Descent of the Demon Master

Lee Hyeon-Su licked his dried-stiff lips.

This atmosphere forbade him from voicing his opposition. From the moment Kang Jin-Ho announced his decision, everyone was overwhelmed by the aura gushing out of his figure. Even though Kang Jin-Ho wasn't intentionally doing that!

It was just that his heightened emotions automatically unleashed his aura. Instead of easing, that oppressive aura was getting stronger and denser.

Lee Hyeon-Su could more or less endure it since he got used to Kang Jin-Ho's sudden burst of aura. However, the faces of the interpreters, Elena and Zhang Dajing, and even Lee Hyeon-Ju, were all drained of color in sheer terror.

Lee Hyeon-Su urgently cried out, “A-Assembly Master, sir!”

Kang Jin-Ho sobered up. “Mm?”

“You’re killing them, sir! P-please stop!”

Only then did Kang Jin-Ho realize the situation with the others and hurriedly withdraw his aura. He sheepishly scratched the back of his head. “Oops. My bad. It wasn’t intentional.”

“...A rock tossed carelessly can still squash a toad to death, sir,” Lee Hyeon-Su quietly muttered.

Wiggins quickly organized the situation. “Since we don’t have a lot of leeway, perhaps it’s time to get the ball rolling, my lord.”

“Mm!”

“Since you have made your decision as the Assembly Master, we must support you wholeheartedly. No need to second guess your decision at this juncture.”

Wiggins addressed Kang Jin-Ho, but those words were clearly meant for Lee Hyeon-Su. A warning that Lee Hyeon-Su shouldn’t try to object and drag things out.

‘I know that much already, Master!’

For a moment there, dissatisfaction bubbled in his heart, but Lee Hyeon-Su forcibly suppressed it.

‘No, hang on. That’s not right.’

Since someone like Wiggins warned him in a roundabout way, didn't that mean Lee Hyeon-Su had been objecting a lot to Kang Jin-Ho's opinions and decisions lately? If so, it seemed Lee Hyeon-Su needed to go through a bout of serious self-reflection.

“Assembly Master, sir.”

“Mm?” Kang Jin-Ho glanced at Lee Hyeon-Su.

“Are you thinking of assaulting that ship with a small number of fighters?”

“Yeah, that’s right.”

“Then, who will be accompanying you?”

Kang Jin-Ho scanned the conference room. “I'm sure the people here will be enough. Vator, Wiggins, myself, and…”

Bang Jin-Hun suddenly raised his hand. “Why are you leaving me out, sir?!”

“Mm? You think you can do it?”

“I’m stronger than I look!” Bang Jin-Hun shot up to his feet. Hot air gushed out from his blaring nostrils.

Kang Jin-Hun chuckled at that sight, then looked back at Lee Hyeon-Su. “Including Bang Jin-Hun, then.”

Only four people? Lee Hyeon-Su frowned and firmly objected.

“Sir. That's too few. If you're set on this idea, please take the Demon Flames and the demon cult elders with you, at the very least. And I'll handpick suitable members from the Assembly to provide assistance.”

Kang Jin-Ho briefly shook his head. “Having more people will make no difference.”

“But, sir! At least over a thousand enemies are waiting for us there! Absolutely not! As I said before, Assembly Master! You are too…”

Lee Hyeon-Su’s decibel rose rapidly, only for him to hurriedly clamp his mouth shut.

‘I did it again.’

Despite telling himself not to do this, Lee Hyeon-Su was already objecting to Kang Jin-Ho as if it was only the most natural thing in the world. Wiggins must've said that remark earlier because he had been witnessing this behavior rather frequently from Lee Hyeon-Su lately.

When Lee Hyeon-Su sneakily glanced in Wiggins’ direction… Sure enough, the Englishman was glaring sharply at his disciple.

Lee Hyeon-Su clamped his mouth even tighter. He could swear that he had never seen Wiggins glare at somebody like that. That man was someone who casually laughed about losing an arm, so for him to make that kind of an expression? He must really be pissed off.

Lee Hyeon-Su immediately apologized. “I'm sorry, sir. I got too emotional just now.”

“Mm? Why are you apologizing?” Kang Jin-Ho tilted his head in confusion.

‘This is why I keep slipping up, you know!’

Lee Hyeon-Su sighed inwardly.

Kang Jin-Ho was one of those open-minded people. Although, his open-mindedness didn't mean the usually-accepted definition of someone willing to listen to other's opinions.

Since Kang Jin-Ho never really exercised his authority or demanded others to pay more attention to his opinions, it became naturally easy to engage him in conversations. Which also meant Lee Hyeon-Su would inadvertently cross the line every now and then. Like today.

Just look at Kang Jin-Ho’s face that innocently asked what happened!

“Kuh-hum…” Lee Hyeon-Su fake-coughed to clear his throat. While being subjected to Vator’s dissatisfied gaze and Wiggins’ murderous glare, Lee Hyeon-Su addressed Kang Jin-Ho again. “It seems I spoke out of turn, sir.”

