Descent of The Demon Master [EN]: Chapter 460

“Hmm hmm~ hmm.”

Han Eun-sol frowned, watching Choi Yeon-ha hum a strange tune.

“Noona.”

“Huh?”

“I know you’re in a good mood, but could you please refrain from humming?”

“Why? It’s just us here anyway.”

Choi Yeon-ha tilted her head, looking around the empty first-class cabin. If there were other passengers, she would be careful, but since it was just them, what was there to be cautious about?

“I don’t like listening to it.”

“What, you punk?”

Choi Yeon-ha glared at him.

“Tsk.”

Han Eun-sol shook his head, clearly displeased.

“Noona, you need to be more self-aware. You’re humming because you’re happy, but it’s torture for the listener. How can you hum so off-key?”

“Mind your own business! And I almost debuted as a singer, you know?”

“It’s no wonder even the experts who make those terrible idols sound like they have heavenly voices gave up on you.”

“Hey, get out of here.”

“It’s an airplane, how can I get out?”

“Get out however you can, you punk!”

“You need to make sense!”

When Han Eun-sol resisted fiercely, Choi Yeon-ha snorted.

“I’m letting it slide because I’m in a good mood today. Don’t push it too far.”

“Yes, yes. I understand, my lady.”

Han Eun-sol glanced at Choi Yeon-ha. Despite his jabs, she didn’t seem upset, leaning back in her seat with her eyes closed. The corners of her lips, which kept twitching up and down, were a clear indication of her current mood.

‘She really seems happy.’

It made him question if a person’s mood could change so drastically just from a brief moment… but, well, what could he do? Choi Yeon-ha was always like that.

“But why are you the only one here?”

“Huh?”

“All the other staff are in the back, so why are you the only one in first class? We should either move them to first class too, or something. It’s not like we’re discriminating against people. Did the president tell you to do this?”

“…Noona.”

“What?”

“The production company paid for all the staff’s plane tickets.”

“The production company?”

“Yes. They’re on a different scale.”

“So, they only sent two first-class tickets? Even so, you shouldn’t be the one using it. There are people older than you.”

“No. All the staff were in first class.”

“Huh? Then why did they take business class?”

“…It’s better to be in business class where they can relax than sitting in first class with you, Noona.”

Choi Yeon-ha pursed her lips.

“That’s your assessment of me. So, usually…”

“Hey, I’m hungry, ask for some ramen.”

“And some peanuts.”

“Yes.”

Han Eun-sol silently raised his hand to call a flight attendant, while Choi Yeon-ha turned her head to look out the window.

The blue sky and white clouds came into her view.

‘So, I’m really going.’

A low sigh escaped her lips. Even though it was only for six months, leaving the land she had lived on her whole life to go overseas was not an easy thing. She would probably be tormented by all sorts of things she hadn’t even anticipated before leaving.

“Well, I’m prepared for it.”

What could be gained without effort?

If there was something she wanted, there were things she had to endure. Whether it was success or a man.

Choi Yeon-ha looked down at the window with a refreshed mind. Now, all she could see was the sea. Thinking about the people left behind on the land she had left, she bit her lip.

‘You, just wait.’

Soon, she would return with an aura that would make her look like she had a hundred fluorescent lights on her back, much more successful than she was now. Then….

“If you look away, I’ll kill you, seriously.” Choi Yeon-ha muttered, turning her head with a fierce glare.

“Is the ramen still not ready?”

Booooooom.

Kang Jin-ho, who was stepping on the accelerator, shivered as he suddenly felt a chill.

‘Suddenly a chill…

Am I not feeling well?

No, it’s impossible for Kang Jin-ho to feel a chill because he’s not feeling well. That’s like a polar bear getting heatstroke in Africa.’

Shaking his head to get rid of the distracting thoughts, Kang Jin-ho smiled wryly.

‘I should be kind to foreigners.’

Even if they weren’t ordinary people. The absurdity he felt when those suspicious-looking guys asked him for directions was still vivid.

He had been wondering what to do, but for now, he decided to follow their requests. He didn’t know what their purpose was in coming to Korea, but they hadn’t caused any trouble yet.

‘Was it Elena?’

Elena’s image came to Kang Jin-ho’s mind.

It seemed like they were related to her. Or maybe they just had similar temperaments?

Back in the Central Plains, those who had learned the same martial arts from the same sect could recognize each other even if their appearances and clothing were different. It was a bit difficult to explain, but there was something that only martial artists could distinguish.

Elena and those guys were just like that.

He didn’t know if they were from the same sect, or if it was because Western martial arts were similar, but he felt a similar temperament.

“Did they come to catch me?”

Kang Jin-ho narrowed his brows slightly.

The fact that so many of them had entered Korea meant that they were definitely after something. There was no way that so many martial artists would move at once without a reason. They couldn’t have come for sightseeing….

Then it had to be related to Kang Jin-ho….

“No, it can’t be.”

Kang Jin-ho chuckled.

There was no way that those who came for him would be so foolish as to let him go. No matter how disorganized a group was, they wouldn’t be that stupid.

‘I should give Bang Jin-hoon a heads up.’

