Descent of The Demon Master [EN]: Chapter 1614

“What’s the situation?”

“They’re pushing in.”

“Be more specific!”

“All three points where fighting broke out are escalating. They’re pushing into our territory.”

“Those crazy bastards…”

Chai Ke-chang’s face twisted.

Those damn bastards.

They were truly disgusting.

‘What on earth are they thinking?’ The Three Kings’ factions all have different characteristics.

If the Red King’s faction is like a raging fire, the Azure King’s faction is as cold as ice. And the Black King’s faction is so cautious that it’s impossible to guess what they’re thinking.

However, the current situation was so dramatic that it completely overturned Chai Ke-chang’s assessment.

It was as if a calm sea had been turned upside down by a typhoon. The Azure King’s faction, which had been as cold as ice, was attacking the Red King’s faction like a half-crazed lunatic.

‘How do they plan to handle this…’

The problem was that the escalation was happening without any consideration for civilians. If the government hadn’t made all sorts of excuses and evacuated the residents of the battlefields, there would have been chaos already.

And even more problematic…

“Our guys are being pushed back? The Azure King’s faction shouldn’t be that strong.”

“Their numbers are different. According to reports, more than twice the predicted number are participating in the attack.”

“Twice?”

The number of troops can vary slightly depending on the situation.

But twice?

“Are they not even thinking about the consequences?”

Chai Ke-chang’s face contorted.

Behind them, the Black King’s faction still existed. The Red King’s faction had deployed troops to that side to keep the Black King’s faction in check. But the Azure King’s faction was pushing all available troops to the border, as if they didn’t care about the Black King’s faction.

To put it nicely, it was a reckless boldness, but…

‘They’re insane.’

Chai Ke-chang clenched and unclenched his fist. Cold sweat was soaking his palm.

There were many people in the world, but only one person could make him this flustered.

The Azure King.

Chai Ke-chang prided himself on being second to none in terms of schemes, but he couldn’t even guess what the Azure King was thinking.

It wasn’t so much that he was being caught off guard, but more like…

‘It feels like he’s playing above my head.’

While he was struggling on the ground, the Azure King was looking down from a high place, doing everything that would annoy him.

That’s why he felt so terrible.

“What about the Azure King’s movements?”

“Nothing has been detected yet. He hasn’t appeared on the battlefield either.”

“…Damn it.”

Chai Ke-chang gritted his teeth.

He was ordering his subordinates to launch an all-out offensive, while he himself didn’t show his face. It was something no one but the Azure King could do.

Considering that he had shown his face several times before the all-out war began, it was even more incomprehensible.

“What should we do?”

“…Move half of the troops deployed in the rear to the front.”

“Will that be alright? Rather than that…”

“Shut up.”

Chai Ke-chang glared, knowing what his subordinate meant. The person who received his gaze flinched and lowered his head.

“This isn’t just about saving face. If the Red King were to recklessly step forward without knowing the Azure King’s location, we could be attacked from behind.”

“My thoughts were short-sighted.”

Chai Ke-chang bit his lip slightly.

When facing an unpredictable enemy, there was only one thing to do.

‘Maintain the center.’

He had to firmly hold his position and stick to the orthodox approach. It was a method that didn’t suit Chai Ke-chang at all, but there was no other way right now.

If he held on, an opportunity would surely come.

‘I’ll definitely seize that opportunity!’

Chai Ke-chang gritted his teeth.

“Tell the forces at the front to avoid escalating the conflict and hunker down! I’m authorizing them to retreat based on their own judgment.”

“B-but, if we do that, our territory will…”

“Give it up.”

“…Ch-Chai Ke-chang-nim?”

“It’s alright.”

Chai Ke-chang said firmly.

“This isn’t a land grab. It’s a fight to the death. In the end, the winner takes everything. We have to wait for the moment when we can achieve a perfect victory, even if we’re pushed to the last square inch.”

“Understood.”

As the adjutant nodded firmly, Chai Ke-chang leaned back and sighed.

‘Damn it.’

Click.

Click.

He spoke as if he was calm, but his hands were trembling, and he couldn’t light his cigarette properly.

He knew the path.

But the stakes were so high that he couldn’t calm down.

‘Damn it.’

Chai Ke-chang’s gaze unconsciously turned to one side.

‘Have those guys always felt like this?’

No, it must have been worse.

The Red King’s faction at least had comparable power to the Azure King’s faction, but those guys had always fought against enemies stronger than themselves.

He realized anew what kind of battles Kang Jin-ho and Lee Hyun-soo had been fighting.

Click.

Chai Ke-chang finally managed to light his cigarette, closed his eyes slightly, and took a deep drag.

‘The world is fair.’

While Chai Ke-chang had been leisurely watching them go through hellish wars, now it was their turn to watch the Red King’s faction.

‘Don’t look down on me, Lee Hyun-soo.’

I will definitely win. And then, you’re next.

* * *

“Thinking about it…”

“Huh?”

“Aren’t we allied with the Red King’s faction?”

Kang Jin-ho turned to Lee Hyun-soo with a ‘What the hell are you talking about?’ look.

“Well, nominally, aren’t we?”

“I guess so.”

“But they haven’t even asked for support, even as a joke. Usually, an alliance is for when you’re fighting someone else, so they can at least wave a support flag.”

“That’s not a bad idea.”

“Support, you mean?”

“No, the support flag. If they were waving it there, they’d probably die of frustration, wouldn’t they?”

“…It seems like Lord’s personality has gotten a little worse lately.”

