Descent of The Demon Master [EN]: Chapter 1645

The phrase ‘a tense atmosphere’ might sound cliché, but there’s no better way to describe the current state of the General Assembly.

The members of the General Assembly, having returned from their final leave, had a cold glint in their eyes.

Everyone knew.

How dangerous this war was.

And how important it was.

A large-scale battle, the likes of which the General Assembly had never experienced, was about to unfold.

The General Assembly had faced numerous crises before, but frankly, none were as critical as this one.

Victory would secure their future, but defeat would mean the end.

It was possible that everyone here could lose their lives.

Knowing this, the members of the General Assembly were sharpening their skills to give their all in the final battle.

“…It’s intense.”

Bang Jin-hoon clicked his tongue as he looked out the window.

It wasn’t that he felt any particularly strong energy or anything.

Rather, it was more like…

“I can even hear the birds chirping.”

When the mountains are quiet, you can hear the birds singing, the insects chirping, and even the sound of the wind passing by. Normally, these sounds would be symbols of peace, but hearing them at the General Assembly felt out of place.

“Isn’t it because everyone here is holding their breath?”

Weigins looked at Bang Jin-hoon with a smirk.

“You know it all, so don’t emphasize it unnecessarily and come sit down.”

“Ugh.”

Bang Jin-hoon groaned and then came to sit on the sofa.

“Director Bang.”

“Yes.”

“I know you’re anxious, but don’t show it too much. If you’re uneasy, others will become uneasy too.”

“…The directors?”

“The members.”

Weigins said firmly.

“If the higher-ups are anxious, that atmosphere will spread to those below. Don’t underestimate your influence. Even the expression you wear when you come to work can change the atmosphere of the General Assembly that day.”

“What am I…”

Weigins sighed.

“So be careful.”

“Understood, Director.”

Bang Jin-hoon nodded, seemingly agreeing with Weigins’ words.

“However…”

Bang Jin-hoon scratched his cheek.

“Maybe it’s because I don’t have experience with this, but I’m having a hard time getting a grip on things.”

“…I understand.”

Weigins looked at Kang Jin-ho with a subtle gaze.

Kang Jin-ho also had a slightly dazed look on his face and had been puffing away at his cigarette since earlier.

‘I thought things would be more urgent since we’re going to attack.’

This is actually more relaxed than when we were waiting for them to attack.

All preparations were complete.

Conceptually, ‘perfect’ preparation doesn’t exist in the world. In the end, those preparing for war only pursue the best they can do in that situation.

In that sense, the General Assembly had finished its preparations for war. Now, if the order was given, everyone would start moving at once.

The only problem was…

“When are we going?”

“Who knows.”

Bang Jin-hoon’s cheeks twitched at Kang Jin-ho’s answer.

“No, don’t you have any plan? Are we just supposed to sit here twiddling our thumbs?”

Kang Jin-ho said with a disgruntled look.

“…We can’t do anything until they clash and a decision is made.”

What could he do if they didn’t clash?

Kang Jin-ho turned his head to look at Lee Hyun-soo.

“Any news from the US?”

“The Hong King is still advancing north.”

“What about the Chang King?”

“He’s nowhere to be seen.”

Kang Jin-ho’s eyebrows twitched.

“…Is he just planning to keep running away?”

“He’s definitely a madman. His main base is almost completely destroyed, but I didn’t expect him to hold out this long.”

“Yeah…”

They had underestimated the Chang King.

Logically, if the Hong King pushed this far, the Chang King would have to fight the Hong King, even if it was against his will. But the Chang King had far exceeded their expectations.

“Is he crazy…”

Even Bator spat out harsh words.

Lee Hyun-soo shook his head.

“When it comes to the Chang King, Chai Ke-chang gets so worked up, I wondered what was so great about him… but this is really beyond imagination. He doesn’t follow basic logic.”

Lee Hyun-soo frowned as he looked at the map of China spread out on the table.

“…Is he planning to run away to Russia?”

