Descent of The Demon Master [EN]: Chapter 2043

Kiiiiiiiiiiiiiing!

The demonic energy exploded outward, vibrating the air.

Utter sharpness!

On the surface, it merely looked like a surge of energy, but the demonic energy forming the claw-like Jo Gang [a type of demonic energy] was rotating fiercely.

It was meant to tear apart everything that touched it, everything that dared to oppose the Demon Lord.

Five ominous streaks of crimson energy, like a demon’s claws, slashed across the incoming wires.

*Chwaaaaaaaak!*

The wires, each strand possessing a hardness that could not be compared to steel, were severed instantly.

A terrifying cutting power that would put any famous sword to shame!

Though the wires were enough to make any legendary sword look dull, the Jo Gang that Jang Min unleashed cut through them as if they were ordinary threads.

However!

At that moment, Jang Min’s eyes contorted. The severed parts of the wires fell powerlessly to the ground. But the unsevered parts did not lose their strength at all, and once again thrust new heads towards Jang Min.

*Karararak!*

The sound of wires rubbing against each other echoed eerily, and their renewed attack made them seem less like wires and more like mechanical alien creatures.

Only then did he realize it anew.

A sword, once broken, is finished.

The same goes for a spear.

Any weapon in the world, once broken in half, loses more than 90% of its value. All weapons are effective because of their proper length.

But these wires were different.

*Chwaaaaaak!*

From the tips of his nails, which seemed to be cutting through space itself, streaks of crimson demonic energy poured out.

In the silver-tinged world, dozens of red claw marks were etched.

The wires were severed in an instant, and the silver-tinged world momentarily regained its achromatic color.

But that was only for a moment.

*Kararararak!*

The wires surged again, engulfing Jang Min.

“Kuh!”

At that moment, Jang Min retreated for the first time since the battle began.

If there is a commonality among weapons called ‘grotesque weapons,’ it is that their versatility is not worth mentioning, but they have at least one outstanding advantage that ordinary weapons cannot match.

Jang Min thought the advantage of the silver threads was their stealth. The thin threads, almost invisible to the eye, flew like blades. It was bound to be difficult to deal with.

But at this moment, Jang Min was forced to learn the true utility of the silver threads.

No matter how many times they were cut, the value of these silver threads did not diminish.

Like the legendary Hydra, whose severed heads instantly grew back, these wires seemed to regenerate, instantly regaining their value even after being cut.

No, it would be easier to deal with the Hydra.

The Hydra only had nine heads, but these wires numbered in the hundreds, and they possessed a sharpness more deadly than the Hydra’s poison.

The sight of hundreds of wires, capable of tearing flesh and cutting bone just by touching them, flashing as they flew, sent a chill down even Jang Min’s spine.

Jang Min’s face twisted.

In a normal situation, he could just keep cutting them until all the wires were used up, but… to be blunt, that was not a good idea.

*Ting!*

The severed wires bounced into the sky.

Even with his eyes that had surpassed the realm of humans, it was not easy to find the severed wires.

Wires that were thin enough to be called microscopic, yet possessed unbelievable tensile strength. The thinner they were, the more wire could be contained within that body. With wires this thin, he couldn’t even guess how many he would have to cut to see the end.

‘No.’

Jang Min gritted his teeth.

It wasn’t impossible, but it was definitely not the right approach. That Gongryeong fellow wasn’t stupid enough not to think of that. He would surely wait for his stamina to drop and then pounce like a seasoned hunter.

‘Hunting, huh…’

Red bloodlust surged in Jang Min’s eyes.

Certainly, this attack was similar to hunting. It attacked and attacked relentlessly, but did not rush in recklessly. If he let his guard down for even a moment, those sharp wires would pierce Jang Min’s body, entangling and stretching him.

Like a snare catching a beast.

But…

*Thud!*

At that moment, Jang Min kicked off the ground and charged forward.

It is not difficult to shoot an arrow into the back of a fleeing beast. But shooting an arrow into the brow of a roaring tiger is a life-threatening task even for a skilled hunter.

What Jang Min had to do now was only one thing: to prove that he was not a deer fleeing from an arrow, but a ferocious beast charging to sink its fangs into the back of the hunter’s neck.

*Kagagagak!*

His Jo Gang raged fiercely.

“Kuhahahahahahahat!”

At the same time, a mad laugh filled with madness burst from his throat.

Soaring red light, and crimson blood energy erupting from his entire body.

‘Eerie’ was not enough to describe it.

Jang Min was now demonstrating with his entire being why the demonic beings were so feared.

Even the superhumans watching this battle on two feet momentarily trembled at the sight.

But the fear and pressure they felt would be nothing compared to what Gongryeong, who was facing Jang Min head-on, was feeling.

*Squeak.*

Gongryeong bit his lower lip tightly.

His back involuntarily curled up. The muscles in his entire body tensed and stiffened. It wasn’t a significant change, but in a match where victory or defeat was decided in an instant, this small flinch could lead to his head being cut off.

Forcing his stiff muscles to relax, Gongryeong swallowed dryly.

‘It’s like fighting a beast.’

No. ‘Demon’ would be a more fitting word than ‘beast.’

