Descent of the Demon Master

“Aha. That means you've safely slipped out of the airport?”

Jo Gyu-Min urgently puffed away at his cigarette while talking on the phone.

“I was freaking out, you know? You guys getting caught would've been seriously bad for everyone, after all!”

Lee Hyeon-Su tutted loudly.

-Is that why you took us to the cleaners?

“I didn’t do that, hyung. Chairman Hwang did.”

Jo Gyu-Min cackled as quietly as possible so the other side couldn't hear him. Merely listening to Lee Hyeon-Su's sulky voice was enough to automatically refill Jo Gyu-Min's tank with pure energy!

He had to pay a hefty price for messing around earlier, but it was also true that he didn't walk away empty-handed, didn't he?

“What’s going on with our cargo plane, though?”

“That’s good to hear.”

Jo Gyu-Min wasn't joking this time. He really was breathing a lengthy sigh of relief. If the Brits discovered that a cargo plane used by Jaegyeong was also used to smuggle people in… Not just any people, but martial artists! The level of harm that would fall upon Jaegyeong would have been incalculable.

Material harm was already difficult enough to imagine. But the immaterial harm done behind the scenes? Now that would have been astronomical.

‘You better believe that the Chairman has been incredibly kind to your cause, mister!’

The worst outcome would've been instilling a negative perception of Jaegyeong in Europe, not just the UK. If that perception led to real-world sanctions, Jaegyeong would've had to deal with the crisis of the European market becoming inaccessible.

To confound the matters, the corporation's planning team would never figure out why the Europeans suddenly viewed Jaegyeong as a hostile entity!

What an unimaginably horrible series of events that would be.

However, Hwang Jeong-Hu still made space in the cargo plane despite knowing the risk.

‘That amount of money for all this risk is basically doing it for free, you know!’

Of course, Lee Hyeon-Su was no dummy, so he should be aware of all this. At least when it came to quick wits, his brain spun faster than even Jo Gyu-Min’s, after all!

That was probably why he didn’t complain—as much—while transferring the asked amount electronically.

“In any case, please take care of yourself, hyung-nim.”

-There’s no point, though.

“Huh? Does that mean, uh, the situation isn’t as serious as I thought?”

-No, it's not that, but more like… Me taking care of myself won't be enough to get out of this thing alive. If I'm meant to die, then I will die. If I'm destined to live, well, there you go. My fate is no longer in my hands…

“...Huh. Then, uh, why did you even go there in the first place?”

-You think I came here because I wanted to?!

Lee Hyeon-Su’s temper flared up again.

Jo Gyu-Min grinned wryly and stubbed his cigarette out. “In any case… That means you don’t need me for anything else, right?”

-Actually, there was something I wanted to talk to you about…

“I see.”

-Can you check and draw up a list of cargo planes heading to Korea from here?

“...Why are you asking me for that?”

-Well, we gotta get out of dodge real quick if things go sideways, but I forgot to find a plane back home before coming here.

“Say what?”

Jo Gyu-Min promptly took back his assertion about Lee Hyeon-Su’s brain spinning faster than his. Because this dude turned out to be an idiot!

“How could you not arrange that before leaving, hyung-nim?! Were you thinking of swimming back home from England or something!”

-Hey, gimme a break, alright! I told you, I also didn't know I'd end up here! Obviously, I'd have found a plane if I was still in Korea. But they just dragged me here against my wishes, you know!?

“In that case, can't you ask someone you left behind in the Assembly to handle this problem?”

-But I don't have anyone suitable for this job!

Not just an idiot, but a blithering idiot, then!

“What the hell?! Aren't you taking me for granted a little too much!” Jo Gyu-Min unhappily yelled into the phone. “Don't you know I'm considered a high-value workforce!”

-So what? You think that makes me a low-value workforce?

Not just any blithering idiot, Lee Hyeon-Su was an unreasonable blithering idiot!

Jo Gyu-Min groaned loudly, prompting a conciliatory tone of voice to escape from the phone’s speaker.

-Come on, man. Help a brother out. I’m dying here. When I get back, I swear on my name to treat you to a super expensive meal!

