Descent of The Demon Master [EN]: Chapter 918

“Failed?”

“Yes.”

Chai Ke-chang looked at the reporter with indifferent eyes.

“Failed, failed. It was to be expected. But the report seems faster than I thought. Did they get crushed as soon as they landed?”

“That’s…”

Chai Ke-chang narrowed his brows at the hesitant tone.

‘I’m getting sick of this.’

Many things happen even in their territory. But reports on such issues rarely contain such hesitation.

It’s only when hearing reports about the Korean Assembly and Kang Jin-ho that he encounters such hesitation.

That fact was grating on Chai Ke-chang’s nerves.

“Hey.”

“Yes!”

“This isn’t something we initiated. Whatever those bastards did isn’t your fault. So, I’d appreciate it if you could just explain it clearly. Is that too much to ask?”

“It is not.”

“Then report. I don’t have all day.”

“Yes!”

His words were gentle, but the nuance in his tone was sharp.

The reporter broke out in a cold sweat and lowered his head.

Chai Ke-chang doesn’t know.

The reason he acts like this isn’t simply because things went wrong. When the topic of Kang Jin-ho and the Assembly comes up, Chai Ke-chang’s eyes change.

Looking at those murderous eyes, one can’t help but shrink back.

But he can’t say such things out loud.

“Reporting. The Japanese expeditionary force that invaded Korea was annihilated.”

“Annihilated?”

“…Yes. Completely annihilated.”

“Explain the word ‘annihilated’ precisely.”

“The command was wiped out, and there were many casualties. There are survivors, but… they have completely lost their will to fight.”

“There are survivors?”

Chai Ke-chang’s mind became complicated.

‘What is this?’

It doesn’t make sense.

If they were annihilated, if the Japanese who invaded Korea were defeated, there couldn’t be any survivors. Going to attack another country is like that. The defeat of an expeditionary force that left by ship means annihilation.

There might be exceptions.

But if it was decided in this short period, if they were defeated, they should have been annihilated.

Because they wouldn’t have time to secure a ship to leave. If Kang Jin-ho wasn’t a fool, he wouldn’t have let them go. Even if Kang Jin-ho did, Lee Hyun-soo would never let that happen.

But there are survivors?

“Tell me everything from the beginning. Don’t leave out a single detail.”

“Yes!”

After listening to the entire report slowly, Chai Ke-chang silently put his hand in his pocket and took out a cigarette.

‘Damn it, cigarettes.’

He wants to quit smoking if possible. But since Kang Jin-ho started interfering in his life, his smoking has actually increased.

It’s the same now.

This shitty feeling can’t be resolved without the bitter smoke of a cigarette.

Click.

Chai Ke-chang lit the cigarette and took a deep drag.

Thanks to his strong lung capacity, the cigarette burned quickly.

“So.”

He exhaled white smoke as he spoke.

“A small number of them descended by helicopter before they even landed?”

“…That’s right.”

“And they wiped them all out?”

“Yes.”

“…These crazy bastards.”

A hollow laugh escaped him.

He doesn’t know whose idea it was, but the one who came up with this plan is definitely not in their right mind. It’s something unimaginable unless you’re completely insane.

‘And they carried it out.’

And they succeeded.

That’s why this situation happened.

If they had just landed, it wouldn’t have turned out like this. Even if it was impossible to inflict massive damage, they could have completely taken away their time.

That’s all he thinks the Japanese are worth.

Holding Kang Jin-ho back and delaying his growth, even if just a little.

But…

“They couldn’t even do that much and got themselves killed? All of them?”

“I-I’m sorry.”

“You useless bastards!”

Thud!

Chai Ke-chang kicked the wooden desk as it was. The desk shattered instantly, flying in all directions.

Chai Ke-chang, who had jumped up from his seat, roared.

“They can’t even hold him back? With that many people, they couldn’t even hold him back? You useless bastards! I told you it wasn’t a normal task!”

The reason for this result is obvious.

The Japanese underestimated Kang Jin-ho.

“Those damn Japs…”

From his perspective, Korea and Japan are all enemies. But even if they are the same enemy, there is a difference in class.

Korea is not the same as before.

The existence of Kang Jin-ho alone was completely changing Korea.

And the Japanese looked down on such Kang Jin-ho.

“…These idiots.”

There was still something that Japan had an advantage over Korea. If you look at the quality of ordinary martial artists, Japan is stronger than Korea.

While the lower ranks may be similar, the middle and upper ranks of martial artists are overwhelmingly superior in Japan.

The strategy that Japan should have taken was to use that thick layer to corner Kang Jin-ho. The elites of each group and their leaders should have gone directly to Korea to face Kang Jin-ho somehow.

Of course, he can’t be sure that they could kill Kang Jin-ho even with that method.

But at least they would have bought time!

“You useless bastards!” They probably thought it was enough to send that much force.

They must have thought it was just the old Korea with Kang Jin-ho added.

Stupid and stupid again.

