was still awkward. “Tzz…” With the fragrant coffee in hand, Lee Hyun-soo approached the dresser and opened a drawer. As the first drawer opened, dozens of different kinds of nutritional supplements filling it were revealed. “…I’m a drug addict, a drug addict.” A martial artist taking nutritional supplements. If the executives saw this, they would have screamed, ‘You moron, you should be training instead of taking that stuff!’ But they don’t know the real story. ‘If I had time for that, I wouldn’t be living like this!’ It’s a funny story, but Lee Hyun-soo is mediocre when it comes to martial arts… no, to be honest, he’s closer to being a dullard. The difference between a genius and a dullard? It’s very simple. Talent is determined by how different the time required to achieve the same results is. In other words, what Wiggins can do with just 5 minutes of investment, Lee Hyun-soo, under the same conditions, would need about 10,000 hours to achieve. Those guys might say, why be so stubborn when they can do it in 5 minutes, but their 5 minutes and Lee Hyun-soo’s 5 minutes are completely different. ‘Better to die than to suffer.’ Thump! Lee Hyun-soo boldly poured the nutritional supplements into his mouth. When there were about thirty pills, it felt like chugging a bowl of rice. Lee Hyun-soo, after drinking water from the purifier to swallow the pills, rubbed his stomach with a subtle expression. ‘It feels like I’m full from taking pills.’ It’s not like he started overdosing on nutritional supplements from the beginning. He had his youth, too, and there was a time when he could endure overwork without relying on pills. Is it not the case now? Of course, he can still handle overtime. But as people age, there’s a difference in the amount of work they can do in the same amount of time. These nutritional supplements don’t make him healthy; they only help him regain a bit of his youthful energy. Lee Hyun-soo, rubbing his bloated stomach, turned his head at the sound of his phone ringing as he headed to the bathroom. Lee Hyun-soo frowned slightly when he saw the name on his phone screen. “Hello.” [Are you up?] “Yeah, a while ago.” [Judging by your voice, you just woke up.] She’s a ghost, I tell you. “Any way you go, you get to Seoul. As long as I get to work on time, don’t worry about it. How’s it over there these days?” [It’s not just there, but it’s hectic here too. There’s just too much to do.] “Still, shouldn’t things be stabilizing by now?” [It has stabilized. It’s just that there’s a lot of work, stably.] Lee Hyun-soo smiled wryly. People are all the same. Seeing that Lee Hyun-joo is feeling the same thing that Lee Hyun-soo is feeling. “Where is there a company that’s not busy? Don’t complain and just work. If you work like you’re dead, there will come a moment when things get a little easier.” [Because the work disappears?] “No. Because you get used to it.” [Stop with the bad jokes, Chief.] Lee Hyun-soo chuckled. Still, it’s good to have someone who wakes him up so he’s not late. It’s something he couldn’t have wished for in the past. When he had to support his own life all by himself. [But it’s strange.] “What is?” [The person who used to complain the most when there was a lot of work isn’t saying anything at all. Is it manageable?] “It’s just…” [Okay, I understand. I’ll hang up. Hurry up and get to work.] “Okay.” Lee Hyun-soo chuckled after hanging up the phone. Not complaining, huh… ‘In my heart, I’ve already done it a thousand times.’ Lee Hyun-soo scratched his head as he entered the bathroom. Boooooooom. ‘I regret it every time.’ Every time he goes to work, he regrets coming home the night before. If he had just slept near the headquarters or in the office, he could have saved this time. But for some reason, he can’t give up the desire to go home after work. ‘Even if it’s impossible to leave right on time.’ Lee Hyun-soo chuckled. ‘Working without complaints…’ He used to be like that. In the past, when he worked under Kim Seok-il, even if there were complaints about the direction, there were no complaints about the excessive workload. It was better and more comfortable to solve things himself rather than entrusting them to others. He never even considered passing work on to others. But recently, Lee Hyun-soo was desperate to distribute his work somehow. Because he didn’t want to work? No. It’s not like that. In the past, Lee Hyun-soo was obsessed with work because he thought it was the only way to prove himself. All his relationships were based on his abilities, and if he couldn’t prove his abilities, he could become a kite with a broken string at any time. So he couldn’t trust people. But now? ‘What’s different?’ The fact that relationships within the Assembly are based on his abilities hasn’t changed. This is an undeniable fact. If Lee Hyun-soo didn’t have the ability, he wouldn’t be able to play a central role in the Assembly like he does now. But the difference is that it’s not everything. It’s difficult for Lee Hyun-soo to clearly explain what’s different, but it’s clear that the relationships he’s built weren’t just based on ability. It’s a little more than that, like… Ugh Q.» M..• Lost in thought, Lee Hyun-soo almost missed the road leading up to the Assembly and quickly turned the steering wheel. As a result, the car swerved violently and went up to the second lane. It’s a road he often takes, but he always feels a little strange when he goes up this road. It’s like feeling a subtle tension and a subtle comfort at the same time? Lee Hyun-soo sped up his car as he watched the members walking on the sidewalk. Those who spotted his car bowed their heads. ‘I told them not to do that.’ Since there aren’t many people who drive to work at the Assembly, most people recognize his car. Even so, he told them not to bow to a car, not a person… but they just don’t listen. Lee Hyun-soo, with an awkward expression, parked his car in the underground parking lot and joined the procession of people heading to the Assembly. “Good morning, Chief!” “You’re here early!” Lee Hyun-soo couldn’t help but give an awkward smile at the greetings pouring in from all directions. “Why are you all here so early?” “There’s no exact time for work, so it’s strange to say early. You just come when you want to.” “Well, you guys don’t have that.” “The office workers are groaning these days, you know?” “Are they complaining a lot?” “Yes, they are. You should push them harder. It was annoying to see those bastards sitting in the office all day, sucking honey, so take this opportunity to shake them up.” “…You dropped something there.” “Huh?” “Your personality.” “Hey, I’m pretty nice here.” The problem was that this might not be a joke. Lee Hyun-soo felt strangely strange as he received greetings and jokes from all directions. ‘Greetings…’ In the past, when he was the second-in-command of the Yeongnam Association, no one greeted him. Even within the Yeongnam Association, he was an outcast. Although they knew he was their superior, Lee Hyun-soo, who was weak in martial arts, was not respected and was instead ignored. Many people despised him for using any means for his own gain. That’s why he tried even harder to prove his abilities. But now… “If you’re not busy later, let’s have lunch together. I have a lot of questions these days.” “…Questions?” “The lower-level people don’t know how things are going overall. Please tell us some stories.” “We’ll buy the meal.” Lee Hyun-soo chuckled. The face of the person joking now is familiar. He was definitely someone who was in the Yeongnam Association in the past. The sight of those who used to despise him now smiling and approaching him with friendliness is… well… ‘It should be annoying.’ It’s not as bad as he thought. “I’m busy today. Later.” “You always say later. Is there ever a day when you’re not busy?” “…I don’t know.” “We should report you to the labor board.” “We really need to seriously consider that.” Lee Hyun-soo smiled awkwardly and bowed his head slightly. “Then I’ll go.” “Yes, Chief. Have a good day.” “It’s bad for your health. Don’t overdo it. Or come to the training grounds. We’ll help you with all our hearts.” “Stop talking nonsense and go.” “Yes!” Lee Hyun-soo had a strange expression as he watched them walk away. ‘This must have been common for others.’ Sharing jokes, emotions, and silly stories with those you work with. But for Lee Hyun-soo, it’s still an awkward thing. Lee Hyun-soo shook his head and headed for the main building. ‘An awkward person…’ When was it, when he started thinking he was socially inept? When he decided that ordinary people wouldn’t be able to understand him. It’s a funny thing. He assumed he knew everything without knowing anything. There are plenty of places where he can rest. Lee Hyun-soo’s gaze turned to the lobby. Perhaps just as much, or even more, a person with poor social skills came into his view. “Yo.” Lee Hyun-soo smiled deeply as he saw Kang Jin-ho slightly raise his hand. “Good morning, Assembly Leader.”