Descent of The Demon Master [EN]: Chapter 1745

[We’ve arrived!]

[Holding position at the designated location!]

[Deployment complete!]

Voices erupted from the radio, one after another. Lee Hyun-soo didn’t miss a single one, his eyes glued to the GPS on the screen.

“Deploy the surface-to-air missiles!”

[Roger.]

Kang Jin-ho’s eyes widened as he turned to Lee Hyun-soo.

“Mi, missiles?”

“Ah, don’t be alarmed. They’re just personal-sized missiles.”

“Personal-sized for a person, or for a drone?”

“…Well, for a drone, of course.”

‘That’s not a small matter then?’

“You’re going to fire missiles?”

“No, I’m telling you, they’re not *those* kinds of missiles. They’re small. The warhead is only about the size of a human head.”

Kang Jin-ho nodded blankly.

Having been severely burned by missiles once before, he now flinched at the mere mention of the word.

“But why do you need them?”

“To stop the rats from escaping. If any helicopters try to fly out, we’ll shoot them all down.”

“Honestly, getting support from the air force would be the best, but these cowards say they can’t come in here no matter what. Such scaredy-cats. They’re the US military, for crying out loud, what’s so scary about China?”

‘No.’

‘You should be scared, you idiot. Are you trying to start a world war?’ Kang Jin-ho always tried to maintain a sense of gravity when engaging in war, but Lee Hyun-soo casually crossed that line.

‘He’s really out of control.’

What kind of madman would bring surface-to-air missiles for drones when infiltrating Chinese territory?

“Where did you even get those?”

“Stolen? No, we borrowed them. They’re American-made. Since the old days, Koreans have loved American-made stuff, even chocolate.”

“…You’re insane.”

Kang Jin-ho shook his head.

“We’ve already used this tactic once. If we get caught by our own methods, that’s just pathetic. I’d rather starve to death than see that happen.”

‘Is he being meticulous, or is he just crazy?’

Either way, his obsession with not letting Changwang escape was palpable.

“The problem is… hmm.”

Lee Hyun-soo frowned, looking at the GPS.

“Those slow-poke Chinese bastards! They still haven’t arrived! Seriously, these guys…”

“…Don’t say that. I was once Chinese.”

“Ah, you’re half-Chinese, aren’t you? I’ll give you that.”

“…Thanks.”

‘How touching.’

Lee Hyun-soo gritted his teeth.

“I told them to arrive on time! Chai Ke-chang, that incompetent fool!”

“Are they very late?”

“They’ll be here soon.”

“Then why are you so angry?”

“I need to vent. I finally have a reason to complain. I want to call him and yell, but I’m holding back.”

But despite his calm tone, a subtle anxiety was visible on Lee Hyun-soo’s face.

‘Time is of the essence.’

It sounded good.

Arriving first and surrounding them first could overcome the difference in numbers. And it would prevent Changwang from having time to think.

The key was to strike first.

No matter how great someone was, their strategies and tactics were limited when they were on the defensive. It was different from when they could control everything at their own pace.

With this strategy, Lee Hyun-soo had gained the initiative and overcome the difference in numbers.

The problem was that it wouldn’t last forever.

‘If we drag this out, we’ll be surrounded.’ If Changwang held his ground in the center, and the forces spread out along the coast surrounded them in unison, they would be completely annihilated in a hell with no escape.

They had to kill Changwang before they arrived to have any chance of survival.

‘Consider it an honor, Changwang.’

Lee Hyun-soo gritted his teeth.

He didn’t want to praise himself. This was a do-or-die situation. To be blunt, Lee Hyun-soo, who was the type to avoid risky moves and try to bleed his opponents dry, was forced into a do-or-die situation by that monster.

A do-or-die situation meant annihilation if they failed.

Even with two absolute powerhouses like Kang Jin-ho and Hongwang, they could only go this far.

[We’ve arrived!]

“You’re late, you moron!”

[I won’t say anything because of the situation… but I swear, I’m going to rip your mouth apart.]

Chai Ke-chang’s voice came through the radio.

Lee Hyun-soo’s face lit up at the sound of his voice.

‘Yes!’

If Changwang exploited the gap before they could properly surround him, this strategy would collapse in an instant. Fortunately, that hadn’t happened, which made Lee Hyun-soo rejoice.

“Is everyone here?”

[Everyone will be here within five minutes.]

Lee Hyun-soo bit his lip. He knew how difficult it was to hold back, conserve strength, and then break through the encirclement to get here.

He understood, but he was still angry.

‘Damn it.’

A strategy was bound to go wrong.

They could only minimize those errors and make adjustments in the best direction at every moment.

[Deployment complete!]

“Good!”

Lee Hyun-soo shouted and ran forward.

The vast mountains spread out before his eyes. Changwang was in there. And Changwang’s forces were probably swarming inside like cockroaches.

“I can smell it.”

Kang Jin-ho stood next to Lee Hyun-soo, his lips curling up.

