Descent Of The Demon Master [EN]: Chapter 124

Kang Jin-ho, having taken Seong Tae-ho’s pack off his back, placed it on top of his own. The others nearby helped secure the packs together.

“Are you sure you can do this? You don’t have to if it’s too much.”

“I’m fine.”

Kang Jin-ho smoothly stood up and then helped Seong Tae-ho, who was sitting on the ground, to his feet.

“Hang in there.”

“I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay. We’re going to be late. You need to get going.”

“Right!”

The scattered line reformed into a proper formation.

“That guy’s not even human.”

Jeon Hyuk-soo stared, dumbfounded, at the massive pack blocking his view.

One pack was stacked on top of another.

Sometimes, after being discharged, people brag about carrying two packs during a march to help a struggling junior, but that’s usually just for a short while.

Logically, two 25kg packs would weigh 50kg. Imagine how hard it is to carry 50kg [approximately 110 pounds] after five days of grueling training and then walk 40km [approximately 25 miles].

Yet, Kang Jin-ho was walking as if he were taking a stroll, even with two packs on his back.

“Are you okay?”

“…Yeah. Sorry, Jin-ho.”

Seong Tae-ho was still struggling to climb the mountain even after handing his pack to Kang Jin-ho. Kang Jin-ho followed behind him, steadying his swaying body and pushing him forward.

Usually, seeing such a sight would make a man’s pride stir, but those who had already deemed Kang Jin-ho beyond comparison didn’t bother offering to carry his pack.

If they were to collapse, Kang Jin-ho would end up carrying three packs.

“Seong Tae-ho!”

“Private Seong Tae-ho!”

“We’ll eat dinner and rest when we reach the top, so just hang in there until then.”

“Yes!”

Seong Tae-ho shouted through gritted teeth.

Jo Won-gu nodded and looked at Kang Jin-ho.

“Did he eat some wild ginseng or something?”

Watching Kang Jin-ho climb the mountain with two packs made him think of a mountain ginseng digger. [Ginseng diggers are people who search for wild ginseng, a valuable medicinal root.]

No, considering that even ginseng diggers travel light when climbing mountains, he might be more like a woodcutter.

“He’s the guy who dragged five logs down the mountain. Is this really that surprising?”

“It’s always new to me.”

Humans should be human.

They finally reached the top of the mountain, unpacked their gear, and began preparing for dinner.

“Are you okay?”

“…Yes.”

Seong Tae-ho, half-collapsed on the ground, answered weakly.

“It’s downhill from here, and then it’s flat, so it’ll be easier. Recover your strength quickly. You might not have an appetite, but you won’t make it if you don’t eat. Eat as much as you can. Drink water moderately. Got it?”

“Yes. I’m sorry, squad leader.”

“It’s okay, you little punk.”

Jo Won-gu turned his head and looked at Kang Jin-ho. Kang Jin-ho, who had already unpacked his gear, was standing in line in front of the food truck to get his meal.

“Does he ever get tired?”

Kang Jin-ho had climbed the mountain carrying two packs and practically dragging a person along.

They had planned to get him food if he collapsed from exhaustion, but as soon as they arrived, he was moving faster than anyone else, getting things organized, and now he was standing in line to get food for his seniors.

“I’m a senior, but honestly, I can’t say anything to Jin-ho anymore.”

“You’re just a senior in name only.”

“…You guys are going to have a hard time in the future.”

Even in civilian life, if a junior is too good, the senior suffers. How much more would it be in the military?

And the word ‘good’ didn’t even fit Kang Jin-ho anymore.

It was as if a person born for military life was right here.

“Anyway, eat a lot.”

Jo Won-gu sighed as he looked at the long road visible below the mountain.

They say that marching is a battle with oneself.

But in reality, marching is something that can only be done together.

If you were told to carry a pack alone and cover 40km within a set time, not many people would be able to do it.

But it was the fact that so many people were doing it together that made marching possible.

“Hang in there.”

“I’m sorry, Jin-ho.”

“Don’t say that.”

“Okay.”

Seong Tae-ho couldn’t lift his head.

It wasn’t because he felt sorry, but because he felt like his energy would drain away if he lifted his head. Watching the feet of the person in front of him was a way to reduce energy consumption.

‘I feel like I’m going to collapse.’

It felt like he had no energy left.

Seong Tae-ho had always been less physically fit than others, even before enlisting. He would have been exhausted by now even if he had just gone through a normal field training, but because he had to keep up with his seniors who were determined to be the best squad, it felt like all his remaining energy had been drained.

‘I can’t collapse.’

If he were alone, he would have already collapsed.

But he couldn’t cause trouble for others because of himself. Since he had already handed his pack to his junior, finishing the march no matter what was the last bit of pride he had left.

“Ugh!”

In that moment, his legs gave way, and Kang Jin-ho caught him just before he fell forward.

“S-sorry.”

“Stop saying sorry.”

“Okay.”

Seong Tae-ho gritted his teeth and put strength into his legs.

He didn’t know how he ended up with such a monstrous junior, but he was Kang Jin-ho’s senior.

Even if he couldn’t keep up with him physically, he couldn’t lose in terms of mental strength.

“Tae-ho, hang in there!”

“Yes!”

Seong Tae-ho put strength into his body at the sound of his seniors’ voices from the front.

“Ten-minute break! Move to the side of the road!”

As soon as they moved to the side of the road, they lay down on their backs. Everyone lay down and looked at the sky.

‘I feel like I’m going to die.’

Every time he lay down like this, he couldn’t help but want to give up. He took out his canteen and brought it to his mouth, but it was already empty.

“Ah…”

Then, a canteen was suddenly pushed out from behind him.

