Descent Of The Demon Master [EN]: Chapter 570

“Well, this is peculiar.”

Lee Myung-hwan wore a rather uneasy expression.

Closing his eyes slightly, he could feel the energy within his body churning. In the past, the idea of his energy boiling out of control would have terrified him.

Uncontrolled energy was another way of saying ‘Qi Deviation’ [a dangerous imbalance of internal energy]. If it were the old him, his body would be twisted and in chaos by now. But since mastering demonic arts, this had become a frequent occurrence.

The first time he experienced this, he was so horrified that he ran to Kang Jin-ho.

After reporting it, he received a response that was completely different from what he expected.

“So what?”

Lee Myung-hwan was left speechless and returned. In truth, since no particular problem was occurring, he didn’t have much to say.

In any case, thanks to that, his energy was still bubbling away.

‘Could it be that my nerves are on edge because of this?’

Honestly, it felt like he was carrying a bomb in his stomach. And a time bomb at that, one that could explode at any moment. How could he possibly live with a peaceful mind?

Even a slight brush could lead to murder.

‘No, that can’t be it.’

Lee Myung-hwan’s interpretation certainly had some merit, but this explanation alone didn’t account for why those who had mastered demonic arts became so rough in the first place. Those who didn’t know what stable energy was wouldn’t feel anxious just because their energy was boiling.

“…Why does the reason matter?”

Regardless, it was a fact that his nerves had become sharper. Things that he would have easily overlooked in the past now made his fists clench up to his shoulders.

Although he was a martial artist, Lee Myung-hwan despised the mindset of trying to solve situations with violence. But recently, Lee Myung-hwan was becoming several times more violent than those he used to despise.

Lee Myung-hwan scratched his head roughly.

Then, those around him began to slowly move away from him.

“Sigh…”

Lee Myung-hwan let out a deep sigh as he watched the scene.

It was understandable.

Even so, if you saw someone with a scowl and a sword in their hand, you would avoid them before even considering their strength. Whether you could win or not was not important. Fighting a madman meant you had to accept some losses. Even if you could subdue them without harm, you would still waste time and energy.

That was probably how others saw Lee Myung-hwan.

The only difference was that instead of a sword, he was emitting streams of demonic energy. And for martial artists, demonic energy would feel several times more dangerous than a clumsy sword.

Lee Myung-hwan rubbed his face roughly.

He didn’t know if it was fortunate or unfortunate that he felt this situation was so awful. Being in this situation was certainly unfortunate, but it was fortunate that he was at least aware that he was causing harm to those around him and being shunned.

‘What happens if demonic energy really seeps into my bone marrow?’

Kang Jin-ho had said that he didn’t need to worry about that, but from the perspective of someone directly mastering demonic arts, it was impossible not to worry.

To put it bluntly, if such a situation really occurred and Kang Jin-ho washed his hands of it, who would hold him accountable?

Due to the nature of the General Assembly, which coordinated the underworld, Lee Myung-hwan had met several of those so-called ‘demonic beings’.

Having learned some crude demonic arts from somewhere, they were beings that were hard to even call human. They seemed to have no reason and moved only by incomprehensible impulses.

‘No, it can’t be.’

No, it wouldn’t be.

Kang Jin-ho had clearly said that the demonic arts he gave him were different from the low-level demonic arts that Lee Myung-hwan had known so far.

Did he trust Kang Jin-ho?

‘No.’

What he trusted was not Kang Jin-ho, but Kang Jin-ho’s strength. And Kang Jin-ho’s reason.

Hadn’t he already seen it? The appearance of those demonic beings who had lost their reason and moved according to their instincts. If Kang Jin-ho intended to use them as a fighting force, he would never create them in that way. Uncontrolled power was meaningless.

Mentally, rationally, the problem was already resolved. The problem was that humans were less rational than they thought, and Lee Myung-hwan couldn’t escape the limitations of being human. No matter how hard he tried not to think about it, anxiety kept creeping in.

“I’m going crazy, really.”

Lee Myung-hwan, with a slight glint in his eyes, looked around.

Something to relieve his mood…

“Huh?”

Lee Myung-hwan’s eyes widened slightly.

People were gathered around the notice board in front of the central building.

‘What is it?’

It was strange.

Although it was a notice board, in this digital age, there was no reason for so many people to gather around it. The higher-ups were behind the times and still used notice boards, but most of the orders or announcements that came down were shared by people who saw them first, taking pictures and uploading them to the web.

Of course, if it was a newly posted announcement, it might not have been uploaded to the web yet.

What Lee Myung-hwan found strange was the people’s reaction to the notice board. The announcements from the higher-ups were always the same old stuff, weren’t they?

Don’t do this. Do that.

Even the most loyal people would curse the moment they saw it, but such a heated reaction?

Intrigued, Lee Myung-hwan slowly approached the notice board.

“Just a moment… Let me just pass through. Move aside.”

“Hey, what’s the deal?”

“Ah, don’t push! Are you crazy?”

“Which bastard is pushing? Which bastard?”

Lee Myung-hwan had a satisfied look on his face.

‘Hmm, a normal reaction.’

It had been a while since he had received such a reaction. It seemed that people were less affected by his demonic energy because there were so many people and it was difficult to check behind him.

He wasn’t a pervert, but it had been so long since he had received such a reaction that he even felt a sense of welcome.

“Sorry, sorry. Let me just check. Sorry.”

