Descent of The Demon Master [EN]: Chapter 1859

Slick, slick.

Slick, slick.

Slick…….

“Ugh!”

Bator groaned as if he couldn’t take it anymore.

“Damn it! Why is your face so shiny!”

“Huh?”

Jang Min, sitting across from Bator, smiled gently.

“Hehe, is it shiny? I just put on a little of the usual skincare I use.”

“Skincareee?”

Bator stared at Jang Min, dumbfounded.

“If it’s shiny even with the stuff you usually use, your skin must have gotten a lot better. No matter how much you cheat time with martial arts, you can’t do anything about your skin.”

Jang Min tapped his cheek.

“That’s why skincare is important.”

“…Old man, do you even know how old you are? Please, have some dignity! Some dignity!”

“Tsk tsk, you don’t know anything. What do young ones have to take care of? They’re all firm anyway. It’s the older ones who need to take care of themselves more.”

Nothing had changed.

The way he subtly mocked, the way he didn’t listen to a word anyone said, the way he looked down on everyone except Kang Jin-ho—that annoying attitude. Not a single thing had changed.

But at this moment, Bator was keenly aware that the same words and attitude could feel completely different depending on the face they came from.

Clearly, nothing was different from the past, but the person listening felt twice as bad.

Bator sighed.

“Ugh, this guy and that guy.”

Bator was annoyed, but Jang Min, as if it didn’t matter, kept looking in the mirror and smiling.

“This is nice.”

Rejuvenation.

Generally, rejuvenation only refers to a slight improvement in the body’s condition, but Jang Min, who had achieved a return to youth beyond metamorphosis, couldn’t take his eyes off his younger self.

“Is it that good? It’s just a shell, after all.”

“What would you know?”

Jang Min said without turning his head.

“You’ll understand my feelings if you live another hundred years or so.”

“A hundred years is just a figure of speech…”

If someone else said to live another hundred years, it would be a joke, but when Jang Min said it, it didn’t sound like a joke.

‘Wait a minute. Then how much longer is that rejuvenated old man going to live?’

At this point, he could be called a monster instead of a human, and no one could say anything. Who would think that he was a three-hundred-year-old man? He didn’t look like he was three hundred, but rather less than thirty.

“Hehe, he’s quite handsome.”

“Looking like a gigolo.”

“Thanks for the compliment.”

“What kind of way of speaking is that!”

Kang Jin-ho, who had been watching the two bickering, sighed.

“Hey.”

“Hmm?”

“Yes, Great Demon Lord!”

Jang Min quickly put away the mirror and straightened his posture.

“What is your command!”

Kang Jin-ho looked at Jang Min with a sullen face.

‘Well, yeah.’

It was still burdensome, but it was much better than seeing that reaction from an old man. At least it wasn’t embarrassing to look at. Well, a little less embarrassing.

“You… um…”

Kang Jin-ho stuttered a bit before opening his mouth.

“You look full of life. That’s a relief.”

“Thank you.”

“…You were quite handsome when you were young.”

Even as an old man, Jang Min’s style was beyond good; it was striking. But when that unique style was combined with his youthful face, it created an appearance that made you nod your head in agreement.

If Wiggins looked like a movie star, Jang Min looked like an idol who had just retired and started doing variety shows. His hair even looked like it had been bleached white.

“How can you say such a thing, Great Demon Lord!”

“…Huh?”

Jang Min spoke with an utterly serious face.

“It is true that this subordinate has become a bit younger and his face is glowing, but how can this pathetic face be compared to the Great Demon Lord’s divine countenance! The Great Demon Lord’s divine countenance is truly the most…”

“Stop it before I kill you.”

“Yes!”

Kang Jin-ho pressed his temple with one hand.

‘People don’t change.’

Even if they had overcome the wall, he thought they would become more serious or have more gravitas. But this was just Bator with a smaller build and Jang Min who had become younger. Nothing was different.

Well, yeah.

Even Kang Jin-ho hadn’t changed after overcoming the wall. Their enlightenment wasn’t religious or ascetic; it was literally martial arts enlightenment.

A person might become a little deeper, but their fundamental nature doesn’t change.

“Are you adjusting to your body?”

“I haven’t changed much, so I’m adjusting quickly.”

Jang Min lightly clenched and unclenched one hand.

Unlike Bator, who had changed drastically, his body had also subtly changed in balance after the metamorphosis. He needed to fully adapt to this body to fully unleash what he had gained.

“In that sense, Great Demon Lord, there is something I would like to ask.”

“Speak.”

Jang Min bowed his head.

“Once I finish adjusting, may I dare to request a sparring match? I would like to see what I have gained in a real fight.”

Kang Jin-ho curled up the corners of his mouth.

“Come anytime.”

“Thank you!”

Bator glared.

“Old man, why are you looking for the master when I’m here! Don’t you want to taste my fist?”

“You little brat, you’re being presumptuous. You can wait your turn.”

“Little? I’ve never heard that in my life!”

“You’ll be hearing it often now.”

Of course, Bator’s body was still huge, enough to be called a giant. But to those who knew Bator, he definitely felt smaller. Almost cute.

“Is this old man for real?”

“Tsk.”

Jang Min raised his hand and lightly clenched it.

“Shall I deal with you first then?”

Bator’s eyes turned fierce.