The Hong King was almost traversing the Chang King’s territory. He was capturing and killing everything in his path, destroying everything that blocked him.

“He’s pushing through like a bulldozer, and they’re holding out? This? Their territory is being wiped out?”

Of course, for martial artists, the land they control doesn’t have much meaning. Unlike the outside world, where territory is directly converted into productivity, productivity isn’t a particularly helpful factor in the martial world.

However.

Losing control over the people living in that territory was a big problem.

Even martial artists need to eat to live. In other words, they need to make money.

You can’t just swing a sword in the mountains and expect money to appear. There needs to be a process of converting martial power into financial power, and most of that process involves the lives of ordinary people.

But right now, the Chang King’s faction was enduring all of that.

“Didn’t the Hong King do the same thing?”

“It’s completely different. It’s true that the Chang King’s faction pushed into the Hong King’s territory, but they didn’t approach the core cities controlled by the Hong King. But now, the Hong King is dividing the Chang King’s faction from east to west. If this were a normal war, it would be over here.”

“Divided from east to west…”

Certainly, if this kind of situation occurred in a war, it was as good as decided.

But Kang Jin-ho frowned upon hearing those words.

“Lee Hyun-soo.”

Not Chief Lee, but Lee Hyun-soo. Lee Hyun-soo, hearing Kang Jin-ho’s words, answered with a tense face.

“Yes!”

“Where is the Hong King now?”

Lee Hyun-soo pointed to the north of the map.

“The last place he was spotted was Datong. Now, he’s probably past Datong and close to the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. Once he reaches the end, he’ll sweep through the densely populated cities in the east, like a purification.”

“And the north is the border?”

“Yes.”

Kang Jin-ho tilted his head.

“Is the Hong King alone right now?”

“No. The Hong King’s elites are following him. Except for the troops needed to control the territory, almost all of their forces are concentrated there.”

“Here?”

“Yes.”

Kang Jin-ho’s face became serious.

“…Isn’t he going too deep?”

At Kang Jin-ho’s words, everyone looked at the map.

“Uh…”

“You’re saying he pushed all the way from here to here.”

A long line was drawn from Wuhan to Datong, almost traversing the continent.

That line alone showed how rapidly the Hong King had charged forward.

“It looks impressive like this, but realistically…”

Kang Jin-ho pointed to a spot in the north with his finger.

“All the troops are gathered here. If the rear is blocked, wouldn’t they be surrounded by the Chang King’s faction?”

“That’s true, but…”

Lee Hyun-soo scratched his cheek.

“As I said before, the nature of a war between martial artists is different from a normal clash of forces. First of all, their mobility is excellent, so they can quickly escape when in danger, and…”

“…This distance?”

Lee Hyun-soo closed his mouth.

This distance was several times the distance from Busan to Seoul [major cities in South Korea].

Even if they were martial artists, could they escape while shaking off pursuers over such a distance?

“Chai Ke-chang isn’t an idiot.”

Lee Hyun-soo sighed.

“It would be nice if he were an idiot, but honestly, Chai Ke-chang is an extremely intelligent guy. He wouldn’t have done this without thinking about that. He must have calculated that even if the enemies surrounded them, he could defeat them with the forces he has and the Hong King’s abilities.”

Kang Jin-ho tilted his head.

“There’s one thing I want to ask…”

“Yes.”

“Can Chai Ke-chang accurately assess and calculate the Hong King’s martial prowess?”

Lee Hyun-soo closed his mouth.

Calculate?

‘No. That’s impossible.’

Chai Ke-chang was a half-baked martial artist. Of course, he wasn’t as extremely untalented in martial arts as Lee Hyun-soo. With his martial power alone, he could probably subdue most of the General Assembly, except for the directors.

But if the target of his assessment became one of the Three Kings, his eyes would be no different from those of an ordinary person.

That’s how extreme the difference between Chai Ke-chang and the Three Kings was. Even if he died and was reborn several times, the moment Chai Ke-chang could understand the Hong King’s martial prowess would never come.