“Hyung-nim! Did you know that, if we count all the promises you've made, you'll have to buy me food for one year straight, at least?!”

-I’m serious! I will treat you.

“...Fine. Fine! I’ll see what I can do, so try to get home in one piece, hyung-nim.”

-Great. See you later, then.

Jo Gyu-Min ended the call while slowly shaking his head. Even as he did so, a subtle grin was etched on his face.

‘Seriously now. He just can’t help himself, huh?’

Folks who caused several ruckuses in Korea had even exported themselves to England, of all places. And Jo Gyu-Min was rueful that he wasn’t there to witness all the shenanigans Kang Jin-Ho and Co. would get into.

“It’ll be hard to contend with their crazy streak… Ah, well.”

Jo Gyu-Min cackled quietly while leaving the Jaegyeong HQ’s rooftop.

***

Gong Yeong-Gil curiously asked, “Where are we going, anyway?”

“How should I know?” Yi Myeong-Hwan replied, then glanced at the passing scenery through the gap in the wall.

‘Hmm… It’s like, we’re driving toward the outskirts, right?’

Unfortunately, seeing the scenery didn't teach him anything. If this was Korea, he might have tried to make an educated guess of where they could be, but this was somewhere in the middle of England.

Looking at a map still would've made it difficult for him to tell what was where. But here he was, along with his peers, busy being ferried to who knows where without any map!

All he could see were verdant forests and the gray asphalt their vehicle had left behind.

Gong Yeong-Gil muttered, his expression somewhat weird. “To think my first ever overseas trip would be like this…”

Yi Myeong-Hwan cocked an eyebrow. “What’s the matter? Are you unhappy about something?”

“Nah, bro. This is bloody exciting.”

Yi Myeong-Hwan and other Assembly members were currently hiding inside a shipping container. Not just any, but a creaky old thing with welded seams coming loose here and there! Although that last part allowed the occupants inside to check out the passing scenery, the feeling of being stuck inside a stuffy box still remained the same.

“Even though we were in buses while moving to the airport back in Korea…”

Yi Myeong-Hwan casually shrugged. “What can we do about it, though? When they’ll spot us if we travel in buses?”

“...Ah. So this is what it feels like to be an illegal alien.”

Yi Myeong-Hwan listened to his friend's grumbling and chuckled without realizing it. Illegal aliens, was it…? What a fitting description that was.

Gong Yeong-Gil asked again. “Hey, man. It’s just that no one explained anything to us yet, so I was wondering if you know who we’re going to fight this time.”

“Would you get it even if someone told you?”

“I guess not,” Gong Yeong-Gil shrugged casually.

Unlike certain members of the Demon Flames, who already boasted the experience of going to China, this was Gong Yeong-Gil’s first time traveling outside South Korea. That must be why he couldn’t sit still or contain his excitement.

“I don’t care who, anyway. I’ll just kick the living sh*t out of anyone that gets in my way,” said Gong Yeong-Gil.

“Oi, oi… Calm down, dude,” Yi Myeon-Hwan tutted slightly. “Why are you getting so worked up?”

“I mean, come on! You already got several chances to cut loose, right?”

“...Huh?”

“But this is our first time, dude!”

Yi Myeong-Hwan could only sigh under his breath after noticing all the tension and excitement messily co-existing in Gong Yeong-Gil’s expression.

‘Well, I guess it kinda makes sense.’

Just like how the Demon Flames were trained to the brink of death by Kang Jin-Ho, Gong Yeong-Gil and others were trained to the back-breaking point by Vator. And now, they finally got a chance to show off what they learned in a real fight. No wonder Gong Yeong-Gil got excited about what was to come.

Even Yi Myeong-Hwan lost his rational mind from excitement when the Demon Flames raided Lee Jung-Geol's mountain villa, didn't he? Of course, a large portion of the blame could be assigned to the demonic cultivation's side effects. However, even if he hadn't cultivated demonic arts, Yi Myeong-Hwan would still have gone berserk from all the bloodletting.

The only difference would have been the severity of his berserk state.

