Descent of The Demon Master [EN]: Chapter 1656

Flames licked at his skin, and explosions hammered his eardrums. Yet, Lee Hyun-soo gritted his teeth, enduring the pain that wracked his entire body. His insides churned, his mouth filled with blood, but he didn’t scream like before.

‘Hold on!’

The directors were doing their best to shield them from the bombardment. He couldn’t afford to cry out or show weakness here.

Kwaaaaaaaang!

Another blast crashed down above them.

However, the shockwave failed to penetrate the demonic energy radiating from Kang Jin-ho, dissipating harmlessly in all directions.

‘They’re all insane.’

Lee Hyun-soo’s eyes darted around restlessly.

The Changwang Clan bastards, bombing the middle of the city, were clearly out of their minds. No matter how much they valued extreme efficiency, there were lines you simply didn’t cross.

‘They’re crossing the line, these crazy bastards!’

If he could, he’d love to tear off that Changwang’s head and dissect it.

‘How can someone like that exist in this world?’

The relentless bombing was terrifying. But what scared Lee Hyun-soo even more was the existence of Changwang himself.

Changwang was an incredibly cautious individual. He was someone who could endure for decades, waiting for the perfect moment to strike, all to avoid defeat. Yet, once he moved, he didn’t hesitate to bomb a city.

Caution and madness.

How was anyone supposed to deal with a person who embodied both?

You needed to understand your opponent to strategize. But Changwang was someone you couldn’t calculate. Especially for Lee Hyun-soo, Changwang was a natural enemy.

“Damn it!”

Kwaaaaaaaang!

Another blast swept through. The concentrated fire from the self-propelled guns seemed intent on erasing the entire city.

Kwaaaaaaaang!

Kwaaaaaaaang!

Black smoke billowed into the sky, threatening to engulf everything.

Then…

After a long barrage of explosions and artillery fire, the surroundings finally began to quiet down.

“Ugh…”

Thud.

Bator collapsed to the ground. Having been at the forefront, he had taken a considerable impact, shaking his head repeatedly.

“I’ve never heard that Changwang was such a madman.”

“Me neither.”

Jang Min also wore a grim expression.

“…I don’t think the directors are in a position to say that.”

Lee Hyun-soo spat out the blood in his mouth and gave a bitter smile.

Bombing a city was insane, but those who could withstand such a bombardment with their bare bodies were hardly human either.

Enough firepower to wipe out an entire division had been concentrated here, yet while there were injuries, no one had died.

Click.

Kang Jin-ho tossed the broken cigarette on the ground and took out a new one, placing it in his mouth. Then, with a calm gaze, he looked around.

“It’s clean now.”

At his words, Lee Hyun-soo subtly shifted his gaze.

Indeed.

The buildings that had been densely packed around them had been reduced to near-vaporization. If not for the debris on the ground, one could believe that no buildings had ever existed there.

“…He’s not ordinary.”

Wiggins frowned at the sight.

“The buildings behind us are mostly intact. This means they checked the angles of the incoming fire and positioned the self-propelled guns accordingly. In other words…”

“You’re saying they knew we’d gather here?”

“…Probably.”

Everyone fell silent at his words.

‘What the hell is he?’

Lee Hyun-soo clenched his fist tightly.

Changwang.

He had heard of him countless times, vowing to one day face and defeat him. But the more he experienced, the more Lee Hyun-soo was filled with dread at the very existence of Changwang.

To be filled with dread by someone whose face he hadn’t even seen was absurd.

Yet, Changwang was doing it effortlessly.

“Hoo…”

Kang Jin-ho slowly exhaled a plume of smoke. Then, he glanced back. His gaze met Hongwang’s, whose face had turned pale.

“You were dealing with a madman.”

“…I didn’t think it would be this bad either. He used to have some humanity.”

“When was that?”

“Thirty years ago.”

“…That’s a very cold analysis.”

Lee Hyun-soo asked, watching Kang Jin-ho chuckle.

“What do we do, Chairman? Another bombardment is likely coming. Shouldn’t we try to escape before that?”

“I suppose so.”

Kang Jin-ho said with a slightly indifferent look.

“But it doesn’t seem like they’re going to let us.”

“Huh?”

That’s when it happened.

Woo-oong.

The ground suddenly began to vibrate slightly.

‘An earthquake?’

No, it couldn’t be. An earthquake at this moment?

Lee Hyun-soo lifted his head with a stiff expression. If it wasn’t a pre-planted bomb, then there was only one explanation for this vibration.

“They’re coming.”

Bator muttered through gritted teeth.

At the same time, blue-clad warriors began to emerge from the distant roads and between the buildings.

The warriors advanced in perfect formation.

“…It’s like a tidal wave.”

“Were there this many?”

Even Jang Min and Wiggins stared at the scene with horrified expressions. The sight of warriors pouring out of every road and gap was like something out of a horror movie.

‘Like a horde of zombies.’

Lee Hyun-soo bit his lower lip.

