Descent of The Demon Master [EN]: Chapter 532

Screech.

The car slowly came to a stop.

Click.

The car door opened, and two people got out.

“Want a smoke?”

“Sure.”

Lee Hyun-soo took out a cigarette from his pocket and offered it to Kang Jin-ho. Kang Jin-ho, looking at the house where the fire was not yet extinguished, accepted the cigarette Lee Hyun-soo offered.

Kang Jin-ho let out a groan, and Lee Hyun-soo tilted his head.

“Is there a problem?”

“I’ve changed my clothes, but I still feel a bit worked up. I’m worried my mother will nag me again if she sees me like this.”

“…Huh?”

Lee Hyun-soo stared at Kang Jin-ho with a dumbfounded expression.

So, to interpret, he’s worried that his mom will find out he was fighting and nag him?

‘What kind of person is this?’

Thinking about it, it was a natural concern for a young man of his age.

Yes, it’s normal. If he hadn’t just turned that inhuman Bator into a bloody mess, that is.

‘He’s a real Jekyll and Hyde.’

He was a true Jekyll and Hyde. Unlike typical cases of split personalities where one has two uncontrollable personalities, Kang Jin-ho seemed to switch between different personalities depending on the situation.

‘I need to get over this subtle nausea quickly.’

“…She’s probably asleep.”

That was all he could say. Click.

Lee Hyun-soo, having lit Kang Jin-ho’s cigarette, soon lit his own.

“May I ask you something?”

“Go ahead.”

“Now that we’re here, I’m just wondering, what were you planning to do if you had lost?”

“Lost?”

“Yes, lost.”

Lee Hyun-soo took a deep drag of his cigarette and slowly exhaled.

“You didn’t tell anyone, did you? That you were going to fight Bator.”

“I didn’t.”

“It’s just like what you said to Bator. If you had lost there, those left behind would have had to bear the full brunt of it. A son, a brother, and a friend who suddenly disappeared… Kang Jin-ho, who supports the Assembly. Shouldn’t you have left some advice or last words for those who would have suffered from your absence?”

“There was no need.”

“Why not?”

“Because I wouldn’t lose.”

Lee Hyun-soo’s face went blank for a moment.

It was hard to tell if he was saying that because he had calculated that he absolutely wouldn’t lose, or if it was an expression of absolute confidence.

“And even if I did lose, there’s no need to leave such words.”

“…Why is that?”

“Because nothing would change.”

Kang Jin-ho said, slowly exhaling smoke.

“Absence isn’t something that can be easily resolved. It’s not something that can be comforted with a few shallow words. What I can do isn’t preparing for when I can’t return. It’s the desperate determination to return, even if it’s just a bone fragment, and be with them.”

Lee Hyun-soo pressed his lips together.

It was strange… It didn’t quite fit the situation, but it was strangely moving. The words were rough and direct, but they were sincere. And sincerity always moves people’s hearts.

“The world will change.”

Kang Jin-ho’s eyes widened slightly at Lee Hyun-soo’s sudden words. At the gaze demanding an explanation, Lee Hyun-soo opened his mouth.

“What you did today, Mr. Kang Jin-ho, has more value than you think.”

“Hmm…”

Kang Jin-ho couldn’t help but make a subtle face.

“What you did today, Master, is more than you can imagine. I will make it so.”

‘He really talks like Chungma [a term for a loyal and skilled subordinate].’

He had thought that Lee Hyun-soo and Chungma had some similarities, but it was laughable that even their words were similar.

“I’m serious.”

“I’m not exactly denying it. And… it’s funny to deny it. Saying that it has more value than I think means that I don’t know its value. But should I say I know it?”

“Ah, let me explain.”

Lee Hyun-soo said with a serious face.

“Bator is strong. Of course, there are stronger people in China. But now that you’ve defeated Bator, there aren’t many who can confidently say they can beat you.”

“Hmm…”

“And even if there are such strong people, they can’t move easily.”

“Because of the balance?”

“Yes. Each one leaving their position leads to a critical loss of power. They’re probably tracking each other’s movements in real-time. In that situation, Bator was probably the last line of defense that could be pulled out to target you alone.”

It was a reasonable analysis.

“Does that mean they can’t pour any more resources this way?”

“That’s what I think. If I were to move the Hongwang Group, to catch you, they would now have to mobilize a large force or move their core members. There’s no reason to take such a risk. Maybe… maybe they’ll soon extend a hand in peace.”

“Peace?”

“Yes. If you can’t defeat them, you have to join hands. It’s natural.”

Kang Jin-ho stared at Lee Hyun-soo with a blank look.

“Those who have been fighting to the death will now hold hands and laugh together?”

“Yes. That’s politics.”

Kang Jin-ho shook his head.

