Descent Of The Demon Master [EN]: Chapter 1816

“What a load of crap.”

Bang Jin-hoon chuckled in disbelief.

“How many Three Kings level experts are there?”

“…We haven’t identified the exact number yet.”

“So, you’ve gathered us here with unconfirmed information? Why? To scare us?”

Bang Jin-hoon’s voice was laced with irritation, but Lee Hyun-soo didn’t bother to argue. He fully understood why Bang Jin-hoon was being so sharp.

He had reacted the same way as Bang Jin-hoon when he first heard it from Chaikechang.

“I thought it was necessary to inform you all.”

“Damn it.”

Bang Jin-hoon’s face contorted.

“You have a habit of not letting people sleep peacefully, you bastard. I guess we’re not sleeping tonight.”

Lee Hyun-soo clicked his tongue, and Bator helped him out.

“Enough with the pointless venting.”

“No, this isn’t venting, it’s…”

“That’s enough.”

Bang Jin-hoon sighed deeply.

“Director Lee, I’m sorry. It’s not your fault.”

“It’s alright, Director Bang. I understand.”

Bang Jin-hoon scratched his head roughly.

He wanted to remain calm, but the words from Lee Hyun-soo were too shocking.

“How many Three Kings level experts are there? Why have those bastards been hiding all this time? If those crazy bastards had taken over China earlier, we wouldn’t have had to fight each other.”

“We are investigating the reasons. However…”

“However?”

“The reason they didn’t act and what they are planning might not be related. It seems their silence is because of the Lord.”

“…Tch.”

While Bang Jin-hoon grumbled, Wiggins, who had been deep in thought, spoke with difficulty.

“This is truly terrible news.”

“All of the General Assembly’s strategies have been focused on stopping the Three Kings. That means our systems, training, and martial arts have all been tailored to them.”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“But if the enemy is a small group with absolute power, there’s not much the General Assembly can do.”

This was a topic Lee Hyun-soo had discussed endlessly with Kang Jin-ho. It seemed Wiggins’ thoughts weren’t much different from theirs.

“So many strong people…”

Bator chuckled.

“That’s actually good news.”

“…That muscle-head is spouting nonsense again without thinking.”

Jang Min frowned, clearly displeased with Bator.

“A guy who can’t even reach the Three Kings’ level.”

“What? Old man, you done talking?”

“Did I say anything wrong? A guy who loses to the Red King in strength is acting all excited.”

“You…”

Bator’s eyes flashed with killing intent. Bator, who was unmatched in his menacing aura, contorted his face and released such a terrifying presence that it was indescribable.

“You’ll go blind, you fool.”

Of course, it didn’t work on Jang Min.

“You’re old enough now. When are you going to stop acting like a child!”

“Age, my ass…”

“It wouldn’t be a problem if you just died fighting. But if you disappear, what will happen to your disciples and those left in Mongolia?”

“No one here wants to avoid fighting! Everyone feels the urge to fight strong opponents, but they endure because they have responsibilities and things they need to do! That’s what it means to be an adult!”

At that moment, Bang Jin-hoon raised his hand.

“What?”

“I don’t want to fight, Elder.”

“You, you…”

Lee Hyun-soo also hesitantly raised his hand, but lowered it again after seeing Jang Min’s glare.

Jang Min spoke, clearly displeased.

“In the end, we will just follow what the Demon Lord decides. But before that, we need to be prepared. They will be the worst enemies we have ever faced.”

Jang Min had never shown much concern for the enemy, even when fighting the Azure King. The directors even thought his loyalty was so extreme that his sense of fear was paralyzed.

But the current Jang Min was different.

“…So, the enemy is so strong that even you are nervous, Elder.”

“Of course!”

Jang Min shouted.

“If our opponent is indeed that Cheongma [Blue Horse, a powerful figure in the Demonic Cult], then those he has raised must also be demons! Real demons are on a different level than those mediocre bastards…”

Ah… was that it?

It felt like something was off, but the fact that the enemy was strong remained unchanged.

“What about the Lord?”

At Wiggins’ question, Lee Hyun-soo shook his head.

“It seems he plans to strengthen defenses and observe the enemy for now.”

“The weaker side can’t move first. This is a war without justification.”

There was always a sense of urgency in the General Assembly’s battles. The feeling that if they didn’t defeat their enemies, they would be defeated. There was nothing more important than that for boosting morale.

But Cheongma, or the Black King, had already declared that he wouldn’t touch the General Assembly. In that situation, who would sympathize with the idea of risking their lives to fight the enemy?

‘A small group…’

Wiggins chuckled.

The situation was so obvious that there was nothing to say.

“In the end…”

Bator continued his words.

“It’s our responsibility.”

Jang Min crossed his arms and spoke.

“The Demon Lord will surely think of a way to deal with them all, but realistically, that’s difficult. The Demon Lord is like a god, so it’s not impossible, but…”

“…Please, keep your religious testimonies in a corner somewhere, old man.”

“Listen to the end, you idiot,” Jang Min said, frowning.