“Drink this.”

“Thanks.”

The canteen he received was heavy.

‘He barely drank any water.’

When he opened the canteen, it was full of water. Kang Jin-ho’s stamina was at a level he couldn’t understand.

Seong Tae-ho took a long drink of water and looked up at the sky. Countless stars were so close it felt like they would fall at any moment.

“The stars are really pretty. Right?”

Kang Jin-ho didn’t really answer.

But in fact, Seong Tae-ho didn’t really expect an answer from Kang Jin-ho.

“Where else would you see a sight like this if not in the military?”

“Do you regret joining the military?”

“No, I don’t.”

“…Really?”

“Isn’t this a place where you can’t not come even if you regret it?”

“That’s true.”

Seong Tae-ho felt the same way.

“What will be left for me after this is over?”

“I don’t know.”

“Yeah, you wouldn’t know.”

They were still in the middle of their military service, so they couldn’t know what the future held.

He wanted to see if the saying that a man has to go to the military was just empty words.

“Let’s go!”

Seong Tae-ho gritted his teeth and stood up. He gently pushed away Kang Jin-ho’s hand, which was trying to grab his arm.

“I’m okay now.”

He couldn’t keep relying on his junior’s help forever.

He already felt sorry and humiliated for not being able to take back his pack, and he couldn’t be coddled like a child until the end.

“Let’s go, Jin-ho.”

Seong Tae-ho walked, looking at the back of Jeon Hyuk-soo in front of him. Jeon Hyuk-soo was pulling him from the front, and Kang Jin-ho was supporting him from behind.

‘I can do it.’

He wouldn’t have been able to do it alone, but with them, he could finish the march.

As soon as they arrived at the base, two pieces of good news came.

The first was that they had finally been chosen as the best squad in field training, and all the squad members had received a 9-night, 10-day leave pass. The second was that Kang Jin-ho had become the best ‘owl’ [a soldier who excels in night operations] and had received another 9-night, 10-day leave pass.

“…Wait a minute. There’s also the talent show leave pass.”

“That’s for 4 nights and 5 days.”

“Still, that’s something. So what? Is Jin-ho going out for 24 nights and 25 days?”

“He hasn’t used his regular leave either. If you add it all up, it’s 35 days.”

“He’s getting it easy?”

Everyone grumbled with envy, but no one was truly jealous of Kang Jin-ho’s leave.

They knew that Kang Jin-ho deserved the leave and that they wouldn’t have gotten their leave passes if it weren’t for him.

“You shameless bastards, make sure to buy Jin-ho a gift when you go on leave. Got it?”

“Yes, squad leader!”

Everyone cheered at Jo Won-gu’s words.

It had been a hellish field training, but thanks to it, they had obtained a sweet leave pass.

Kang Jin-ho’s life changed quite a bit after the field training.

The seniors who had already been wary of Kang Jin-ho now no longer treated him like a junior.

In terms of both military knowledge and physical ability, it had become difficult for them to claim to be Kang Jin-ho’s seniors. It wasn’t that Kang Jin-ho ignored his seniors, but they themselves were feeling the limits of treating him like a junior.

In the end, Kang Jin-ho, despite being a private first class, began to receive treatment similar to that of a sergeant.

Interference in his duties disappeared.

And there was another change…

“Jang Jae-hwan.”

“Private! Jang Jae-hwan!”

“Your bed is dirty.”

Jang Jae-hwan began scrubbing his bed, tears streaming down his face.

Seong Tae-ho and Jeon Hyuk-soo, sweating profusely, tried to stop Kang Jin-ho.

“Jin-ho, I think that’s enough.”

“It’s dirty.”

“No, Jin-ho. Look again. Isn’t it really clean?”

“It’s dirty.”

Kang Jin-ho looked at the two of them with an expression that said he couldn’t understand at all.

“How can you do anything if you can’t even clean your bed properly?”

“…Don’t you think your standards are a bit strange?”

Jeon Hyuk-soo was miserable at the fact that he had to argue with his junior that they were dirty enough as humans and didn’t need to clean their beds so thoroughly.

But what could he do?

Jeon Hyuk-soo, judging that Jang Jae-hwan might develop neurosis if this continued, desperately tried to convince Kang Jin-ho.

“Jin-ho, a person’s physical strength has limits. You can’t apply your standards to others.”

“…Even to this extent?”

“I can’t take it anymore. Tae-ho.”

“Corporal Seong Tae-ho!”

“You take charge of training the guys. If we leave it to Jin-ho, he’ll kill them.”

“Understood.”

Seong Tae-ho nodded vigorously. He fully agreed.

“But I…”

At that moment, an announcement came over the speaker.

[Kang Jin-ho, there’s a phone call for you at the administration office. Kang Jin-ho, come to the administration office.]

Kang Jin-ho glanced at the speaker and frowned.

No matter how busy he was, Kang Jin-ho never forgot to call home. There was nothing unusual yesterday. But the fact that a call had come during work hours meant that something had happened.

“I’ll go.”

“Okay.”

As Kang Jin-ho hurried to the administration office, the remaining personnel let out deep sighs.

“Oh, my fate. I’m tired of watching my junior’s every move.”

“I know, right.”

Jeon Hyuk-soo and Seong Tae-ho shook their heads wearily.

Kang Jin-ho arrived at the administration office and picked up the phone.

“Communication security. Private First Class Kang Jin-ho speaking.”

[Jin-ho!]

Unexpectedly, the voice that came through was not that of a family member but of Park Yu-min.

“What’s wrong?”

Kang Jin-ho, noticing that Park Yu-min’s voice was not her usual self, asked again, and a trembling voice came from the other end of the phone.