Descent of The Demon Master [EN]: Chapter 2116

As Kang Jin-ho descended from the platform, showered in flashing lights, he approached those who were waiting for him. Jang Min, Bator, Bang Jin-hoon, and Lee Hyun-soo stared at Kang Jin-ho, their mouths tightly shut.

Kang Jin-ho scratched his head, looking at the four of them.

“Was that a bit much?”

None of them could say a word.

The reasons varied.

Some were speechless, while others didn’t know what to say.

However, Lee Hyun-soo’s reason for not speaking was a little different.

Kang Jin-ho’s expression as he came down from the platform looked too relaxed, as if he had just laid down a burden he had carried for a long time.

“No.”

Lee Hyun-soo lightly shook his head.

“You did well.”

Kang Jin-ho glanced at Lee Hyun-soo and grinned.

“I don’t know if I did well or not… but it feels good to hear you say that, Chief Lee.”

“Isn’t that all that matters?”

“Yeah.”

Kang Jin-ho glanced back. The flashes of light pouring down on him intensified slightly.

“…I guess that’s all that matters.”

There was no hesitation or regret in Kang Jin-ho’s voice, unlike his hesitant demeanor before he stepped onto the platform.

‘That’s right.’

Thinking about it, it wasn’t surprising at all.

Kang Jin-ho was always someone who pondered and pondered before making a decision, but once he made a decision, he would carry it out without hesitation.

This time was no different. If he had reached a conclusion after much deliberation, there was no reason to hesitate any longer.

“Let’s go.”

“Okay.”

Kang Jin-ho walked towards the waiting room, surrounded by the board members of the Assembly as if they were his escorts. The reporters, who were trying to rush after Kang Jin-ho, all stopped in their tracks the moment Bator slightly frowned and turned his head.

“Tsk.”

Bator clicked his tongue and followed Kang Jin-ho.

Step, step.

They were silent as they walked towards the waiting room. Kang Jin-ho entered the waiting room after walking down the short hallway and picked up a cup of coffee on the table.

“My throat was parched.”

“…That’s understandable.”

“I can’t do that twice.”

Kang Jin-ho shook his head once and downed the coffee in one go.

“I wish you had at least…”

“Hmm?”

“…told us beforehand.”

Kang Jin-ho chuckled at those words.

“I wanted to.”

“Then why…”

“I didn’t think I could.”

“…Tell us?”

“No. Make the decision.”

Kang Jin-ho looked at Lee Hyun-soo and the board members behind him.

“I understood that it was something I had to do, but it was something I really didn’t want to do.”

“If I had heard reasons why I shouldn’t do it after bringing it up, I really wouldn’t have been able to do it.”

Kang Jin-ho scratched his head, looking embarrassed.

“That’s why I did it. If you think about it, I ran away. I didn’t have the confidence to persuade you.”

Lee Hyun-soo let out a hollow laugh.

A runaway… Can this be called running away?

It was like saying he jumped into a battlefield to avoid being nagged.

“You didn’t need to worry about that, Demon Lord.”

At that moment, Jang Min opened his mouth with a resolute expression.

“The cultists will only follow the Demon Lord’s orders, no matter what. You just need to command, and you just need to lead.”

“I appreciate it, but…”

Just as Kang Jin-ho was about to speak, Jang Min continued without waiting for his words. It was a rare occurrence, which made his words all the more focused.

“I know, Demon Lord, that not all martial artists in the world are like the cultists. They will still doubt you, and they will look at what you are trying to do with discontent.”

“That’s why the cultists are fanatical. The cultists do not question. I also know that you do not like the nature of these cultists. But, Demon Lord, the cultists want to live a life where they can be happy and also be a strength to you.”

Jang Min looked directly at Kang Jin-ho.

“Sometimes, the existence of those who blindly follow is more powerful than those who follow because it is right. We are the ones who exist to be a strength to you at the moment when the whole world turns its back on you. Please do not forget that fact.”

“If you wish to walk a thorny path, the cultists will naturally be the ones to clear the thorns in front of you, and I will be the one at the very front.”

Kang Jin-ho closed his mouth tightly.

Perhaps if it were the usual Kang Jin-ho, he might have sighed at those words. Because what he wanted from the cultists, and from Jang Min, was not this kind of blind loyalty.

But right now… yes, right now, he felt a little different.

“…Thank you.”

He had thought of many things to say, but in the end, this was the only thing that came out of his mouth. Because he understood what Jang Min meant by those words.

And more than anything, he was just grateful for the words that even if the whole world turned against him, they would be the only ones to remain by his side.

“Hey.”

Bang Jin-hoon, who had been listening to the conversation, spoke as if he was dumbfounded.

“Don’t try to take credit for something you haven’t even done yet, Elder. Some of us are about to have all the martial arts we worked so hard to create taken away.”

“As if that’s a big deal.”

“What?”

Jang Min clicked his tongue as Bang Jin-hoon glared at him.

“Are you saying you served the Demon Lord without that much resolve! The cult is prepared to give up all of its martial arts if that is what the Demon Lord desires!”

“It’s because you don’t even learn martial arts even if we give them to you!”

“What did you say, you little…”

Kang Jin-ho burst out laughing.

“…I’m sorry about that, Director Bang. I should have consulted with you first.”

