Descent of The Demon Master [EN]: Chapter 1767

Something was twisted.

But he couldn’t pinpoint exactly where it had gone wrong.

Changwang stared at Kang Jin-ho, who was wielding his sword with a bloodless face.

His breathing was shallow.

Shallow and rapid breaths indicated that his blood was flowing faster than usual.

‘Am I even agitated?’

Changwang grabbed his own face. Warmth from his palm… no, heat beyond warmth was transmitted. The temperature of his clearly flushed face made his expression twist involuntarily.

‘Kang Jin-ho.’

What bewildered him even more was that those currently fighting Kang Jin-ho were not able to exert their full strength.

He was the one who prepared everything.

The people he had placed around him were carefully selected solely to face Kang Jin-ho. They made up for their lack of power with compatibility, and those who were still lacking were filled with extreme loyalty.

That’s why it was meaningful.

Power would not disappear, and compatibility would not change.

Then, the only thing that could disappear was their extreme loyalty. If their faith and loyalty to Changwang hadn’t wavered, they wouldn’t be pushed back so helplessly.

“This…”

Changwang’s fingernails, which were covering his face, began to dig into his skin.

Blood trickled down his pale face.

“This me…”

He wouldn’t feel this humiliation even if Kang Jin-ho had rushed in and cut off his head.

Everyone has something they cannot concede.

Being pushed back in terms of power was not a disgrace to Changwang. His pride lay in never relinquishing control on the battlefield he held.

But at this moment.

Kang Jin-ho had crushed and trampled all his arrangements with just a few words.

He had completely burned and thrown away the unwavering loyalty and fear of the Changwang faction, which was the source of all his strategies.

No matter how perfectly designed and beautifully built a building is, it will inevitably collapse if the foundation disappears. It was an inevitable truth for the builder.

‘It’s not logic, nor is it calculation.’

He had thought that if his strategy were to ever collapse, it would be the moment he met a strategist even more skilled than himself. But the reality he faced now was several times more brutal and merciless than he had imagined.

The most terrible thing was…

‘Why couldn’t I deny it?’

He knew.

Even if he didn’t try to think about it, his habitual thought process automatically calculated what would happen when he retreated.

Even though he already knew everything that was happening before his eyes, he had no choice but to retreat.

The fact that this was undeniable proof that Kang Jin-ho’s words were true was completely messing with Changwang’s mind.

“Don’t be ridiculous!”

A nervous voice burst from Changwang’s mouth.

His subordinates were still around him. He understood in his head that he should never show them this side of himself, but his surging emotions pushed his body out of his control for the first time.

‘Such dogshit.’

Changwang gritted his teeth.

But he didn’t realize that his face was full of emotions that he would never show under normal circumstances.

Kwaaaaaa!

It was like a vortex was forming.

The demonic energy swirling from Kang Jin-ho’s sword tip cut and broke the bodies of those who rushed at him as if they were mere stalks of sorghum.

Those who were currently facing Kang Jin-ho were powerful individuals, far different from the mediocre ones placed at the front, but Kang Jin-ho was proving that the difference meant nothing to him.

“This…”

Changwang’s eyes twitched.

That couldn’t be happening.

No, it shouldn’t be happening.

The intervals were not as precise as he had thought, and those supporting the ones being attacked were not rushing in as quickly as he had expected.

The weakness of Kang Jin-ho’s martial arts.

It was that he poured excessive power into each strike.

It was more of a style than a weakness, but either way, everything in the world has its advantages and disadvantages.

If he poured power into each strike, there would inevitably be a large gap after that strike. Until now, no one had even thought of exploiting that gap in Kang Jin-ho’s attacks.

Why?

Who would want to rush at Kang Jin-ho?

Rushing at that demon at the risk of one’s life was not an easy choice even for Changwang. Who would want to give up their life in exchange for inflicting a wound on the opponent?

Something that cannot be done with will.

Then, it could be filled with something other than will. Changwang had those with the greatest loyalty to him face Kang Jin-ho. He had carefully selected those who could throw away their lives just to inflict a scratch on the opponent’s body.

But…

“Charge, you moronic bastards!”

They couldn’t charge.

Those who were currently facing Kang Jin-ho were like soldiers with broken strings. Their fear of him had dulled, and those who had lost their unwavering faith were just ordinary warriors.

An unexpected limitation.

This was a fundamental limitation of Changwang, who treated his subordinates more like soldiers than warriors.

Soldiers whose morale had dropped due to doubting the orders themselves would quickly turn into a disorganized rabble.

Fwaaaaat!

Severed limbs flew out.

And through the gap in the human wall that had opened, Kang Jin-ho’s eyes locked directly onto Changwang.

Twitch.

Changwang’s body reacted involuntarily to that gaze.

And at that moment, Changwang clearly saw the corners of Kang Jin-ho’s mouth curling up faintly amidst the pouring blood.

“This…”

Changwang clenched his fist.

