Descent of The Demon Master [EN]: Chapter 1911

“Huuu.”

Nangon’s mouth tasted metallic.

The moment he was struck by Bator’s body slam, he felt an impact as if he’d been hit by a dump truck with his bare body. Not a body infused with inner power, but a normal one.

“Cough!”

Blood streamed from his mouth.

‘Did something break?’

His body felt like it was in bad shape.

The moment their bodies collided, he had managed to land a blow on the enemy’s jaw with all his might, securing victory. But even thinking about it now, it was a terrifying moment.

‘Damn it.’

When he first faced Bator, he never imagined this outcome. The difference between him and Bator was clear, and he was an opponent he could win against ninety-nine times out of a hundred.

Victory. Yes, it was a victory.

But there are definitely victories in this world that one cannot be happy about.

He had fought someone he thought he could never lose to and sustained injuries that felt like his body was being crushed. How could he be happy about this victory?

Nangon gritted his teeth and looked at Bator, who was lying on the ground.

There was a clear mark of the staff on his jaw, where he had lost consciousness. If that blow hadn’t landed accurately, the outcome would have been….

‘No. Still, I won.’

Yes. He couldn’t deny that.

But it was clear that he had to endure more damage than he should have.

Why did this happen?

‘Changing his fighting style during the battle?’

Growth?

No, that’s not it.

Even if he was a genius blessed by the heavens, such a drastic growth during a short battle was absolutely impossible. Nangon himself was once called a genius, so he knew.

This wasn’t growth, but rather optimization.

It meant that he had established the best fighting style and inner power control method to utilize his strengthened body during the fight.

Which meant….

‘He’ll be even stronger next time.’

Nangon’s eyes turned to Bator’s head, which was lying on the ground. If he could, he wanted to rush over and smash Bator’s head right now.

He was a martial artist. One who enjoyed competition.

But conversely, he was someone who had lived on the battlefield. He had no interest in watching the growth of someone who would become a threat in the future.

It was best to be sure when you could, so there would be no regrets later.

But….

“Huuu.”

Nangon took a deep breath and raised his head. A man was standing between him and Bator.

A relaxed posture, as if he wasn’t exerting any effort.

And a faint, chilling aura that made people’s skin crawl.

The hand gripping the staff tightened.

No matter how he looked at it, the person in front of him was not below the Bator he had just faced.

If his body was in perfect condition, there would be no difficulty in facing him, but his body was not in a normal state right now.

“Are you thinking of running away?”

Jangmin’s indifferent voice flowed out. It seemed he hadn’t missed Nangon’s gaze sweeping around the surroundings.

Before his mind could reach a conclusion, his body was already searching for an escape route. This was neither shameful nor embarrassing for him. How much he had hated those who clung to useless pride and died when there was a way to survive.

“Are you trying to mock me?”

“Not at all.”

Jangmin smiled wryly.

“I like that. It’s an action that can’t be done without desperation. Even if the opponent in front of you is weaker than you, you abandon even shame to avoid even the slightest possibility.”

Words that seemed to mock and ridicule.

But this was clearly neither mockery nor ridicule.

“I highly value that.”

Jangmin was the same.

At least Nangon was just surrounded by a pack of wild dogs as a strongman. But Jangmin had to run and run again to truly survive.

Misery?

That was ridiculous.

Misery was something only those who still had something to lose felt. For someone who had abandoned everything for the sole purpose of survival, there was no misery or shame.

“But conversely…”

Grrr.

Dark red energy surged from Jangmin’s hands.

“A person who has run away countless times also knows how not to let people go.”

“There is a code in a match, but there is no code in war. You just need to win by any means. You just need to survive by any means. Even if it means digging into the wounds of an injured opponent and pouring salt on them. Isn’t that right?”

“Heh.”

Nangon let out a low laugh.

‘He’s one of my kind.’

People like Bator or Hongwang had everything from the start.

Someone to guide their martial arts, powerful martial arts, overflowing talent, and a strong body.

In the past, the so-called orthodox sects who grew up in prestigious families were like that.

Even though Pakwon had abandoned his family, he was still born into a prestigious family. He had a way to become strong from the beginning.

But Nangon was not.

His martial arts were something he had earned solely by himself. That was Nangon’s pride and the belief that sustained him.

But now, he smelled the same scent from the person standing in front of him. The scent of a human who had struggled to survive in the gutter, and somehow ended up living outside of it.

Welcome?

No way.

The most difficult person to deal with in the world was someone of the same kind. Because they knew each other’s thoughts too well.

But….

‘Even so, I will survive.’

Nangon’s eyes emitted a cold light.

He had overcome countless crises more severe than this. He had survived not because he was strong, but he had become strong by surviving.

“Come at me, you little punk.”

The wild dogs bared their teeth at each other and charged.

A battle that would shake the heavens and earth was about to unfold right next to them.

