Descent of The Demon Master [EN]: Chapter 1405

“We greet the most magnificent one.”

“…I told you not to do that.”

“It’s just become a habit.”

Looking at the Blood Demon’s smiling face, an unpleasant feeling welled up inside me. I knew that smile was absolutely not genuine.

“Are you satisfied?”

“Are you trying to take credit when you haven’t done anything?”

“How could I? Half of the data they provided was passed on from our side. I thought it would be better to give it to them rather than to the Demon Lord. If my judgment was wrong, please punish me.”

His words flowed like a clear stream.

Kang Jin-ho sighed softly.

“What’s their reaction?”

“What they want is an alliance.”

“In reality?”

“They want the Demon Lord to not deny it when they control the Three Kings Realm in the name of the Demon Lord.”

“Is that all?”

“It’s a small matter. But it’s the most important thing to them. If I can give them a great favor with something small, wouldn’t that be a good deal?”

“It’s not small.”

“Pardon?”

Kang Jin-ho spoke indifferently.

“If you think of it as the price for forgiving those who tried to kill me, it’s definitely not small.” The Blood Demon smiled.

“Have you forgiven them?”

“Or will you forgive them?”

Kang Jin-ho didn’t answer, just stared at the Blood Demon.

The Blood Demon wore a strange smile and chuckled softly.

“There’s no way the Demon Lord would forgive them. We’ll end up fighting them again someday anyway. Isn’t it just delaying the timing a little? I know that the Demon Lord is already allied with the Red King. Even if one more enemy disguised as an ally is added, it wouldn’t be a problem, would it?”

“You talk a good game.”

“It seems like a sufficient price for extending their lives a little, don’t you think?”

Kang Jin-ho sighed softly.

This time, he had definitely incurred a debt there. It wasn’t enough to offset his anger, but he couldn’t deny that it had been helpful.

“Go and tell them that I’ve accepted the proposal.”

Even though the order was given, the Blood Demon didn’t answer, just kept his head bowed.

Seeing the Blood Demon’s reaction, Kang Jin-ho chuckled and opened his mouth.

“And I acknowledge your contribution too. Bring the Blood Sect to Korea. I’ll give you a room.”

“Thank you, Demon Lord!”

“But keep one thing in mind.”

“Yes?”

“The fact that the Demonic Cult is accepting the Blood Sect means that we’re accepting people, not the Blood Sect’s system. Be prepared to abandon everything you have. From the moment you come here, you’re no longer members of the Blood Sect, but members of the Demonic Cult.”

“That’s what I was prepared for.”

“…It seems like you don’t understand. When you come here, you’re no longer the sect leader, but just a regular member. You’ll have a superior.”

“If I can serve the Demon Lord…”

“What about the others?”

“I’ll make them elders. But you’ll be the youngest among the elders, won’t you?”

“I…”

The Blood Demon asked with a slightly worried face.

“Just asking, is that Elder Jang Min still alive?”

“He seems like he’ll live for another hundred years.”

The Blood Demon closed his eyes tightly.

Jang Min’s name was famous even in the Blood Sect.

Kang Jin-ho? Demon Lord?

Those were just names that appeared in history. But Jang Min was a real threat and the number one master of the demonic path, a legend to those who revered the demonic path.

“He seemed to be an elder of the Demonic Cult even five generations ago…”

“He’ll probably be the same five generations later.” The Blood Demon shuddered.

Kang Jin-ho’s eyebrows twitched slightly at the sight.

The Blood Demon, who would stand up to him, was showing an excessive reaction to the name Jang Min.

“Is Jang Min that scary?”

“Ah, no, it’s not that…”

“Then?”

“I’m just naturally weak against people who don’t understand jokes.”

Ah, I see.

Kang Jin-ho would just let it slide even if he smiled and mocked him, but if a subordinate did that to Jang Min, he would immediately check how strong their liver was.

‘I don’t need to say anything.’

I was already thinking of having a showdown with him because there were so many things about his tone and expression that bothered me, but it seems like I can just leave it to Jang Min.

“If you want to change your mind, now is the time.”

“…No. I will join the cult. If I suffer a little, the cult members will be more comfortable.”

“That’s a very sect leader-like answer.”

Kang Jin-ho nodded and leaned back.

Kang Jin-ho took out a cigarette from his pocket, put it in his mouth, and snapped his fingers to light it.

Kang Jin-ho slowly exhaled the cigarette smoke and stared at the Blood Demon with his eyes lowered.

“Blood Demon.”

“Yes, Demon Lord.”

“What were you thinking when you came to me?”

“…I don’t understand the meaning of that.”

“Wasn’t it because you believed I would forgive you that you were able to show yourself to me?”

“I didn’t expect forgiveness from the Demon Lord.”

Kang Jin-ho’s eyes quietly stared at the Blood Demon.

“Then?”

The Blood Demon lowered his head slightly and answered.

“I still think that the Demon Lord can kill me at any time. But I don’t care. Because the Demon Lord will lead the members of the Blood Sect to a land of stability, even if he kills me.”

“You don’t care if you die…”

The Blood Demon smiled brightly.

