Descent of The Demon Master [EN]: Chapter 1369

Wiggins looked ahead with an urgent expression.

‘That’s incredible.’

He had traveled through various conflict zones around the world.

Some places were governed more by religious law than actual law, while others had become lawless wastelands where the government had no control.

But he had never seen a sight like this anywhere.

‘I forgot, but North Korea is a military power in its own right.’

It was only being underestimated because its neighboring countries had such absurd military strength. North Korea still maintained a ranking in the top 20 or 30 in the world’s military power rankings.

That immense firepower was now pouring out under the cover of darkness.

‘This place will be exposed soon too.’

Wiggins raised his head to look at the signal above him.

It wasn’t something he should be doing in the middle of an enemy country, especially one that didn’t play by the rules, but he had no choice. He couldn’t make contact, and the shelling was relentless. There was no guarantee that Kang Jin-ho and the others would be able to pinpoint his location and find him.

So, he had to take the risk.

Wiggins bit his lip slightly.

He was activating a magic circle, but even if he was just a little late in noticing an incoming shell, he would be blown to pieces. Unlike Batoru or Kang Jin-ho, he didn’t have the defensive power to withstand the firepower of modern weapons.

If he could put up a shield in time, he might be able to avoid being killed, but that was just luck.

Wiggins swallowed hard and looked ahead anxiously.

‘Please!’

He knew that worrying about Kang Jin-ho was the most pointless thing in the world, but this was not a situation where he could afford to be so relaxed.

Even Kang Jin-ho couldn’t withstand this kind of situation, unless he was fighting with the full support of the General Assembly [likely referring to a powerful organization or alliance].

‘They couldn’t have mobilized just this much.’

There were two reasons why Kang Jin-ho was able to hold out right now.

One was that there was a limit to the firepower that could be concentrated on a narrow area where one person was moving, and the second was that it was nighttime.

It was difficult for even those experienced in war to track and fire at Kang Jin-ho, who was moving at high speed. If all the firepower that was falling around that mountain had been concentrated on Kang Jin-ho’s head… he was sure that Kang Jin-ho would not be alive right now.

So, he had to rendezvous with Kang Jin-ho and get out of there as soon as possible.

Before time ran out and things became truly unmanageable!

‘Over there!’

Wiggins’ head snapped around. He saw something approaching at an incredible speed. At first, it looked like a small dot, but it soon began to take shape.

“Lord!”

Wiggins shouted without realizing it, having confirmed that Kang Jin-ho was approaching.

Kang Jin-ho was running towards Wiggins, holding Lee Hyun-soo and another unknown person in one hand.

“Lord! Above! Above!”

Wiggins’ hands glowed white. Strange patterns appeared in the air, and a translucent barrier was placed above Kang Jin-ho’s head.

Then, the barrage of shells poured down on the barrier.

*Kwaaaang! Kwaaaang!*

“Ugh!”

Wiggins staggered.

The firepower of the high-explosive shells shattered the barrier that Wiggins had created in an instant. This was the first time his barrier had been broken so easily since he had blocked the Red King’s attack in the past.

‘Lord!’

Wiggins frantically raised his head and looked ahead. The ground was filled with thick, black smoke. He couldn’t see anything.

That black…

“Ah!”

Wiggins clenched his fist.

In the black smoke created by the bombardment, a darkness that was so different from its surroundings revealed itself. Kang Jin-ho, surrounded by a dark, black aura that looked like it could suck you in, was charging towards Wiggins without slowing down.

Wiggins brought his hands together in front of his chest. His hands began to create strange patterns in the air.

“Hurry!”

Kang Jin-ho and Wiggins’ eyes met.

*Kwaaaang! Kwaaaang!*

The continuous barrage of shells was enough to make one’s teeth chatter.

‘What the hell is going on!’

Wiggins couldn’t help but wonder about the fundamental question.

North Korea was a dangerous place. Who wouldn’t know that?

But this situation was not logical no matter how he thought about it. Why would North Korea mobilize this much military force to eliminate Kang Jin-ho?

Was it at China’s instigation?

Or…

Neither made sense to Wiggins.

*Paaah!*

Kang Jin-ho’s sword was swung at the speed of light.

The shells that had been flying in at an invisible speed were split in half in mid-air and exploded. Kang Jin-ho ran through the rain of shrapnel.

“Lord!”

Wiggins reached out and wrapped Kang Jin-ho’s body in a shield.

*Thud!*

Kang Jin-ho kicked off the ground and floated up, landing right in front of Wiggins.

“A-are you alright?”

Kang Jin-ho nodded without answering.

Looking at his blood-stained face, the question he had just asked felt foolish. Wiggins gritted his teeth.

“Let’s go to South Korea right now…”

“Wait.”

“Yes?”

Kang Jin-ho shook his head lightly.

“Lord?”

Kang Jin-ho released his hand from Lee Hyun-soo’s shoulder. Lee Hyun-soo staggered and braced himself on the ground.

Half out of his mind, Lee Hyun-soo shook his head, trying to regain his senses. His mouth was already covered in blood.

“Those bastards.”

Lee Hyun-soo, his teeth grinding so hard they might break, forced himself to look up.

Lee Hyun-soo’s injuries also looked severe, but now was not the time to worry about that.

“Lord, it’s dangerous if the shelling starts again. We should leave right now…”

“It’s okay.”

Kang Jin-ho shook his head as if it was nothing.