“Didn’t you say there was no one within a 10km radius?”

“Even an average athlete can cover that distance in 30 minutes. A warrior could do it in 5. They had plenty of time to move after the bombardment started.”

“…Those damn bastards.”

Lee Hyun-soo gritted his teeth.

He had expected a trap.

But the trap Lee Hyun-soo had imagined was more like a pit with sharpened stakes or a rock falling from above.

You couldn’t call pouring oil over an entire mountain and setting it on fire just to catch one person a trap.

That was exactly what Changwang was doing.

Just eight.

To capture less than ten people, he mobilized an army and gathered all his subordinates. It was like setting off a bomb in your house to kill a mosquito.

“Hey, Chaikechang [a title of respect, similar to ‘Chief’],”

“Speak.”

“Is Changwang always this large-scale?”

“…It means he considers you that important. You should be honored. It’s the first time someone who isn’t one of the Three Kings has received such a grand welcome.”

“You talk too much. You damn bastard.”

Lee Hyun-soo gritted his teeth.

Whether it was the spirit of the continent or whatever, the scale of Changwang’s actions far exceeded Lee Hyun-soo’s imagination. Now, he was almost curious about what else was in store.

The Changwang’s warriors, who had surged in like a tidal wave, maintained a certain distance from Kang Jin-ho and his group, tightening their encirclement.

They didn’t attack.

If they had charged in with that momentum, they might have had a chance to escape in the chaos. But they seemed content to simply trap the group, forming a tight encirclement.

Every single action was suffocating.

Lee Hyun-soo looked at the Changwang Clan warriors who had stopped at a distance.

Their eyes were like blades.

‘They’re different.’

If the Hongwang Clan warriors had a fiery feel, these ones exuded a cold, detached aura. If the Hongwang Clan felt like a single sect, these ones were more like…

‘An army?’

Yes, that was closer.

How could he imbue so many warriors with the same feeling?

Even Kang Jin-ho, who had unprecedented control over the Assembly, couldn’t imbue his members with the same color. Even if he had the same time as Changwang, it wouldn’t be easy.

Yet, Changwang had accomplished this while keeping Hongwang and Black King in check. There was no telling the limits of his abilities.

Lee Hyun-soo glanced at Hongwang.

Before he knew of Changwang, Hongwang had seemed like the greatest warrior in the world. But now…

‘Is he just a strong bear?’

Of course, Hongwang wasn’t stupid, but everything was relative. No matter how strong a bear was, it would likely lose if it had to fight a cunning tiger in a dense forest.

“What do we do?”

“What do you mean, what do we do?”

Bator stood up.

“We break through! Just like the plan!”

“Through that?”

Jang Min smiled at Lee Hyun-soo’s words.

“Don’t worry, just stick close behind me. The Demon Lord favors you, so your life won’t be in danger.”

That was a kind thing to say, but at least one person seemed to have some sense left. Bang Jin-hoon spoke with a slightly frozen expression.

“Break through that? Are you all crazy and want to die?”

“No, there are more of those little bastards than ants. You want to break through that? Even a game character would run out of mana and get ganged up on!”

Lee Hyun-soo looked at Bang Jin-hoon with an expression of fervent agreement.

It was a relief that this guy had come with them.

“Do you have another option?”

“…Let’s try to negotiate. They’re people too, so they should be able to understand us.”

No.

This guy was the most out of his mind. Negotiate with the Changwang Clan?

“Quiet.”

At that moment, Kang Jin-ho, who had been observing the situation, spoke in a low voice.

“Hoo…”

Kang Jin-ho exhaled a plume of smoke and gestured forward with his chin.

“Let’s hear them out. It seems like they have something to say.”

“Huh?”

Lee Hyun-soo, who had reflexively questioned him, turned his head to look forward.

The way opened.

The Changwang Clan warriors, who had filled the street like a blue river, were parting to the left and right. And along that opened path, a man was slowly walking towards them.

Gulp.

Lee Hyun-soo swallowed hard without realizing it.

He knew.

Who that person was.

Without anyone explaining, without anyone confirming, everyone here understood who that man was.

Step, step, step.

Footsteps echoed.

It shouldn’t be possible, but the man’s footsteps pierced Lee Hyun-soo’s ears sharply.

And finally…

A man revealed himself along the fully opened path.

Clean white sneakers.

A slim, form-fitting black suit.

A blue tie peeking out from a white shirt subtly drew the eye, and above it, a sharp-featured face entered their vision.

Long, flowing hair.

But the neatly styled long hair gave off a chic rather than a messy vibe.

Step, step.

The man stopped.

Lee Hyun-soo bit his lower lip as he looked at the man.

On the surface, he was just a sharp-looking young man you might encounter in Gangnam [a wealthy district in Seoul].

But Lee Hyun-soo knew.

That he was the one who had come to greet them.

One of the Three Kings who ruled China.

Changwang.

Changwang, who had been coldly staring at them, fixed his gaze on Kang Jin-ho and slowly opened his mouth.