Descent of The Demon Master [EN]: Chapter 523

‘What is this place?’

Lee Hyun-soo narrowed his eyes, scanning the surroundings.

Was it artificial nature? That was the exact impression Lee Hyun-soo got. A path cut through the dense bushes, seemingly untouched by human hands.
And at the end of that path, an open space was revealed.

There was clearly a path, but it wasn’t made for comfortable walking. It was a path designed to be as inconspicuous as possible.

And then, suddenly, a blinding light in an open space after coming through such a path.

Lee Hyun-soo, having identified the source of the light piercing his eyes, looked around with a slightly surprised expression.

‘Lights?’

They were lights hanging from a steel structure. It was like looking at a concert hall.

The structure itself felt old and worn, but the fact that such a structure was in the middle of this mountain was surprising. And in the place where the lights were shining, there were iron cages that looked like hexagonal rings.

The moment he saw the red, rusty iron cages and the lights illuminating them, Lee Hyun-soo knew what this place used to be.

“A dog fighting ring?”

An illegal dog fighting ring.

It was a dog fighting ring built in the mountains to avoid crackdowns. It looked like it had been abandoned now, as the management was very poor.

“Isn’t it a suitable place?”

Lee Hyun-soo’s head turned sharply.

At the same time, his face contorted rapidly. A man was slowly walking out from behind the lights.

‘Bator.’

He looked exactly as the rumors had described.

Those shoulders, twice the size of an average person, were undeniable proof that this man was Bator.

“Considering our current situation.”

Bator’s gaze wasn’t directed at Lee Hyun-soo. It was as if Lee Hyun-soo didn’t exist here, his eyes fixed on Kang Jin-ho.

“Don’t you think so?”

Bator walked out slowly.

He was just walking out. Yet, Lee Hyun-soo couldn’t help but take a couple of steps back.

It was different.

It was different from any pressure he had felt so far.

If Kang Jin-ho felt like a growling beast, Bator gave the impression of a giant statue walking.

The sight of a huge, non-human body approaching with hostility created a pressure he had never felt anywhere else.

It wasn’t just like a statue.

Bator’s muscles seemed like living creatures themselves. The muscles that rippled with every step Bator took were awe-inspiring.

How much destructive power could possibly come from that trained body?

For those who learn martial arts based on internal energy [Qi or Ki], muscles don’t hold much significance. But Bator’s muscles were threatening enough to make one reconsider that thought.

The glistening upper body and the guards on both wrists.

Just looking at it made it hard to breathe.

“Quite romantic.”

Kang Jin-ho’s voice came from behind him.

Only then could Lee Hyun-soo calm down a little.

He was the worst enemy to meet, but the best ally was behind him now.

“For someone who looks like that.”

“Heh heh heh.”

Bator chuckled lowly.

“Still, I’ll give you credit for choosing a place that suits the image.”

“I apologize for bringing you to such a shabby place. There wasn’t a suitable place.”

Contrary to his words, Bator looked quite pleased with the place.

“You have to admit what you have to admit. All the martial artists these days are in this situation. They can never be exposed, and they have to prove they are the best while hiding from the eyes of others. Only among those who enjoy it.”

“You’re making it sound better than it is.”

Kang Jin-ho chuckled.

“That’s your perspective, the Red King’s dog.”

Bator’s eyes twitched.

It might have been a small movement for someone else, but Bator’s expression, being so large, was clearly visible to everyone.

“You’d better watch that tongue of yours.”

“I’ll take care of my own tongue. Thanks for the advice, though.”

When Kang Jin-ho calmly responded, Bator looked at him as if he was dumbfounded.

“You’re a little different from what I saw from afar. Judging by your bloodlust, I thought you’d be a dumbass who couldn’t even speak properly.”

“Is that what you say to others with that face?”

“…I can’t win with words.”

Bator shook his head.

“It doesn’t matter. Kang Jin-ho, a martial artist from a foreign land. You can’t imagine how happy I am that there is a martial artist like you in this insignificant land.”

Kang Jin-ho just stared at Bator without answering.

“You must feel the same way.”

“You must have been thirsty in this barren land. Because there was no enemy you could fight with all your might.”

Kang Jin-ho chuckled.

“You seem to be misunderstanding something.”

“Hmm?”

“I wish you’d consider that it’s the 21st century. If I wanted to fight, I could just take a plane to China or anywhere else.”

Bator burst into hearty laughter.

“Hahahaha! You know that’s not what I meant.”

“And let me correct one more thing…”

Bator looked at Kang Jin-ho with interest.

“Someone like you can’t quench my thirst.”

In an instant, Bator’s face twisted hideously.

“Arrogant. Utterly arrogant.”

“Maybe so.”

“I’ll make you pay the price for that arrogance.”

Bator spun around and jumped into the dog fighting ring.

Thud!

The iron cage, which seemed large enough for dozens of people, looked too small the moment Bator entered it.

“Come in. I’ll make you pay the price for your arrogance.”

Kang Jin-ho chuckled and turned around.

“Are you running away?”

“You’re so impatient.”

Kang Jin-ho slowly walked back to the car, opened the back seat, and took out Cheongru and Hongru [his twin swords]. He hadn’t fully mastered the foreign technology of subspace yet, so he had to use this cumbersome method.