“It’s not just a little, it’s a problem.”

Kang Jin-ho chuckled.

Many countries in the world are bound by the name of alliance. But how many of those alliances would actually lend a hand in a crisis?

There were many hollow alliances in the Central Plains [a historical region in China] in the past. But those alliances rarely functioned as true alliances.

“What’s the situation?”

“It seems like they’re almost at the brink of an all-out war…”

Lee Hyun-soo said with a slightly bored tone.

“It’s just a show anyway.”

“Hmm?”

“An all-out war won’t happen. An all-out war between the Three Kings’ factions doesn’t mean that troops are clashing. Even if everyone is dying, you can’t call it an all-out war until the Azure King and the Red King face off. They probably know that too.”

Kang Jin-ho nodded.

“I guess so.”

“It seems like both of them are very heavy-bottomed [stubborn or unwilling to act], so I don’t know when this will end if it continues like this. It might drag on for a long time.”

“It won’t take that long.”

At those words, Lee Hyun-soo glanced at Kang Jin-ho.

“A martial artist can’t help but be impatient.”

“Isn’t this a battle where everything is at stake?”

“If someone can send their subordinates to the battlefield and sit back and watch leisurely, they don’t deserve to be in that position.”

Lee Hyun-soo agreed with that statement.

Regardless of personal likes or dislikes, he had to acknowledge that the Azure King and the Red King were remarkable figures. Those two wouldn’t be able to watch their subordinates die forever.

“Then they’ll clash at some point.”

“That’s right.”

Lee Hyun-soo narrowed his brow slightly.

‘But will it really happen the way Lord thinks it will?’

He had some disagreements on that point.

The Red King was one thing, but the Azure King wasn’t someone who would settle things with a martial arts duel. Lee Hyun-soo wasn’t someone who knew the Azure King well, but based on his actions so far and the evaluations of others?

‘I smell a kindred spirit.’

Generally, martial artists like the Red King or Kang Jin-ho have a clear identity. They’re the type who think that they just need to become stronger to defeat their opponents, rather than using their brains. That’s why they’re honest, and that’s why they’re scary.

But the Azure King wasn’t that type.

He was the type who would use any means to win.

If Lee Hyun-soo or Chai Ke-chang had become the pinnacle of martial artists, they would have become like the Azure King.

Chai Ke-chang with strong martial arts?

‘I don’t even want to imagine it.’

And Chai Ke-chang had repeatedly acknowledged that the Azure King’s schemes were superior to his own.

‘That kind of guy, fair and square?’

That’s ridiculous.

Even if Lee Hyun-soo was in the same position, he would never think of settling things with a one-on-one duel with the Red King.

The thing that strategists hate the most is variables. They wouldn’t be able to endure the irony of having built up their power only to have the situation decided by a duel between absolute beings.

Lee Hyun-soo licked his lips.

“That means he has a sure-win conviction.”

“Hmm?”

Lee Hyun-soo turned to Kang Jin-ho.

“If I had to bet, I’d bet on the Azure King’s faction.”

“Why?”

“The Azure King isn’t someone who would engage in a battle he can’t win. If he’s making a move, it means he’s confident he’ll win. Would someone who has endured for decades suddenly act like this because he can’t take it anymore?”

Kang Jin-ho narrowed his brow.

“That’s true. So, what’s the plan?”

“There isn’t one.”

Lee Hyun-soo shrugged.

“Since all we have to do is wait until one of them wins, I recommend that we finish everything we need to do in the meantime.”

“Is there anything left?”

“There’s something very important left.”

Lee Hyun-soo curled up the corners of his mouth.

“Wars require war funds, don’t they? We need to make all the money we can.”

“…Money?”

“Yes. We need to fleece them.”

Kang Jin-ho looked at Lee Hyun-soo with a strange expression.

“That seems like it’s mixed with emotion?”

“You’re mistaken. I’m only pursuing profit with a pure heart.”

“That sounds even worse…”

Lee Hyun-soo shrugged.

“That’s why I’m saying, has there been any contact from that Chairman Jung?”

“I’m not taking his calls.”

“…Excuse me?”

Kang Jin-ho shrugged.

“Director Lee Hyun-joo is handling the contact herself. Nothing is even reaching me.”

“She’s overdoing it.”

“I know.”

Lee Hyun-soo smiled wryly.

‘Well, it’s not like I can tell her not to overdo it.’

In the end, the people who climb to the top are the ones who overdo it. People who make ordinary efforts will reach their limits at some point.

“Is it complicated?”

“Not at all. Do you know what my dream is?”

“What is it?”

“To be a househusband.”

Lee Hyun-soo chuckled.

“If I could meet a capable wife and live while taking care of the kids, I wouldn’t ask for anything more. I hope they take my position soon.”

“Even if that situation comes, you have to think about whether Director Lee will even meet you.”

“…You’re making unusually sharp remarks for someone like Lord lately.”

Kang Jin-ho chuckled softly as he looked at the sulking Lee Hyun-soo.

He was making silly jokes, but his eyes didn’t leave the reports that were flying into his phone.

‘What are you thinking, Red King?’

Lee Hyun-soo was focused on the Azure King, but Kang Jin-ho was thinking about the Red King.

Lee Hyun-soo was right.

The Azure King wouldn’t move without certainty.

The problem was that the Red King wasn’t someone who wouldn’t know that.

Kang Jin-ho’s gaze turned to the west.

‘Waiting isn’t easy either.’

Kang Jin-ho, who was forcibly suppressing his desire to jump into the battlefield right away, sighed softly.