Gongryeong was not one to be intimidated by appearances. Even if a three-headed, six-armed monster with oozing body fluids charged at him, he wouldn’t even bat an eye.

But the chilling aura that Jang Min was emitting was making even Gongryeong flinch.

His entire body was enveloped in terrifying demonic energy, and his mind was thoroughly surrounded by reckless fanaticism. His fingertips were armed with blades that could cut and tear apart any enemy, and he charged without regard for his life, solely to destroy the enemies of the Demonic Cult.

‘Is this what a demonic being is?’

He was different from that Demon Lord.

From the start, it was meaningless to discuss the Demon Lord’s nature. Even if he emitted the gentle energy unique to orthodox martial arts instead of demonic energy, the awe felt towards him would not change at all.

In that sense, this was the first time Gongryeong was facing a ‘real’ demonic being.

“…Indeed.”

He understood.

Why the entire Central Plains had tried so desperately to eradicate them.

Why his predecessors had been so horrified at the mere mention of the Demonic Cult.

If one remembered such things, it would not be strange to treat the Demonic Cult members as demons crawled up from hell.

And…

*Chwaaaaaaaaaak!*

It wasn’t just the aura that was frightening. The wires, filled with his inner energy, could split buildings and withstand tons of weight with just a single strand. But now, Jang Min’s Jo Gang was cutting through those wires as if they were ordinary threads.

He was truly a monster.

But…

Gongryeong licked his lips.

‘The more like that he is, the more valuable he is to capture.’

Madness flickered in his eyes as well.

After all, he was also a martial artist who had transcended his limits. No matter how calm and rational he pretended to be, he was just like Jang Min, only different in direction, and he was an individual who harbored an uncontainable madness within his heart.

*Chwararararak!*

The wires that erupted from his fingertips rotated as if they were being scattered.

It was a clearly different movement from the way he had been charging head-on until now.

But Jang Min did not show even a hint of hesitation, as if he could not be stopped no matter what attack he made.

*Chwaaaak!*

In the end, no matter what changes he made, the power exerted on the wires was the same.

‘Foolish!’

Jang Min’s eyes flashed with bloodlust.

This was clearly an operation close to divine skill. Even Jang Min, who was well-versed in numerous demonic arts, did not have the confidence to handle the wires as delicately as Gongryeong.

But the fact that his skill was outstanding did not necessarily mean he was strong. Handling hundreds of wires at the same time was certainly impressive, but conversely, it meant that he had to distribute his inner energy into hundreds of parts.

Those seemingly living wires would certainly display unbelievable power against ordinary martial artists.

Even if there were martial artists who could defeat Jang Min if they gathered in hundreds, they would surely be brutally slaughtered without even being able to lift a finger in the face of that sea of wires.

But that was only when dealing with ordinary martial artists.

Those wires, which were like grim reapers to those weaker than him, could not fully exert their power when facing someone on equal footing with him.

Forward. Only forward.

To someone who charged without fear of that grotesque weapon, those wires were not a snare that would strangle him, but merely troublesome blades.

“Youuuuuuu!”

Jang Min’s nails, emitting a chilling shriek, cut through the incoming wires in an instant.

The severed wires scattered in all directions.

“Crazy…”

An uncouth curse involuntarily escaped Wiggins’s mouth.

He had already crossed hands with Gongryeong once. At that time, how much of a crisis had he faced because of the wires flying from all directions?

He had managed to endure with the advantage of an absolute defense, a shield that blocked all gaps, and the nature of magic that pierced the opponent’s weaknesses, but in the end, he had been unilaterally beaten and defeated by that Gongryeong.

If Kang Jin-ho had not arrived in time, his head would have been cleanly severed.

No, considering Gongryeong’s nature, he would have suffered all sorts of pain before dying.

But Jang Min was pushing Gongryeong back. The wires, which had been as terrifying as the tongue of a demon from hell when facing him, were not able to exert their full power against Jang Min.

“…It’s infuriating.”

This was the difference in basic destructive power between Wiggins and Jang Min. Wiggins had to increase his firepower and use all sorts of magic to cut through those wires, but Jang Min could cut through them effortlessly just by flicking his fingers.

He might be the worst possible opponent for Gongryeong.

But…

‘No, even so…’

Wiggins saw Jang Min approaching Gongryeong’s striking distance. At this rate, Gongryeong would not be able to avoid Jang Min’s nails no matter what he did.

‘So powerless?’

That Gongryeong?

And it was at that very moment.

Kang Jin-ho, who had been sitting behind him, jumped up from his seat.

“Jang Min!”

The moment his voice burst out, Wiggins saw it clearly.

The wires that had been cut and flown up.

The wires that had been severed and were no longer meaningful, the wires that should have scattered without any value, began to show strange movements.

‘What?’

Wiggins’s eyes widened.

‘Unbelievable…’

How could the severed wires move again!

*Chwararararak!*

The wires that had scattered and fallen to the ground flew towards Jang Min all at once, as if they had come back to life.

At the same time, Wiggins saw it clearly.

The moment of bewilderment that flashed in Jang Min’s eyes, who had been pushing Gongryeong as if drunk!