Descent of The Demon Master [EN]: Chapter 54

“You’re… here again?”

“Yes.”

“Are you here to take the test?”

“Why else would I be here?”

“Do you think you can pass?”

“Maybe.”

The examiner, who had ridden in Kang Jin-ho’s car three days ago, stared with a pale face. This hellish race car driver had finally visited the test center again. He had hoped he would at least wait until his rotation was over.

He asked in a trembling voice,

“Have you practiced a lot?”

“Yes.”

“Who rode with you?”

“Someone I know.”

“Are they safe?”

“I’m not sure what you mean by that.”

The police officer squeezed his eyes shut.

‘You should know, you conscienceless man!’

“Th, then…”

No matter how much he didn’t want to, he had to do it since he had applied for the test.

Normally, accompanying the test was a piece of cake, but since Kang Jin-ho appeared at the test center, it had become a job that required hazard pay.

Other examiners, having heard the rumors about him, were slowly gathering around them out of curiosity.

“Please… please drive slowly and carefully.”

“Yes.”

Kang Jin-ho released the parking brake and stepped on the accelerator.

“Oh?”

Unlike usual, the car didn’t reach the speed limit immediately after starting.

It was only about 20 km/h?

The car started moving forward with a feeling that it was so slow that walking would be faster.

“Mr. Kang Jin-ho?”

“Is something wrong?”

“No, it’s nothing.”

The police officer smiled with a brightened face. This person had clearly figured something out.

He must have finally grasped the concept of safe and defensive driving.

But….

“Mr. Kang Jin-ho?”

“Yes.”

“Are you going to keep going like this?”

“…Is something wrong?”

“No, it’s just…”

The police officer looked around.

A four-lane road. Other cars were driving at around the speed limit of 80 km/h. In the middle of that road was Kang Jin-ho’s car, driving at 20 km/h.

“This, this is…”

BEEEEEEEEEP!

Having a car driving at 20 km/h in the middle of a four-lane road was enough to drive anyone crazy. If you were driving without thinking, a car that was far away would suddenly be right in front of you.

Cars were rapidly changing lanes, swerving their steering wheels.

“I, it might be better to drive a little faster…”

Kang Jin-ho turned his head sharply.

“Is it okay to drive faster?”

At that moment, the memories of the previous test flashed before the police officer’s eyes.

“No. Let’s go like this.”

This was better. At least this way, he wouldn’t have to worry about a heart attack due to the heart-wrenching pain.

It was better for his mental health to trust the reflexes of the people driving behind them than to trust Kang Jin-ho.

The police officer glanced sideways.

Kang Jin-ho was concentrating on driving with a slightly distorted face. Considering his driving tendencies so far, Kang Jin-ho was probably enduring a feeling of frustration.

“Who told you to drive like this?”

“The person who taught me how to drive yesterday.”

“What did they say?”

“They told me not to speed.”

The police officer nodded.

The feelings of the person who had to say those words were painfully conveyed.

The car safely completed a lap of the road and returned to the driving test center.

A patrol car that was patrolling the road had passed by once and they had received all sorts of curses, but the police officer was extremely happy just to have arrived here safely.

“…Did I fail?”

Kang Jin-ho asked as if it was obvious that he would fail.

“What are you going to do if you did?”

“Next time, I’ll drive comfortably.”

“Comfortably?”

“I think it would be better to do it the way I used to. If it doesn’t work even after doing this.”

‘That’s a threat!’

That was a threat. It was definitely a threat. If he failed this time, he was threatening to send him to hell next time.

“Y, you passed.”

“Really?”

“Of course, really. You passed. Congratulations. Please don’t come back.”

Kang Jin-ho’s lips curled up slightly.

“Thank you.”

“No. I thank you for passing.”

The police officer grabbed Kang Jin-ho’s hand tightly, looking like he was about to burst into tears.

“But!”

“Yes?”

“Don’t drink and drive.”

“Yes?”

“Don’t speed, and don’t get any penalty points. Please don’t make me say that you have to retake the test because your license was revoked.”

Kang Jin-ho’s face twitched subtly.

“Let’s not see each other again. Please.”

Kang Jin-ho turned around with a sullen expression.

Behind him, the examiner, who was finally freed from Kang Jin-ho, was shedding tears of emotion and cheering.

At that time.

A man’s hand was trembling as he stared anxiously at his phone.

His pale complexion, unfocused eyes, and restless demeanor, constantly looking around anxiously, made him look like a drug addict.

“No, it can’t be.”

The man bit his fingernails.

His eyes, which were wandering aimlessly, turned to the phone. Ring ring ring.

The phone rang.

The man’s trembling stopped for a moment. Instead, the man’s expression turned ashen, as if he had seen a tiger.

The man slowly reached for the phone.

“Wh, what’s the result?”

The man’s words as soon as he answered the phone.

[He passed.]

Heary tears welled up in the man’s eyes.

“Thank you. God, thank you.”

[No, but why do I have to check the results of a driver’s license test? What is going on, Secretary?]

“No, thank you for your hard work. Thank you.”

Jo Gyu-min.

He was finally able to fall asleep after staying up all night.

A happy smile spread across his face, as if he had gained the whole world.