“And I was sure that as long as I bring benefits to the Demon Lord, I wouldn’t die until all the deals were over.”

“Because I prioritize benefits?”

“Because you can kill me anytime. Then there’s no need to rush, is there?”

It wasn’t wrong.

But it couldn’t be said to be right.

One thing that never changed in Kang Jin-ho’s code of conduct in the past was that he would definitely kill those who targeted him.

But since returning to this world, that principle has been broken several times. Lee Hyun-soo was like that, and Bator was like that. And now, even the Blood Demon, who had targeted him, was alive and talking in front of him.

What was it?

Compared to the past when he was called the Heavenly Demon Lord, had his heart become dull, or had he not met people he could forgive and accept like now?

“I’ll find out if I check.”

The Blood Demon, who was about to playfully retort, bowed his head deeply after seeing Kang Jin-ho’s face.

A chill ran down his spine.

‘Don’t forget.’

The one in front of him now was the Demon King. The one who subjugated and ruled all the demons in the world.

Darkness doesn’t fall in the detention center.

This is because the lights are not turned off even at night to monitor the inmates. Of course, the number of lights is adjusted to lower the brightness during bedtime, but the inmates are not even allowed the freedom to be shrouded in darkness.

Kim Myung-chan half-closed his eyes, looking at the light coming through the barred window.

It was late at night, but he couldn’t fall asleep.

How many days had it been since he couldn’t sleep?

When he opened his eyes, he saw hell, and when he closed his eyes, the gaze of Kang Jin-ho looking at him came to mind.

It was amazing that he hadn’t gone crazy yet.

‘What was it?’

Now, everything was just futile.

Everything he tried to protect had betrayed him.

His family turned their backs on him, spitting on him.

His colleagues stabbed him in the back.

And the honor he had built up over his entire life was shattered, and his name had now become a symbol of corruption. Everyone who knew him denied him and was eager to hide their relationship with him.

He was alive.

Kim Myung-chan was definitely alive.

But that was just the fact that he was still breathing. Kim Myung-chan’s body might be continuing its miserable breath, but the other things that made him up were all being trampled on the dirty floor.

It felt like his soul was burning.

Kim Myung-chan had never thought about suicide in his life. He had inwardly despised those foolish people who took their own lives, thinking they were just weak-willed.

But now, Kim Myung-chan had also come to realize it.

That those who made the extreme choice of taking their own lives didn’t do it because they were weak-willed.

It was because they couldn’t see.

Those who were in a situation that they could overcome with their will and effort would never think about suicide. When you feel that no matter what you do, you can’t escape this situation, this pain, humans try to escape this pain in other ways.

That was death.

If he could escape this pain by tightening his neck, Kim Myung-chan would have tightened his own neck without any hesitation.

But he couldn’t.

Because he couldn’t escape.

This pain wouldn’t disappear even if he died. If he committed suicide, all the suspicions against him would become the truth.

This inescapable noose would eventually be completed with Kim Myung-chan’s death.

No one approached his cell at night. Even the guards who were supposed to check if the prisoner was okay would just turn back in front of his solitary cell.

They were probably hoping.

That he would take off his prison uniform, tie it to the bars, and then wrap it around his neck to end it all.

And perhaps that was the only way to end it all. The best solution that could satisfy both the living and the dead.

But Kim Myung-chan stayed awake all night, enduring and enduring.

Even when a pain worse than his flesh burning washed over him, even when the skin on his scratched face peeled off and red blood soaked his clothes.

“Not yet… not yet.”

He still had unfinished business.

If he couldn’t finish that, he wouldn’t be able to close his eyes even in death.

A sobbing voice leaked from his mouth.

“I can’t go yet… I, I’m not… not yet.”

He felt himself going crazy day by day.

Sometimes he heard hallucinations.

Sometimes he saw visions.

But his mind, which had been so rational, couldn’t give him peace even in this state. Rather, it made him vividly feel himself going crazy.

That was another kind of pain.

It wouldn’t be long.

Soon, Kim Myung-chan would no longer be able to maintain his sanity. Even at this moment, madness was eating away at his mind.

It was natural.

It wouldn’t be strange if he had already gone crazy.

Even so, the reason he was somehow holding on to the last thread of reason was because there was still someone he had to meet.

Kim Myung-chan opened his eyes and looked around.

‘Is it dark?’

Pitch-black darkness filled the room. He turned his head to look at the window, but the light was no longer seeping in.

The detention center doesn’t turn off the lights.

It was impossible for the lights to go out like this without any commotion.

“Have I completely gone mad?”

If he had gone mad enough to see such vivid hallucinations with his eyes open…

“No.”

At that moment, a low voice pierced Kim Myung-chan’s ears.

Kim Myung-chan trembled all over at the sound of that voice.

A sharp sound like scraping metal. But even so, a strange voice that maintained a low bass.

Kim Myung-chan’s head slowly turned.

One corner of the cell.

Just darkness.

In that place where the darkness was so thick that nothing could be felt, a crimson flame began to burn.

“You haven’t gone mad yet.”

Not yet.

In the darkness, a demon slowly raised its body.