Descent of the Demon Master

Sam Murray couldn't help but keep glancing at the rearview mirror. He knew he shouldn't, but his attention kept wandering off that way, anyway!

Part of the reason was because Kang Jin-Ho just so happened to be sitting on the left side of the backseats. Whenever Sam turned his head, Kang Jin-Ho's mug would fill up the bloody mirror!

‘So, that’s Kang Jin-Ho…!’

Sam had heard that name many times by now. Actually… If he was being honest, it felt like that was the only name he had been hearing lately!

‘The Master of the Korean Martial Assembly, and…’

...And the so-called super rookie!

‘No, hang on a minute. Calling him a rookie is wrong, isn’t it?’

The term “rookie” was usually assigned to someone new to the scene, but it could also be attached to a rising star. In that case, it didn't suit Kang Jin-Ho, a man who had already solidified his faction and achieved several notable feats.

Kang Jin-Ho was currently leaning against the seat, his arms crossed and his eyes closed.

Sam knew that wasn’t true, of course. He wasn’t a moron who judged people by their appearance, after all! Besides, he couldn’t take his eyes off Kang Jin-Ho, even though the latter was just sitting there in utter silence. That still figure forced Sam to keep stealing glances in Kang Jin-Ho’s direction.

What a shockingly powerful presence that was.

‘To think he’d personally come here…!’

Sam's duties meant he must be up to date with every event happening to and around the Master. That meant he knew all about the Master's duel with Kang Jin-Ho in South Korea. Which also meant…

‘The duel was one-sided, wasn’t it…?’

That one word, “one-sided,” continued to get on Sam’s nerves.

The Master would always be accompanied by Sam's colleagues wherever he went. And no, they weren't part of the Master's entourage.

When the report from Sam's subordinate, who had followed the Master to South Korea, reached his desk, he had to double-check to see if his eyes were still functioning properly.

The Master was defeated? At least Sam was prepared to accept that result. However, a complete rout? A one-sided battle? Now that was not something he could easily accept.

Just who was the Master of the Round Table? Wasn’t he one of the top martial artists representing Europe? Even though he grew old and was no longer in his prime, that fact should still hold true.

The Master had been so strong and unique in his singular achievement that everyone trying to emulate him all had to taste the bitterness of failure. As such, didn't he even get blamed for ushering in the Dark Ages of martial arts within the British martial society?

But now, someone like that… one-sidedly lost?! Such a thing was utterly unthinkable. However, Sam had no choice but to believe it.

The report itself might have been written as objectively as possible, but the one doing the reporting was one of the Master's loyal subordinates. That agent would always hold the Master in the highest esteem regardless of what happened.

However, someone who viewed the Master in a favorable light was forced to include the term one-sided in the report. That could only mean the Master was well and truly overwhelmed by Kang Jin-Ho’s power.

In that case…

‘Just how strong is Kang Jin-Ho, really?’

Surviving the encounter against the Crimson King should have been enough to prove Kang Jin-Ho’s strength. However, something like that didn’t mean much to Sam or his comrades.

Why? Simple. None of the Master's subordinates actually knew how strong the Crimson King was.

However, they did know the Master's strength. Quite well, as a matter of fact!

...And Kang Jin-Ho was a warrior who one-sidedly defeated the Master.

Someone that powerful had personally come to England.

‘And this place is supposed to be an enemy territory, too!’

What a shockingly bold move this was.

Of course, the Master did something outwardly similar by visiting South Korea. However, this and that were two very different situations. After all, the Master’s trip wasn’t meant to antagonize the Korean Martial Assembly.

The weight of the risk these two men faced in case their situations turned for worse was also starkly different.

Even if the talks broke down badly in Korea, the odds of the Martial Assembly unilaterally murdering the Master were pretty low. Even if the Koreans did do just that, the aftermath would've been too massive for them to deal with.

However, would the Round Table worry about the Martial Assembly’s retaliation in case Kang Jin-Ho died on European soil? Of course not.

Kang Jin-Ho must know all this, yet he still chose to infiltrate an enemy nation?

‘He has to be insane!’

Sam could be more charitable and call this action “shocking.” However, the more accurate assessment would be… Kang Jin-Ho was out of his bloody mind!

Which head of state, or an organization in this case, would be insane enough to risk themselves like this? After all, shouldn’t a leader be protected at all costs?

It was not for nothing that capturing the King signaled the end of a chess match. That was what it meant to be the head of an organization! No chess player would do something as insane as placing their King right in the firing line.

‘This must be the case of the King doing whatever he pleases, then?’

A hollow chuckle leaked out of Sam’s mouth.

“What is the situation like in England?” Wiggins asked, his attitude more discreet than usual. Maybe the continued silence had pressured him into doing something.