“Swords?”

“Do you want to fight barehanded?”

“No, no. If you’re a swordsman, that’s fine too. I just want to face the best you.”

Kang Jin-ho laughed lightly.

A warrior.

That’s how Bator should be defined.

Although they had engaged in a war of nerves, there was no reason to feel animosity towards this pure warrior who wanted to fight fairly without setting traps. It was just that they stood on different grounds.

Click.

Kang Jin-ho, with Cheongru and Hongru at his waist, took out a cigarette and lit it.

“Let’s start after I have a smoke.”

“…You’re very relaxed.”

“There’s no reason to be nervous.”

Kang Jin-ho smoked leisurely.

But unlike his expression, his heart was slowly catching fire.

He had lit the cigarette to calm his overly excited heart.

‘It’s been a while.’

Come to think of it, it had been a long time.

It had been a long time since he had faced an enemy who just wanted to fight him.

He had broken through countless traps and enemies who wanted to kill him by any means possible.

But this man was different.

He was simply enjoying the fact that he could fight Kang Jin-ho. It was a sight that couldn’t be found among the martial artists he had met in modern times.

‘It’s a sight I used to find quite appalling.’

Kang Jin-ho, who had fallen into the Murim world [a world of martial arts], with a modern mindset, couldn’t understand such martial artists. How could they value their lives so little for the sake of the joy of battle?

If modern fighters were given swords and told to have a death match, they would all say it was crazy. But in Murim, that was everyday life.

That damn barbarism.

That barbarism he had despised and cursed had been revived before him after a long time.

‘It’s ridiculous.’

But the feeling of looking at that barbarism again wasn’t as hateful as he thought.

Rather, it was… what should he say?

It was absurd, but it was a feeling that stirred a bit of nostalgia.

“Hoo…”

Kang Jin-ho took a drag of his cigarette. Then he exhaled. Kang Jin-ho, who threw the finished cigarette on the ground and stomped it out, slowly walked towards the dog fighting ring.

Lee Hyun-soo blocked Kang Jin-ho’s path.

“Kang Jin-ho.”

“Stay back. I’ll be done soon.”

“…I trust you.”

Although he said that, Lee Hyun-soo’s eyes were filled with unconcealable anxiety.

He probably didn’t think Kang Jin-ho would lose either. Not until he saw Bator with his own eyes. Just by his appearance, Bator was by no means an easy opponent.

Kang Jin-ho lightly patted Lee Hyun-soo’s shoulder and walked towards the dog fighting ring.

Screech.

The sharp sound of metal scraping was heard as the door of the dog fighting ring opened. It was heavily rusted, as if it had been left unattended for a long time. Kang Jin-ho bent down, went inside, and closed the door of the dog fighting ring.

Bator, who had been waiting quietly for Kang Jin-ho to enter, grinned.

“It feels like I’ve become a fighting dog?”

“…It’s not a very good feeling.”

“You need to learn some romance.”

Kang Jin-ho looked around.

“What’s the point of us if we’re going to fly away with just a little movement?”

“At least it’ll make a picture.”

Kang Jin-ho shook his head.

This Chinese… no, Mongolian guy had a delicate side, unlike his appearance.

And…

‘It’s fun.’

Looking around inside the cage, he felt a strange feeling.

The cage was red with rust.

And the lights shining on the two of them from above.

A clear silence, different from the noise of the city.

If you were to consider the atmosphere, it wasn’t bad.

“Kang Jin-ho.”

Bator opened his mouth in a booming voice.

“I am Bator, a warrior of the great plains. I am the one who will take your head today. But don’t be too resentful. I have acknowledged you. Even if you die today, your soul will live on with me.”

Bator bowed respectfully to Kang Jin-ho, as if performing a solemn ceremony.

And Kang Jin-ho let out a sneer at the sight.

“Heh heh heh heh.”

“…What’s so funny?”

“It’s pathetic.”

“…You!”

The moment Bator was about to protest, Kang Jin-ho’s aura changed.

‘Is it starting?’

Bator raised his arms as if he had expected it. A demon who has drawn out their demonic energy becomes more violent than usual. Knowing this fact well, Bator prepared for Kang Jin-ho’s attack.

But what flew towards him was not a sword, but words.

“What about the soul?”

Kang Jin-ho laughed.

This guy doesn’t know at all.

What it means to die, what death is.

Those who have not experienced death can never know.

But it’s okay.

Because I’ll let him know now.

He will understand if he experiences it.

“I’ll teach you.”

Swoosh.

Cheongru and Hongru were drawn from Kang Jin-ho’s hands.

The red and blue swords, which had been shining white under the lights, instantly turned black.

At the same time, black demonic energy began to gush out from under Kang Jin-ho’s feet. The demonic energy that started from his toes wrapped around his whole body, and in that darkness, Kang Jin-ho’s two red eyes blazed.

Even Bator stiffened at the bizarre sight.

It was a terrifying sight that even he, who had experienced countless battles, had never encountered before.

‘Is this what a real demon looks like?’

Kang Jin-ho, who looked as if he had gathered all the despair of the world, said in a chilling voice.

“What death is.”

Kang Jin-ho’s demonic energy soared into the sky.