Descent Of The Demon Master [EN]: Chapter 1673

“Hmm.”

Wiggins shook his head, watching Bator and Jang Min rampage.

“Warriors, honestly.”

They were the type to solve everything with their bodies. He was a warrior too, but the paths of Eastern and Western warriors diverged.

If Wiggins were asked about the biggest difference between the two, what would he say?

Method? Or efficiency?

Or perhaps disposition?

Well.

In the past, one of those might have been the answer. But now, Wiggins’ thoughts had changed a bit from the past.

‘First, we have to talk about their incredible stamina.’

Just like Kang Jin-ho, Bator and Jang Min had insane stamina. If they were given time, they could probably fight endlessly.

For example, Wiggins couldn’t pursue that kind of combat. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to, but that he couldn’t.

If he were to waste his energy throwing tanks or using his aura to slice them apart, Wiggins would be exhausted in less than thirty minutes.

This wasn’t a difference in mastery, but a difference in the martial arts they had learned. Once mana was depleted, it couldn’t be recharged during battle. At least a minimal rest was needed.

But Eastern martial arts embraced nature and circulated ki [life force]. That’s why there was a difference in endurance.

Why was he saying all this?

“It’s inefficient.”

That’s why those guys didn’t hesitate to waste their stamina. There were plenty of more efficient ways to fight.

For example…

Whoooosh.

His fingertips began to trace patterns in the air.

‘I need to achieve maximum effect with minimum effort.’

The completed magic circle glowed and fell into the center of the clustered tanks.

“Huh…?”

Bang Jin-hoon tilted his head, watching the light of the magic circle seep in.

“What did you do?”

“As you can see, I used magic.”

“…Well, nothing seems to be happening? No fire bursting or ground collapsing, nothing like that?”

“Tsk, tsk.”

Wiggins clicked his tongue and pointed ahead with his chin.

“Look.”

Bang Jin-hoon squinted at the tanks.

Still, nothing seemed to have changed…

And then, at that very moment.

Whirrrrr!

A sound like a large motor turning filled the air, and then the central tank began to emit light.

‘Is it going to explode?’

Then, as the light disappeared, the tanks positioned around the central one began to be pulled in like metal drawn to a magnet.

Thud! Thump! Thud! Thud!

The tanks collided, creating a loud, bell-like noise.

None of the tanks were completely destroyed.

But the tanks that had been flipped and twisted while being pulled in were in no condition to fire. Considering the purpose of a tank, the tanks there were all useless the moment they were stuck like that.

“What exactly did you do?”

“It’s simple.”

Wiggins shrugged.

“There’s a magic that creates magnetic force. It’s usually used to seize the enemy’s weapons, but with a little modification, it can be used like this.”

“…That’s amazing.”

Bang Jin-hoon shook his head.

“People should move efficiently. Achieve maximum effect with minimum effort. Isn’t that what it means to be human?”

“Well, you’re not wrong, but…”

Bang Jin-hoon glanced back and chuckled.

“I don’t think someone under that guy should be saying that?”

Wiggins turned his head to look at Kang Jin-ho and nodded without realizing it.

“That’s a painful point.”

Even though Jang Min and Bator were rampaging and Wiggins had turned the tables, Kang Jin-ho was fidgeting like a dog that needed to pee.

“…Looks like the speed isn’t to his liking.”

“Is there anything that guy likes?”

“That’s another very relatable point.”

Kang Jin-ho took out a cigarette. Lee Hyun-soo frowned, noticing his fingertips trembling slightly as he held it.

“No, why are you doing that? You’re not a drug addict.”

“…Slow.”

“We’re destroying an entire division. This is pretty fast.”

They hadn’t completely destroyed it yet, but they had already crippled almost half of it. To expect more speed than this, they would need to bomb the place.

But such common sense wouldn’t apply to Kang Jin-ho.

Watching Kang Jin-ho anxiously puffing on his cigarette, Lee Hyun-soo also felt frustrated. His clothes were already tattered, and now he was smoking like that…

‘It’s a good thing he’s handsome, or else he’d look like a homeless guy.’

But he could also understand why Kang Jin-ho was so anxious.

Breaking through the army wasn’t the problem. The problem was that the moment a battle broke out here, their location would be transmitted to Changwang.

Since it was clear that Changwang and the government forces were in cahoots, their information would soon become Changwang’s information.

In other words, Changwang’s faction would probably have already pinpointed their location and started moving. They had gained some distance, but for warriors, a distance of 200km was nothing, they could cover it in a few hours.

The longer they dragged it out, the more disadvantageous it would be for them.

“We need to finish this faster.”

Thump.

Someone grabbed Kang Jin-ho’s shoulder as he was about to step forward.

“Huh?”

Kang Jin-ho turned his head.

Hongwang was there, smiling brightly.

“You seem to be in a hurry. Then I’ll finish it.”