“Ah, really. Damn it!”

Those who were annoyed by the hands pushing them from behind turned their heads, and upon seeing Lee Myung-hwan’s face, they quietly made way for him. They might not have known if they hadn’t seen him, but they didn’t have the courage to curse after seeing his face.

With that reaction, Lee Myung-hwan became dejected again and moved forward.

“Why are there so many people… Huh?”

Lee Myung-hwan’s eyes turned to the large announcement posted on the notice board. Lee Myung-hwan’s body trembled as he read the contents of the announcement, which was decorated with colorful paper.

“W-what is this?”

Mr. Wiggins Curriculum Announcement.

This is Mr. Wiggins, the General Assembly’s certified Western martial arts expert.

To welcome the new autumn, Mr. Wiggins will be holding a Western martial arts training class for the young martial artists of the General Assembly. We welcome the support of those interested in Western martial arts.

This class is not a one-time event, and we will support your development with a continuous system. We also plan to gradually increase the number of people eligible for the curriculum in consultation with the General Assembly. We ask that you refrain from applying out of mere curiosity, and that you apply after calmly assessing your current situation.

Application Period – From today until next Friday.

Eligibility – Anyone under the age of 30 belonging to the General Assembly.

How to Apply – Fill out the application form located in the main building and submit it to the accounting department.

Applicants will be notified of the results after the first document screening and the second interview.

Conversational skills are required. Preference will be given to those who can speak English.

For more details, please inquire at the temporary office of the outside director on the floor below the Assembly Hall.

“…W-what is this?”

Lee Myung-hwan’s eyes trembled.

What the hell was this crazy application announcement?

Moreover, the top half of the application announcement was filled with a charismatic photo of Mr. Wiggins that looked like it was straight out of a Hollywood movie. Looking at his moderately long white beard, a sense of trust surged, making him want to rush to get an application form.

And what was with that ‘English speakers preferred’ written in red?

‘How many people in the General Assembly can speak English?’

Lee Myung-hwan laughed in absurdity. Of course, it was good to try various things, but how many people would apply for such an announcement? First of all, there was no basic trust.

They were hearing the name Mr. Wiggins for the first time today. How many people would want to learn under a master they didn’t even know, that was the question.

Such a stupid announcement…

“Move it. Hey, get out of the way!”

A sharp voice came from behind him.

“Huh?”

Lee Hyun-soo was walking towards them with a distorted face.

“Ah, Deputy Chief…”

“Get out of the way, you bastards!”

As Lee Hyun-soo waved his hand as if annoyed, people parted to the left and right like Moses parting the Red Sea.

‘Mastering demonic arts is useless.’

Lee Myung-hwan thought that people were avoiding him these days, but seeing what Lee Hyun-soo was doing, he was nothing. If Lee Hyun-soo was a madman with a sword, Lee Myung-hwan was just a slightly sharp-toothed dog.

“Tsk.”

Lee Hyun-soo was at the level of clearly saying with his face, ‘Ah, damn it. Why do I have to do this? I’m so busy, I’m going to die of annoyance.’

Those who confirmed that his mood was at its worst lowered their heads to avoid catching Lee Hyun-soo’s eye.

Lee Hyun-soo, who had walked through the parted crowd to the notice board, took out a poster he had been carrying under his arm and carefully placed it next to the Mr. Wiggins Curriculum announcement.

“Take a good look and apply.”

“Yes?”

People’s eyes turned to the newly posted poster.

“Wow…”

Lee Myung-hwan opened his mouth without realizing it.

Oh, so it was a set…

So that’s why they didn’t explain who Mr. Wiggins was.

Lee Myung-hwan’s eyes trembled.

The poster had pictures of two people printed on it. Two people smiling and shaking hands while looking at the camera. One was Mr. Wiggins, who was in the recruitment announcement, and the other was…

“Kang Jin-ho?”

Lee Myung-hwan muttered blankly.

In the picture, Kang Jin-ho was smiling awkwardly and giving a thumbs up. It was so awkward that even if you grabbed a random person on the street to take a picture, they wouldn’t look that awkward.

But…

‘That’s not the important thing.’

The important thing was the text written at the bottom of the poster.

Mr. Wiggins Curriculum.

Guaranteed by Kang Jin-ho.

“…What kind of advertisement is this cheap?”

Did they make it with their feet?

The advertisement was so crude that it didn’t increase credibility, but rather gave off a cult-like feeling. Who would apply after seeing such an advertisement…

“Hey, where did they say the application forms were?”

“They said English is preferred!”

“We can learn it! We have until next week! Enroll in an academy! An academy!”

“…Can we trust this?”

“Hey! Damn it, the boss even took a picture with that face. He probably didn’t want to do it, but that Wiggins guy asked him to take a picture, didn’t he? If someone can ask the boss to do that, what kind of verification do we need! That picture is the verification!”

“Huh? Now that I think about it, that’s true. So where did they say the application forms were?”

“Over there! They said the main building! Get them first! Even if you don’t apply, get the forms!”

Lee Myung-hwan put his hands in his pockets as he watched his colleagues rush to the main building.

Lee Myung-hwan, who took out a cigarette and put it in his mouth, lit it and closed his eyes.

“Life is really…”

Lee Myung-hwan, who had a TOEIC score of 900 and didn’t need to go to an academy, soothed his boiling frustration with a cigarette.