* * *

“You want me to come out?”

[Yeah.]

“Where to?”

[Where else? The usual place.]

“At this hour?”

[Do you know what day it is today?]

“December 31st.”

[So, shouldn’t we see each other one last time?]

At Park Yu-min’s words, Kang Jin-ho chuckled.

Since when had that Park Yu-min become someone who could say such things so naturally?

“Okay. What about the others?”

[Tae-ho, In-gyu, Min-jae. They’re all coming. And Se-yeon is coming too?]

“Why is she?”

[I guess she doesn’t have any friends. So, hurry up and come out.]

“Okay.”

Kang Jin-ho moved his hand to the keyboard.

= I think I need to go out.

= OMG! I only have one base left…,

= I’m busy.

= It’s a free win then. I’m grateful.

= Anyway, see you.

Kang Jin-ho closed the game window without any regrets.

It was a game he had almost won, but a game was just a game, and he had no intention of risking his life for it. Games were for fun. Reality was much more important.

Kang Jin-ho got dressed and went outside.

“Where are you going?”

“The guys told me to come out.”

“Are you going to spend the year-end, which only happens once a year, with your friends instead of your family?”

At his mother’s words, Kang Jin-ho hesitated.

This was definitely a sensitive issue.

“Well, that’s…”

“Go ahead.”

“Yes.”

“It’s good timing. Your father and I had somewhere to go too.”

“Where…?”

“Don’t worry about it. Have fun.”

“Yes.”

Now, he couldn’t help but go out even if he didn’t want to. Kang Jin-ho left the front door with a sullen face.

Next to the garage, the bicycle storage that was installed at his father’s strong insistence was visible. Inside, his beloved bike, Goldie, was nestled snugly.

“Let’s go.”

Kang Jin-ho got on Goldie.

Click!

The sound of the chain engaging.

Kang Jin-ho opened the gate and went outside.

Whoosh.

The air that touched his face was cold.

Compared to the air of the North Sea he had experienced in the past, it wasn’t that cold, but the changes in this place, where the seasons changed every moment, had their own flavor.

But that was a romance that only Kang Jin-ho could feel.

Swoosh!

“Ugh! What was that!”

“What?”

“Didn’t you see a bicycle just pass by?”

“A bicycle? When?”

“A bicycle just passed us a little ahead. It overtook us!”

“What are you talking about? We’re in a car right now. We’re going 60 km/h. How could a bicycle overtake us?”

“Right?”

“Honey, are you feeling unwell?”

“I guess so, I’m seeing things. I should get some medicine.”

“Yeah, take care of yourself.”

Kang Jin-ho sped down the road, causing similar reactions from every passing vehicle.

He was riding at a leisurely pace, but the bicycle was moving ahead of the cars.

“Th, that!”

One of the people in the car that Kang Jin-ho had passed was fidgeting.

“What?”

“Camera! Camera! No, my phone!”

“You’re driving.”

“Ah, damn it!”

He hurriedly took out his phone and kept taking pictures of Kang Jin-ho’s back. Then, he went online and uploaded the pictures he had taken.

Monster spotted.

Currently on the Korea Grand Bridge, my car was going 60 km/h. But a monster that popped out from the side left our car far behind and disappeared. Estimated speed 80 km/h. The traffic is too heavy to follow. If anyone is driving around the Korea Grand Bridge or lives nearby, please track him down.

Then, comments started pouring in in real time.

= RoadFatty: Is that the monster riding the Bianchi?

= SpeedBike: The bike is a Bianchi. But 80 km/h? Really?

= SkyBlueBike: If it’s a monster, 80 km/h is possible. Every time it’s been spotted, it’s always been 70-80 km/h.

= SpeedBike: 80 km/h? Even pros don’t go over 60-70 km/h, right?

= SpeedRacer: i-i-it’s not human.

= WannaBeBeast: He must have installed nitro. It’s not a speed you can get with just a bicycle.

= RoadFatty: But isn’t a nitro bicycle illegal in Korea?

= HanRiverRacer: Tracking in progress. Please report which way he went.

= UphillDeath: But who is the monster?

= RoadFatty: !- OMG! You don’t know the monster?

= SkyBlueBike: There’s a person who rides a Bianchi that appears every now and then. He’s too fast to follow.

= UphillDeath: How fast is he?

= Pinarello: I tried to follow him once when I encountered him, but I couldn’t catch up.

= UphillDeath: OMG! Pinarello, aren’t you the winner of the last competition?

= Pinarello: Winning or whatever, he’s just too fast.

Reactions started pouring in real time from the largest road racer club in the country.

Some people even started offering to track him down using their cars.

= Pinarello: Has anyone identified him yet?

= SkyBlueBike: It seems like no one knows anything yet. They say he’s a student.

= Pinarello: There aren’t many high-end Bianchi models in Korea, so wouldn’t it be possible to track him down by his bike? Are there any brokers who know about this?

= SkyBlueBike: Someone tried, but it seems like it was a direct import. They didn’t even know it had come in.

Unaware of what was happening because of him, Kang Jin-ho was calmly riding his bicycle. The chain was shaking as if it was about to burst, and the bicycle was stretching forward.

He was slowly getting closer to his destination.