Kang Jin-Ho’s head tilting intensified. “Like how?”

“...Just know that I did, sir.”

When Kang Jin-Ho tried to say some things about this situation, Lee Hyeon-Su quickly steered the conversation back to the topic. Nothing good would come out of continuing with this exchange… Especially for Lee Hyeon-Su!

“In any case… We’re about to engage over a thousand enemy warriors in combat. Which means we need more combatants on our side.”

Vator immediately objected. “If we increase our numbers, wouldn’t that make it harder for us to retreat, like you mentioned a few minutes ago? How is that better for us?”

“Yes, there is that aspect. However, the risk of attacking with too few numbers is higher.”

That was when Lee Hyeon-Ju suddenly raised her hand. Her expression was overflowing with determination to speak what was on her mind.

Kang Jin-Ho wryly smiled and nodded at her. “You can speak.”

“I’m having a hard time understanding something, so I’d like to ask you all this. Do we have to board that ship?”

“Mm?”

“Can’t we just get some people to puncture a hole in its hull? Or blow it up with bombs?”

“…”

“…”

Everyone’s flabbergasted gaze landed on Lee Hyeon-Ju next. They all seemed to be silently screaming, “Has this woman watched one too many Hollywood action movies or something?”

The same gazes then shifted to Lee Hyeon-Su. This time, they were egging him on to explain why Lee Hyeon-Ju was out of her mind.

Lee Hyeon-Su sighed at length. “Look. It's not like we're idiots who couldn't think of such measures. Okay?”

“Then, why aren't we talking about them now?” Lee Hyeon-Ju asked, her head tilting to the side.

“Even in the middle of the night, a large cruise ship like that sinking to the bottom of the ocean will draw too much attention. If we were doing this on land, we could've restricted potential witnesses from getting too close. However, how can we do that on water? With all those ships coming and going as they please?”

“...I see. You have a point there."

“What would a passing ship’s passengers do when they see a cruise liner suddenly sinking into the ocean?”

“Uhm… They’ll report it in?”

Lee Hyeon-Su contemplatively nodded. “That's right. They'll report it. And it'd be a miracle if they 'only' report it and do nothing else besides. You can bet your bottom dollar they'll take photos and upload them on various social media platforms. And when those photos go viral, all hell will break loose. We might be able to deal with some hurdles, but… Sinking of a ship full of people within South Korea's waters is not a news story we can squash.”

“...Ah!” Lee Hyeon-Ju animatedly nodded in agreement.

Lee Hyeon-Su's explanation helped her see the light. Others most likely didn't consider South Korea's unique circumstances, and she got caught up in the flow and forgot to remember why blowing up a ship would be a bad idea in the current era.[1]

Lee Hyeon-Ju suddenly realized something and blinked her eyes in disbelief. “Hold on! Doesn’t that mean our side must ensure the ship won’t sink during the battle?”

“...Uh? Yeah, that seems about right?”

“What kind of nonsensical handicap is that…?”

Even as Lee Hyeon-Ju dazedly stared at everyone in dismay, others remained mostly unperturbed. Their expressions seemed to say that this wasn't their first nonsensical mission and that they weren't worried about it.

“Let’s get back to the original topic, shall we?” Lee Hyeon-Su firmly put his foot down. “Assembly Master, please take more people with you.”

Kang Jin-Ho quietly groaned. “Mm…”

“I know your tendency to favor a small team of elites, sir. However, please reconsider and humor me on this one. I'm trying to ensure your safety at all times, so I cannot agree to this reckless action. That's why, please reconsider!”

Vator muttered in dismay. “Since when did you start protecting my master like this? My master has been protecting himself until now, you know?”

Lee Hyeon-Su did his best to ignore the big man’s words clearly registering in his hearing.

“There are several problems with what you say, though,” said Kang Jin-Ho with a wry smirk. “Taking more people means we will need a bigger ship. Finding one and setting out will take too long. And we will get noticed more easily, too.”

Lee Hyeon-Su stood taller and thumped his chest. “Don't worry, sir. I will handle those problems.”

“No, these aren't solvable problems. After all, boarding the Japanese ship will not be easy, either. It's not like they'll welcome us aboard, after all. In other words, you need to get on it with your own strength. And do that without damaging the ship. I don't have to remind you of how challenging it is to wage siege warfare, now do I?”

“Mm…!”

Approaching an already-moving ship with another ship would never be easy. Especially when the target ship was filled to the brim with bloodshot-eyed Japanese martial artists hellbent on stopping you from coming closer!

Besides, even if Kang Jin-Ho's group succeeded in approaching the Japanese vessel, the size difference between the two ships would mean they would have to climb up somehow…

‘Dammit. This plan is just unfeasible.’

Lee Hyeon-Su had to admit it. Whether it was the Demon Flames, the demon cult elders, or even the Assembly's elites, they simply weren't strong enough to do this. Only the people in this room could even attempt to do something this insane.

