Descent of The Demon Master [EN]: Chapter 1460

Laying Waste (5)

“It’s one-sided.”

“Indeed.”

Lee Hyun-soo and Wiggins stared blankly at the battlefield.

“…It was so tough before,” Lee Hyun-soo said, shaking his head as if he couldn’t understand.

“…It’s a matter of whether the enemy is within striking distance or not.”

Wiggins gave a wry smile.

‘Same problem.’

The reason he had been worried about the use of the magic corps a little while ago was also because of the range.

They can strike them from afar. Being able to successfully launch a sure attack at close range is meaningless in the face of an extreme difference in range.

They would be turned to dust while approaching.

But conversely…

‘If they allow the Lord to get close, that’s what happens.’

Kang Jin-ho cannot defeat an army.

But an army cannot defeat Kang Jin-ho either.

Their strengths are different, and their abilities are different. If they were to bombard from a distance and rain down explosions from the sky, even the mighty Kang Jin-ho would be unilaterally beaten.

However, if the opponent is within sword’s reach, they cannot withstand Kang Jin-ho’s speed and destructive power.

Choosing the desert terrain might have been right, but the moment they abandoned their advantage of range, the conclusion was already set.

‘No, maybe not.’

Even if they had started from about 30km away, the result probably wouldn’t have changed. It’s unlikely that someone who can see and dodge close-range artillery fire and deflect incoming shells with a sword would be hit by self-propelled artillery fire.

“Before, you got hit by everything that came flying, though?”

“…No matter how much the Lord has already maxed out his experience and changed jobs [referring to a game-like progression system], he must have been attacked by self-propelled artillery fire before. It’s a matter of experience.”

“…Are you playing games these days?”

Wiggins shut his mouth. There was no point in talking to this guy.

“Anyway, it’s over.”

“Indeed.”

Wiggins nodded quietly.

The 15th Armored Division had already lost its will to fight. No, it wasn’t just a loss of will; they had already started post-war recovery.

‘That division commander is a really strange person.’

Right behind him, the person he had been fighting against just a moment ago was moving around, but he was completely ignoring it and ordering recovery. It was impossible for anyone with a normal mental state to do that.

Whether to call it amazing or strange.

In any case, it cannot be denied that his judgment is bringing about the best results. The faster the wounded are taken care of, the fewer casualties there will be, and the less severe the injuries will be.

“…Are they all still alive?”

“Looks like it.”

“So, while slicing through tanks with his sword, he was also figuring out where the people inside were and slicing in a way that wouldn’t cut them?”

“Come on, a person has to have some humanity.”

Lee Hyun-soo clicked his tongue.

He knew that this wasn’t a real battle, and so did Kang Jin-ho. And in Lee Hyun-soo’s eyes, Kang Jin-ho didn’t show any sincerity at all. If he had been serious, this result wouldn’t have happened. He would have spewed out his demonic energy from the start and sliced everything in sight to pieces.

But Kang Jin-ho didn’t particularly unleash his demonic energy, nor did he launch his usual violent attacks.

‘Of course, it would look extremely violent to those guys.’

In the end, all of these series of events were nothing more than ‘training’ for Kang Jin-ho.

“I should apologize.”

“What for?”

“…For saying it was dangerous.”

“I might be one of the people in the world who likes seeing Master bow his head the most, but I don’t think this is Master’s fault. That’s just common sense.”

“I guess so?”

The first part is annoying, but the second part is supportive. Whatever.

Wiggins knew what he had miscalculated.

‘I always thought of the Lord as a finished being.’

But that was wrong.

Just as the Assembly is getting stronger, and they are getting stronger, Kang Jin-ho is also getting stronger. Perhaps the speed at which Kang Jin-ho is getting stronger might even surpass the speed at which the entire Assembly is getting stronger.

The Kang Jin-ho who fought Hong Wang in the past and the Kang Jin-ho of now were different people, even though they looked the same.

“It’s encouraging.”

“The ability?”

“No, the attitude.”

“…Huh?”

“He didn’t lose his reason even once until the end. Isn’t this the first time?”

“Oh?”

Lee Hyun-soo looked at Kang Jin-ho with a ‘now that you mention it’ expression.

‘That’s right.’

Until now, when Kang Jin-ho engaged in a battle of this scale, he had always committed a massacre. Whether Kang Jin-ho himself wanted it, or whether he was possessed by demonic energy, it was difficult for Lee Hyun-soo to judge, but it was clear that when Kang Jin-ho’s battle ended, the place became a blood-soaked hell.

But now, the battlefield they were seeing, even though it was burning and black smoke was billowing, did not show any severed limbs or blood.

“It means he can now maintain his composure until the end of the battle. It might be because the opponent is weak, but either way, it’s encouraging. It means his self-control has definitely increased.”

“Does that mean the probability of getting killed by an angry Lord has decreased?”

No. In your case, it seems to have increased a bit.

Wiggins smiled wryly and looked ahead.

“But those guys will be a little different.”

“Who… Ah!”

Lee Hyun-soo nodded.

The sight of Kang Jin-ho cutting off the top of the bunker and sending it flying came clearly into his eyes.