Kang Jin-ho stepped on the accelerator, thinking that he should meet Bang Jin-hoon before starting training.

‘It’s almost like a gathering of defeated soldiers.’

Lee Myung-hwan looked around with a sullen expression.

In other words, the people gathered here were those who had passed Kang Jin-ho’s terrible test. They were people who had resolved that they would rather die if it meant they could become stronger, even in the fear of having their bodies destroyed and dying at any moment.

Whatever their reasons were, there was no way that the guys who could say those words in that situation were ordinary. They were the essence of the most vicious among the vicious, gathered from those who were considered to be tough.

Thinking about it that way, it should be a gathering of truly great people, but the scene that Lee Myung-hwan saw was nothing like that.

It was like the appearance of defeated soldiers who had been bombed during a war, abandoning their equipment and barely being rescued by their main unit.

Their eyes were shaking, unable to stay still for even a moment due to the trauma of the bombing, and their hands were trembling between their neatly gathered knees.

In a way, it was like a gathering of drug addicts.

‘If they were in Chungmuro [a district in Seoul known for its film industry], they would be scouted immediately.’

There was no scene that could express the word ‘devastation’ so well.

But it wasn’t something he couldn’t understand.

If you were asked which was more terrifying, watching your comrade get blown to bits by a shell right next to you, or being caught by Kang Jin-ho, you would be at a loss for an answer.

Although it was impossible to accurately compare the situations, Lee Myung-hwan was confident that he could go to the battlefield, but he never wanted to be left alone with Kang Jin-ho again. Absolutely.

If someone else saw him, Lee Myung-hwan’s appearance would probably be no different from theirs. He hadn’t been able to sleep properly for an hour since that day.

What tormented him the most wasn’t the trauma of that day. Surprisingly, what he had experienced that day didn’t come to mind much, and it didn’t make him feel devastated.

The appearance of Gong Young-gil (who had obviously failed) on the way proved that fact. He was surprised to see Lee Myung-hwan, who had become withered and dried up, looking perfectly fine.

What had led him to the world of insomnia was not what Kang Jin-ho had done, but what he would have to go through with Kang Jin-ho from now on.

“I feel like I’m going to throw up, seriously.”

It wasn’t just a figure of speech, he really felt nauseous. He had never known that the thought of having to meet Kang Jin-ho again could drive a person into such a corner.

Even when he lay down to sleep, Kang Jin-ho’s face would appear, and even when he ate, the thought would make him unable to lift his spoon.

‘I’m really going to get a mental illness.’

He was aware that his condition was serious.

Perhaps the place he should be going now wasn’t here, but a psychiatric clinic. He needed to go and get counseling from a specialist.

‘But why am I here, loitering around, looking for something to pick up!’

He knew exactly what was going to happen, and he could fully imagine how hellish it would be, but instead of running away, he had come here of his own volition… He felt a self-loathing that he couldn’t put into words.

The problem was that he wasn’t the only idiot here.

Looking at the idiot friends who were filling half of the auditorium, Lee Myung-hwan let out a low sigh. They were all just fools.

Really.

Screeeeeech!

At that moment, Lee Myung-hwan heard the harsh sound of brakes.

The moment he heard that sound, goosebumps rose all over Lee Myung-hwan’s body. He knew too well what that sound meant.

Looking back, the others also had pale faces.

‘Humans might really be creatures that enjoy pain.’

Looking at them trembling like that, but not thinking of leaving this place.

Lee Myung-hwan looked at the door with a tense gaze.

Since the car was parked nearby, Kang Jin-ho would soon enter through there. He was curious about what kind of expression he would have when he entered this place.

Would he look the same as usual, or….

Bang.

At that moment, the door opened and Kang Jin-ho entered.

Instantly, the atmosphere in the auditorium became as cold as if it had been frozen. Even before, when Kang Jin-ho changed his expression, no one could open their mouths, but now, just the fact that Kang Jin-ho had entered was making the air colder than that.

Because they had already experienced it.

How cruel that man who was walking in so calmly was.

‘Still, it’s a relief.’

Kang Jin-ho’s appearance was no different from usual. That fact was the only consolation that Lee Myung-hwan could have.

“Is everyone here?”

“Yes!”

Lee Myung-hwan answered without realizing it.

It was the truth.

According to the headcount he had done a little while ago, not a single one of those who had passed Kang Jin-ho’s test was missing.

‘There’s not a single sane person here.’

It was a hopeless fact.

Kang Jin-ho looked around once and nodded.

“According to what Bang Jin-hoon said, there’s a training ground in the basement. He said to train there, is that right?”

“Yes!”

“Let’s change the training ground.”

Kang Jin-ho shook his head firmly.

“If we train in the basement, the building might get blown away, and that would cost quite a bit of money. I don’t want to get nagged about that.”

He didn’t want to argue about the building being blown away. That was a minor issue now.

Lee Myung-hwan couldn’t hold back and raised his hand.

“Um…”

“Speak.”

“What are we going to learn now?”

“There’s no need to be curious.”

A smile formed on Kang Jin-ho’s lips.

“You’ll find out soon enough.”

Lee Myung-hwan’s spine tingled.