He couldn’t understand what those types of people were saying. The problem was that what he couldn’t understand always became reality. From that perspective, it seemed that their thoughts were completely different from his.

“I wish you wouldn’t look at me like that. I’m the one who wants to look at you like that.”

“Hmm…”

“There will probably be movement soon. In the meantime, we need to think and think again about how much we can gain.”

“‘We’?”

“…I’ll do the thinking.”

“Hmm…”

Kang Jin-ho smiled softly, as if he liked that.

‘He’s strangely annoying.’

Of course, Kang Jin-ho had achieved the great feat of defeating Bator. He deserved to rest.

Lee Hyun-soo flicked his cigarette butt to the ground, put it out, and shoved it into his pocket. Then he got into the car.

“Please rest well. I’ll contact you separately regarding the handling of Bator.”

“Okay. Good work.”

“Yes, then.”

Kang Jin-ho quietly watched the car until it disappeared into the distance. Then, he put his hand in his pocket and took out a new cigarette, putting it in his mouth.

“Come out now.”

Kang Jin-ho whispered to the empty space. Then, the space distorted, and the figure of a man appeared.

Knight Wiggins.

Knight Wiggins, who had been hiding by distorting space, revealed himself.

“What are your thoughts?”

At Kang Jin-ho’s abrupt question, Knight Wiggins opened his mouth.

But no sound came out.

Knight Wiggins hesitated several times as if he was about to say something, then shook his head.

“I don’t know what to say.”

Knight Wiggins had been watching everything from the beginning. Only Jang Da-jing and Lee Hyun-soo didn’t know that. Bator and Kang Jin-ho both knew he was there.

It was Kang Jin-ho who had brought Knight Wiggins there.

Before making any decisions, he wanted to know his skills accurately, and Kang Jin-ho had simply told him to follow. Bator had also been a little wary of him at first, but after realizing that he had no intention of interfering in the fight, he treated him as if he wasn’t there.

Of course, there was also the reason that Wiggins wasn’t strong enough to affect their fight.

“More than I thought… no, it’s meaningless to say that now. I’ve already proven that my judgment and brain are trash.”

Knight Wiggins let out a low sigh. What more could he say?

‘I never thought the difference would be this big.’

He already knew that there was a difference between Eastern and Western martial arts.

But he didn’t think the difference would be so great. Since he was born, the West had never been behind the East. So he believed that the difference would soon be overcome.

But it wasn’t.

Perhaps in terms of military power, they might be able to overwhelm them. The West was clearly ahead in terms of systematically training and managing combatants. He felt that clearly while watching the haphazardly run Assembly.

But the situation changes drastically when you go higher up.

What would have happened if Knight Wiggins had faced that Bator?

‘I would have lost without a chance to argue.’

He was a knight representing the Round Table. And he was also a warrior representing England. Kang Jin-ho treated Bator, whom he didn’t even feel like facing, like a child.

How could he accept this absurd difference?

‘Besides…’

Knight Wiggins clenched his fist.

What really startled and surprised him wasn’t the two men’s martial prowess.

Ruthlessness.

The way they charged at each other as if they were going to tear each other apart, the way they risked everything to defeat each other, and the way they showed no mercy even to the fallen… those demonic aspects shook him.

It was different.

The reason they became strong was different from theirs.

As a result of pursuing excessive rationality, they didn’t put everything into force. There were countless ways to solve problems other than force.

They didn’t think that becoming strong like these people, defeating their opponents, was the solution to everything.

That’s right.

They were irrational, foolish, and inferior.

But thanks to that, they became strong.

That fact was making Knight Wiggins unbearable.

Just because they were rational, did that mean they didn’t have a competitive spirit?

The desire to become stronger was something that every male had. They were just acknowledging reality and being aware of their position.

Until recently, Knight Wiggins had been feeling a sense of satisfaction with his life. But since that name, Kang Jin-ho, had entered his life, everything had begun to twist.

“I want an answer.”

Knight Wiggins bit his lip.

Knight Wiggins, who had been biting his lip, slowly opened his mouth.

“Before that, there’s one thing I want to ask.”

“Anything.”

“…It’s a question that I think is a bit absurd…”

Knight Wiggins paused for a moment and lowered his head. Then, with slightly reddened eyes, he asked.

“If I cooperate with you, can I become stronger too?”

A smile formed on Kang Jin-ho’s lips.

“Are you asking if you can give me as much as I give you? Is there room for me to become stronger right now?”

A smile formed on Kang Jin-ho’s lips.

“Becoming stronger has nothing to do with age.”

“Th, then?”

“It’s a matter of how much will you have. I’m asking, do you have that will?”

“Hoo…”

Knight Wiggins raised his right hand and placed it on his left chest.

“Then I must serve you, as my Lord.”

The white-haired Knight Wiggins knelt on one knee before Kang Jin-ho.