Descent of The Demon Master [EN]: Chapter 1844

Thud, thud.

Wiggins’ eyes involuntarily narrowed.

No matter how many times he experienced it, he could never get used to the dampness of this underground space.

‘No, it’s not just the dampness.’

This stifling atmosphere, this heavy sensation that subtly constricted his skin, was clearly what was putting his nerves on edge.

“All clear during duty!”

The guards on duty snapped to attention upon spotting him.

‘It’s strange.’

Since moving his base of operations to South Korea, this was the aspect he had the most difficulty adjusting to. The military’s way of doing things was ingrained in their lives as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

They lived as if they were defying authority on a daily basis, but when they were in a position to suppress someone, they naturally adopted the tone and behavior they had learned in the military.

This was natural for them. The unnaturalness he felt was probably because he was a foreigner who wasn’t born here.

“Any problems?”

“None, sir.”

Wiggins smiled and nodded.

“Open the door. I need to meet the person inside.”

“I’m sorry, but… it’s difficult. Without the permission of the Head of the Assembly, no one can enter.”

“I was the one who gave the order that no one should be allowed in without the Head of the Assembly’s permission. Do you think I would have come here without the Head of the Assembly’s permission?”

Wiggins grinned.

“Check it out. I’ll wait here.”

“…Then, just a moment.”

One of the two men guarding the door subtly glanced at Wiggins, then picked up a phone and went outside. Wiggins watched the man who went outside for a moment, then turned his head and spoke to the remaining man.

“How is it inside?”

“I don’t know what’s going on in there.”

“Hmm, but you should at least be managing it, shouldn’t you?”

“Those who are in charge of that are inside. If the roles of those who manage and those who stand guard overlap, there will definitely be problems…”

“Lee Hyun-soo?”

“I’m not sure, but I guess so?”

Wiggins wore a wry smile.

‘He’s competent even in unnecessary areas.’

If this guy hadn’t been born in modern times and had been born in Europe around World War II, he would have either become a general who would have gone down in history or a war criminal who would have been infamous forever.

Emotionally, he was probably closer to the latter…

At that moment, the man who had gone outside returned at a brisk pace.

“What did they say?”

“Well… they’re not answering the phone.”

Wiggins was slightly taken aback by the unexpected situation.

‘This is a bust…’

“Then, try calling Chief Lee…”

“The person I called was Chief Lee. How dare I call the Head of the Assembly directly?”

That’s right. That’s right.

“Hmm, so Chief Lee contacted the Lord, but he didn’t answer?”

“That seems to be the case.”

“Hmm, what to do…”

Just as Wiggins was about to ponder a solution.

“I’ll open it for you.”

“Hmm, the permission?”

“Surely the Director wouldn’t deceive us? Please, go in.”

Wiggins chuckled.

“Thank you.”

“Yes.”

Watching the men open the door, Wiggins was filled with a strange sense of emotion.

Just a moment ago, he had looked at their appearance and thought of himself as a foreigner who could never fully understand them. But they were completely trusting him, a foreigner with blue eyes.

At the irony, Wiggins cleared his throat and stepped through the open door.

Thud, thud.

A long corridor.

The guards standing watch in the corridor all turned their heads to check on Wiggins, then slightly bowed their heads.

Wiggins, having received their greetings, spoke quietly.

“Where is the Master?”

“I’ll guide you.”

Wiggins followed the man, looking around.

‘When did it change like this?’

It used to be quite old, but the interior had been modernized. Lee Hyun-soo must have done this to accommodate the Master.

Wiggins was relieved that the Master wasn’t in the worst possible situation and quickened his pace.

“Here it is.”

Wiggins blinked as he looked at the cell that was visible diagonally in front of him.

“Glass?”

“It’s reinforced acrylic.”

“…It’s very visible.”

The place he had arrived at was a prison with several cells arranged in a staggered pattern.

The cells were staggered so that they could not face each other, and the front was made of reinforced acrylic, allowing them to see what the prisoners were doing at any time.

‘Of course, there must be CCTV installed as well.’

It was a deplorable situation.

To think that such a scene of human rights abuse was taking place in the basement where he was living comfortably.

“I don’t know whether to say the facilities have improved because they’re cleaner, or…”

“It’s an unavoidable part, they said. We don’t know much about mages. If someone has inner power, they can just destroy their inner energy, but we’ve heard that mages can use various means even in that state.”

That was true.

“So, we have no choice but to watch them with our own eyes.”

“I understand.”

But even so.

It was reminiscent of ADX Florence, the prison in the United States that only holds the worst criminals.

“I understand, so please leave.”

“In principle, we cannot allow you to meet with the prisoner alone, but…”

Just as Wiggins was about to try to persuade him, the guard who had followed him readily stepped back.

“I know how to distinguish between those who must follow the rules and those who don’t have to. If you need anything, please call me.”