“When you say the situation… What do you mean, Mister Wiggins?”

“I'm sure you can already tell. The Master is currently imprisoned, so there must be some kind of unrest here.”

Sam smirked derisively. “Let me reiterate this again. You will not hear even a morsel of information from me, Mister Wiggins. I'm only cooperating with you to rescue the Master. Nothing more. Other than that? You can forget about us working together with you.”

Just as Wiggins sighed ruefully, Kang Jin-Ho’s cold voice stabbed into Sam’s hearing.

“You refuse to work with us?”

That low, bassy voice! How could such a booming voice and a high-pitched voice that sounded as chilling as scratching at metal come out at the same time from one person?! Simply by hearing it, Sam felt his soul trembling in fear.

Sam’s quaking eyes looked up into the rearview mirror. That was when his gaze met Kang Jin-Ho’s. And when he looked into those withdrawn black eyes…!

Sam felt a shock powerful enough to nearly stop his heart.

“You sure love to run your mouth, don’t you?” Kang Jin-Ho grunted, his expression flat. But that expressionless face suppressed Sam more ruthlessly than a verbal threat!

“I agree we all have our motives. However, even after considering all that, the fact of the matter still doesn’t change. We came here to help your side out. Yet you think it’s appropriate to run your mouth like this to people coming to help you?”

Sam couldn't breathe anymore. Why was it, though? It wasn't as if Kang Jin-Ho had unleashed his aura or was physically strangling Sam. No, he was simply saying a few words in a cold, withdrawn voice.

So why couldn’t Sam breathe anymore? Was it because he knew he was talking to Kang Jin-Ho?

‘No, that couldn’t be it!’

Sam was dead-sure that the pressure he felt would remain the same even if he didn’t know that young-looking Asian man’s identity.

What should he say here? How should he reply to defuse this situation!?

That was when Wiggins came to Sam's rescue in the nick of time. “...My lord, please stop being fluent in English when it's convenient for you.”

Kang Jin-Ho awkwardly coughed before closing his eyes again.

Wiggins looked back at Sam. “My apologies, Sam. My lord is surprisingly fluent in English, as you can see.”

Sam realized the choking pressure had instantly disappeared and hesitantly wiped the cold sweat strands off his forehead. “N-no, Mister Wiggins. Your lord’s assertion is not incorrect.”

Regardless of what Sam felt, he was now stuck in a position to beg Wiggins to help him. Maintaining an unfriendly attitude wouldn't be helpful to anybody in that case.

‘Right. We need to make where we stand crystal clear.’

Either Sam and his group went against the Round Table to rescue the Master… Or they heeded the Round Table's will and gave up on the Master. They had to choose between the two. There was no third option this time.

Stubbornly maintaining a position of rescuing the Master but not joining hands with a traitor would definitely do more harm than good. Maybe even mess up this whole operation, too!

“...Mister Wiggins. The new representative Knight doesn’t wield complete control over the country yet.”

“It’s Chadwick, isn’t it?”

“Yes.”

“Chadwick, you say… Yes, that Chadwick, he… He finally became a Knight, huh?” Wiggins muttered quietly as he drifted into the reminiscence of his past.

If Wiggins had remained as a Knight of the Round Table, Chadwick would've never become Britain's representative Knight in his lifetime. That was because he would have been too old for the job by the time Wiggins' term came to an end.

So, in a sense, one could say Wiggins’ betrayal had benefited Chadwick immensely.

“Should we consider Chadwick as a friend?” Wiggins curiously asked.

“Unfortunately, he still hasn’t made his loyalties clear yet. It’s difficult to ascertain whether he’s pro-Round Table or pro-Master.”

“I’m sure that’s the case. It’s still early days in his career as a Knight, after all.”

“However, we do know for certain that he is not in Leveaux’s camp.”

“That makes sense,” Wiggins slowly nodded away. A rough picture of the current situation now began taking shape in his mind. “So, before we finish stabilizing the Round Table, Chadwick should be considered a potential threat.”

“Yes. He was present during Leveaux’s revolt to usurp the Master, but we don’t know whether he voted yes or no. However, considering that he hadn’t moved against or said anything about the developing situation… We should assume he will fall in line with the Round Table’s will.”

Wiggins slowly rubbed his chin as he listened.

‘I didn’t think England would feel like an enemy territory.’

He came home after so long only to discover that this country no longer welcomed him. It was now a land ruled by the Round Table… under Knight Leveaux's control! Wiggins wasn't permitted to rest his weary head anywhere in this place.

Sam suddenly spoke up. “Mister Wiggins…”

“Mm?” Wiggins woke up from his thoughts.

