Descent of The Demon Master [EN]: Chapter 525

Kang Jin-ho’s Blue Ru and Red Ru [the names of his swords], moved in a crisscross pattern, aiming for Bator’s entire body.

Arms, sides, and neck.

The renowned swords, which could slice through iron with their inherent sharpness alone, now emitted a cutting edge amplified tenfold by Kang Jin-ho’s demonic energy.

But that was all they could do.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

Kang Jin-ho’s swords, which could seemingly slice through anything, failed to penetrate Bator’s flesh. Despite repeated strikes, Bator’s body repelled Kang Jin-ho’s blades.

“Useless!”

Ignoring Kang Jin-ho’s attacks, Bator swung his fist.

“Kuh!”

A gasp escaped Kang Jin-ho’s lips for the first time.

The numerous openings were, in fact, bait. It was a slow punch that he could have easily dodged. But the price for not avoiding it and instead aiming for the opponent’s openings was now closing in on Kang Jin-ho.

The two swords were quickly drawn together, forming a cross to block Bator’s fist.

Or rather, they should have blocked it.

Thud!

The moment Bator’s fist struck Kang Jin-ho’s swords, Kang Jin-ho momentarily looked up at the sky.

‘What?’

A terrible sense of unreality washed over him.

In the brief instant that the bizarre sensation of entering another dimension disappeared, a terrible pain surged through his entire body.

“Ugh!”

Then, his back slammed into the ground.

Again and again.

Thud!

Reaching out, Kang Jin-ho gripped the floor and barely managed to pull himself up. Then, he lowered his head.

“Ugh!”

Blood gushed from his mouth.

One blow.

Just one blow.

That single blow had twisted everything inside Kang Jin-ho. Blood from his ruptured organs flowed endlessly from his mouth.

“Cough.”

Wiping his mouth with his hand, Kang Jin-ho raised his head.

“That’s more like it.”

Bator grinned, his mouth wide open.

“You can’t die from one blow. We need to enjoy this a little more, don’t we?”

Kang Jin-ho’s eyes flickered red.

This wasn’t his first time facing someone who had mastered external martial arts [martial arts focused on physical strength and techniques]. He had faced countless such opponents. Among them, the most troublesome were the monks of Shaolin [a famous Buddhist monastery known for its martial arts].

Unlike other prestigious schools that focused on precision, Shaolin did not neglect the training of the physical body. Those who had mastered both internal and external martial arts had forged bodies that lived up to the name ‘Indestructible Vajra’ [a diamond-like substance in Buddhist cosmology, symbolizing strength and indestructibility].

But this was different.

No matter how perfect a body one obtained, there were limits. Limits that humans had to accept. No matter how much one trained in martial arts, humans could not fly like birds or live underwater. It was impossible to completely overcome the innate limitations of the human body.

But Bator’s body was doing just that.

Bator’s level was higher than any master of external martial arts he had ever encountered.

That fact was exhilarating Kang Jin-ho.

There was.

Even in this world.

A stronger being than those in the world he once inhabited.

“Heh heh heh.”

An uncontrollable laugh escaped Kang Jin-ho’s lips. Bator frowned slightly at the sight.

“Are you crazy? This isn’t a situation where you should be laughing.”

Kang Jin-ho spoke without stopping his laughter.

“Thank you.”

“…What?”

Kang Jin-ho straightened his back.

Blood was still flowing from his mouth and nose, but the amount was rapidly decreasing.

“Actually, I was a little scared.”

“What nonsense are you spouting?”

“I was afraid there wouldn’t be anything here. A place for me to climb higher.”

Bator’s face contorted.

He was spouting incomprehensible words.

“I was a little scared, a little empty, that everything would end just by regaining my old martial prowess… But… thanks to you, I realized. There is still potential in this world.”

“Potential?”

“Yes.”

Kang Jin-ho laughed.

No one had been able to satisfy him.

Not the martial artists of Korea who trembled before him, nor those who came from Japan, nor even those who came from the West.

He could easily deal with them just by regaining a little of his former martial prowess.

Humans do not feel much interest in a mountain they have already climbed.

What if that mountain became even smaller?

Could a mountaineer who had conquered Everest be satisfied with Seoraksan [a mountain in South Korea]?

Could one find enjoyment in playing a game on easy mode after playing it on hard mode?

At least for those who had dedicated themselves to one field, a decrease in difficulty brought boredom rather than enjoyment.

That was exactly how Kang Jin-ho felt.

The martial artists here were weak. Too weak.

That was why it didn’t feel real.

Even if someone talked about a great master somewhere in the world, those words didn’t resonate with him. Whether it was the Crimson King or the Master, he wasn’t interested.

What difference would it make if he heard that there was an ocean somewhere when he was standing on land?

But at this moment, he had discovered it.

A river.

A majestic river that might be flowing towards an endless ocean.

The mere realization of that fact made him so happy that he wanted to bow down in gratitude.

“…This bastard.”

But Bator’s face was not so happy.

He couldn’t be sure, but he knew for certain that Kang Jin-ho’s gaze was not directed at him.

Humiliation.

The opponent he was fighting to the death…

And that opponent, who had taken his blow, was thinking about someone else during the battle. It was an unimaginable humiliation.

“You bastard!”

Bator’s entire body trembled violently.

Veins bulged on his forehead, and a chilling sound came from his tightly clenched teeth.