“I guess so. He’s merciless to those in charge.”

“Hmm.”

Wiggins scratched his cheek slightly.

He had a fleeting thought of stopping him, but he didn’t think there was any need to. Since Kang Jin-ho hadn’t lost his reason, even if he killed them, it would be Kang Jin-ho’s own judgment.

He couldn’t step out of line and tell him what to do.

And…

“There’s always a price to pay.”

Wiggins gave a bitter smile.

“Ah… Ahh…”

Phil Button fixed his gaze on the person looking down at him with eyes that wouldn’t stop twitching.

Kang Jin-ho.

He had never met him, but he had heard of him countless times. And he had cursed and ignored him countless times.

That very Kang Jin-ho had now annihilated the mechanized division that Phil Button had proudly prepared and had come right in front of him.

Phil Button, knowing what that meant, couldn’t help but be filled with terror.

‘This, this is impossible!’

He had seen it with his own eyes.

And he was feeling it with his own body.

But no matter how much he saw it with his own eyes and felt it with his body, Phil Button couldn’t understand what was happening here.

How could an entire division be completely destroyed by one person?

Including the reserves in the back, it was two divisions. Two mechanized divisions of the United States could conquer most countries within three days.

But that much force was destroyed by a single person?

Was he supposed to believe that?

“You’re making a mistake right now.”

Reynolds’ words echoed in his head.

Mistake.

Mistake?

Could this be called a mistake?

If someone who went out with an umbrella because it was hailing was killed by a meteorite, could that be called a mistake? Is it reasonable to say that he wasn’t careful even though he had been warned that it would hail?

This is an accident.

But the unfortunate thing is that even if this is an accident, Phil Button’s situation doesn’t change at all.

“Who’s the Vice Minister?”

Kang Jin-ho’s low voice echoed through the bunker.

Those who are overwhelmed tend to have simple reactions. As soon as the word ‘Vice Minister’ came out, everyone unconsciously turned to look at Phil Button. They quickly turned their heads away with a look of realization, but Kang Jin-ho’s eyes were already fixed on Phil Button.

“Hoo…”

Kang Jin-ho slowly exhaled cigarette smoke.

He lightly jumped down into the bunker. Then, he slowly walked towards Phil Button.

Phil Button couldn’t do anything.

A human who encounters a beast at close range is bound to freeze. Even though they know they should resist and run away, a person whose mind has frozen can’t do anything.

That was exactly how Phil Button felt right now.

Moreover, the person approaching him now was a human who couldn’t even be compared to a beast.

‘This is a martial artist.’

Now he understood why Reynolds and the pro-martial artist faction had been shouting so desperately about the need to nurture martial artists.

They couldn’t be stopped.

With the methods they knew, it was impossible to stop these ridiculous monsters from breaking through. They might be able to win the war, but it was absolutely impossible to protect the lives of the leadership.

He had broken through the mechanized division’s formation and reached his front. The manpower to protect one person was excessive to the point of being overflowing. Even the president had never received such protection.

Then what more could they do to stop this person?

This person was a poisoned dagger.

And a fired arrow.

An arrow that pierced through any shield. They might be able to win the war, but the person targeted would surely die.

It was Phil Button’s mistake, and America’s mistake, that they realized this too late.

“Vice Minister?”

“Ah…”

Phil Button’s reason returned.

But his trembling legs wouldn’t stop, and his shaking body was beyond his control.

“I, I am…”

Cold sweat poured down like rain. His clothes were already soaked and clinging tightly to his body.

But he had no time to feel that discomfort.

The moment he gave a single wrong answer, his head would be soaring into the sky.

“I, I am Phil Button.”

Kang Jin-ho took a drag on his cigarette.

“Th, the purpose of this training was for you to come in front of me… no, to reach… Anyway, you have achieved your goal. This training… this training is your victory.”

He admits defeat.

He ends everything with that.

But Kang Jin-ho seemed to have a slightly different idea.

Kang Jin-ho exhaled cigarette smoke and smiled lightly. Phil, who saw that smile up close, convulsed in shock as if his heart had dropped.

“It’s over?”

“This is it?”

Phil Button forced open his mouth, which wouldn’t open.

“Y, yes.”

Kang Jin-ho lightly shook his head.

“It’s a little different from what I know. If you’re going to do it, you have to do it properly.”

Properly?

What?

At that moment, Kang Jin-ho slowly reached out his hand.

Slowly, with a movement that was not fast at all.

Even though Phil Button clearly saw that hand coming towards his neck, he couldn’t move at all.

The moment he moved to resist that hand, that hand would crush his neck. Clearly!

Kang Jin-ho’s hand grabbed Phil Button’s neck. Then, he slowly pulled him towards himself. Phil Button was helplessly pulled towards Kang Jin-ho.

Kang Jin-ho, who had pulled Phil Button close, bared his teeth and smiled.

“You’ve caused this much trouble and you’re going to end it like this? You don’t seem to know what the word ‘responsibility’ means.”

“Ah…”

“It’s okay.”

Kang Jin-ho smiled gently.

“I’ll teach you from now on.” Phil Button’s face turned black.