Descent of the Demon Master-Chapter 1155. Advancing (5)

A human body was sent flying high up in the air.

By now, this spectacle had turned into a unique sight only available to view in the Martial Assembly, but the frequent viewers still found it ‘surreal’, to say the least!

Yi Myeong-Hwan narrowed his eyes while studying the figure of the flying person.

‘Looks like... Yeong-Gil?’

The silhouette of the man swimming high up in the air while screaming in terror reminded Yi Myeong-Hwan of his friend, Gong Yeong-Gil.

‘Is it really him, though?’

Yi Myeong-Hwan couldn’t be 100% sure, however.

It might have been possible to differentiate his friend from his peers in the past, but these days? After receiving Vator's 'lessons', the so-called Vator faction bastards all began boasting similar physiques.

Their arms and legs were as thick as tree stumps, while their torsos were large enough to house three people. And then, their heads that seemed to laugh at the notion of the ratio of head-body proportions!

Every part of their bodies had become gigantic and muscular, yet their head sizes still remained the same as before. As a result, their body proportions had become so bizarre that even their close friends would be forced to grimace and tilt their heads in confusion!

The funny thing was, however...

These people would've looked like characters from superhero cartoons if plopped into the middle of the ordinary populace, yet next to Vator? They'd instantly morph into miniature characters. That had to be Mother Nature's idea of comedy.

Of course, that came with a small caveat, and that was...

‘Well, their physical strength is no laughing matter, is it?’

Truth be told, Yi Myeong-Hwan was starting to feel a tiny bit threatened by the Vator faction bastards lately.

Up until now, everyone agreed that the Demon Flames were the strongest group of warriors in the Martial Assembly.

The significance of Kang Jin-Ho personally training them, the uniqueness of being the only group to master demonic cultivation, and the superiority of their combat strength served as the foundation for the Demon Flames to become the top martial artists representing the might of the Martial Assembly.

However, that perception has been changing bit by bit lately.

The first reason was that demonic cultivation was now available widely within the Assembly. In the past, only the Demon Flames had access, but now, the demonic cultivation had basically become a public property anyone could try out. Not only the Vator faction, but even the demon cult believers also now mastered it.

Of course, only a select portion of the cult believers were given priority to master the demonic cultivation. However, with the number of believers somewhere around ten thousand, even that portion exceeded over one thousand!

So, to break it all down... The number of people officially mastering demonic cultivation in the Martial Assembly was over one thousand and two hundred!

‘It must be the first time since... Since the days of Dangun, the founder of Gojoseon.’

One could pore through the Korean peninsula’s history and not find any instances of so many people mastering demonic cultivation at once. The previous generations, who threw a hissy fit at the mere mention of demonic anything, might have keeled over in shock with froth in their mouths at the current situation.

‘But, so what?’

Even the old coots rising up from their graves to teach the demonic cultivators a lesson would end up madly praising the effectiveness of demonic cultivation after running into Kang Jin-Ho! That would be the only way to preserve their nothing-but-skins-and-bones bodies, after all!

With that many people mastering demonic cultivation, the uniqueness separating the Demon Flames from the rest had basically dissipated into thin air. And the idea of Kang Jin-Ho personally teaching you had lost its sheen somewhat lately, too.

No one would doubt Kang Jin-Ho being the unrivaled powerhouse in the Assembly. However, the martial world had often proven that the best martial artist didn’t necessarily make the best instructor.

Actually, it'd be safe to say the opposite proved true more often than not!

-Why can’t you do this?

-I’m telling you, you only need to do it this way. Like so.

‘Sir, the problem is that not many of us can do this and that.’

It was the same logic as top athletes not understanding those with lesser athletic talents and ultimately failing as professional coaches.

A top expert would obviously expect a high level of comprehension from their disciples. However, they would struggle to explain in a simpler vocabulary surpassing their common sense if the disciples failed to comprehend their guidance.

Thankfully, Kang Jin-Ho as a teacher wasn't as bad as that. However, both Vator and Chang Min were more than a match to Kang Jin-Ho when it came to tutoring people in martial arts.

With those two factors no longer in play, the only thing remaining for the Demon Flames was the superiority of their strength.

Until recently, Yi Myeong-Hwan believed he and the rest of the Demon Flames were stronger than the rest. He was confident that his group improved faster than anyone.

However, even that confidence had received a bit of a knock lately.

‘I mean... look!’

“Aaaaaaaaaahk?!”

Gong Yeong-Gil's shrill, ear-piercing scream rocked the surroundings. However, Vator's booming roar easily overpowered that scream.

“You bunch of trash! How dare you slack off on your training!”

“P-p-please spare me, sir! I don’t wanna die! I’m sorry! Sir Vatoooooor! Hiiiieeeeek?!”

Vator easily caught Gong Yeong-Gil’s falling figure, only to throw it back up in the air!

Of course, Gong Yeong-Gil wouldn’t die from this. Probably.