“…Thank you.”

As the guard walked away, Wiggins sighed once and walked inside.

It was… a bit different from what he had imagined. The image he had in mind was of the Master being held captive in a damp, gloomy, dark concrete prison with no light, bound and confined.

‘Still, I guess it’s hygienic.’ That damn Lee Hyun-soo.

Wiggins moved his feet and stood in front of the acrylic wall that filled the front, looking into the prison.

A concrete bed built into the wall, and a simple washbasin on the opposite side.

He sighed in relief at the fact that there was at least a partition to hide the toilet.

But…

The moment he saw the Master sitting on the bed, Wiggins had to close his eyes tightly.

Martial arts keep people young.

It wasn’t as much as the East, where they used inner energy, but those who used mana also tended to maintain an unreasonable amount of youth compared to their age.

But that also meant that those who could no longer use mana would eventually look their age.

An old man.

An old man who looked like he could be put in a coffin at any moment was sitting on the bed. His back was still straight, and it didn’t seem like he had any strength left in his body, but the traces of time were unavoidable.

‘Master.’

What made Wiggins sigh even more was the Master’s gaze.

In the past, his eyes were full of deep wisdom. But those eyes, which had been so trustworthy, had now lost their light and were just blurry.

“You don’t look so good.”

The old man’s head slowly turned.

“…Wiggins.”

“Yes, Master.”

“Welcome, my old friend.”

The Master looked at Wiggins with a gentle smile.

His eyes no longer had the same power as in the past. But strangely, looking into his eyes made him feel calm.

“I don’t know where to start, Master.”

“I suppose so.”

The Master slowly shook his head.

“But there’s nothing to worry about. I’m doing better than you think.”

“…You don’t look like it at all.”

“I wasn’t someone who lived a luxurious life in the first place. As long as there’s enough space to stretch my legs, it’s enough.”

“Master.”

Wiggins bit his lip slightly.

He knew.

What kind of sins this man had committed.

As Kang Jin-ho had said, the sins the Master had committed were so great that he could not repay them even if he died and was reborn dozens of times.

But seeing the man who had once stood at the pinnacle of Europe fall so miserably was not a pleasant experience at all.

Even if Wiggins had no personal connection to the Master, he wouldn’t be able to watch this scene indifferently.

“Don’t look at me like that.”

The Master shook his head and said.

“Of course, it’s not comfortable. This place is hell prepared for me. Unlike what you see, I’m enduring pain every day.”

“But that’s something I brought upon myself. Everything has its due price, doesn’t it?”

“…Anyone would think you’ve changed your religion. It seems like you’ve been influenced by the East a lot, Master.”

“This is the realm of reason, Wiggins.”

The Master smiled gently.

The smile created by his wrinkled old face was not as gentle as it used to be, but strangely, it looked peaceful.

“So, what’s the matter? You wouldn’t have come to see me for no reason.”

“Master…”

Wiggins closed his mouth.

When he heard that they needed power to fight against them, the first person he thought of was naturally the Master. If they needed someone to break through the wall, he had to recommend the person who was closest to it.

But that was impossible.

Kang Jin-ho did not tolerate the concept of having sins forgiven as a favor. That was the most reasonable thing to do, and perhaps even a choice that was essential for survival beyond reason, but Kang Jin-ho would choose death rather than make such a choice.

In a way, he was stubborn, and in another way, he had principles that transcended life.

Either way, it wasn’t good news for the Master. It meant that he would never be able to escape this place for the rest of his life.

“Master.”

The Master smiled.

“The fact that you came to find me means that something has happened that you can’t solve with your own power. Tell me. I’ve lost my power, but I haven’t lost my knowledge, and I’ve lost my future, but I haven’t lost my ability to advise.”

“It would be a great pleasure to be of help to my old friend.”

Wiggins sighed and looked straight at the Master.

“Master, I need to become stronger.”

The Master shook his head.

“Impatience always causes problems.”

“If I’m not impatient, I’ll lose the future.”

Upon hearing those words, the Master’s eyes slightly darkened.

“Does that mean you have to become stronger at all costs?”

“Yes.”

“Really at all costs?”

“That’s right.”

The Master’s eyes met Wiggins’ eyes.

“Hmm.”

The Master nodded slightly and slowly opened his mouth.

“I don’t have the ability to do that.”

“But the Round Table does. If you truly want to become stronger, there’s only one way. Are you really willing to risk your life to become stronger?”

“Of course.”

“Even if the probability is less than 1%?”

“That’s…”

Wiggins smiled.

“That’s a very high probability.”

The Master, who had been carefully observing Wiggins’ expression to gauge its truth, finally shook his head.

“You’ve changed a lot too.”

“Everyone does, Master. Everyone.”

“Good. Then, let’s see…”

The Master’s smile changed strangely.

“Let’s start by becoming a demon.”

Wiggins clenched his fist tightly.