How big is that one Kang Jin-ho, why don’t they know? He explained it so much, even spoon-fed them, and yet this is the result…

Chai Ke-chang, trembling, slumped into his chair.

‘No.’

Chai Ke-chang rubbed his eyes a few times and gritted his teeth.

‘This isn’t just their mistake. I didn’t predict this situation either.’

His calculations were also wrong. Just a moment ago, he thought that the landing of the ship would buy some time.

But that expectation was completely off.

‘Damn it.’

Kang Jin-ho always exceeds his expectations. In the past, he exceeded his expectations with his martial prowess, and now that he has completely anticipated that martial prowess, he is making him panic with his unconventional actions.

‘How…’

How is he supposed to deal with this guy?

“…Contact Japan.”

“Yes.”

“Tell them to prepare the car.”

“…Chai Ke-chang-nim?”

“We will provide support again. They must be going crazy by now. We will support them, so do it again! This time, they must take Kang Jin-ho’s head! They must!”

“B-But Japan is completely in chaos right now. It will take time to fix the internal situation…”

“Nonsense! Isn’t the best way to fix external problems to wage war! Call Lee Seong-hwi! No, I will contact their leader directly! Create a hotline and bring it to me!”

“Y-Yes, I understand.”

Chai Ke-chang rubbed his forehead.

‘How am I supposed to report this?’

Incompetent.

Everything he does is failing. Chai Ke-chang has never felt his incompetence as much as he does these days. It feels like his life has been completely twisted since Kang Jin-ho appeared.

He has to fix it somehow…

“Um… and.”

Chai Ke-chang raised his head.

“Again?”

“Yes. There is one more thing to report.”

“What is it?”

“This is also related to Korea.”

Chai Ke-chang closed his eyes tightly.

Judging from the word Korea and the tone, it was definitely not good news.

Enough. This is enough, he has suffered enough. But why isn’t the pain over yet?

“Report.”

“Yes. According to intelligence, the Master of the Round Table is currently moving to Korea from Europe.”

“…What?”

Chai Ke-chang doubted his ears.

“Who?”

“The Master. Of the Round Table.”

Chai Ke-chang’s face went blank.

The Master?

The Master of the Round Table?

“Why?”

“W-We don’t know yet.”

Chai Ke-chang looked up at the ceiling.

‘The Master?’

He has heard the name countless times. The Master of the Round Table. The leader of the Round Table, which dominates the European martial arts world.

If the Eastern martial arts world revolves around China and Japan, the Western martial arts world revolves around the United States and Europe. But based on legitimacy and influence, the European Round Table is undeniably the center of the West.

And the leader of that Round Table is the Master.

That person is moving to Korea now? Why?

‘The reason is obvious.’

He will contact Kang Jin-ho.

He doesn’t know the purpose of the contact, but it was obvious that his movement was to meet Kang Jin-ho.

“…For now.”

Chai Ke-chang’s mouth opened and closed.

He knows he has to give some instructions, but he can’t figure out what instructions to give.

“For now, put surveillance on him. Don’t miss a single thing that happens.”

“Understood!”

As the reporter slipped away, Chai Ke-chang tilted his head back.

His stomach hurts.

Everyone would laugh if a martial artist suffered from gastritis, but Chai Ke-chang was really feeling the pain. It’s not like phantom pain.

“Ha…”

Chai Ke-chang’s eyes were bloodshot.

‘No.’

This is not it.

He had been sensing it for a while. That they would one day become their greatest enemy.

If someone who has the Changwang and Heukwang factions in front of them says this, the whole world would laugh. But Chai Ke-chang was sure. The true enemy of the Hongwang faction is not Changwang or Heukwang, but Kang Jin-ho.

But now, even that situation was changing.

Has he ever succeeded?

Has his, the Hongwang faction’s, response to Kang Jin-ho ever succeeded even once?

Total defeat.

They were all defeated.

The scars of defeat are too great to be comforted by the minor victories in between. At some point, Chai Ke-chang’s eyes were only on the Assembly.

Even in the midst of the fierce battle with the Changwang faction.

“…We need a plan.”

Chai Ke-chang jumped up from his seat.

This is not just a simple hunch.

When a certain force rises, there is always a sign. And that sign was now appearing.

When a powerful force emerges, the existing powers show interest in them.

Either hostile or in contact.

Japan invaded Korea, the Hongwang faction was plotting against Korea, and the Round Table was contacting Korea.

That means one thing.

In terms of current popularity and momentum,

the center of the martial arts world was shifting to Korea.

Overreacting?

‘I thought so. And this is the result.’

His plans were all blocked.

Then what should he do?

He is facing Changwang in the front, and Kang Jin-ho is growing in the back. A suffocating pressure was suppressing Chai Ke-chang. His stomach was churning, and his bones felt like they were breaking.

Chai Ke-chang jumped up from his seat.

‘I must meet Hongwang.’

Chai Ke-chang quickly left his office.

Hongwang will show him the way.

No.

He will open the way.

That person, who is breaking the old mold and pioneering a new realm, will surely do it!

Chai Ke-chang rushed to Hongwang’s palace.