Just a smile wouldn’t make his blood boil like this. The reason he was truly furious was that Kang Jin-ho was now revealing his true face.

Changwang had constantly researched and studied Kang Jin-ho’s fighting style. As a result, even ordinary scenes didn’t appear ordinary to him.

Kang Jin-ho, who would normally defend himself by surrounding his body with demonic energy, was fighting without bothering to do so.

There were two intentions.

One was to show off that they were not his match even without doing so.

And the other was…

‘Is he showing that sneer to me, Demon King?’

Chwaaaak!

Splattered blood flew towards Changwang.

Normally, Changwang would have ducked to avoid being covered in blood, but this time, he didn’t feel like avoiding it.

The blood of his subordinates splattered on his face.

“…Changwang.”

A slightly trembling voice came from behind him.

The Master, who had been silently observing the situation, could no longer hold back and spoke.

“Is your plan still valid?”

“While I cannot discuss your strategy, if we retreat further from here…”

Changwang slightly turned his head to look at the Master.

The Master shut his mouth at that chilling gaze.

“All misfortune comes from the mouth.”

“If you think you shouldn’t say something, you shouldn’t say it. But humans can’t do that.”

Changwang turned his head without waiting for the Master’s reply.

“Huu…”

A short breath escaped his lips.

Rather, his mind became clearer at this point.

It was meaningless now to calculate where things had gone wrong or where the mistake had been made.

If he won, he would have time to review it slowly, and if he lost, there would be no reason to think about it.

“…It’s a very shitty situation.”

Changwang let out a hollow laugh.

The conclusion was simple.

Kang Jin-ho had broken through everything he had prepared on his own. Kang Jin-ho had single-handedly destroyed everything he had arranged.

He had perfectly established a method to trample the group called the General Assembly, but he had failed to find a way to restrain Kang Jin-ho’s feet until the very end.

Now he had to admit it.

Then there was only one thing left.

“Stop.”

His voice echoed lowly.

But the battlefield did not respond to that voice. Those who were rushing at Kang Jin-ho were simply targeting and hunting their enemies as they had been doing.

Crunch.

Changwang’s hand became transparent, creating an eerie sound.

Then…

A swing of his hand emitted a milky white aura, flying at a terrifying speed towards the place where Kang Jin-ho and his subordinates were clashing.

Kwaaaang!

His subordinates, who had been rushing at Kang Jin-ho, were struck from behind by the Nine Yin White Bone Strike [a powerful martial arts technique] without even reacting, and were sent flying. But that aura did not reach Kang Jin-ho.

Kang Jin-ho, who had blocked the aura by crossing his swords, slowly lowered his swords.

“Step back, you useless things.”

Changwang’s eyes glared at everyone with utmost ferocity.

His subordinates flinched at that gaze and slowly retreated.

But Changwang didn’t feel like blaming them.

After all, they were just soldiers.

They were just expendables that moved as he moved. If those expendables failed to do their job, it wasn’t their fault, but Changwang’s fault.

One who is called a king must bear that much responsibility on their shoulders.

“Come out, Demon King. No, Kang Jin-ho.”

Changwang’s cold voice pierced Kang Jin-ho’s ears. Hearing that voice, Kang Jin-ho smiled faintly and wiped the blood from his face.

“…It doesn’t look particularly impressive even if you say that now.”

“I know.”

Changwang’s eyes sank chillingly.

“But if I kill you, the story will be different.”

“You think you can?”

Kang Jin-ho laughed lowly.

“A coward should act like a coward. Don’t you think so, Changwang?”

Changwang’s lips twisted.

“…You don’t have to worry about that.”

“I don’t need to prove that I’m not a coward.”

Changwang smiled, baring his teeth.

“Whether I’m a coward or not, it’s enough if I can produce results. They didn’t follow me because I was brave.”

Kang Jin-ho’s eyebrows twitched slightly at Changwang’s words, which seemed to have regained some composure.

Changwang looked directly at Kang Jin-ho and said,

“You don’t acknowledge me. Is that right?”

Kang Jin-ho smiled silently and looked at Changwang.

“That’s why it’s meaningful. If you die by my hand, there will be no greater humiliation for you.”

Changwang raised both hands. His hands became white and transparent.

“I’ll give you the death you want the least.”

Hearing those words, Kang Jin-ho laughed lowly.

“You talk a good game.”

Kang Jin-ho drew Blue Tear and Red Tear [his swords] and looked at Changwang.

“Don’t forget.”

“You will die miserably.”

Changwang and Kang Jin-ho’s eyes met in the air.

Kang Jin-ho glared at Changwang with cold, calm eyes, unlike his usual self, while Changwang, on the other hand, glared at Kang Jin-ho with eyes that seemed to be burning.

And then…

As if someone had given a signal, Kang Jin-ho and Changwang charged towards each other without the slightest error.

The blue and white energy of Changwang and the red and black energy of Kang Jin-ho split the world in half, rushing towards each other like a tidal wave.