“Even if he is the Demon Lord, there are limits to the human body. And if the opponent is Cheongma, who led the heyday of the Demonic Cult in the past… dealing with just one of them won’t be easy.”

It was a cold assessment.

Jang Min, who always showed almost religious faith in Kang Jin-ho, seemed to have no choice but to be cold, given the opponent.

“To be blunt…”

Jang Min raised his head and looked at the directors.

“You were all useless.”

“You…”

Just as Bator was about to say something, Jang Min preempted him with a firm voice.

“Including myself.”

“Until now, there hasn’t been a problem. In fact, the best tactic of the Cult and the General Assembly was to set the stage for the Demon Lord to move, and then the Demon Lord would sweep away the enemy with his immense power.”

Wiggins nodded.

Basically, all of the General Assembly’s tactics were based on that premise. They were taking the risk that if Kang Jin-ho couldn’t use his power, the General Assembly would also collapse.

“But we can’t do that anymore. Cheongma knows that he can’t achieve what he wants with his own power alone, so he created his own subordinates. And the Demon Lord has also found those who will assist him. The problem is…”

Jang Min smiled bitterly.

“The difference in those assistants is too extreme.”

The directors’ faces hardened.

“The reason is obvious. It’s because you are incompetent, inferior, and trash.”

“Old man… I told you to watch your mouth.”

“Or what if I don’t?”

Jang Min turned his head to look at Bator.

“What will you do if I don’t, you bastard who only blusters without any power?”

Red light began to emanate from Jang Min’s eyes.

Bator’s body trembled at the overwhelming presence.

“Because the Demon Lord… because he didn’t want it, I have been holding back my words. But in my eyes, you are just trash filled with fat. While the weak cult members gained power, the trashy members of the council became stronger, and the demons the Demon Lord took in are chasing you to your necks, what have you been doing?”

Wiggins sighed.

“I understand what you mean, Elder. Compared to the speed at which the General Assembly is growing stronger, our speed of growth has been extremely slow. But it’s not like we’ve been doing nothing.”

“You’re good at making excuses. The Demon Lord and Cheongma would laugh their heads off if they heard that. There are people who are doing several times more work than you and growing several times faster than you.”

“Excuses are meaningless now.”

Jang Min stood up from his seat.

“As the Demon Lord’s confidant and his assistant, I don’t want to hear that the Demon Lord lost because of the level of his subordinates. That is a humiliation that should never exist for me.”

Jang Min was not one to excessively promote himself.

He was content to be just Kang Jin-ho’s assistant and the leader of the Demonic Cult. No, he limited his role to that and didn’t want anything more.

But now, Jang Min was more forceful and aggressive than ever before.

“And the same goes for you.”

He glared at the directors.

“Weaklings who talk about learning demonic arts but don’t even think about risking their lives…”

Bator’s face turned bright red.

“Those who dabble in magic and think they’ve done their part.”

Wiggins subtly touched his forehead. It wasn’t that he had no rebuttal, but it felt somewhat pathetic.

“Those who think they’ve stepped down from the front lines under the guise of teaching the lower ranks.”

“…It’s not quite like that.”

Bang Jin-hoon also sighed deeply.

“And… well, you just keep doing what you’re doing.”

“…No, Elder.”

Lee Hyun-soo, who had been intimidated, looked at Jang Min as if he was wronged. But Jang Min coldly turned his head away, as if he had nothing to say about Lee Hyun-soo.

“If you were strong, the Demon Lord wouldn’t have to be troubled.”

Jang Min spat out the words.

“There is only one way. At the very least, all of you must become strong enough to face the Three Kings. If you can’t ease the Demon Lord’s burden, this is a war that doesn’t need to be fought.”

Everyone nodded.

Then Lee Hyun-soo spoke.

“We need to reorganize our forces.”

“Not only those of us here, but also the demons, the elders of the Demonic Cult, and all those with outstanding talent should be selected and trained separately. I’m not asking you to become tigers in a short period. But to face a tiger, you need to be at least a wolf. That way, you might have a chance, even if it’s just by numbers.”

Upon hearing those words, Jang Min looked at everyone with sharp eyes.

“Including me…”

“We have always relied on the Demon Lord whenever we were overwhelmed.”

“But not this time. This time, we must become the Demon Lord’s strength. If you are not prepared to risk your lives to become stronger, give up now. I have no intention of dragging along those who lack enthusiasm.”

Bator’s face contorted.

“You’re talking as if you’re so great! Old man! You’re not the only one who’s burning up inside!”

“We may not have the strength, but we have no intention of losing due to lack of enthusiasm. That would be a disgrace to a knight.”

“I’m a bit ambiguous… no. I’ll do it, I said I’ll do it. Don’t look at me like that. Geez.”

Bang Jin-hoon nodded weakly.

“Oh, my fate. At this age.”

“You’re the youngest, you idiot!”

“You young and energetic bastard!”

Bator said, grinding his teeth.

“I’m telling you in advance, I don’t agree with the old man’s nonsense.”

“Then?”

“Even if it’s just that, I can’t stand the thought of us falling behind those bastards and our Lord not being able to defeat Cheongma.”