Descent of The Demon Master [EN]: Chapter 1827

Slicing! Slicing! Slicing!

In an instant, over a dozen cuts appeared on the outstretched arm.

Blood, unable to withstand the pressure of the condensed muscles, gushed out as if it were being squeezed from a syringe.

Bator gritted his teeth and unleashed a barrage of lightning-fast strikes.

His massive frame moved with an agility that was hard to believe.

However, even those rapid punches seemed slow to Baek Yeon-hong, who was receiving them.

His body swayed back slightly, like a willow tree in the wind. Each time, Bator’s fist stopped just short of his body.

It almost looked like a rehearsed sparring match, but this was far from it. Baek Yeon-hong was precisely aware of where Bator’s fist would stop and was executing a perfect defense, making it seem like a performance.

“Damn it!”

Bator’s eyes were bloodshot.

At the same time, a hint of despair, rarely seen in him, was also visible.

‘Is the gap really this big?’

He hadn’t truly grasped the meaning of the term ‘Three Kings Level’ [referring to a level of power]. He was someone who had challenged the Red King and sparred with Kang Jin-ho.

He knew there was a difference in power. But he believed that with effort and perseverance, he could eventually close that gap.

However, the moment he faced Baek Yeon-hong, Bator was forced to realize how wrong his thinking had been.

“Aaaaargh!”

The power of all his inner energy, unleashed in a punch, was deflected with a single gesture from Baek Yeon-hong.

He charged in, unleashing nearly a hundred punches in a waterfall-like flurry, but not a single one of them even touched Baek Yeon-hong’s sleeve.

The staggering difference drove Bator to despair.

On the other hand, Baek Yeon-hong, who was facing him, was full of composure.

“Hmm.”

Baek Yeon-hong slowly leaned back and spoke.

“No matter how strong you are, if you can’t reach me, it’s meaningless.”

His sword mercilessly sliced through Bator’s wrist as it flew towards him.

Slicing!

Bator’s body, which had a hardness greater than steel, was easily cut by Baek Yeon-hong’s sword as if it were a toy. Bator’s wrist, thicker than most people’s thighs, was deeply cut, revealing bone.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

The tip of the sword collided with Bator’s bone, creating an indescribable, gruesome sound.

“Ugh.”

Even Bator couldn’t suppress the pain, and a rare groan escaped his lips.

“Attacking like a bear without knowing your own advantages? It’s a wonder you’re still alive.”

“Shut up!”

“Oh my, it seems you don’t like to hear it. Then…”

Baek Yeon-hong wore a twisted smile.

“Since it’s hard for me not to talk, I’ll just have to dig out your ears.”

The sword’s momentum changed.

Baek Yeon-hong’s sword, which had been focused on blocking attacks, instantly switched to offense and began to emit rays of sword energy.

Swoosh!

With the sound of tearing through the air, incredibly sharp sword energy pierced through Bator’s body.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

It was closer to ‘digging out’ than ‘cutting’.

The sword, imbued with sword energy, created small holes in Bator’s body. They only looked small because his body was so large; each hole was as big as a child’s fist.

Thump!

Blood gurgled out of the holes. Bator’s complexion grew paler as he lost too much blood.

“Haaah!”

Bator unleashed his energy with all his might.

If he couldn’t catch his opponent with a linear attack, he would cover the entire space where his opponent existed. The blood energy emanating from his body rose like a giant tidal wave, engulfing Baek Yeon-hong.

But at that moment.

Swoosh.

Baek Yeon-hong’s sword slowly, but not at all sluggishly, rotated and pointed towards the sky.

Then, like a woodcutter splitting firewood, it was brought down clearly from above.

Whoosh!

The wave split.

No, the sea split.

The wave, which had been rushing in aggressively as if it would cover and sweep away anything, was neatly bisected in front of Baek Yeon-hong, like the parting of the Red Sea [a biblical reference to a miraculous event].

Not satisfied with that, the sword energy rushed towards Bator at an incredible speed and pierced his chest.

The sword energy that pierced Bator’s chest tore through his body. Even a body blessed by the gods could not withstand the sword energy unleashed by someone who had reached the pinnacle of swordsmanship.

A long cut appeared from his left neck to his right leg, and the wound gaped open.

“Cough…”

Blood gushed from Bator’s mouth, which had opened involuntarily.

But what damaged Bator more than the physical wound was the overwhelming despair.

It doesn’t work.

Nothing works.

Even though it was clear that his opponent was not using his full power, Bator could not land an attack on him, nor could he block his attacks.

An overwhelming gap.

It was such an overwhelming gap that he couldn’t even fathom how to close it.

“You have a strange expression.”

Baek Yeon-hong lowered his sword and looked at Bator.

“I thought it was courage, but was it recklessness? Did you really think you could face me?”

“That’s strange. Even if you’re not a dog, you should at least be a bear. You should instinctively feel the gap between you and your opponent…”

Baek Yeon-hong trailed off and looked up at the council building. He could clearly see Kang Jin-ho, with a cigarette in his mouth, looking this way.

“…I see.”

Baek Yeon-hong smiled faintly.

“It’s natural that you can’t feel the gap. He’s always been right next to you. You’ve gotten used to it. But…”

Baek Yeon-hong tilted his head and looked at Bator.