“No…”

“Conserve your strength here. Your injuries are no better than mine.”

“Ah, no…”

“Then.”

Hongwang pushed Kang Jin-ho back and started running forward.

“Hahaha! It feels like it’s been decades since I fought an army!”

Hongwang burst into laughter and threw a punch, sending the tank in front of him flying.

Kang Jin-ho stared blankly at the scene.

“It might sound a bit strange in this situation, but…”

Lee Hyun-soo said awkwardly.

“Everyone seems to be having fun.”

Indeed.

They really did seem to be having fun.

Kang Jin-ho looked ahead with a sullen expression.

The outcome of a battle between an army and warriors was already decided. But what was happening in front of him was different from the norm.

Hongwang, Bator, and Jang Min were top-tier warriors, so rare that it would be difficult to find their equals anywhere in the world.

Against such opponents, the People’s Liberation Army’s mechanized division was utterly powerless.

If they could keep their distance and fire artillery at will, the situation might be different, but once they allowed close combat, the outcome was already decided.

After all, tanks weren’t designed to fight enemies at close range. Of course, it wouldn’t make much of a difference even if armored vehicles were present.

Krrrrrrrr!

And it seemed they had predicted the outcome as well.

The tanks that hadn’t been affected by the magnetic force began to retreat from the battlefield. If they had intended to keep their distance and fire artillery, they would have turned their turrets and increased their speed, but it seemed they didn’t have such awareness.

It was a rout, plain and simple.

“There’s no way they received orders to do that.”

Lee Hyun-soo clicked his tongue.

The terrified soldiers were running away without considering the situation. It was something a soldier shouldn’t do, but he didn’t feel like blaming them.

‘I’d run away too.’

Was it even a reasonable order to fight those monsters with tanks surrounded by flimsy metal?

There were hundreds of ways to die. There was no need to choose such a pointless death among so many.

And the first person was always the hardest, but it was easier from the second one on.

After confirming that the tanks at the end were retreating, the other tanks also began to leave the battlefield and speed away.

“Those bastards!”

Bator glared and tried to chase after the tanks, but Lee Hyun-soo raised his voice and shouted.

“Don’t chase them!”

“…What?”

“Chasing them isn’t important right now! If we’ve opened a path, we need to move immediately!”

“Oh…”

—

Perhaps thinking that he was right, Bator stopped. Even then, he looked at the fleeing tanks with a regretful expression.

Thud!

He lightly punched a flipped tank next to him.

“Then what about these guys? Should we kill them all?”

“Leave them. I don’t think they can get out on their own.”

“…I guess not.”

“Let’s move. Our location will be known to Changwang now, and he’ll be furious and try to chase us here.”

Bator glanced back.

There was no way he could see Changwang from here. Nevertheless, the fact that Bator was showing such a reaction meant that he was also feeling a great burden from Changwang’s presence, even if he didn’t say it.

“We just need to get to Mongolia.”

Wiggins nodded lightly.

“And from now on, everyone needs to match my speed when moving.”

“…What’s that supposed to mean?”

“You don’t think only the army was mobilized, do you?”

Bator frowned.

“Are you saying there might be bombers?”

“It would be fortunate if it were just that. If it were me, I’d launch missiles.”

Bator’s mouth fell open at the word ‘missiles.’

“That far?”

“Do you think mobilizing dozens of tanks is a small matter? Even if they didn’t intend to, Changwang would do it. The moment we’re in their sights, that entire area will be blown away.”

“…Then what are we going to do?”

“I’ll cast an illusion magic over our heads. That way, they won’t be able to pinpoint our location and launch missiles.”

Not just Bator, but everyone couldn’t hide their bewilderment.

Missiles?

“…I don’t know what I’m doing anymore.”

Jang Min shook his head.

It was a fight between warriors. But now, they had to prepare for war while fighting warriors.

“…Does the change of times not wait for people?”

“Elder, you seem to be keeping up with the changes well enough, so you don’t need to be so dramatic.”

Jang Min chuckled at Wiggins’ words.

“So… can that illusion magic avoid satellite cameras? If it’s a method of deceiving the human eye, it won’t be able to fool a camera, right?”

“It’s a method of refracting light, so it can avoid cameras. It’s a magic that was used when the Round Table [a group of powerful mages] was deployed in war, so its effectiveness is certain.”

“Hmm, I see. Refraction…”

Bator slyly approached Kang Jin-ho and poked his shoulder.

“Master.”

“Hmm?”

“What does that mean?”

“…I don’t know either.”

The two of them simultaneously looked at Lee Hyun-soo.

Then, Lee Hyun-soo sighed and said,

“Just know that it means we won’t be caught on camera.”

“Then that’s good enough.”

“Alright, let’s go.”

Lee Hyun-soo shook his head, watching the two of them stick close to Wiggins.