Descent of The Demon Master [EN]: Chapter 1613

“We won’t try to create variables from our side.”

“Well, still, it might be worth trying once…”

“It’s impossible.”

Kang Jin-ho stated firmly.

“It would require a force of that magnitude. No ordinary measures can change the situation. If the measures are significant enough to change the situation, they can no longer be kept secret. It’s a dilemma.”

Lee Hyun-soo nodded at Kang Jin-ho’s insightful words.

“The saying ‘grasping at straws is better than nothing’ is wrong in most cases. If you spend time trying to grasp at straws, you’d have a better chance of survival if you did something else.”

“Understood, Guild Master.”

“There are two important things. The situation in China. This is something we can’t control. Whatever conviction the King of Creation had when he started this, the Crimson King is no pushover either.”

Those who knew the Crimson King couldn’t help but have grim expressions.

‘Indeed.’

It didn’t seem like the Crimson King would fall to schemes or strategies.

“To win against the Crimson King’s faction, we ultimately have to defeat the Crimson King. But…”

Kang Jin-ho took a deep drag of his cigarette and slowly exhaled.

“It doesn’t seem like the Crimson King will lose. No matter who the opponent is.”

“…I agree.”

Lee Hyun-soo, recalling the Crimson King he met in China, shook his head as if he was tired of it.

A living embodiment of the Overlord’s Way [a concept of absolute power and dominance].

‘I can’t imagine it at all.’

It was beyond Lee Hyun-soo’s imagination that the Crimson King would be defeated by someone. Even if he imagined Kang Jin-ho fighting him fiercely, he couldn’t picture Kang Jin-ho winning.

* The Crimson King is that strong.

“Guild Master, what do you think of the Crimson King? Do you think there’s a chance he’d lose to the King of Creation or the Black King in a one-on-one fight?”

“Well…”

Kang Jin-ho spoke with a slightly indifferent tone.

“I haven’t seen the King of Creation or the Black King, so it’s hard to say, but…”

Kang Jin-ho seemed to ponder for a moment before speaking.

“The reason the King of Creation and the Black King haven’t been able to capture the Crimson King so far is probably because their abilities are similar.”

“That’s probably right.”

“Then the Crimson King won’t lose. The Crimson King broke through the wall and pioneered a new realm. When I saw him in China last time, he had already reached a different level. He must be even stronger now.”

* It makes sense.

“It would be different if the King of Creation took that into account when he made his move… But no matter how good the King of Creation’s information network is, he can’t know the Crimson King’s individual strength perfectly.”

Wiggins agreed with that statement.

“Actually, when you think about it, we’ve only gathered a lot of information about the Crimson King’s faction through various incidents since we first got involved with them. From the King of Creation’s perspective, the Crimson King’s faction is just as much of an unknown.”

“They’ve been facing off for too long.”

At first, they probably knew each other inside and out.

But when that time passes by months, years, and even decades, it becomes a completely different place from what they initially knew.

“Then, there’s a possibility that it will end with a one-sided victory for the Crimson King’s faction.”

At Lee Hyun-soo’s words, Wiggins smiled wryly.

“I know it’s necessary, but the more I think about it, the more it feels like a waste of time. It’s impossible to predict the outcome of this war. In the end, someone will win, and someone will lose.”

Everyone nodded.

“The important thing isn’t who wins, but that we can respond no matter who wins. To do that, we have to speed up the process we’re currently doing.”

Kang Jin-ho nodded silently.

“Bator.”

“Speak, Master.”

“How is the training of the American soldiers going?”

Bator frowned.

“Their basic physical strength is actually better than ours. The average martial artists of the Guild are no match for them. However, they have no skill in utilizing their abilities. And for now, we’re focusing on ways to utilize their strengths.”

“How much time do they need to become a fighting force?”

“If we try to make it as short as possible… well, I think we’ll need about a month more.”

“That’s too long. We’re not in a leisurely situation.”

Bator’s face contorted.

“Twenty days. I can’t shorten it any more than that.”

“Then, bring them up to a level where they can be deployed to the battlefield within twenty days. You don’t have to hold back.”

“Is that alright, Master? That’s not what they want, is it?”

“It’s fine. If things go wrong, they’ll lose the people they can learn from.”

“Hmm, I understand. In my opinion, for them, my crude external martial arts will be a better fit than internal energy cultivation.”

“External martial arts?”

Bator nodded.

“What they learned is closer to combat sports than martial arts. Even if we teach them martial arts techniques now, it won’t be easy for them to understand. So, I think it’s better to strengthen their bodies and make their combat sports more useful.”

Kang Jin-ho frowned.

‘Come to think of it, that’s right.’

Whether it’s demonic arts or righteous arts, the Guild’s martial arts focus on using the body as a projectile to unleash internal energy. Martial arts are about using internal energy more efficiently.

But it won’t be easy for them to learn that concept from now on.

In that case, it’s better to strengthen their bodies with internal energy and let them use their existing skills, as Bator said.

“I approve.”

Bator nodded vigorously.

‘I didn’t send Bator thinking about this.’

Could it be said that luck aligned?

If Bator’s external martial arts and their combat skills match, it might create an unexpected variable.

“Come to think of it, your disciples are also staying there, aren’t they?”

“Well, it wasn’t intentional, but thanks to that, the American soldiers seem to be very interested in external martial arts. I was already thinking about it, but now that things have turned out this way, I should hurry up with the transmission.”

Twenty days of intensive training…

Kang Jin-ho pressed his lips together.