“Yeong-Gil, a word of advice. Don’t get too excited, okay?”

“Hey, man. I am not…”

“Shut up and listen, will ya?”

“…” Gong Yeong-Gil slowly clamped his mouth shut. Even if they were friends, Yi Myeong-Hwan was still supposed to be ranked above Gong Yeong-Gil in the Assembly’s hierarchy.

“There is no such thing as a second try in a real battle, okay? One mistake, and you’re done. Finished.”

“Mm…!”

“I’m not telling you to be a coward and shrink back, though. Even if you’re going to die, stay sober so you can utilize everything you’ve learned up to now. Imagine getting killed after you lost your reasoning and rampaged around like an idiot. I’m telling you, you’ll kick yourself in the ass for not showing off your skills.”

“Got it!” Gong Yeong-Gil weightily nodded away. Excitement in his expression had noticeably cooled off by then. Visible tension was instead creeping in.

‘I guess he’s finally sobered up.’

Yi Myeong-Hwan chuckled softly. Since when did he become a veteran capable of offering useful advice in a fight to his peers? When he was also nothing more than a novice less than a year ago?

Maybe the demonic cultivation method Kang Jin-Ho had imparted wasn’t responsible for Yi Myeong-Hwan’s growth as a martial artist. No, the unending series of events could be the one galvanizing him into a proud warrior.

Tension from knowing he’d be deployed into a combat situation at any given moment prevented Yi Myeong-Hwan from slacking off. Like right now.

“Fuu-woo…!”

Yi Myeong-Hwan sucked in a deep breath.

“The enemies you will face this time are fundamentally different from the ones you’ve been fighting until now.”

‘Well, I already know that, sir.’

Yi Myeong-Hwan recalled Wiggins’ warning from earlier. However, it should be fine. He and his peers had made ample preparations, after all.

For instance, the Demon Flames had sparred against the Chevaliers many times already under Kang Jin-Ho's orders. As such, Yi Myeong-Hwan could say he and his peers were more or less familiar with the Western martial arts' various styles, which were noticeably different from their Eastern counterparts. This knowledge alone should eliminate as many unseen variables as possible.

As long as there were no variables to worry about, Yi Myeong-Hwan could confidently say that demonic cultivation was mightier than all the other cultivation methods. After all, hadn't he already experienced its might himself?

Other than the unanswered questions regarding the cultivator’s stability, nothing could surpass demonic arts when it came to destructive power.

‘Yes, I am strong.’

Not just Yi Myeong-Hwan, but the rest of the Demon Flames here were no longer little rookie demonic cultivators. No, they were inheritors of true demonic arts! Demonic arts that even the believers of the demon cult, arguably the keepers of all demonic cultivation methods, revered and wanted desperately to learn themselves!

‘So, we’re in Europe, eh…?’

The corners of Yi Myeong-Hwan’s lips curled up.

Not too long ago, the mere idea of coming to Europe to fight European martial artists would've been too preposterous to even entertain. However, even before he had a chance to figure out when it happened, Yi Myeong-Hwan already viewed such a thing as nothing to be surprised about.

Yi Myeong-Hwan felt like he could take on the world. And defeat any opponent coming his way!

Gong Yeong-Gil elbowed Yi Myeong-Hwan by the side. “Hey, man.”

“...Yeah?”

“The truck’s slowing down. I guess we’ve arrived.”

“Is that right?” Yi Myeong-Hwan muttered, then peeked through the container's gap again. And sure enough…

‘Looks like we’re deep inside a forest.’

Although it was too dark outside to get a satisfactory visual confirmation, the truck seemed to be in a deep forest somewhere.

“Well, yeah. Looks like we’re inside a forest,” Yi Myeong-Hwan replied to Gong Yeong-Gil.

“Really? What are we doing in the sticks, then?”

“Think about it, dude. The Assembly is also in the middle of a mountain, right? The story must be the same for these people, too.”

“Ah. You’re right.”

Yi Myeong-Hwan stopped peeking and straightened up. That was when someone tapped him on the shoulder.

“Hey, Myeong-Hwan…?”

“Mm?”