“We can’t use vehicles to travel from this point on.”

Wiggins glanced outside, then nodded slightly. They were at the mouth of a dense forest.

The road leading to the Round Table's HQ would obviously be heavily monitored. Which meant Sam had no choice but to go around the forest to the other side. Basically, this spot was where the Round Table's surveillance range ended.

“Hmm, I seem to recognize this place…” Wiggins muttered quietly.

“Allow me to guide you further,” said Sam.

“Alright.” Wiggins nodded, then looked at the backseat. “My lord. It seems we must move on foot from here.”

Kang Jin-Ho didn't say anything and unhesitantly exited the car. The forest bathed in the stillness of the night welcomed him.

People not affiliated with the Martial Assembly trying to reach its HQ probably would have thought the same as Kang Jin-Ho. Would there be anything hidden so deep in a forest like this?

Vans and trucks pulling shipping containers parked neatly behind the car Kang Jin-Ho had exited from. And then, the Assembly’s people began flooding outside. Despite so many bodies moving, they hardly produced any noise. Every person silently and expertly melted into the darkness.

Kang Jin-Ho glanced at Wiggins. “How far?”

“Around ten kilometers from here, my lord. It should take us about one hour if we move as covertly as possible.”

Kang Jin-Ho's gaze drifted away until locking on in a particular direction. “I see. It's over there, isn't it?”

What did Kang Jin-Ho see just now? Wiggins grew curious but didn't go out of his way to ask. He knew not to evaluate what Kang Jin-Ho did through the lens of logic.

The only thing that mattered was that the Round Table's HQ really did exist in the direction Kang Jin-Ho was looking at.

Kang Jin-Ho glanced at Wiggins again. “Your plan was for us to move quietly?”

“Yes, my lord.”

“It’s not going to work,” Kang Jin-Ho shook his head.

“I beg your pardon?”

“Guards are spread out everywhere. Trying to infiltrate the HQ with this many people is impossible now.”

Wiggins’ eyes subtly quaked just then. Guards were everywhere?

‘I knew they would make preparations, but this…!’

Since Kang Jin-Ho said all this, Knight Leveaux’s preparations must’ve exceeded Wiggins’ expectations.

“Mm…!” Wiggins grunted. It felt like something had already gone wrong even before they could get the show on the road. He scanned the Assembly's fighters lining up according to Lee Hyeon-Su's orders and furrowed his brow. “My lord… Do you think they got wind of our plan somehow?”

Kang Jin-Ho rubbed his chin. “No, I don’t think so. It feels more like they have merely strengthened their security.”

“...I see.”

Since that was the case, what should they do now?

Before Wiggins had a chance to ponder his options, Kang Jin-Ho addressed him again. “Wiggins?”

“Yes, my lord.”

“You need to decide.”

“…!”

Kang Jin-Ho coldly chewed his next words out. “Decide whether we open up a path through bloodshed… Or go back.”

Wiggins clamped his mouth shut. He already knew, though. So did Kang Jin-Ho. They had come this far already. Which meant the option of going back empty-handed was no longer available.

“My lord… Sometimes, you must resolve yourself to shed blood for your cause.”

“Good. It’s decided, then.” Kang Jin-Ho smirked deeply, then glanced at the martial artists lining up. “Vator.”

“Yes, master.”

“You take the lead.”

“Understood!” Vator powerfully nodded, then strode fearlessly to the front of the pack.

Kang Jin-Ho continued to issue more orders. “Chang Min, you take the left side. Bang Jin-Hun, you take the right.”

“Understood, my liege!”

Wiggins narrowed his eyes. “Who will bring up the rear, my lord?”

Kang Jin-Ho slowly shook his head. “No one. Because… We won’t spare anyone getting in our way.”

Wiggins nodded as chills ran down his spine.

“We will run toward the destination as quickly as possible,” said Kang Jin-Ho. “Kill anything that gets in your way.”

The Martial Assembly’s martial artists roared back. “Sir! We obey!”

Kang Jin-Ho finally locked his cold gaze on Sam. “Your name was Sam Murray. Correct?”

Sam was overwhelmed by Kang Jin-Ho’s commanding presence and reflexively nodded away.

“Do not fall behind. Try to stick with us, even if you must risk your life to do so.”

“...I shall try.”

“Then… Let’s go.” Kang Jin-Ho turned around, then strode gallantly to the front. “We will finish everything before the dawn breaks, Vator.”

“I shall obey!” Vator growled. His eyes glowed crimson as he began charging ahead.

That prompted the demonic cultivators and the Martial Assembly’s warriors to dash forward like a black wave to chase after Vator’s imposing figure.

This was the beginning of the night that would be remembered as the “Nightmare” in the Round Table's history.