Descent Of The Demon Master [EN]: Chapter 521

“He accepted Bator’s proposal.”

“That’s obvious.”

Bator picked up a knife and cut off a piece of the dried sheep’s head. Then, he tossed a piece of meat into his mouth.

“……Is it delicious?”

“Want a piece?”

“I’ll pass.”

Jang Da-jing was a Chinese man who would eat anything with legs except for a desk, but he wanted to pass on the dried sheep’s head. Especially when he thought about the trouble he went through to bring it to Korea.

“Taste, you say.”

Bator grinned.

“In this day and age, there’s so much to eat. There are many things more delicious than this.”

“Then why bother?”

“To not forget.”

Bator cut off another piece of the sheep’s head as he spoke.

“When I go back and forth between China and Korea, I sometimes forget that I’m Mongolian. When I’m immersed in this developed civilization, there comes a point when the vast plains become uncomfortable. Humans naturally seek comfort.”

“That seems to be the case.”

“So, I eat this to not forget. To remember that I am a child of the plains. That even though I wander here, my soul is always on that vast prairie.”

Bator glanced down and said,

“Not that I should be saying this while wearing such a fancy suit.”

Jang Da-jing couldn’t understand Bator.

He didn’t know what Bator meant by ‘soul,’ nor did he understand why he had to constantly remind himself of his origins.

He simply followed Bator because that’s what Bator wanted.

“You don’t look well.”

“……Because I almost died.”

“Heh heh heh.”

Bator laughed as if he had expected it.

“You shoved bloody raw meat into a beast’s mouth, so it’s no wonder your wrist was nearly severed.”

“But you were the one who ordered me to do it, Bator.”

“That’s why I also provided a way for you to come back alive, didn’t I?”

“……I suppose so.”

It was like giving a disease and then the cure. Of course, it was a bit different since he gave the cure before the disease, but still.

“Did it go as expected?”

“Yes. But even knowing it didn’t make it easy to deal with. I thought my heart was going to stop.”

“I’m sure it did.”

Bator chuckled softly.

The killing intent that a demon like Kang Jin-ho emitted was something that an ordinary martial artist couldn’t handle. If Kang Jin-ho had been a little more ruthless, Jang Da-jing would have died of a heart attack.

“How did you predict that Kang Jin-ho would react that way?”

“It’s not a prediction. It’s obvious.”

“Isn’t that the same thing?”

“It’s such a trivial matter that there’s no need to call it a prediction. He must be starving too.”

“……I’m sorry, Bator, but I’m not as smart as you think I am.”

“Tsk tsk.”

Bator clicked his tongue as if he was disappointed.

“What happens when you cage a beast?”

“……Wouldn’t it adapt?”

“Do you think so?”

Bator scoffed.

“The beasts you see in zoos are individuals that were raised by humans. They weren’t wild beasts that were immediately caged.”

“Yes, I know that.”

“A beast is a beast. Caging it doesn’t make its wild nature disappear. No matter how much food it gets and how comfortable it is, a beast cannot be tamed.”

Jang Da-jing slightly narrowed his brow.

He couldn’t understand what Bator was trying to say.

“For Kang Jin-ho, this land of Korea is like a giant cage.”

“……Ah.”

Jang Da-jing nodded vigorously. Now he seemed to understand what Bator was saying.

“Everything is here. There’s nothing lacking for him to live. Moreover, with his abilities, he could probably control this country. Money, power, women. He can get whatever he wants. But there’s something that can never be filled.”

“Is that his wild nature?”

“Yes. A wild nature that boils like a beast. The desire to fight the strong and drink their blood. That desire can never be satisfied here. The level here can never satisfy him. And then I appeared before him.”

Bator grinned.

“Wouldn’t it be like meeting his first love again?”

“……Please refrain from that analogy. Honestly, it makes me feel sick.”

“You’re such an uncultured friend.”

“I don’t think this is a matter of culture, Bator.”

Bator got up from his seat.

Then, he slowly walked towards the hotel window.

“Look.”

When he pulled back the curtain, a dazzling night view unfolded before them.

“Humans have finally reached this point. But the world of martial artists is collapsing in the opposite direction.”

“Collapsing?”

“That’s how it looks to me. Even though there are those who boast about enjoying even greater glory in the shadows than before.”

Bator shrugged his shoulders.

“We haven’t committed any crimes, yet we have to live in hiding. Isn’t that a sign of our position?”

Jang Da-jing nodded. It was something that any martial artist could relate to.

“Everyone is suppressed. Me, and Kang Jin-ho too.”

Bator’s voice sounded a bit bitter.

“And when an escape route is opened in the midst of that suppression, they have no choice but to rush towards it.”

Jang Da-jing couldn’t help but feel a strange sensation.

‘Do you acknowledge him that much?’

It was evident in every word Bator spoke. The fact that Bator acknowledged Kang Jin-ho so much.

That arrogant man.

Bator wasn’t a bad person to serve as a superior. Compared to those who were full of bluster without any real skill, he was a superior that one would naturally want to serve.

