Descent of the Demon Master

“Well, then.”

Kang Jin-Ho got up to leave, prompting Bang Jin-Hun to get up as well and bid him goodbye. “Take care on your way back home, Mister Jin-Ho.”

“I will.”

“Oh, and don't speed.”

“...Kuh-hum.” Kang Jin-Ho looked back at Bang Jin-Hun weirdly.

However, Bang Jin-Hun replied with a smirk. “Aren't you having trouble commuting from home since you live so far away? How about finding your own place nearby? There's a village full of one-room houses down the mountain, you see? I'm pretty sure you’ll find a place that suits your tastes.”

“Mm…” Kang Jin-Ho frowned slightly while weighing his options. It was true that almost all of his business these days involved the Martial Assembly. But the Assembly HQ was located on the far-flung outskirts of the city, and commuting from home took way too long for Kang Jin-Ho's liking. “...I'll think about it. However, I'm not sure if my parents will let me…”

Bang Jin-Hun asked incredulously. “...Do you still need to get your parents' approval?”

“Well, I'm still a university student, so...”

That answer forced Bang Jin-Hun's mouth shut. He even forgot to breathe for a second, too.

'Gee, whiz... Talk about being super mismatched...'

When Bang Jin-Hun thought about it, Kang Jin-Ho was still in his early twenties, at least physically speaking, and finished serving in the military only recently. This fact sometimes clashed with the knowledge of Kang Jin-Ho being a returner who had lived for decades in the ancient past, causing this weird feeling.

'It must be the same story for Mister Jin-Ho, though.'

Even if Kang Jin-Ho seemed fairly 'well-adjusted' to the modern way of living, the burden of living a... 'different' life from everyone else must be quite considerable.

When you're just trying to make great content at bit.ly/3iBfjkV.

“In any case, drive safely, Mister Jin-Ho.”

“I will.” Kang Jin-Ho nodded slightly before leaving the office.

Lee Hyeon-Su quickly bade Bang Jin-Hun goodbye and rushed outside the office as well. He caught up to Kang Jin-Ho and called out to him. “Excuse me, Mister Jin-Ho?”

“Mm?”

Lee Hyeon-Su smiled meaningfully. “Can I have a minute of your time, please?”

***

Kang Jin-Ho and Lee Hyeon-Su descended the Assembly HQ's mountain, then stopped by a nearby convenience store. After purchasing sodas, they took a seat at a table located next to the store.

Lee Hyeon-Su glanced at the soda Kang Jin-Ho bought and tilted his head slightly. “I guess you're not a fan of alcohol, Mister Jin-Ho?”

Kang Jin-Ho shrugged his shoulders. “Well, I need to drive home, you see.”

“Aha. Does that mean you usually don't mind consuming booze?”

“No. I don't drink.”

“...Oh.”

Conversing with Kang Jin-Ho required one hell of a lot of mental energy. Lee Hyeon-Su had met many colorful people before in his life and could swear that none of them was as challenging to converse with as Kang Jin-Ho.

The hardest person to talk to until now for Lee Hyeon-Su had been... Rather unsurprisingly, Kim Seok-Il. That man was not only smart but also vicious and cruel. That forced Lee Hyeon-Su to consider each and every word he spoke out loud. Kim Seok-Il could catch on to any signs of weakness and use that to his advantage, after all!

However, Kang Jin-Ho was different. He was somewhat uninterested in other people's business and didn't really care much about what Lee Hyeon-Su decided to tell him. Which meant Lee Hyeon-Su didn't need to mind what he said. After all, Kang Jin-Ho wasn't the type to pick faults with a single slip of the tongue.

Even then, conversing with Kang Jin-Ho still drained a considerable amount of mental energy. In fact, even more than when dealing with Kim Seok-Il!

How should Lee Hyeon-Su explain this?

'...Kang Jin-Ho is like a tiger wearing a tuxedo?'

The impression Lee Hyeon-Su got was that he might be sitting across from a powerful predator who happened to be well-spoken and dressed impeccably. Despite knowing that this predator wouldn't attack him for no reason, Lee Hyeon-Su still couldn't do anything about this instinctive fear always buzzing inside his heart. Then again, he was unfortunate enough to witness Kang Jin-Ho's primal savagery from a close vantage point, so...

“What did you want to talk about?” Kang Jin-Ho asked while taking a sip of his soda.

“Oh, uh…” Lee Hyeon-Su snapped awake from his drifting thoughts, then quickly rubbed his face. Wandering into his daydreams when he was supposed to talk to a guest was against manners. Lee Hyeon-Su wouldn't normally make mistakes like this, but maintaining his cool in front of Kang Jin-Ho was not an easy feat, even for him. “...You seem to have changed somewhat recently, Mister Jin-Ho.”

“Mm? Do I look that way?”

“My specialty is analyzing and collecting information on people, after all. I'm guessing that the past you wouldn't have thought about training other people or something similar to that.”

“Yes, you're right.”