Any martial artist, anyone who walked the path of martial arts, would want to witness that battle with their own eyes.

Pakwon knew.

How strong Nangon was.

The Twelve Flying Blades were rivals who growled at each other, but they respected each other’s martial prowess more than anyone else. If that wasn’t the case, there was no way that so many people would gather without bloodshed.

It was a battle that made Nangon scream. Of course, it was normal to be curious.

But….

Right now, Pakwon had not even a shred of interest in Nangon’s battle. No, he couldn’t have any.

Trickle.

Sweat trickled down Pakwon’s forehead.

The existence in front of him was absorbing all of his attention, leaving nothing behind.

‘The Demon Lord.’

He had been bold.

Anyone who had earned the name of the Twelve Flying Blades would want to face this person.

Because this name contained so much.

Humans fought to take what they wanted.

How could one dare to use the name of the Twelve Flying Blades without wanting to fight and take what was contained in the name of the Demon Lord?

That was why, when he heard that Baek Yeonhong had stormed the main headquarters, he had laughed at the recklessness of disobeying the Black King’s orders, but he did not laugh at the audacity of trying to face the Demon Lord.

But now.

Pakwon couldn’t help but think that their thoughts might have been fundamentally wrong.

‘This is the Demon Lord…’

He didn’t know.

He couldn’t know.

Whether the current Demon Lord was stronger than the one who had gained the reputation of being the greatest in the past, or whether he was not as good as he was back then.

But what was certain was that the Demon Lord who existed in front of him was clearly different from what he had imagined.

‘This is…’

It was chilling.

Dark energy? The gloomy dark energy flowing from the Demon Lord’s body?

No, it wasn’t that.

If they were ordinary martial artists, they would be terrified by that suffocating dark energy and their souls would flee, but he was Pakwon. He was not so weak that he would lose himself by being overwhelmed by the opponent’s energy.

What was pressing down on him was not the dark energy, but the existence of the person in front of him, itself.

Something was different.

Even if he was the Demon Lord, he thought he was just a little above them.

He wasn’t so arrogant as to think that if he had been born in the same era, he would have defeated him and risen to the top, but he thought that he was at least somewhere within reach.

All of the Twelve Flying Blades would have felt the same way.

But….

The moment he saw the Demon Lord with his own eyes, he realized. The moment he faced him as an enemy right in front of him, he understood.

This was a different existence.

It was like looking at a monster wearing human skin.

He couldn’t understand how that person was made of the same bones and flesh as him.

‘I think I know why the Black King treated him so specially.’

It wasn’t the Black King’s whim.

If Pakwon had known the Demon Lord of the past, he would have had no choice but to treat him specially. Even if he hadn’t regained his power and was at a level where he could be crushed with a finger.

Clench.

Pakwon bit his lip until it bled.

‘What the hell are you doing, indulging in useless thoughts?’

That monster was standing in front of him as an enemy. To take his life.

But what was he doing, being overwhelmed by the enemy before even exchanging a single blow?

“Huuuuuu.”

Pakwon took a long breath.

Everything started from the basics.

One who used fists, one who used martial arts.

The basics were not the feet, nor the fists.

Breathing.

Everything started from the breath he took in and out.

Pakwon slowed his breathing. The slightly hurried breath gradually slowed down and returned to his usual breathing.

Slightly faster than usual.

The breathing of someone who was about to fight.

“Hmm.”

Kang Jin-ho, who had been silent until now, turned his gaze slightly towards him.

And that short movement brought Pakwon an indescribable sense of humiliation.

The place where Nangon was fighting was behind him.

And now, the Demon Lord’s gaze had shifted to him.

In other words, it meant that the Demon Lord hadn’t been looking at him until now.

Pakwon’s eyes were bloodshot.

What truly humiliated him was not the Demon Lord, who had been watching his subordinates’ battle while ignoring him. It was himself, who hadn’t even noticed that the person in front of him wasn’t paying attention to him.

“…You seem to have plenty of time.”

Kang Jin-ho looked at Pakwon with an expressionless face.

“Not really.”

“Good. If you’re the Demon Lord, you should be that arrogant. But…”

Red energy gathered in his clenched fist.

“You should be prepared to be bitten in the back. Isn’t that right?”

It was a provocation, but Kang Jin-ho’s expression didn’t change. He just stared at Pakwon with indifferent eyes.

“You…”

Just as Pakwon was about to say something more.

Tap.

Kang Jin-ho, who had slightly extended his hand forward, tapped his finger.

“You talk too much.”

“Come on.”

Kwaaaaaaa!

The energy emanating from Pakwon’s body swirled around him like a vortex. The already overturned floor couldn’t withstand the aftermath of the energy and was flung in all directions.

“That reputation! I’ll end it here today!”

Pakwon, emitting a beast-like killing intent, shot towards Kang Jin-ho like a meteor.

At the same time, a wry smile appeared on Kang Jin-ho’s lips.