Descent of The Demon Master [EN]: Chapter 600

Koo-oong! Koo-oooong! Dust clouds scattered in all directions. The spectacle itself was magnificent, but considering that the source of this scene was human bodies embedded in the ground, it wouldn’t be something one could watch with a pleasant heart. Knight Wiggins felt the same way. “Hmm, I think that was a bit much…” He lightly waved his staff, creating a gust of wind. As the fierce gale blew away the dust cloud, those embedded in the ground came into view. They weren’t buried very deep. But if human bodies fell to the ground hard enough to leave such marks, how strong must the impact have been? Knight Wiggins scratched his head. Actually, he hadn’t intended to go that far. It was also because he didn’t understand how their Thousand-Pound Drop martial art worked. He had thought that if it was just about increasing weight, it wouldn’t be much different from gravity, so it wouldn’t be a big deal… “How was I supposed to know it creates a force directed downwards?” The ones embedded in the ground twisted their bodies. Some were spitting out bright red blood. Fortunately, it didn’t seem like anyone had suffered major injuries. It seemed like no one was about to die, so it should be fine, right? “Let this be a lesson for you. It’s reckless to charge in without understanding your opponent’s strength. Unless you have spare lives, you should always be wary of strangers.” Being wary wouldn’t have changed the outcome, but they would have been fine for at least a few more minutes. “The fundamental problem is something else. Binding.” As Knight Wiggins formed a hand seal, root-like structures burst out of the ground and tightly bound the fallen martial artists. Knight Wiggins didn’t even glance at the bound men as he walked towards Chief Executive Choi. “Did you wait long?” Chief Executive Choi’s mouth twitched as if he was about to say something. After hesitating for what felt like a long time, Chief Executive Choi opened his mouth with a mix of frustration and anger. “Weren’t you a Knight?” “Well, yes?” “Then you should use a sword.” Knight Wiggins chuckled at Chief Executive Choi’s words. “Well, that’s a bit of a long story. There was a time when the title of Knight was exclusively for knights. But as time goes on, don’t people pursue practicality? As you can see, this is quite versatile. Moreover, the importance of magic has only increased in modern times.” As Chief Executive Choi tried to say something, Knight Wiggins raised his hand to stop him. “Ah, but don’t be disappointed. As I said before, I’m a dual-class. Now, I’ll show you my sword.” Knight Wiggins’ hand, which was holding the staff, disappeared into thin air, and only his bare hand came out. “…Does he use different techniques depending on the opponent?” “Not exactly.” Knight Wiggins kindly explained. “If I had to use each technique separately, I wouldn’t be recognized as a dual-class. In your terms, I’m a magic swordsman. I use magic and swords at the same time. Isn’t it cool?” “Cool?” “It’s a romance, isn’t it?” Knight Wiggins chuckled. “My colleagues, who don’t understand the romance, keep nagging, but the truth is, a magic swordsman is a path that only a chosen few can walk. It’s like a hero’s mark.” “You’re crazy.” Knight Wiggins’ shoulders slumped at Chief Executive Choi’s blunt remark. “Is it that hard to admit it?” “Shut up, you bastard! I know you’re strong. But it’s not over yet.” “Of course, I know. I’d be disappointed if it ended here.” Chief Executive Choi’s chest tightened. Knight Wiggins was full of composure. That fact was making him feel uneasy. ‘Not even Kang Jin-ho, but this guy…’ From the moment I heard that Kang Jin-ho brought him, I knew he wouldn’t be ordinary, but I never imagined he’d be this strong. “Chief Executive Choi, please calm down.” “Ah…” Chief Executive Choi regained his composure at the voice from behind. “It’s not like we’ve never encountered someone using sorcery before. In the end, sorcery is just sorcery. It can’t keep up with orthodox martial arts.” “That’s right.” Chief Executive Choi nodded vigorously. He tried to shake off his anxiety, but the unease filling his chest didn’t easily subside. ‘Can that be called sorcery?’ What’s so special about sorcery? If you can’t understand it, it’s sorcery. Their repertoire never changes. Still, Chief Executive Choi was somewhat relieved. Belittling the enemy’s abilities as sorcery meant that they still had the will to fight. Unlike Chief Executive Choi, who was on the verge of losing his fighting spirit. It was a funny thing. Chief Executive Choi, who had understood how strong his opponent was, was losing his will to fight, but those who were belittling the opponent’s abilities as sorcery were ready to charge at Knight Wiggins right now. It was a moment to realize that ignorance breeds courage. It was better to have that courage than none at all, so for this moment, he had to be grateful for their ignorance. ‘How does Kang Jin-ho manage to pick only guys like this?’ That Bator guy was the same. Although he hadn’t crossed hands with him, he could understand how strong he was just by looking at his physique. That massive body, as if he had reached the pinnacle of external martial arts. Just seeing it was enough to overwhelm Chief Executive Choi. And this Westerner was no ordinary man either. “Don’t look at me like that. I’m a human too.” “What are you talking about, you bastard!” “Weren’t you surprised by my abilities?” He wanted to punch that smug face right now, but he couldn’t act rashly. “There’s no need to rack your brains. Your future is already decided.” “Decided?” “Those who struggle against me can’t possibly stand against the Lord. Even if there were ten of me, I couldn’t face the Lord alone.” Chief Executive Choi’s eyes trembled. “Are you saying Kang Jin-ho is that strong?” “Is this a place where only the blind live?” This wasn’t just a threat. Even if there were ten Knight Wiggins, there was no guarantee that they could face Kang Jin-ho. With his abilities, he might be able to confuse and attack Kang Jin-ho. But in close combat, Knight Wiggins couldn’t keep up with Kang Jin-ho’s speed. He would just waste his energy and not be able to land a single blow. Then it would eventually turn into a battle of attrition, and there was no way that the old Knight Wiggins could match Kang Jin-ho, who had shown a volcanic level of stamina even when fighting Bator. “Look here, there’s such a thing as experience. As people get older, they become more cautious and gain the ability to assess their opponents. But your eyes are completely useless. What kind of guts did you have to oppose the Lord?” “Shut up, you bastard!” Chief Executive Choi shouted angrily. “The Yeongnam Association is a place we created. It’s a place that we and Kim Seok-il built. How can we just applaud when some guy who rolled in from nowhere tries to take it all? This isn’t about winning or losing.” “Most things in the world are about winning or losing, though.” “That’s ridiculous. Then, if your country were being ravaged by the great powers, would you give up because you couldn’t win?” Knight Wiggins scratched his head. “Well, thinking about it that way, I can see why you’re acting like this.” Although he didn’t fully understand it. The idea that the sense of belonging to the Yeongnam Association could be equated with the sense of belonging to a nation was something that was beyond Knight Wiggins’ comprehension. One thing was certain: now that such words had been spoken, compromise was no longer possible. Although he had thought so from the beginning. “Certainly, with that kind of thinking, there can be no compromise. But I want to give you one piece of advice: if that’s how you think, you should have used a different method. You need to consider whether it’s wise to gather a bunch of riffraff and charge into the army in the name of independence.” “Westerners talk too much.” “Hmm, I have to admit that.” Scratch, scratch, scratch. Knight Wiggins slowly scraped the floor with his lowered sword. The grating sound was irritating the elders of the Yeongnam Association. “What’s the point of talking now? We’re enemies after all. It’s a bit annoying that the first battle I’m experiencing in Korea is a civil war, but if I can use my sword, it doesn’t matter. Come on. You have your duty, and I have to prove my strength, so I guess we can say our interests align.” Chief Executive Choi looked at Knight Wiggins with a slightly excited face. He was right. They just had to fight. Would anyone lay down their weapons just because they talked about their positions? Yet, why was Chief Executive Choi so desperate to talk? Chief Executive Choi bit his lip. Because he knew. That they had no chance of winning. If he didn’t have the ability to assess his opponent’s strength, there was no way he could have survived until now. Chief Executive Choi had endured the long conflicts and dark times. If he hadn’t been able to assess his opponent’s strength, he would have been buried as a skeleton in a cold mountain by now. A fight he could not back down from. But a fight he was destined to lose. That dilemma tormented Chief Executive Choi. ‘But I still have to win.’ Chief Executive Choi’s eyes turned cold. They might lose the battle, but they couldn’t lose the overall struggle. If they collapsed here, everything they had prepared would disappear. “Tell them to prepare.” “Yes.” Chief Executive Choi gave a low command and opened his mouth. “Tie them up, keep them tied up. That’s enough. I won’t tell you to risk your lives. But at least be prepared to get injured. You can do that much, right?” “Tsk, tsk, Chief Executive, you’ve gotten old. If it were the old days, you would have told us not to back down even if it meant death.” “You guys never listen anyway.” Chief Executive Choi gritted his teeth. The bastards had only become more sly as they got older. But in this situation, he was grateful for their slyness. “Let’s go. It’s shameful to be ravaged by a Westerner on our own land.” The elders slowly approached Knight Wiggins. Knight Wiggins wore a bitter smile as he watched the old men surrounding him. “Elder abuse isn’t really my thing, but…” “You don’t look that young either? If you were born here, you’d be old enough to run errands.” “I’ll pass. Instead of running errands, I’ll give you this.” Knight Wiggins raised his sword. Then, aura gathered on his sword, emitting a dazzling white light. “I think I’ve shown you enough magic, so now I should show you my sword, right? You better be careful. We’ve been honing our swords for thousands of years.” “We’re the same!” As if no more words were needed, the elders charged at Knight Wiggins. “Good stance.” Knight Wiggins, with a smile on his face, slightly extended his sword forward and met the elders.