It wasn’t starting from absolute zero, but it was definitely not going to be easy.

“I trust you.”

“Leave it to me.”

Bator thumped his chest with one hand.

Kang Jin-ho nodded and looked at Wiggins.

“You said we just need to increase efficiency?”

“Yes, Lord. The key is efficiency. If we increase efficiency, we can use magic one more time on the same battlefield.”

“We’re clearly outnumbered. There’s a lot you need to do.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll prepare perfectly.”

* Kang Jin-ho nodded lightly and continued.

“What about the Chevaliers [elite knights]?”

“Recently, following your instructions, we’ve been replenishing troops from Europe. Vincent is training them as the commander of the Chevaliers. I don’t think they’ll be a major force… but they’re still incomparable to the average members of the Guild. They’re elites, after all.”

Bang Jin-hoon pouted.

“Aren’t you underestimating our guys too much since a while ago?”

“It’s not underestimating, it’s just the reality. They have to be the benchmark.”

“I’ll raise that benchmark for you, so don’t be surprised later.”

Bang Jin-hoon turned his head to look at Kang Jin-ho. His face was slightly hurt.

“From today, I’ll only let the kids sleep for two hours a day and teach them the Harmonious Art [a martial art focused on balance and flow]. I’ll push them to the brink so they can quickly grasp the theory and become proficient.”

“…Give them some time to wash.”

“Does someone die if they don’t wash for a month?”

Kang Jin-ho sighed.

Thanks to Wiggins’ unnecessary words, the kids were going to suffer for no reason.

But…

‘It’s not like we can afford to be picky right now.’

Bang Jin-hoon was right.

Whatever they go through, it’s better than dying.

“Jang Min.”

“Great Demon Lord, do not worry. I have already completed all preparations. The Order is ready to become your hands and feet on the battlefield and annihilate the enemy. Only for the glory of the Great Demon Lord!”

“What about the Demonic Flames?”

“That’s still a bit…”

When Kang Jin-ho looked at him with a displeased expression, Jang Min looked slightly wronged.

“The standards are a bit different… I’ll complete it within a month.”

“A month…”

“I’ll try to shorten it as much as possible.”

Kang Jin-ho nodded.

“What’s the status of the Japanese martial artists?”

“I’m not particularly considering them.”

Jang Min’s eyes turned slightly cold.

“Although we’re teaching them demonic arts, they’re still non-believers. We don’t have the resources to care about those who haven’t joined the Order.”

Kang Jin-ho frowned slightly.

“That’s why I plan to teach them Combat Merit [a martial art focused on practical experience].”

“Combat Merit?”

Bator sneered.

“That’s a bad hobby, old man. Even though they’ve fought against us, they came to learn. Are you going to teach them Combat Merit?”

Combat Merit or Combat Sword.

It refers to martial arts that become stronger through practical experience.

Practical martial arts have clear limitations, so they are rarely taught. In the past, in the Central Plains [a historical region in China], vagrants who couldn’t obtain proper martial arts mainly learned Combat Sword.

However, since it’s the martial arts that such people learn, it’s highly practical and has excellent short-term achievements.

“Those who survive will become stronger.”

Jang Min said indifferently, as if he wasn’t particularly interested.

“That’s the only way they can be useful within a month.”

The situation is different from the SOBs [Special Operations Brigade].

The SOBs are a group created by selecting the best talents that the United States could pick. Naturally, they are bound to be full of talented people.

But the people who came from Japan are not like that.

Japan, which suffered tremendous damage in the war with the Guild, had a dried-up talent pool, and even if they trained the same way, their achievements would be insignificant.

“Most of them will die if they’re unlucky. But if they can survive, they might become stronger than those who originally ruled Japan. It’s not that bad. They’ll be able to recover their martial prowess that they could never have recovered.”

“That’s a really bad hobby.”

Bator knew the flaw in what Jang Min was saying.

Become stronger?

That would be true. There are monsters among those who have learned Combat Sword.

The problem is that even if the person becomes stronger, it doesn’t mean that something that can be passed down to future generations will be created. Combat Sword can only be learned through practical experience.

In other words, it means that whether the master is the best expert in the world or a third-rate on the street, they have the same starting point.

‘That old man has used his head properly.’

He would teach them demonic arts and use them, but he wouldn’t give them a reason to create something on their own.

“It’s too harsh on the apostates.”

“It’s not harsh on the apostates. It’s harsh on the enemy. They are the ones who dared to harm the Great Demon Lord. I have no reason to have any sympathy for them.”

Everyone shuddered slightly at Jang Min’s cold words.

“Who knows? If they perform meritorious service for the Great Demon Lord in this war, maybe your thoughts will change a little.”

Looking at Jang Min, who was coldly on edge, it became clear that the war was really close.

“In the end…”

Kang Jin-ho summarized the situation.

“At most, it’ll be a month, and things will be roughly settled within that time. So, everyone, hurry up. I don’t want to hear you say you lost because you weren’t prepared.”

“Yes, Guild Master.”

“Understood, Lord.”

“I will keep that in mind, Great Demon Lord!”

Looking at the elders who were answering with grim faces, Kang Jin-ho took out a cigarette.

‘The eve of the storm…’

There’s a smell of blood.

The smell of blood that can no longer be avoided.

His heart was beating a little faster, and blood rushed to his head. Kang Jin-ho, who slightly tilted his head, twisted the corners of his mouth and curled them up.

It was time to prepare for the battlefield again.