Lee Hyeon-Su faltered. “But… But…”

“How about this, my lord?” Wiggins suddenly cut Lee Hyeon-Su off. “We will have additional personnel, but they don’t have to accompany us.”

“Sorry?” Lee Hyeon-Su blinked his eyes in surprise and stared at Wiggins.

“We will break through the enemy line first. Our people will follow us in another ship, then depending on the situation, they either join us or stay back.”

“Ah…!”

That sounded like a sensible enough solution to this quandary.

Kang Jin-Ho nodded as if he approved of this compromise. “Alright. Let’s do it that way.”

Wiggins smiled gently. “In that case, let us entrust Mister Lee with selecting the suitable personnel. Oh, and if you approve, I'd like the Chevaliers to tag along this time, my lord.”

“Chevaliers? Why?”

“They've received a lot of favor from you, so it's about time they pull their weight, my lord. They also have been feeling a little uncomfortable about this arrangement for a while, so this event should prove to be beneficial for both sides.”

Lee Hyeon-Su tilted his head. “But, master… They aren’t even affiliated with the Martial Assembly.”

Wiggins shrugged casually. “What does that matter, my disciple? We gave them a place to sleep and food to eat. The least they can do is repay the favor, wouldn’t you say? And doing this will help them, too. They will feel less like they still owe us when it’s time for them to go home.”

“...Understood. We’ll go with your plan, then.”

Now that the issue of the number of people was resolved, another issue immediately raised its ugly head.

“Now, the question of how we will reach our target remains…” Lee Hyeon-Su muttered while rubbing his chin.

Wiggins quickly spoke. “Find a ship. It doesn't have to be something big. Even if we have to travel on different ships, it'll be fine as long as we can reach our destination. As for the additional members, ferry them to the East Coast as soon as you finish selecting them.”

“Understood. Then, what kind of ship should I get for you and the Assembly Master?”

“I guess a speedboat would suffice. Can you find one?”

“No, wait. That might be a problem.”

“...Mm?” Wiggins cocked an eyebrow.

“However, I can think of a better way,” said Lee Hyeon-Su, his expression getting a little ominous.

Wiggins tilted his head after failing to understand what Lee Hyeon-Su was thinking of.

Lee Hyeon-Su smirked confidently after noticing Wiggins’s unconvinced expression. “Don’t worry about that problem, sir. If we go with my idea, we can even take care of the issue of boarding their ship. I’m confident you will be very satisfied with my solution.”

“...I have no idea what you're cooking up this time, but we'll leave it to you.” Wiggins briefly shook his head, then shifted his attention to Kang Jin-Ho. “With that, I believe we're more or less done here, my lord.”

“Mm…!” Kang Jin-Ho got up and addressed everyone in the room. “Time to move. This is a race against time. Let’s wrap this up before they have a chance to reach the eastern shore. Lee Hyeon-Su!”

“Yes, sir!”

“Continue monitoring them while making our preparations.”

“Understood! We’ll keep our eyes on them!”

“Then… Let’s begin.”

There was no grandiose speech. No emotionally-charged rousing pre-war declarations. Kang Jin-Ho sounded as composed as a man telling his family he’d pop out to a corner store to buy snacks.

However, all those who heard him quickly got to work, their expressions stiff.

Before Lee Hyeon-Su could rush outside, Kang Jin-Ho stopped him. “Hold on. How long will our preparation take?”

“One hour at the earliest, sir. Two hours at most.”

“I see. Do it as quickly as possible.”

“Understood!”

Lee Hyeon-Su also rushed outside, and Kang Jin-Ho became the only person left in the conference room. He walked up to the windows and opened them. Cold winds blew in and brushed past Kang Jin-Ho’s cheeks.

Click…

Kang Jin-Ho mouthed a fresh cigarette and lit it with a lighter.

‘How odd…’

He didn’t have any hostile feelings toward the Japanese. And he was certainly not sensitive enough to place emotional importance on historical scars he didn’t even experience personally.

To Kang Jin-Ho, Japan was nothing more than a neighboring country. No more, no less.

Even so, he didn't feel good about this situation. A group of people who had invaded this land once before was about to do the same thing… And this knowledge was getting on Kang Jin-Ho's nerves.

‘No, wait. It’s not only once before, now is it?’

Indeed, the Japanese had invaded and pillaged Korea more than once.

“I’m not sure why you’re doing this, but…”

The corners of Kang Jin-Ho's lips curled up ominously. And a cold, terrifying smirk formed on his face.

A smirk that sent chills down one's spine! Only a devil could smirk like that.

“I shall make you pay dearly for daring to invade your neighbor’s land.”

Kang Jin-Ho's emotionless voice lazily drifted in the air.

1. This line probably refers to the sinking of the ferry MV Sewol on the morning of April 16, 2014, which killed 304 people, 250 of whom came from one high school. The ensuing public outrage was severe, to say the least. ☜

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