Descent of The Demon Master [EN]: Chapter 1776

“All the casualties have been recovered,” Bang Jin-hoon nodded, his expression stiff.

‘Damn it.’

They hadn’t even had a proper fight, and yet a significant number had died. Of course, the fact that the casualty count was low wasn’t something to celebrate, but still, fewer losses were always better, right?

“Um… Master.”

“Hmm?”

Chun Tae-hoon cautiously observed Bang Jin-hoon’s reaction.

“It’s not easy to transport the bodies back to Korea. Wouldn’t it be better to bury them here…?”

“What, you little punk?”

Bang Jin-hoon’s eyes widened, and he grabbed the ashtray from the desk and threw it at Chun Tae-hoon.

Chun Tae-hoon flinched and ducked his head.

He wouldn’t be hurt by an ashtray that wasn’t imbued with internal energy [a martial arts concept], but the anger that Bang Jin-hoon had put into that throw was the real problem.

“Are you even thinking straight when you say that?”

“No, I just…”

“Hey, you! Those guys died fighting in a faraway land. And you’re saying we should just bury them here to make things easier for us? Is that something a human being would say?”

Chun Tae-hoon lowered his head.

“We should at least let them close their eyes in peace!”

“I know, but if we leave them like this, the bodies will decompose…”

“Finding a way is our job! Arrange for refrigerated storage or something! And push Director Lee to find a way to transport them!”

“…Yes.”

Bang Jin-hoon frowned, clearly displeased with Chun Tae-hoon’s attitude.

Bang Jin-hoon opened his mouth as if to say something, but then shook his head.

‘What am I doing?’

Just because they survived doesn’t mean they’re without wounds. Just because their bodies are fine doesn’t mean their minds are fine.

People from the island.

There was no way those who had escaped a battlefield where their comrades were burned to death could be in their right minds. Even Bang Jin-hoon himself was getting agitated.

“What about the others?”

“They’re currently being treated. Those who inhaled a lot of gas are complaining of severe headaches. Some are in pretty bad shape, so we’re trying to get doctors, but…”

Bang Jin-hoon sighed.

“The Hong King faction said they would provide support, so just wait a little longer.”

“Yes.”

Bang Jin-hoon raised his hand and rubbed his eyes.

‘This is no ordinary matter.’

In Korea, after a war, the cleanup was never a problem. It was annoying, bothersome, and took a lot of effort, but there was always a way.

But not in China.

He never imagined that being in a foreign country would be such a hindrance.

“Damn those foreign bastards.”

When they came here, they used a teleportation gate to move a large number of troops at once.

But with the Master’s betrayal, the teleportation gate was no longer usable. It was also a problem that they hadn’t thought about how to return, as they were prepared to fight to the death.

“Anyway, I didn’t like that old man from the start.”

“…Director Wiggins also disliked him at first.”

“That’s different, you punk!”

Bang Jin-hoon scratched his head vigorously.

“Anyway, we can’t do anything here. We need to find a way to get back to Korea first.”

Bang Jin-hoon yelled.

“What is Director Lee doing!”

Just then, the door burst open, and Lee Hyun-soo entered.

“…You don’t have to rush me like that. I’m busy enough as it is.”

Bang Jin-hoon’s face contorted when he saw Lee Hyun-soo.

“Hey, you! We can’t even handle the corpses of the dead kids! The healthy ones aren’t getting treatment, and their conditions are getting worse! Do you want to add more corpses?”

“We’re working on it.”

“How long do we have to wait?”

Lee Hyun-soo sighed deeply.

“The treatment issue will be resolved soon. The Hong King faction has agreed to send medical personnel from their territory first, and those in bad condition will be transferred.”

“Then why not just send them in the first place?”

“It’s too far. What if they die during transport without medical personnel?”

“I understand your concern, but you’re not the only one frustrated, Director. Please be patient.”

Bang Jin-hoon leaned back in his chair, looking utterly drained.

‘Damn it.’

Lee Hyun-soo’s words were not wrong.

Everyone was frustrated. Getting angry wouldn’t solve anything.

“…How’s the situation with returning to Korea?”

“It’s not as easy as you think.”

Lee Hyun-soo sighed and explained.

“Before we can arrange a way to return to Korea, there’s the issue of whether we can dismiss the entire General Assembly right now.”

“…What the hell are you talking about now?”

“It’s a matter of how much we trust the Hong King bastards.”

Bang Jin-hoon closed his mouth.

“We can solve the problem of returning to Korea. Cha Yi-kechang is currently in contact with the government. Those who used to lick the Chang King’s boots won’t be able to ignore the Hong King faction now that Chang King is gone.”

“Hmm, so we’re going to let those bastards live?”

“There’s no real benefit to killing them.”

Lee Hyun-soo shrugged.

“Those kinds of guys will lick anyone’s boots as long as there’s a benefit. If they were licking Chang King’s boots until now, they’ll lick Hong King’s boots now.”

“They’re complete trash.”

“Yes, they are. That’s why they’re useful. If we get rid of them and some clean guys come up from below, it’ll just be a headache.”

If this were Korea, things would be completely different.

But this was China.

There was no reason to get rid of a tumor. It would only make things difficult for them and benefit China.

“We’re okay with that, but did the Hong King faction agree to it?”