“Looks like we came to the right place. The killing intent is thick.”

Lee Hyun-soo nodded with a grim face.

‘It all starts now.’

Everything up to this point was just preparation. Everything would be decided from now on.

There were too many uncertainties to list. The most unsettling thing was that they weren’t moving. They must have known they were being surrounded from about halfway through.

They must have taken some kind of countermeasure, but there was no movement on the satellite images.

‘I don’t know what they’re thinking, but…’

It didn’t matter. He had done his best, and there was no better way.

“Lord Hui!”

“We’ll begin the assault.”

Kang Jin-ho’s eyes gleamed coldly.

Kang Jin-ho, with his cold, calm eyes, looked down silently and nodded.

“Instead…”

“Yes.”

“I’ll go first.”

Lee Hyun-soo smiled at Kang Jin-ho.

“I expected you would.”

Kang Jin-ho nodded and turned around.

“Are you ready?”

“We’re ready anytime!”

“Good.”

The demonic flames surged as they gathered behind Kang Jin-ho.

“Let’s go!”

“Yes!”

The demonic flames rushed past Kang Jin-ho and threw themselves off the cliff.

Lee Hyun-soo clenched his fist at their unwavering advance.

At that moment.

*Thump.*

Kang Jin-ho grabbed the back of Lee Hyun-soo’s neck and threw himself off the cliff without hesitation.

His eyes began to burn.

‘Changwang.’

When they had fought before, Kang Jin-ho had the upper hand against Changwang. But he couldn’t call it a victory.

Just like how Kang Jin-ho, who had been pushed back by Hongwang in the past, had completely defeated Hongwang this time, the tide of battle could turn at any moment.

‘I’ll take your head this time for sure.’

Kang Jin-ho, exuding a chilling killing intent, kicked off the ground and charged into the dense forest, where even light seemed unable to penetrate.

“Kill them! All of them!”

Demonic energy and madness surged in his eyes.

The Demonic Cult wasn’t the strongest force in the Alliance, but it was the largest. [The Alliance refers to a group of factions working together.]

The demons, who had once ruled the Central Plains but were now treated like trash. The demons who had gathered under Kang Jin-ho, holding their breath and training themselves, were about to unleash their pent-up rage tonight.

The demons were starting to lose their minds, but Jang Min didn’t try to restrain them.

He knew.

Even though the cult members had been mobilized for various wars since joining the Alliance, this was the first time they were truly facing the Three Kings, whom they considered their true enemies.

How much had they been oppressed?

How much had they suffered?

All that resentment was now erupting.

“Kill them!”

Jang Min roared like a beast under the moonlight.

“Tear their throats and rip their bellies! Bite their flesh and crush their bones! Show them how deep our centuries of anger run!”

Instead of an answer, beastly roars echoed.

Ten thousand Demonic Cult members. Among them, the elite demons who had been carefully selected, dyed their eyes crimson and slaughtered the enemy.

“Damn it! These trash!”

“Where did these guys come from!”

Changwang’s warriors, who stood in their way, let out bewildered shouts.

They knew about the demons.

But the demons they were facing now were completely different from the demons they had known.

They were not using the miscellaneous demonic arts that turned people into madmen when mastered… The demons who had mastered the proper demonic arts that had led the Demonic Cult to its golden age were no longer easy opponents.

No, rather…

*Crack!*

A black hand pierced through flesh.

The elders of the Demonic Cult, lined up next to Jang Min, emitted black demonic energy like clouds and gritted their teeth.

“Changwang’s faction, you bastards!”

“We’ll kill you all, every last one of you!”

Those who had been oppressed and killed for fun without even being able to resist were now releasing their pent-up anger.

More violently than necessary, and more cruelly than necessary.

“Aaaargh!”

“Re, retreat! These guys are not normal! Retreat… Aaaargh!”

Shouts echoed incessantly, and screams of pain tore through the air.

The Demonic Cult members, covered in blood, charged at the enemy like a pack of wolves.

Nothing survived where they passed.

Jang Min, watching the scene, smiled a bloodstained smile and looked up at the sky.

“Isn’t it a fine night?”

They had endured the pain of having their blood and souls torn apart, waiting for the return of the Demon Lord. This night would be the time to be compensated for all that suffering.

He knew.

The Demon Lord no longer desired a world ruled by demons. The Demon Lord he had waited for and the Kang Jin-ho he served now were not the same person.

But it didn’t matter.

They didn’t want to dominate or rule. All they wanted was a piece of land to rest their weary bodies and peace.

They would risk their lives for that.

“Fight! Kill! For the Demon Lord! No…”

Jang Min roared and charged forward.

“Fight for yourselves! We will kill them and seize our lives! With one battle, we will gain a thousand years of peace!”

Perhaps that was the Demon Lord’s will.

The demons, who had returned to the land of China after years, began their struggle to protect their own lives.

The tangled web of resentment, which could no longer be unraveled, was set ablaze.

The forest, stained with darkness, was quickly filled with the smell of blood.