“...Again, please stop being polite to me.”

“Mm…” Kang Jin-Ho scratched his head. “That's not gonna work for me. For now, do you mind if I stick to what feels right to me?”

“If that's what you want, sir…” Lee Hyeon-Su slowly nodded. He didn't see a need to argue about this topic, and... For some reason, being polite suited the current Kang Jin-Ho, too. “In my observation, you were someone who believed that as long as your strength surpassed others, nothing could faze or stop you. But you seemed to have changed your mind and accepted the Martial Assembly's usefulness.”

Kang Jin-Ho replied nonchalantly. “Well, I can't be at ten different places at the same time, you know.”

“...”

“It's not hard for me to solve the problems of wherever I am at that moment. However, blindspots are bound to exist since I can't be everywhere all at the same time. And now, with more... territories to cover, things I can't physically deal with will keep appearing in our lives.”

His previous life experience taught Kang Jin-Ho that being the strongest man on Earth wasn't enough to solve every problem.

“You made the right call, sir,” Lee Hyeon-Su beamed brightly. “We'll finally have something to do now that you've accepted your physical limitations.”

“...Matters of the Assembly are for its members to deal with, Mister Lee Hyeon-Su. Surely, you'd still have Assembly duties to fulfill even if they don't have anything to do with me?”

“Yes, in principle, you're absolutely correct. However, nobody thinks that way.”

“...”

“In its current state, the Martial Assembly is being propped up by your presence, Mister Jin-Ho. The Assembly will turn into a disorganized mess if you decide to leave right now. Directors only after the goal of lining their pockets would flee first, and the division between the Assembly and the Yeongnam Branch will widen beyond repair.”

Kang Jin-Ho frowned deeply. “Directors, you say?”

“Yes. And they are not to be trifled with. Snake-like bastards, the lot of them. They managed to secure their share of the benefits while Lee Jung-Geol and Kim Seok-Il fought each other. And they should be the least pleased people on Earth about the Assembly and the Yeongnam Group uniting as one and being controlled by one leader, namely Assembly Master Bang Jin-Hun.”

Kang Jin-Ho's frown deepened. He had not thought about this until now.

'...I see. Things aren't any different in this era.'

Something similar also took place back in the demon cult. It seemed humans behaved similarly regardless of the era or the location. Back then, Azure Demon resolved these kinds of matters by simply killing those who needed to be killed and making others surrender by breaking them down. However...

'...How did he do that?'

Kang Jin-Ho found himself rediscovering and learning to appreciate Azure Demon's greatness the more he looked back into his past. When he thought about it, didn't Azure Demon usually take care of troublesome matters without breaking a sweat? Not only that, but he even guided Kang Jin-Ho to easily and quickly unite the demon cult, too.

'...And I'm also a special kind of fool for forcing someone like that to betray me.'

Kang Jin-Ho never once entertained the possibility of Azure Demon betraying him until that fateful day. That betrayal left him seething with rage, but now that he had time to reflect on his past... Even if Azure Demon decided to kill him by brewing tea containing deadly poison, Kang Jin-Ho should just shut up and gladly accept the punishment.

In gaming terms, Kang Jin-Ho was like that accidental troll who needlessly attracted enemy aggro and repeatedly plunged his entire team into the depths of hell. And Azure Demon was saddled with the thankless task of carrying such a troll while constantly coaxing or pacifying him.

Kang Jin-Ho narrowed his eyes and stared at Lee Hyeon-Su. Bang Jin-Hun would be unfit for that kind of role. In his own words, Bang Jin-Hun might say he was like a kind uncle, a generous and understanding coach of the team called Martial Assembly. He'd also say the spirit of martial artists coursed through his veins, but...

As far as Kang Jin-Ho could tell, Bang Jin-Hun simply wasn't cut out for the role he was thinking about. Rather than Bang Jin-Hun, someone else needed to step up to the plate.

“I see. In that case, what should I do about it?” Kang Jin-Ho quietly asked.

This was his way of testing Lee Hyeong-Su. Kang Jin-Ho's evaluation of the man would change depending on how Lee Hyeon-Su answered.

Lee Hyeon-Su replied right away, but what he said was completely out of Kang Jin-Ho's expectations. “Sir, you simply ignore them.”

“...?” Kang Jin-Ho furrowed his brow. “Ignore them?”

“Yes. Now isn't the right time to deal with them.”

“And you based that on...?”

“First, no pretext. And the timing is bad. Trying to deal with the directors' factions simply because they are not loyal will only cause them to rebel against you.”

'...Fail.' Kang Jin-Ho's expression grew a little colder.

Finding the right time and good-enough justification before starting something was obviously important. However, something else was perhaps even more crucial than those points... and that was determining the characters of the people you'd be working with.

Lee Hyeon-Su was supposed to know Kang Jin-Ho's inclinations, at least to some degree, so it was somewhat disappointing to hear him say this. Kang Jin-Ho believed that obsessing over things like justifications and pretexts would only make you miss the timing instead. Stuff like infamy didn't faze Kang Jin-Ho, after all.

