Descent of The Demon Master [EN]: Chapter 336

Rumble!

The world trembles.

Kang Jin-ho’s body tensed up.

‘Not yet!’

If it starts collapsing now, he won’t be able to respond. He hasn’t gathered enough internal energy to push away all this earth and rock. If this place collapses now, all that’s left is a clean death.

Biting his lip, Kang Jin-ho hugged Choi Yeon-ha.

‘I’ll struggle, at least.’

If the earth collapses like this, he has to try to escape with Choi Yeon-ha. Even if it’s just a futile struggle, he had no intention of accepting death so easily.

Kang Jin-ho had already lived two lives. But that didn’t diminish the value of life. Rather, the more he lived new lives, the more desperate and joyful life became.

Accepting death calmly was something only those who had achieved something could do.

But he hadn’t achieved anything yet.

Amidst complex thoughts and anxiety, Kang Jin-ho, who had been tense, felt the tremors gradually subside and let out a long sigh.

‘Not yet.’

Fortunately, it didn’t seem to be collapsing.

“Ah…”

As a groan escaped Choi Yeon-ha’s lips, Kang Jin-ho moved his body away from hers.

‘Is it stable?’

Until now, he had been supporting the tunnel ceiling fragments with his back, thinking they might twist and fall. But since the ceiling didn’t collapse even after he moved his back, it seemed to be stable.

But that was it. The space he had secured was just enough for one person to barely lie down. If he leaned on it, he himself would be more comfortable, but Choi Yeon-ha, who was already exhausted, would have a harder time.

Then, Choi Yeon-ha reached out and wrapped her hand around Kang Jin-ho’s neck, pulling him towards her.

Kang Jin-ho looked at her with questioning eyes.

Even though she pulled, her hand had no strength, and Kang Jin-ho wasn’t pulled at all.

“Lean… on… me.”

“…Huh?”

“It’s… hard… for… you.”

Kang Jin-ho chuckled.

To think that there was someone who was worried about him even in this situation.

The Choi Yeon-ha he had first seen was not like this. In his eyes, Choi Yeon-ha was a woman who had a firm passion for her work but didn’t see other people as anything more than tools.

Wasn’t the reason she first approached him not because she was interested in him, but just to use him?

What was the difference between the Choi Yeon-ha he first saw and the Choi Yeon-ha now?

Could it be that simply getting a little closer and knowing each other a little better could change the way she treated people?

‘You can’t know a person’s heart.’

Kang Jin-ho was gaining a new realization in this situation.

You can’t know a person’s heart unless you try to understand it. You can’t know what kind of person someone is just by their simple impression and appearance. And to know a person’s inner self, you need to make an effort to approach them.

Kang Jin-ho, who kept his distance from people and only kept his close ones near, might be only seeing half of the world.

“Hurry…”

“I’m fine.”

“…It’s hard to talk. Hurry.”

Kang Jin-ho looked like he was hesitating for a moment, then he relaxed his arms.

‘Now is not the time to be picky.’

It was a matter of whether Choi Yeon-ha’s stamina would give out first, or Kang Jin-ho would recover first. Not leaning on her and making Choi Yeon-ha’s stamina deplete as slowly as possible was one way, but Kang Jin-ho recovering quickly in the most comfortable position was another way.

And more than anything, Choi Yeon-ha didn’t seem like she was going to give up. If Kang Jin-ho didn’t lean on her, she looked like she would use more energy talking and trying to persuade him.

Kang Jin-ho, who was lying on top of Choi Yeon-ha, closed his eyes.

‘What a ridiculous sight.’

Suddenly, anger surged up.

At himself, for being so complacent, foolish, and stupid.

This world was too safe compared to the Central Plains [a fictional setting often used in martial arts novels, representing a world of martial prowess and conflict] where he had spent most of his life. There was no need to be wary of attacks from others while walking down the street, and there was no need to be on guard against assassins visiting his room in the middle of the night.

Above all, there was no world with tens of thousands of righteous people with bloodshot eyes trying to kill him.

That’s why he was relieved. That’s why he was careless.

Kang Jin-ho’s most painful mistake was overlooking the fact that it was humans, not the lack of martial arts, that made the world dangerous. If he had been just a little unlucky, he would have suffocated to death in the earth by now.

Kang Jin-ho’s reason boiled with anger at his own complacency and anger at those who had attacked him.

‘I won’t let them get away with this.’

If he got out of this place, he would never let them get away with it. He would make them realize what it meant to mess with him. He would make them feel the fear that the people of the Central Plains felt.

Then, Choi Yeon-ha reached out and hugged Kang Jin-ho’s back.

“…Uh.”

Just as Kang Jin-ho was about to say something, a groan-like sound came from Choi Yeon-ha’s mouth.

“…Cold.”

Kang Jin-ho’s face hardened.

A drop in body temperature was not a good sign. Looking at it coldly, the temperature here was not low at all. But to feel cold meant…

Kang Jin-ho hugged Choi Yeon-ha with a stiff face. He had to prevent her body temperature from dropping as much as possible.

“Warm…”

Watching Choi Yeon-ha, who was speaking blankly and slowly falling asleep, Kang Jin-ho bit his lip.

‘I will survive.’

No matter what it took.

Feeling the most desperate will to live in all three of his lives, Kang Jin-ho closed his eyes and began to circulate his energy. Now was the time to recover his strength.