Just as Wiggins was about to speak again with a puzzled expression, Kang Jin-ho cut him off.

“They’re not stupid either. They know it’s over now.”

“Yes?”

“They must have already heard all the information about us.”

Wiggins closed his mouth.

‘They heard everything?’

Did they know that Wiggins could teleport?

How?

That’s when it happened.

*Thud, thud.*

Low footsteps could be heard in the distance.

In the space where the shells had blown everything away, a space that had become so silent that even the sound of insects could not be heard, the footsteps began to dominate.

Kang Jin-ho turned his head towards the sound of the footsteps with a calm gaze.

A man in typical North Korean military uniform was approaching them with a nonchalant expression.

A cold impression.

A large scar across his face. It would be hard to find someone who fit the image of a soldier so well.

The man, who had come within ten meters alone, stopped. Then, he put his hand in his pocket. Everyone’s eyes were focused on the hand that was rummaging through his pocket.

And when it finally came out of his pocket, it was holding a pack of cigarettes.

The man threw the pack of cigarettes in his hand to Kang Jin-ho.

*Thud.*

Kang Jin-ho, who had received the pack of cigarettes, chuckled and took out his own cigarettes from his pocket and threw them to the man.

The man received the cigarettes as if it was natural.

Then, he took out a cigarette and put it in his mouth.

“So you’re a South Korean bastard, huh? Your bones must be made of steel. You’re so damn hard to kill.”

“Have a smoke.”

Kang Jin-ho chuckled and took out a cigarette. Then, he paused slightly before putting it in his mouth.

Kang Jin-ho, who had been staring at the cigarette, narrowed his eyes. The filter of the cigarette was stained brown.

“Looks like you smoke American cigarettes?”

“We don’t discriminate against American products.”

The man waved his hand.

Kang Jin-ho stared at the cigarette for a moment before putting it in his mouth. Then, he snapped his fingers and lit the cigarette.

As the cigarette smoke entered deep into his lungs, he felt his whole body relax.

‘I’m more exhausted than I thought.’

This was a very difficult fight for Kang Jin-ho as well. If he had been careless, he might not have been able to return to South Korea alive.

“Hoo.”

Kang Jin-ho, who had exhaled a deep puff of smoke, looked at the man.

“What do you want to say?”

“Nothing.”

The man laughed softly.

“I just wanted to see your face up close.”

Then, the man shrugged his shoulders.

“And I also wanted to imitate a South Korean movie I saw a long time ago. I don’t have the guts to get too close though.”

The man stared at Kang Jin-ho before speaking again.

“I heard that you took care of Lee Gi-gwang. So, I should thank you.”

“I think the order of events is reversed?”

“Don’t underestimate people.”

The man bared his teeth.

“If the Republic [referring to North Korea] really set its mind to it, taking your head wouldn’t be that difficult.”

Kang Jin-ho curled up the corner of his mouth.

“It doesn’t seem too late yet?”

“Forget it.”

The man waved his hand.

“This is enough to get paid. Go back.”

The man threw the cigarette on the ground and stomped on it.

Then, he turned around as if he had no regrets.

“Name.”

The man stopped at Kang Jin-ho’s voice from behind.

“It’s better to tell me your name before you go. Or else it will be hard for me to find you next time.”

The man turned his head and looked at Kang Jin-ho with a crooked eye.

“I don’t have a hobby of looking at men’s faces.”

“Same here.”

“Is that so?”

The man smiled, baring his teeth.

“Park Sang-cheol. Let’s meet again if fate allows. Until then, I’ll remember the name Kang Jin-ho.”

The man slowly walked away.

Kang Jin-ho, who had not taken his eyes off the man until he had completely disappeared from sight, threw the burnt cigarette on the ground.

“Lord.”

“Ugh…”

Kang Jin-ho nodded.

His whole body felt as heavy as a waterlogged cotton ball.

Numerous pieces of information were mixed up in his head, but he couldn’t seem to sort them out. Right now, he just wanted to close his eyes.

‘Come to think of it, when was the last time I slept?’

He had been pushed to his limit.

In a way that Kang Jin-ho had never imagined.

“Let’s go back.”

“I will teleport us immediately.”

Wiggins quickly formed a hand seal. Soon, Kang Jin-ho and the others were covered in light, and then they disappeared from the spot with a *pop*.

And Park Sang-cheol, who had been watching them from afar, whistled at the sight.

“There are all sorts of strange people.”

“Colonel, is it alright to let them go like that?”

“Leave them be. Didn’t I say they did enough to get paid? If we tried to catch them ourselves, we wouldn’t have enough heads.”

“But the higher-ups…”

“Don’t talk nonsense.”

“Yes!”

Park Sang-cheol’s eyes gleamed.

‘Kang Jin-ho…’

He was terrifying.

He could see why the Chinese were so desperate to kill Kang Jin-ho. Park Sang-cheol would not have been able to withstand even a minute of the attacks that Kang Jin-ho had endured and escaped from.

“There’s no need for the Republic to waste its blood and only do good for the South Korean bastards.”

In the end, it was the South Koreans who had to deal with Kang Jin-ho.

‘I don’t know if they can handle it though.’

Park Sang-cheol laughed softly and turned around.

“Withdraw.”

“Yes!”

Where Park Sang-cheol and his men quickly disappeared, only half-burnt trees and a horribly distorted landscape remained, desolate and bleak.