Descent of The Demon Master [EN]: Chapter 1455

Click.

Kang Jin-ho put a cigarette in his mouth and lit it.

He exhaled smoke and looked back at Wiggins with a strange gaze.

“You said you were just going to test it a little bit…”

“It just worked better than I thought.”

Perhaps due to the excessive use of mana, Wiggins’ complexion had become quite pale.

Wiggins, who was breathing slightly heavily, narrowed his eyes as he looked at the shattered formation of the mechanized division.

“This might actually work.”

“Ugh…”

“However…”

Wiggins scratched his chin.

‘Using this in actual combat would be difficult.’

First of all, it’s hard to overcome this enormous difference in range. Magic basically manifests by using a visible location as a coordinate.

However, the distance that can be confirmed with the human eye is not that great. It’s impossible to counter self-propelled artillery firing from a distance that seems so far away.

That’s without even considering missiles or multiple rocket launchers.

However….

“The merit of success is clear. They won’t be able to fire like that.”

Kang Jin-ho nodded.

Basically, artillery can withstand a certain degree of tilt. Even if the gun is slightly misaligned, it can adjust the barrel itself. However, in a situation where they are so tangled up, firing is impossible.

Whether it was a measure that came after deep thought or a moment of ingenuity, they had at least found a way to deal with a mechanized division that was almost impossible to counter.

“If we can get close, that is.”

“That’s the problem.”

Wiggins smiled wryly.

It was only possible because they refrained from attacking first due to various circumstances. If they were actually at war, they would have all been turned into a bloody mess before even getting this close.

No, it would be fortunate if even a bloody mess was left.

“For now, we’ve confirmed that it’s effective if the attack succeeds, so that’s enough. We need to do a little more research on how to attack.”

“Are you done?”

“Yes, Lord. This is enough for me.”

Kang Jin-ho nodded.

Then, with a face that showed he was not happy, he spoke a little brusquely.

“I don’t like doing the dishes.”

“What era are we living in? If you don’t want to see a scouring pad flying around the living room, you need to get used to it.”

“…Maybe so.”

Kang Jin-ho, who smiled lightly as if he had thought of something, shook his head.

“Then, I’ll be off.”

“Are you sure? Even though you’ve shaken them up, their firepower is still immense.”

“I guess so.”

Kang Jin-ho said a little listlessly.

“I’ll be back.”

“…Yes, Lord.”

Kang Jin-ho exhaled cigarette smoke and slowly began to walk away.

Lee Hyun-soo quietly approached Wiggins and said,

“Do you think he’ll be okay?”

“I don’t know.”

Wiggins scratched his head slightly.

‘This is really hard to predict.’

Comparisons should be made under similar conditions. It’s like comparing an elephant and a whale.

Even though both have evolved to kill people, it’s not easy to compare which is stronger, military firepower or martial arts.

There are so many variables.

“Even if it’s the Lord, it won’t be easy.”

“Do you think so?”

At Lee Hyun-soo’s words, Wiggins turned his head slightly.

“It seems you think differently.”

“I’ve already seen it once.”

“They can’t be compared.”

“Ah, of course. But….” Lee Hyun-soo shrugged.

“It’s not a matter of who’s stronger. It’s a matter of whether we can catch up.”

“Hmm?”

“And look.”

Lee Hyun-soo gestured with his chin towards Kang Jin-ho, who was walking away.

“He’s going for a walk, a walk.”

Wiggins turned his head and looked at Kang Jin-ho.

There was no sign of tension on Kang Jin-ho’s back as he walked away.

Wiggins, who was looking at Kang Jin-ho’s back, laughed without realizing it.

“That’s the most reliable back in the world.”

Thud, thud.

A man walks across the desert.

The sun shining from behind casts a long shadow.

Even amidst the chaos caused by the earthquake, the scene is strangely clear.

Reggie felt a strange sense of incongruity as he watched the scene.

It’s strange.

It’s not that far.

But the place where he is walking from and the place where he is now feel like different worlds.

Thud, thud.

Slow steps.

The difference between this place, where the earthquake has caused chaos and screams, and that quiet place, caused extreme incongruity for Reggie.

‘What is it?’

His gaze turned to the person walking towards him.

It’s still too far to make out his face. But….

“General?”

His adjutant, who was looking at the same place next to him, called out to him in a slightly flustered voice. He was asking how they should respond to the person approaching.

However, Reggie didn’t have a solution either.

He couldn’t help but know that the intentions of the person approaching were not good.

There was no way that a sane person would walk alone in this desert, and even more so if you consider that the direction the person was walking from was the place where the light had been emitted a little while ago.

‘He must be the enemy.’

He understood that much, he understood that much. The problem was what came next.

Even though it was a mess due to the earthquake, what was stationed here was a mechanized division of the US Army. A single division alone could easily devastate a small country.

Then what on earth was that person thinking?

“Do we attack?”