* * *

“Blow it up?”

Jo Gyu-min’s eyes could be interpreted in many ways. But Bang Jin-hoon felt like he had found the right answer among those many ways. Jo Gyu-min was looking at Bang Jin-hoon with eyes that said, ‘Is this bastard crazy?’

But Bang Jin-hoon was confident.

“Yes. In my opinion, the only way to save both of them is that method.”

“No. Wait a minute, Mr. Bang Jin-hoon.”

Jo Gyu-min waved his hand with a dumbfounded look. Then, he grabbed his head and closed his eyes. After calming himself down for a while, Jo Gyu-min opened his mouth with difficulty.

“My head is a bit complicated right now. I understand that it’s a good idea, so…”

“I said I wasn’t joking.”

“No!”

Jo Gyu-min’s voice began to rise.

“Are you saying that with a clear mind? What do you think you’re going to do by blowing that place up? Yes! If you pour enough firepower, you can blow away the earth above in one shot. And then we can pick up Mr. Kang Jin-ho piece by piece with a vacuum cleaner or tongs!”

“Hey, calm down.”

“Calm down now…”

“I said calm down.”

When Bang Jin-hoon said it with a serious face, Jo Gyu-min gritted his teeth.

“I’m sorry. I got a little excited.”

“It’s understandable to be excited. I understand that it sounds absurd to hear.”

“Yes.”

“But I’m not just throwing words around.”

Jo Gyu-min’s face became a little more serious.

“Do you have a plan?”

“The biggest reason why Mr. Kang Jin-ho can’t escape right now is probably because of his companion. If he were alone, he’s someone who could swim through the soil while pushing away the pressure of the earth.”

“…Should I laugh?”

“I said I’m not joking! Seriously! There’s no way a space could be created there. It’s not like the collapsed ceilings just happened to fit perfectly to create a space. He probably created a space by carrying fragments that fell from the ceiling. He was lucky that the earth didn’t come in from the left and right.”

“Hmm…”

Jo Gyu-min’s face began to look serious.

“Whether it’s because he can’t get into a good position or whatever, he can’t push up the earth in that situation. What we need to do is to relieve that pressure momentarily. Then he’ll take care of the rest inside.”

“Do you know what you’re saying right now?”

“Yes.”

“It’s good to relieve the pressure, but don’t you think that even if you cause an explosion, the shock will go straight to that side?”

“Will he die from that?”

“…Huh?”

Jo Gyu-min was a little dazed.

“Look at the situation calmly, Mr. Jo Gyu-min. The person trapped there right now is not an ordinary person, but Mr. Kang Jin-ho. Do you think he’s someone who would die from that kind of shock?”

“No, wait a minute.”

Jo Gyu-min let out a hollow laugh.

If he said that, there was nothing to say. He still couldn’t imagine Kang Jin-ho dying.

“What we need to do is to set the stage for Mr. Kang Jin-ho to perform. If that guy can’t do it, we can’t either. So let’s momentarily shake up the earth to relieve the pressure. Then he’ll be able to get out on his own.”

“Really, what should I say…”

Jo Gyu-min said sincerely.

“That’s the most novel bullshit I’ve ever heard in my life.”

Anyone would think that Bang Jin-hoon was selling snake oil [a deceptive or fraudulent scheme]. The problem was that it was a snake oil that you kind of wanted to try. It was an absurd idea if you thought about it rationally…

‘Damn it, why am I falling for it?’

He thought that Kang Jin-ho would be able to squeeze out of that small gap.

But if he thought about it the other way around, his blind faith in Kang Jin-ho could lead him to his death. To put someone in danger because you believe in them, this was a situation that he couldn’t understand at all.

“This is driving me crazy, really.”

Jo Gyu-min jumped up from his seat.

Then, he started walking out.

“Where are you going?”

“You said we should try selling some snake oil!”

“Huh?”

Jo Gyu-min said irritably.

“How are we going to do that? We have to ask an explosives expert. How can we shake the entire tunnel without putting too much pressure on the center?”

“Ha?”

Bang Jin-hoon chuckled and then got up, following Jo Gyu-min.

“Are you going to try it?”

“I’m telling you clearly…”

Jo Gyu-min glared at Bang Jin-hoon with a look that could devour him and opened his mouth.

“If Mr. Kang Jin-ho dies because of this attempt, I will definitely cut your throat. No matter what it takes.”

Jo Gyu-min’s blazing eyes proved that his words were not a joke.

Bang Jin-hoon nodded obediently while listening to Jo Gyu-min’s threat, which he could easily kill with one finger. It was because he felt how sincere Jo Gyu-min was about rescuing Kang Jin-ho.

‘I’m a little envious.’

If Bang Jin-hoon were in the same situation, who among his subordinates would worry so sincerely and be so genuinely angry like Jo Gyu-min?

It wasn’t something to say to someone buried in a tunnel, but he really thought that he was a lucky man.

‘And he’s really scary too.’

With the way Jo Gyu-min had been acting recently, even Bang Jin-hoon couldn’t be sure that he would be safe if he was serious. Even Kang Jin-ho was caught off guard like that. It wasn’t an era where non-martial artists couldn’t fight against martial artists.

Bang Jin-hoon nodded and answered with sincerity.

“We will definitely be able to save him.”