Bang Jin-hoon looked at Kang Jin-ho as if he was about to say something, then snorted.

“It’s fine. It’s already happened, anyway.”

“It’s a good thing if more people learn even one of the martial arts we created. If you think about it the other way, it’s like my disciples are increasing, isn’t it?”

“It sounds like you’re making excuses.”

“Chief Lee, you be quiet. You’ve been getting too cocky lately?”

“Yes, sir.”

As Lee Hyun-soo slightly turned his head, Bang Jin-hoon glared at him, grinding his teeth, before letting out a deep sigh.

“However, you have to take into account that the kids will resist. I’ll try to stop them, but isn’t it the hardest thing to give away something that was originally in your hands?”

“I know.”

“Still, well…”

Bang Jin-hoon glanced at Jang Min and continued.

“Even if they’re not as good as the Demonic Cult, the Assembly guys are also loyal to the Assembly Lord. They’ll all understand. It’s not like this is just for the Assembly Lord’s benefit.”

Bator, who had been crossing his arms, opened his mouth with a nonchalant expression.

“You looked like you were about to breathe fire a moment ago.”

“Well, I was angry, that’s true…”

Bang Jin-hoon scratched his head.

“But after listening, what the Assembly Lord said wasn’t wrong. We also have to give up something, and this is all we have to give. If we just wrap up something mediocre and give it away, we’ll just be accused of trying to take credit.”

“That’s true.”

“And it’s not like we can give away the Demonic Cult’s martial arts like the Elder said. I know that the only useful thing we have is the Assembly’s martial arts.”

Bang Jin-hoon clicked his tongue as if he was disappointed.

“If someone other than the Assembly Lord had done this, someone would have died… But actually, this wasn’t originally the Assembly’s, nor was it mine. It was given to me by the Assembly Lord, so how can I say anything when the Assembly Lord wants to use it?”

“…It’s not mine.”

“Well, it depends on how you think about it.”

As he spoke, Bang Jin-hoon’s face relaxed a little, as if he had sorted out his thoughts.

“Anyway, I won’t complain. But please promise me one thing, Assembly Lord.”

Kang Jin-ho met Bang Jin-hoon’s gaze with a calm expression.

“I’m just losing something I could have taken credit for, but the kids are giving up everything they have. Even if that’s not actually the case, that’s how they’ll feel. Martial arts are like that, aren’t they?”

“…That’s right.”

“They’ve sacrificed a lot to live as martial artists and to remain affiliated with the Assembly. They won’t be able to easily accept that they have to share the martial arts they’ve gained with those who haven’t done anything. So…”

Bang Jin-hoon paused for a moment before speaking.

“I hope they can gain more in return for giving this up.”

Kang Jin-ho slowly nodded, seeing Bang Jin-hoon’s earnest eyes.

“It will be so.”

“It has to be so.”

Bang Jin-hoon bit his lip. He also had a lot he wanted to say. But anything more would be meaningless. All of this was for the martial artists, after all. There were plenty of people who would try to find fault with it besides him. So…

‘At least I should help.’

“I’ll take care of the kids. So, don’t worry about anything else and do what you want to do.”

With those words, Bang Jin-hoon took a step back, as if he had said everything he wanted to say. Then, Bator, who was still crossing his arms with a lot of dissatisfaction, opened his mouth in a booming voice.

“Honestly, I don’t know what the hell you’re doing, Master.”

“Understanding is only meaningful to those who have the will to understand. Just because they know martial arts, will they try to understand us?”

“That’s…”

“But.”

Bator said firmly.

“That doesn’t matter.”

Bator shrugged his large shoulders.

“As I said, I trust you, Master. And trusting someone isn’t about trusting their claims, but trusting the person themselves.”

“It doesn’t matter if my thoughts are different from yours. In the end, I believe that you will go down the right path. So… I will do my best to help. I hope that one day, you will prove that my thoughts were wrong.”

Kang Jin-ho bit his lip.

He had started this with the expectation of being criticized quite a bit. But these people were not blaming his unilateral decision. Even though they were clearly full of dissatisfaction inside.

“Don’t look at us like that, Assembly Lord.”

Lee Hyun-soo chuckled and opened his mouth.

“We are the people who have seen the path you have walked so far. And we are the people who have walked that path with you. You have always proven the things that we say are difficult.”

“…This time won’t be so easy.”

“That’s why it’s more meaningful.”

Lee Hyun-soo smiled and continued.

“Until now, you have been a strength to everyone. But now, the people you have protected will help you.”

Everyone except Kang Jin-ho nodded at those words.

Kang Jin-ho looked at them all.

The people who had been with him until now were looking at him with unwavering eyes.

“…Thank you.”

The reason why his heart wasn’t heavy even though he was facing an incredibly difficult battle was because of them, and because of these gazes. And because there were people who believed in him in every corner of the world, even if they weren’t here.

“Let’s go back to the Assembly.”

“Yes, Assembly Lord.”

Kang Jin-ho opened the door.

But the ones who had to go out through that open door and pioneer a new path were not Kang Jin-ho, but all the martial artists who had to live in a new world.

It would be a difficult path, but if they walked without giving up, someday…

Yes, someday.

A small smile bloomed on Kang Jin-ho’s lips as he took a step forward.

It was the first relaxed smile he had shown since the death of the Black King.