It turned out to be one of the Demon Flames. He looked a little nervous about something.

“This is supposed to be an expedition, right? And we're in England, too. So, uh, don't you think there are way too few of us? I mean… Once we start wrecking stuff, enemies will come out in droves, right?”

Yi Myeong-Hwan frowned deeply. “Come on, man. Our higher-ups aren't morons, right? They must've considered all that.”

“Well, yeah. I guess…”

“Besides, we have our Assembly Master here.”

Everyone nodded away when the “Assembly Master” was mentioned. Their expressions said they were convinced now.

“As long as the Assembly Master is here, our job will be more like mopping up the stragglers. We should be more worried about not getting in his way.”

“Yeah, you’re right.”

The mere mention of Kang Jin-Ho was enough to calm everyone down. His everyday persona might not cut the most reassuring figure in the world, but on a battlefield? No one was as trustworthy and dependable as Kang Jin-Ho in a fight.

Of course…

‘...Don't let your guard down because of that, you idiots!’

The Demon Flames couldn't afford to slack off here. Yi Myeong-Hwan was well aware of something crucial. And that was... The Demon Flames still had a long way to go before becoming Kang Jin-Ho's trusted blade.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

A blade duller than one’s hand was a pointless existence.

For the Demon Flames to become Kang Jin-Ho's true private army, they must become more than simple additions to the fighting force. The existence of the Demon Flames should free Kang Jin-Ho to do whatever he wants without any worries.

‘And we’re still far from achieving that goal!’

Of course, Yi Myeong-Hwan didn't despair or feel disappointed. After all, he knew he'd continue to get stronger than now.

Yes, he was getting stronger even now. But his growth would only accelerate even further. And then, not too long from now…! Yi Myeong-Hwan and the Demon Flames would continue to grow stronger and stronger until they could become Kang Jin-Ho’s trusted blades.

Gong Yeong-Gil suddenly muttered. “...Assembly Master must be annoyed by us.”

“Mm?” Yi Myeong-Hwan cocked an eyebrow.

“It must be far simpler to do everything by himself, right? But he can't go around alone and has to drag around a bunch of low-level noobs to power-level them up. Isn't that what this situation is?”

“…” Yi Myeong-Hwan frowned a little. Why did his friend have to use such a comparison…?

Gong Yeong-Gil tilted his head. “You think I’m wrong?”

“Listen, Yeong-Gil.”

“Yeah?”

“Please just shut the hell up.”

“Got it.”

That was when the truck came to a complete stop. Yi Myeong-Hwan subtly wet his dried lips.

‘So, it’s about to begin?’

When his thoughts reached that far, demonic qi began boiling again. It should have been sleeping obediently within Yi Myeong-Hwan’s dantian, but the moment it woke up, the powerful energy immediately started racing throughout his body.

“Oii, dude! Calm down, will ya! You’re scaring me!” Gong Yeong-Gil grunted unhappily.

“Oh. Sorry.” Yi Myeong-Hwan wearily massaged his eyes dyed in a crimson hue before shifting his head toward the rear of the container.

Someone opened the container's door. Moonlight poured in, and among the cold rays of light, Lee Hyeon-Su stood tall with a cigarette dangling from his lips.

“Are you all ready?”

Yi Myeong-Hwan calmly replied, “...Yes, sir. As ready as can be.”

“Good. Let’s go. Our Assembly Master is waiting for us.”

“Yessir!”

The martial artists inside the container rushed outside. Yi Myeong-Hwan licked his lips while going with the flow.

Lee Hyeon-Su called out to him again. “Hey, Yi Myeong-Hwan.”

“Sir?”

“I want you guys to do it in moderation, okay? We want to form an alliance with these people in the future, you see?”

“Is that an order, sir?”

“Think of it as a favor.”

“Got it, sir. We’ll try, but…!” Yi Myeong-Hwan bared his fangs in a ferocious smirk. “I can’t promise you anything.”

“...You bastard,” Lee Hyeon-Su chuckled helplessly while shaking his head. While turning around to leave, he thought that these damn idiots were beginning to resemble Kang Jin-Ho a little too much!