In other words…

“He made a strategy based on something he doesn’t understand?”

Weigins let out a groan.

“But the Chang King would fully understand the Hong King, since he’s at a similar level.”

“…Wait a minute.”

Lee Hyun-soo’s face contorted.

“Then, are you saying that the Chang King is taking into account Chai Ke-chang’s lack of understanding of martial arts and is doing this? That he’s just opening a path and gently luring him in, knowing he’ll walk straight into the trap?”

“That would be impossible for the usual Chai Ke-chang. However…”

Weigins thought for a moment and then spoke as if gritting his teeth.

“…Could it be that far?”

“Huh?”

“Chai Ke-chang was about to die when the Hong King appeared and saved him with overwhelming force.”

“Yes. The Blood Demon already reported that.”

“Isn’t it a coincidence? That such a thing happened just when the Hong King was about to reach Chai Ke-chang?”

Lee Hyun-soo closed his mouth.

‘I didn’t think about it.’

The information about the Hong King’s martial prowess was so overwhelming that there was no time to think about anything else. But now that he heard it, it was clearly a coincidence.

“What if the Chang King knew? And what if he deliberately imprinted that scene into Chai Ke-chang’s mind?”

“…What does that mean?”

“Chai Ke-chang doesn’t understand the Hong King’s martial prowess. He’s just accepting visual information and making guesses. In Chai Ke-chang’s eyes, the Hong King would have looked like an almost divine being. It would have felt like no one could defeat the Hong King.”

At Weigins’ words, Lee Hyun-soo groaned.

“Then…”

“He loses his fear.”

Lee Hyun-soo turned his head and looked at the map again.

‘This?’

Thinking about it, it was strange. The usual Chai Ke-chang would never have chosen such a path of advance. Even if it took time, he would have gradually taken over the enemy’s territory and slowly tightened the noose.

Both the Chang King and Chai Ke-chang were similar sadists.

But this wasn’t a strategist’s method. It was just…

“He’s following the Hong King’s movements.”

“He’s intoxicated.”

Kang Jin-ho said as if spitting out the words.

“People feel divinity in beings that transcend human abilities. And then they begin to worship them.”

Kang Jin-ho knew this very well.

In the past, the Demonic Cult had obeyed him in that way.

For a person to follow another person’s orders to the point of risking their life is actually almost impossible. That’s why the leader of the Demonic Cult was revered as a god while still being human.

“Those who have seen divinity become blind. Because discussing the impossible becomes blasphemy.”

“…Then, is this advance not Chai Ke-chang’s intention?”

“Probably.”

“Then…”

Lee Hyun-soo’s lips trembled slightly.

“…Did he walk straight into the trap?”

With his eyes open?

“These madmen…”

Just as Lee Hyun-soo was about to shout,

Bzzzzzz!

“Huh?”

Bzzzzzz!

Lee Hyun-soo’s phone on the table vibrated. Everyone stared at the phone, speechless.

The name on the screen was all too familiar to them.

– Chai Ke-chang

Lee Hyun-soo stared at the phone with trembling eyes, then reached out and pressed the screen to connect the call.

“…What is it?”

For a while, no words were heard.

The only thing that could be heard was rough breathing.

Low, rough breathing that seemed like it would break at any moment.

“Chai Ke-chang!”

[Lee… Hyun-soo.]

As if he heard his name, a faint voice came from the other side.

[He, help… help me…]

Lee Hyun-soo’s face turned cold.

At the same time, the air in the room grew cold.

[Cha, Chang King… trap… here is Jang Ja…]

At that moment, the call seemed to be filled with static, and then the connection was lost.

Lee Hyun-soo hurriedly grabbed the phone and tried to call back, but the connection failed.

“What the…”

Everyone was speechless at the bewildering situation they had never imagined.

And then…

Click.

Kang Jin-ho, having lit a cigarette, slowly exhaled smoke and curled up the corners of his mouth.

“It feels real now.”

“That the war has begun.”

Kang Jin-ho revealed his white teeth.