Even with his adjutant’s urging, Reggie couldn’t make a decision.

Even though he was a soldier and a man who showed no mercy to the enemy, this was not that kind of problem.

Think about it.

Could you fire artillery at a single person?

Could you fire self-propelled artillery and aim the tank’s guns at someone who you can’t even tell if they are a civilian or a soldier?

‘That’s insane.’

That’s not something a person should do.

“…Stand by.”

“General, but…”

“I know what you want to say. So stand by!”

“…Yes.”

Reggie bit his lip slightly.

The shattered formation of the division came into his view. If they were attacked in this state, the damage would clearly increase exponentially. Nevertheless, Reggie did not issue a firing order.

This was not just stubbornness. And it wasn’t stupid either.

It was the minimum pride of a US Army division commander.

‘No matter how urgent the situation is, we cannot attack unarmed civilians first.’

Soldiers exist to protect the people.

But a true soldier should be able to protect not only the people but all civilians. At least that’s what Reggie Mercer thought.

Issuing a firing order now would be a violation of his beliefs. His subordinates would understand him.

“Do not attack until the enemy attacks first! We are the 15th Armored Division!”

At his firm voice, the adjutants regained their composure.

‘I got excited.’

‘What a stupid thing to do against just one person.’

Even if the opponent was an alien, they couldn’t fight against this force. The problem was that they had become too sharp due to the sudden, unidentified earthquake….

That was when it happened.

Thud, thud.

The opponent, who had been walking leisurely, stopped about two hundred meters in front of the division.

Reggie narrowed his eyes.

‘A provocation? Or….’

He couldn’t guess the opponent’s intentions. Two hundred meters was within range of artillery fire, as well as rifle fire. A trained soldier could blow off his head without needing a scope.

Stopping at that distance against an army was nothing short of suicide.

‘Is he someone who doesn’t know anything about the military?’

But Reggie’s expectations were completely wrong.

Woo-oong.

Just as he thought he heard a faint mechanical sound, the man stretched out both arms to the left and right. Then, both of his arms went into the rippling air.

“What?”

Reggie’s eyes widened at the bizarre sight he had never seen before.

But his surprise was short-lived.

Reggie’s face hardened as he saw something long being pulled out of the space where the man had put his hands.

‘A sword?’

Drawing a sword in front of an army?

“That…”

That was when it happened.

“Damn it! Kang Jin-ho!”

A bewildered voice came from behind him.

‘The Undersecretary?’

Was he still outside?

“General, kill that man immediately!”

“…What are you talking about?”

“That man is the target of this training! If we can’t stop him, everything is over!”

Reggie turned to Phil with a dumbfounded look.

“Are you telling me to fight against one person?”

“Damn it, don’t think of him as just one person! Attack him now! Can’t you see he’s drawn his sword!”

Phil gritted his teeth.

Of course, he was a believer in unmanned warfare.

He had no doubt that modern weapons and the US military would overwhelm unmanned forces. If the same manpower and funds were invested, he was sure that the former would produce an overwhelming output compared to the latter.

But that would only be proven if they faced him properly.

Considering the achievements Kang Jin-ho had made so far, he was someone who should never be underestimated. He absolutely refused to have such an ugly picture of underestimating someone who he could obviously beat in terms of skill, only to be defeated by a surprise attack.

“Get ready for battle immediately, General! Unless you want to throw all the experience you’ve accumulated into the trash in an instant!”

After saying that, Phil ran into the bunker with all his might.

Reggie looked at Phil with a face that showed he didn’t understand at all, then turned his head.

‘Fight that man?’

Reggie stared blankly at the man standing still.

The man with the sword calmly stuck the sword into the ground. Then, he put his hand in his pocket and took out a cigarette.

Soon, white cigarette smoke began to rise above his head.

“This…”

Reggie’s face hardened.

That was a clear provocation.

“Everyone’s gone crazy!”

He couldn’t understand Phil or that crazy man.

But Reggie knew too well how to deal with a crazy person.

‘So he’s not a civilian?’

Now that he had confirmed that the opponent was the enemy, there was no need to hesitate any longer. What he respected were civilians, not the enemy. The only thing he could give the enemy was not mercy, but shells.

“Colonel!”

“Yes, General!”

“How many tanks are available?”

“Three have been repaired!”

“Good. Feed that bastard some shells!”

“Do we fire?”

“I hope there’s an afterlife. Then he’ll know how stupid he was when he died. If there’s no soul, he won’t even know he’s dying.”

“I will give him a peaceful death.”

“Don’t wait for orders. Fire as soon as you’re ready!”

“Yes!”

The order was immediately issued.

A fast reporting system and an immediate order delivery system.

The effect was clear. It wasn’t long after Reggie finished speaking that the front tanks turned their guns with a loud mechanical sound.

And then!

“Fire!”

Kwaaaaaaaang!

The roar of the battlefield began to engulf the desert.