The energy flowing from the past Jang Min was enough to make people tremble with fear, but the energy flowing from the current Jang Min was much heavier than before.

It wasn’t an intimidating energy, but a crushing one. If he had to put it into words… yes, it was a bit similar to Kang Jin-ho. Even Bator, who had overcome the wall and gained complete confidence, felt a power that was worth being wary of.

Conversely, that was why his competitive spirit was even more ignited.

“Come out, old man! I’ll crush you!”

“You’ll be crushed?”

“Is this old man for real…”

At that moment, Kang Jin-ho sighed and shook his head.

“Stop it, just stop it.”

“Are you so young that you don’t know that a big accident can happen when two people who don’t know their own strength clash? Or do you not care and just want to fight?”

When Kang Jin-ho became slightly serious, Jang Min prostrated himself with a pale face.

“Please forgive me, Great Demon Lord! This subordinate was short-sighted!”

“…It’s not that you don’t know.”

Bator also flinched and turned his head slightly.

In the past, Bator would have grinned and brushed off the situation, but after overcoming the wall, Bator felt an even greater sense of intimidation from Kang Jin-ho.

“It’s good to have some leeway, but don’t act like it’s all over just because you’ve overcome one wall. It’s just the beginning again.”

“Yes, Great Demon Lord.”

“Understood, Master.”

Lee Hyun-soo, who had been watching the situation, added a word.

“And…”

“Hmm?”

“There’s still someone who hasn’t returned, isn’t there?”

“Hmm.”

“That’s right.”

Jang Min and Bator nodded at the same time.

Wiggins.

He had not yet returned to Korea.

“Do we not know what he’s doing in Europe?”

“He didn’t really tell us.”

“…Is that so?”

“But it’s obvious. He’s not someone who would move without thinking.”

Bator nodded.

He didn’t particularly like Wiggins, but he acknowledged that he wasn’t someone who would waste time.

“It’s taking a bit long.”

“His methods are different from ours.”

Jang Min said nonchalantly.

“He, who is based on mana, can’t walk the same path as us, who are based on internal energy [qi]. He must have found his own way. So don’t worry too much.”

“Who said I was worried! Are you blind, old man?”

“…Just shut up.”

Kang Jin-ho covered his face.

He would rather have Bator, who was groaning with his limbs withered, or Jang Min, who was sprawled on the floor with his body broken. They had only just returned, but why was it so chaotic?

“Anyway, that sly guy will take care of himself…”

Bator’s head turned to one side.

“Now it’s this guy…”

“Hmm, that’s right.”

Jang Min and Bator’s eyes lit up as if they had found prey.

Bang Jin-hoon, who had been quietly keeping his mouth shut in the corner, flinched at their gaze.

“W-why are you looking at me?”

“You are a martial artist based on internal energy.”

“But you haven’t overcome the wall yet.”

“We need to do something about it…”

Bang Jin-hoon’s face flushed slightly.

“It’s not like a vaulting horse, you can’t just jump over it if you’re told to. Rice has to be cooked to become rice.”

“These days, there’s also rapid cooking, so it can be done quickly if you want.”

“…That’s not what I meant.”

Bator stroked his chin and looked at Bang Jin-hoon.

‘It’s still too early.’

He knew because he had overcome it himself. Whether this person was ready to try. Unfortunately, Bang Jin-hoon had not yet acquired the martial prowess to hit the wall.

“Should we put him in seclusion?”

“Seclusion like hell is the specialty of the cult.”

Bang Jin-hoon flinched and slowly backed away from the approaching demonic hands.

“Y-you guys should take care of yourselves!”

“That’s right.”

Kang Jin-ho said firmly.

“Director Bang is not in a situation where he can do that right now. If he tries it in a hurry, he will really become a cripple or die.”

“Tsk.”

“That’s true, but…”

Bator and Jang Min smacked their lips. In fact, they were acting playful, but this was a manifestation of their anxiety. After overcoming the wall themselves, they could clearly see the difference between those who had overcome it and those who had not.

‘There are twelve transcendents around that guy called the Azure Horse.’

The difference couldn’t be made up by just Jang Min and Bator. They needed even more power.

But forcing someone who wasn’t ready into the realm of enlightenment was not much different from killing them.

‘We need to find another way…’

It was then.

“There isn’t only one way to overcome the wall.”

“Huh?”

“What do you mean by that, Master?” Kang Jin-ho shrugged his shoulders.

“I told you, I was fighting and suddenly I had overcome it. You guys just chose the most common method. There are plenty of other ways.”

“A shortcut?”

“…It won’t be any less difficult, so it wouldn’t be a shortcut.”

At those words, Bator looked at Bang Jin-hoon.

‘What is he trying to do?’

Kang Jin-ho wasn’t someone who would make empty promises, so he must have thought of something. But with his current abilities, Bator couldn’t even guess what that method was.

“More than that…”

Kang Jin-ho turned his head and stared at Lee Hyun-soo.

“Is there still no contact from Wiggins?”

“When I contacted the Round Table, they said he had obtained the position of Master and left his post. He seems to have moved to somewhere only a Master can go.”

“…I see.”

Kang Jin-ho nodded heavily.

Then, his gaze turned to the empty sofa. The place where Wiggins always sat.

‘He’ll come back.’

He must come back.

That seat is only for Wiggins.