“How dare you in front of me!”

Kang Jin-ho also reacted to Bator’s fighting spirit.

Bator had been emitting a strong fighting spirit until now, but the fighting spirit Bator was now emitting was on a completely different level.

“I’ll kill you!”

A pressure that felt like his entire body was being crushed.

“Good…”

Kang Jin-ho groaned.

That’s right.

It used to be like this.

Fighting against a strong opponent was always like this.

The fear of death, the will to live, and the animosity to kill each other created a strange pressure.

Enough to make his fingertips tingle.

It was a sensation he had forgotten for too long.

“I’m sorry.”

Kang Jin-ho apologized sincerely.

“I wanted to kill you without pain… but I haven’t fully regained my former self yet. So it might hurt a little. I hope you understand.”

“You talk too much.”

“Enough talk.”

Words were unnecessary in a martial artist’s duel. If there was anything to say, it should be done with fists and swords.

Kang Jin-ho slowly walked towards Bator, his swords hanging loosely in his hands.

‘Hmm?’

Bator’s face changed.

It was strange.

Kang Jin-ho was just walking. But his body, not his head, was sensing something ominous. His shoulders were twitching, and his legs were trembling.

As if telling him to run away immediately.

‘What is this…’

And another step.

“Ugh!”

Bator’s body staggered greatly.

‘What is it?’

Each step.

The steps themselves were pressuring him. With each step Kang Jin-ho took, a tremendous pressure arose. The very momentum had materialized, pressing down on Bator like a thousand-pound boulder.

‘I’ve heard of it.’

A martial art that pressured the opponent with momentum, not internal energy.

But that was…

“Is it the Demonic Cult [a fictional martial arts sect often depicted in wuxia novels]?”

Bator gritted his teeth.

He didn’t remember the name well. But he had heard that there was such a martial art in the Demonic Cult in the past.

Like the Lion’s Roar of Shaolin [a powerful sound-based martial art], he had thought it was just a legend…

‘At this rate, I’ll be defeated.’

If he knew, he could also deal with it.

He just had to stop the opponent from continuing to walk.

“Such a pathetic trick!”

Bator took a large step forward.

Thud!

The ground cracked and split as his foot slammed down with force.

Bator, having shattered the ground where Kang Jin-ho was about to step, kicked a rising boulder. The massive rock was launched like a cannonball towards Kang Jin-ho.

“Hah!”

With a short shout, Kang Jin-ho sliced through the rock flying towards him.

Swoosh.

With a clean sound, like cutting through silk, the rock flying towards Kang Jin-ho was split perfectly in two and bounced off to the left and right.

Then, Bator, with an enraged face, charged through the gap where the rock had split.

“You!”

Bator, with both fists clenched, brought them down. Kang Jin-ho took a step back to avoid Bator’s fist.

Boom!

But Bator’s fist was not something that could be avoided by simply dodging.

When Bator’s hands slammed into the ground, a massive crater was created as if a meteor had struck, sending shockwaves in all directions.

“Kuh!”

Kang Jin-ho’s body was thrown into the air like a pebble by the tremendous shockwave.

“I’ll kill you!”

Bator, with a demonic face, leaped towards Kang Jin-ho, who had not yet landed from the air.

Kang Jin-ho flipped his body in mid-air to regain his balance and met Bator, who was leaping up. No, he wasn’t meeting him. Kang Jin-ho kicked off the air and shot downwards.

Bator’s fist was extended with tremendous force.

A terrible wind pressure.

And terrible internal energy.

It was a terrifyingly powerful blow that could turn a human body into dust just by grazing it.

But Kang Jin-ho’s eyes, looking at that fist, did not change.

Kang Jin-ho’s eyes, filled with both boiling bloodlust and cold killing intent, flashed.

Swoosh.

Kang Jin-ho’s body slid down Bator’s fist like a snake. His clothes were torn to shreds by Bator’s power, and his skin turned black.

But Kang Jin-ho’s body moved nimbly.

“This!”

Kang Jin-ho’s sword, having evaded Bator’s blow, was swung.

Clang!

A high, sharp sound, like a giant hammer striking a lump of iron.

And then…

Slash!

“Kuh!”

For the first time, a sound that was appropriate for a human body to make was heard.

“Y-you bastard!”

Bator’s left chest was now deeply slashed. Bator contorted his face and clutched his slashed chest.

It wasn’t a fatal wound.

It hadn’t cut through bone, and it hadn’t reached his heart.

But it was a wound nonetheless.

Kang Jin-ho’s sword, which had been unable to penetrate Bator’s body until now, had finally succeeded in inflicting a proper wound on Bator’s flesh.

“Kuh!”

Bator straightened his posture and turned his body. Then, he saw Kang Jin-ho, who was standing still, his swords hanging loosely, looking at him.

“That body…”

Kang Jin-ho opened his mouth quietly.

“Didn’t you say a god resided in it?”

Mockery.

An emotion that anyone could clearly feel was emanating from him.

“You son of a bitch!”

Kang Jin-ho curled up the corners of his mouth as he looked at the enraged Bator.

“It seems your god has abandoned you.” Where a god disappears, a demon is bound to dwell. Kang Jin-ho’s body began to be stained with a thick demonic energy.

“I’ll say it again… I apologize for not being able to kill you without pain.”

Kang Jin-ho smiled with an even more evil look and pointed Red Ru and Blue Ru at Bator.