“However... That isn't my real reason, sir.” Lee Hyeon-Su smirked softly and continued to explain. The glint in his eyes suggested that he had cottoned onto the changes in Kang Jin-Ho's mood. “Even if our information network isn't good enough to detect it, I'd wager that the Japanese have already made a move. I'm sure of it.”

“The Japanese, you say?”

“Yes, sir. I'm prepared to bet my life on it. They are not the type to sit back and do nothing, Mister Jin-Ho. Without a shred of doubt, they are scheming to take your life even as we speak. Maybe, they could be closer to our home than we think.”

“Hmm...” Kang Jin-Ho smirked softly as his interest was piqued.

Lee Hyeon-Su continued explaining himself. “Since we're expecting the Japanese to provoke us soon, forcibly creating justifications to deal with the directors right now isn't the smartest move we can make. However... If my calculations are correct, we will find plenty of justifications soon enough, thanks to what's about to happen. In that case... Well, let's say it'll be like an early Christmas for us.”

'...I take it back.' Kang Jin-Ho slowly nodded while revising his earlier evaluation. Although he still didn't fully trust Lee Hyeon-Su like he did with Azure Demon, he noticed how confident-sounding Kim Seok-Il's former subordinate was. His belief in his own deduction seemed absolute.

Listening to what Lee Hyeon-Su had to say didn't seem like such a bad idea, then.

“I see. Then, what did you want to talk to me about?”

“Mister Jin-Ho... You've been on the receiving end until now, yes?”

Kang Jin-Ho tilted his head. “...I'm sorry?”

“You get attacked, then you retaliate. That has been your basic pattern so far. I know that you got involved in the Martial Assembly and the Yeongnam Group through this pattern. In that case, the other side will also assume you'd stick to that pattern again. They will think you won't make the first move.”

“Mm...”

“However, the situation this time is different. You know who your enemies are, and you've already crossed the point of no return with them. In that case, you should consider hitting them first.”

“Hitting them first, is it...?”

“Yes,” Lee Hyeon-Su smiled meaningfully. “Creating variables with our own hands will lead to entertaining scenarios. How about trusting me with this one and making some splashes, Mister Jin-Ho?”

The corners of Kang Jin-Ho's lips curled up at Lee Hyeon-Su's straightforward request.

'This... sounds like it'll be fun.'

While thinking that many things were about to change thanks to Lee Hyeon-Su, Kang Jin-Ho wordlessly extended his hand. Lee Hyeon-Su also reached out and shook the offered hand.

***

“...Mm.”

Plenty of problems existed in this world. For instance... Things like what to eat for supper or when to go to bed could also be seen as problems by some people.

However, Park Yu-Min was currently suffering from a much more urgent and tougher problem than those trivial things.

“...Why are you here, Jin-Ho? Aren't you busy?”

Kang Jin-Ho smiled warmly. “No. I'm not busy at all.”

“Ah. I see. Not busy at all...”

It'd be better if Kang Jin-Ho was occupied with something, though!

Kang Jin-Ho glanced at the computer monitor. “I stopped by to see how you were doing, Yu-Min.”

“Ah... I see.”

I was doing fine without you, though. And it would’ve been better if you didn't come around, too...

Park Yu-Min immediately reflected on himself after those thoughts flitted in and out of his mind. A friend who was instrumental in turning Park Yu-Min's life around stopped by, so how dare he get annoyed by Kang Jin-Ho's presence? Something like this would've been unimaginable for Park Yu-Min only a couple of years ago.

Kang Jin-Ho peered at the screen. “You don't mind if I join you?”

“...Not really.”

Their current location was a PC Room, a place where the hopes and dreams of South Korea's youth could be fulfilled or dashed. And it was here that Park Yu-Min was focusing his entire being to pass the upcoming tests.

A new season was scheduled to get underway soon. Before that happened, though, pro teams usually tried to replenish their manpower by calling up famous rankers and requesting them to take their tests.

Park Yu-Min already had two tests lined for up next week alone. And that was why he was busy wielding this mouse every waking hour in this PC Room, but now...

'I'm grateful that you're worried about me, Jin-Ho... But, you're a bronze tier, you know?'

And I'm a challenger tier, so... You and I teaming up will bring about the destruction of the world as we know it.

How was this possible, though? Park Yu-Min couldn't understand why Kang Jin-Ho couldn't bring out his gaming skills that allowed him to shine so brightly in Galaxy Craft. Why did Kang Jin-Ho suck so bad at this particular game? Sure, individual games were all obviously different, but shouldn't a person's class be permanent?

Kang Jin-Ho glanced at his friend. “Aren't we gonna start?”

“Y-yeah, sure... We should.” Park Yu-Min made a weird face as he settled down on his chair.

Kang Jin-Ho grinned brightly and sat down next to his friend.