But the part about martial arts was different.

Bator was a man with endless pride in his martial arts. He was so confident in his skills that he even challenged the Hong King. And yet, he acknowledged Kang Jin-ho this much?

“Bator.”

“Hmm?”

“May I ask you something? It might be a very rude question…”

“Then don’t ask.”

“I’m just kidding. Ask away. I’ll answer.”

“I apologize for saying this, but how confident are you, Bator?”

“I wish you would be more specific with your question.”

“About Kang Jin-ho.”

Bator tilted his head.

“What do you think your chances of winning are in a fight against Kang Jin-ho?”

Bator laughed as if he was dumbfounded.

“That’s certainly a rude question.”

“I’m sorry.”

“But it’s also an interesting question. Let me point out two things first.”

“Yes?”

Bator said with a chuckle in his voice.

“There’s nothing more foolish than calculating the odds of winning a fight. There’s only winning or losing. Humans can’t always exert 100% of their power. There are days when they’re in good condition, and days when they’re in bad condition. Think of it this way. If I can exert 100% of my power on a good day, I might only be able to exert 50% on a bad day.”

“Yes.”

“But let’s say someone else can exert 60% to 30% of their power depending on their condition. Can I always beat him?”

“No, you can’t.”

If Bator were to fight his best opponent when his condition was at its worst, Bator would lose.

“Of course, it’s not that simple, but what I’m trying to say is that a fight is not something where you can mechanically calculate the odds of winning. And even if a fight happens once, you can’t expect the same result the next time.”

“Then?”

“So, I can’t be certain. However…”

Bator smiled.

“Right now, it’s meaningless to consider who is in better condition between him and me.”

“Ah…”

There was certainty in Bator’s voice.

“He’s a good opponent. Enough to make my blood boil. It’s not easy to find an opponent like him even in the Central Plains [referring to the central region of China, often used to denote the heartland of martial arts]. He’s definitely someone worth fighting with all my strength.”

Bator’s eyes calmed down.

“I am Bator.”

Those words reassured Jang Da-jing.

That’s right.

The person in front of him was Bator.

The one acknowledged by the Hong King. Thinking about that, he realized how foolish he had been.

“I’m sorry, Bator. I asked a foolish question.”

“No. Thanks to you, I’ve become a little nervous too. If I were to lose after saying all this, I wouldn’t be able to show my face.”

“That won’t happen.”

“It better not.”

With those words, Bator turned his head and looked out the window.

‘The Sword Army.’

The sky here was too dark.

The sky in China wouldn’t be much different. But Bator felt a sense of unease in this dark sky.

‘It’s so different from the sky I see on the plains.’

It even felt somewhat ominous.

Bator quietly stared at the dark sky.

This place was just a stopover. He would soon deal with Kang Jin-ho and challenge the Hong King again. It wouldn’t be difficult.

But…

‘Why can’t I stay calm?’

Bator touched the glass window in front of him.

Only when he felt the slightly cold sensation on his fingertips did he feel his mind calm down.

‘Kang Jin-ho.’

Bator licked his lips. Only Kang Jin-ho could satisfy his thirst.

“Did you say Bator?”

“Yes.”

Knight Wiggins’ eyes shook violently.

The mission of the Round Table was to maintain world peace. Therefore, the strong individuals who could shake the world had to be checked. And that name was on the list.

Bator.

The ruler of the plains.

“You’re going to fight him?”

Kang Jin-ho nodded without answering.

As if it was nothing.

“Wait a minute, Mr. Kang Jin-ho. That’s reckless.”

“Reckless?”

“Yes!”

Knight Wiggins’ face turned pale.

“He is an absolute powerhouse. No one in China disregards the name Bator. If he wasn’t active in China, he could easily be called the overlord of a region. To fight such a person is…”

“Hoo…”

Kang Jin-ho slowly exhaled cigarette smoke.

“So what if that’s the case?”

Knight Wiggins clenched his fist tightly.

He was completely out of his mind right now. The proposal to surrender to him in exchange for releasing the Chevaliers had turned his head upside down, and now these words were making him feel even more hopeless.

‘If this happens, it’s all meaningless.’

If Kang Jin-ho were to lose to Bator, all the conversations he had with Kang Jin-ho would become trash. Because Kang Jin-ho would lose his current position.

He had to stop Kang Jin-ho at all costs.

“I’m not underestimating you, Mr. Kang Jin-ho. But facing Bator is too dangerous. He is…”

“Dangerous, isn’t he?”

Kang Jin-ho curled up the corners of his mouth.

“That’s why I’m going. Because it’s dangerous.”

“It’s been too long since I’ve been away from that thing called danger.”

There was madness in Kang Jin-ho’s face.

“And…”

A voice dripping with killing intent pierced his ears.

“Isn’t it the same for you? Isn’t that right?”

Seeing Kang Jin-ho grinning, Knight Wiggins swallowed hard without realizing it.

Perhaps this fight.