“Logically, you should feel the gap with the person right next to you even more. How much did the Heavenly Demon Lord [a powerful figure in martial arts stories] dote on you to make you act so recklessly?”

“…Shut up.”

“This place was too comfortable for you.”

“I said shut up!”

Bator ground his teeth as if they would break.

“I’ll show you.”

Baek Yeon-hong’s sword pointed directly at Bator.

“A beast that doesn’t know its own strength will have its whole body torn apart and die.”

His foot pushed off the ground.

Seeing him flying towards him, Bator swung his hand, which had been clutching his chest, at Baek Yeon-hong.

But at that moment, Baek Yeon-hong’s sword moved slightly and reached Bator’s flying hand.

And at the same time….

Whirl!

Bator’s massive body was flung into the air like a toy, then slammed down with terrifying speed.

Thud!

Bator’s back was bent like a shrimp.

“Did you think you could stop it if you knew it?”

Baek Yeon-hong sneered, looking at Bator, who had fallen at his feet.

“The inability to stop something even when you know it is what’s called strength. Weakling, don’t be mistaken in your next life.”

His sword flew like a ray of light and pierced Bator’s heart.

But at that moment.

Whoosh!

A huge flame erupted between Bator and Baek Yeon-hong. Startled for a moment, Baek Yeon-hong retracted his sword, which had been about to stab Bator, and quickly retreated.

Whirr!

A swirling storm of flames, as if an oil well had burst, pushed Baek Yeon-hong back and back.

“…This is interesting.”

Baek Yeon-hong looked at the flames with interest.

The power itself wasn’t enough to make him feel threatened, but it was strange that there had been no sign of it until the moment the flames erupted.

“I see. So this is magic. It’s the first time I’ve experienced something like this firsthand.”

Baek Yeon-hong turned his head.

The person his gaze landed on was, of course, Wiggins.

He slowly lowered his hands and spoke.

“Is interfering in a duel against the aesthetics of the East?”

“I threw away aesthetics a long time ago.”

Baek Yeon-hong glanced at Bator, who was lying on the ground, gasping for breath, and shook his head as if he had no regrets.

“He’s not important enough to be killed right now.”

Wiggins hoped that Bator hadn’t heard those words. They were too humiliating for Bator.

“May I ask you a few questions?”

“In this situation?”

“Because it’s this situation.”

Baek Yeon-hong chuckled.

“Alright. Ask away. It was somewhat entertaining, so consider it a reward.”

“…Are you a returnee?”

“Yes.”

Baek Yeon-hong answered more readily than expected.

“May I ask about your past identity?”

“Hmm.”

Baek Yeon-hong seemed to be pondering something and glanced back.

“…Why?”

“Hmm.”

“Oh, just say it yourself! Why are you making someone else do it?”

Kwak So, who had been watching the situation from behind, trudged over and pointed at Baek Yeon-hong.

“This person was known as the Supreme Sword Master of Tai Chi in the past! He was the greatest martial artist of his time and is said to have reached the pinnacle of Wudang swordsmanship!”

“Let’s leave out the flattery.”

Kwak So looked back as if he couldn’t believe it, and Baek Yeon-hong slightly turned his head away, avoiding his gaze.

“The Supreme Sword Master of Tai Chi…”

Wiggins’ gaze turned to Jang Min.

“…I’ve heard that name before. A peerless swordsman said to have perfected the Wudang Soft Arts [a style of martial arts].”

Wiggins didn’t feel anything in particular from that name, but it seemed to carry a special weight for Jang Min.

“Is he famous?”

“The history of the martial world is long.”

Jang Min spat out the words.

“Just as there is no end to the number of generals who have made their names in Chinese history, there are also many who have left their names in the history of the martial world. But the name Supreme Sword Master of Tai Chi is definitely outstanding among them. One who has perfected Wudang swordsmanship. If we’re talking about swordsmanship, he’s considered to be in the top five throughout the history of the martial world.”

Baek Yeon-hong clicked his tongue.

“Make it one finger. I’d be upset if you treated me the same as those nobodies.”

A shadow fell over Wiggins’ face.

“Just one more question.”

“You can ask a few more.”

“Then…”

Wiggins was momentarily lost in thought.

This was something he had to ask. But was it really okay to ask this? Wouldn’t it be better not to know?

“…Are you someone who serves the Black King?”

“You’re asking the obvious.”

“Then… how many more people like you are under the Black King?”

A smile formed on Baek Yeon-hong’s lips.

“It’s a bit strange to say ‘like me.’ I am special. You can’t treat me the same as those guys.”

“But it doesn’t seem like that’s the answer you want, so, hmm…”

Baek Yeon-hong shrugged his shoulders.

“I’ll tell you. Those who serve the Black King don’t have a specific title. But among ourselves, we use the term ‘Thirteen Daggers’ for convenience. Each one of them is someone who dominated an era.”

Wiggins’ eyes widened.

“Th-then…”

“Yes.”

A more cruel smile formed on Baek Yeon-hong’s lips.

“The number of those who serve the Black King is twelve in total. Now you understand why my coming here is nothing more than a pastime, right?”

The world grew cold.

‘Twelve…?’

A number he had never imagined. The number twelve, which he had never felt was large, was now coldly crushing Wiggins’ soul.

In the face of the shock that felt like the sky was falling, Wiggins’ body lost its strength.