“Stability is the priority for now.”

Once some time had passed and the government was completely under control, Cha Yi-kechang would eventually try to get rid of them.

But that was a matter for later. There was no need to consider it now.

“Once the government is sorted out, we won’t need to hide. We can just charter a plane and go back.”

“But if we do that, China will completely fall into the hands of the Hong King faction. Given our experience this time, I honestly don’t feel good about going back.”

“…This situation is a mess.”

Bang Jin-hoon, understanding Lee Hyun-soo’s words, sighed deeply.

Returning to Korea wasn’t difficult, but if they did, they would be worried about the Hong King faction they left behind in China.

The current Hong King faction was their firm ally, but….

“It was just the other day that our ‘ally’ stabbed us in the back, right?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

Before the war, who was more trustworthy, the Round Table or the Hong King faction?

There was no need to even think about it.

What happened once would definitely happen again. The Hong King faction was their ally now, but they could change their minds at any time.

It was a common truth that one’s feelings change between going to the bathroom and coming back [a Korean idiom implying fickleness].

“Well, I understand that much…,” Bang Jin-hoon said firmly.

“But we can’t just keep hanging around here. We need to make a decision one way or another.”

“Yes. So…”

Lee Hyun-soo sighed.

“We’ll wait until the Guild Master returns…”

Just then, Lee Hyun-soo’s phone started ringing. Lee Hyun-soo, about to reject the call, quickly answered it after seeing the name on the screen.

“Yes, this is Lee Hyun-soo.”

Lee Hyun-soo nodded, listening to the voice on the other end of the line.

“I understand.”

Hanging up the phone, Lee Hyun-soo looked at Bang Jin-hoon.

“The Guild Master wants everyone to gather.”

“…He’s definitely not a normal person.”

Lee Hyun-soo certainly agreed with that statement.

“Are you feeling alright?”

“…I don’t know how to answer that.”

Everyone smiled wryly at Kang Jin-ho’s response.

It was hard to say he was fine, given his appearance, but it was also strange to say he wasn’t.

Everyone glanced at Kang Jin-ho’s condition.

Seeing the bandages wrapped tightly under his clothes, it didn’t seem like he was in good shape, but the fact that someone who could have died at any moment was sitting there was definitely a good sign.

“…You’re certainly persistent.”

Kang Jin-ho chuckled at Bator’s words.

As Kang Jin-ho took out a cigarette and tried to light it, Wiggins frowned.

“You’re still a patient.”

“If smoking a cigarette was enough to cause a problem, I’d be dead already.”

“…There’s no point in talking, so I’ll just shut my mouth.”

Kang Jin-ho laughed and lit his cigarette.

“Hoo…”

Just one puff made him feel dizzy, which meant his current physical condition was definitely not good.

‘I can’t even beat the Hong King in this state.’

Thinking that he needed to be a little careful, Kang Jin-ho opened his mouth.

“I’ve been briefed on the situation.”

Kang Jin-ho glanced at Lee Hyun-soo and spoke in a calm voice.

“Everyone has worked hard to clean up. I called you because I think we need a few directions.”

“By directions, you mean…”

“We’re going back to Korea.”

Some people frowned at Kang Jin-ho’s words.

“Master, do you understand the situation correctly?”

“Of course.”

“The Hong King, who swallowed the Chang King faction, might change his attitude.”

“So?”

Kang Jin-ho slowly exhaled smoke.

“It’s not like anything will change if we stay here. It’s entirely up to them.”

“Well, shouldn’t we still prepare?”

Kang Jin-ho shook his head.

“The Hong King can’t betray us.”

“…Why?”

“Because he can’t handle it.”

It was a cryptic answer. But some of them understood what he meant.

‘The Black King?’

They hadn’t felt anything special from the Black King.

To explain in more detail, they understood that the Black King was a great figure, but they didn’t feel that he was particularly greater than the other three kings, like the Chang King or the Hong King.

But Kang Jin-ho seemed to think differently.

“As long as we don’t know the Black King’s intentions, the Hong King will refrain from acting for a while. So it doesn’t matter.”

“We’ll leave the cleanup to the Hong King and return to Korea.”

“Guild Master, I need to go to Europe first…”

“Summon all the Knights to Korea.”

Wiggins looked at Kang Jin-ho with a slightly surprised expression.

“All of them?”

“Yes. Summon them. Anyone who doesn’t come will be considered a traitor. As soon as the Knights arrive, get their consent and take control of the Round Table.”

“…That might be better in some ways.”

The center of the Round Table was the Master, but the ones who moved the Round Table were the Knights. If they could firmly control them, it would be the same as controlling the Round Table.

“It’s dangerous to stay in enemy territory for long in a situation where anything could happen. Ignore what we can ignore, and return to Korea as quickly as possible.”

“Understood.”

As Kang Jin-ho presided over the meeting, the direction of the stagnant matters seemed to become clear.

“Move. Now is the time to be swift.”

“Yes!”

The directors, without any particular objections, got up from their seats and went outside. Watching them leave, Kang Jin-ho slowly tilted his head back.

‘Until we meet again….’

That meant he would show himself again soon.

“How presumptuous.”

The cigarette Kang Jin-ho was holding broke at his fingertips.

The broken cigarette fell to the floor and slowly burned, leaving behind a dark gray ash.