If he had been an ordinary person with no powers, falling from that height meant calling an undertaker, not an ambulance, would be a wiser choice. However, Gong Yeong-Gil oh-so expertly swimming in the sky was a martial artist.

Not only that but a martial artist who focused almost exclusively on external arts after becoming Vator's disciple!

Considering his tougher-than-steel skin and muscles more flexible than rubber, he might be able to survive the plunge from that height.

Even if that was true, though... There wasn’t much he could do about the fear of falling to death!

“A martial artist!”

Vator snatched Gong Yeong-Gil’s falling figure, then slammed his victim on the ground. The dust cloud kicked up and scattered everywhere as if a cannon shell had landed on that spot.

“Dares to!”

And then, another slam!

“Slack off from their training?!”

At this rate, his victim might really die!

Yi Myeong-Hwan frowned without even realizing it at the sight of poor Gong Yeong-Gil whimpering and gasping for air.

How should he describe his sentiments, though...? The victim must be in a world of hurt right now, but as a person witnessing this spectacle from some distance away? Yi Myeong-Hwan’s thoughts were focused on something else.

‘Maybe... A martial art master is supposed to be like this?’

Vator definitely was born to be a martial artist. After all, he was only interested in making himself and his disciples stronger. His single-mindedness was why he could focus only on training while resolutely turning a blind eye to all those things he could have done for the Martial Assembly!

Since Vator didn't leave the Assembly's grounds and focused only on training, his disciples training with him experienced a rapid growth of their strength as well.

...Which was not even remotely shocking to Yi Myeong-Hwan. After all, the disciples would’ve been beaten up half to death if they didn’t improve quickly!

Yi Myeong-Hwan thought that kind of training seemed a bit harsh. However, at times, he was... envious of it, too.

It wasn't just Vator, though. Even the demon cult believers were throwing themselves like a pack of ravenous wolves to cultivating as if their previous conflict-inducing behaviors were nothing more than a figment of Yi Myeong-Hwan's imagination.

In the past, those cult believers might have come at you with their knives drawn if you somehow ‘offended’ them in the shared dorms. These days, though? They would just groan and walk away.

Wasn’t that a sign that their personalities had changed? No, not even close.

It was merely because they didn’t have enough energy left to cause trouble!

Once the lessons on demonic cultivation ended, Chang Min and the demon cult elders mercilessly and relentlessly pushed the cult believers to the physical breaking point.

Under the pretext of improving their physical constitutions, those who failed and couldn’t receive the demonic cultivation got lumped along with those who did pass and had to taste Hellish torment.

Compared to the so-called training those people received, Vator’s training method could be called positively humane!

‘Should I chalk that down to the differences in the awareness of human rights between Korean and Chinese?’

If the Martial Assembly’s training was on the level of, ‘You better be prepared to die if you wish to become stronger’, Chang Min’s method of pushing the cult believers was closer to, ‘A few dying here and there is not a problem for us!’

It wouldn’t have been strange to see protests and even a violent uprising breaking out from the dissatisfaction of the masses, yet the cult members seemed to accept their training regime without too many complaints.

Yi Myeong-Hwan couldn’t understand why. Having said that, he could also understand it somewhat.

‘I mean, even I, too...’

What motivated Yi Myeong-Hwan to cling desperately to Kang Jin-Ho’s legs back then? Before this whole thing began? Was it because he desired greater strength?

That was a part of his motivation, yes, but not a primary one. To be honest, he did that because he wanted to overcome his fate of being a third-rate weakling for the rest of his life.

Being ordinary did not automatically mean unhappiness and misery for the folks living in the surface world. Since the ‘normal’ society was so varied and colorful in its spectrum, even ordinary people could find meaning and joy in their lives through many available activities and professions.

However, that story did not apply to martial artists.

One’s worth was determined solely through one’s strength. In the martial world, the strong could monopolize all the power and authority. Being weak was a sin, a crime, in this neck of the woods.

Kang Jin-Ho’s arrival changed many things, but that aspect of the martial world had not completely vanished.

That was why Yi Myeong-Hwan struggled so much to become stronger, didn’t he? So, the story must be the same for the demon cult believers, too.

From what Yi Myeong-Hwan heard, the treatment these demonic cultivators received in China was incomparably crueler and inhumane than what Yi Myeong-Hwan had experienced in Korea.

If that were true, just how badly would they have yearned for strength every waking day?

No wonder they had no problem enduring the insane training regime without complaining too much! To these cult members, this harsh training must've felt like an oasis in the middle of an unforgiving desert welcoming lost and weary travelers.

This story extended to others in the Assembly, too.

After Bang Jin-Hun’s online lessons commenced, the entire Assembly was swept up in what could only be described as training fever.

The Demon Flames and Vator’s disciples could be seen as the ‘chosen’. On the other hand, those receiving Bang Jin-Hun’s lessons were ordinary members of the Assembly.

These people suffered from a sense of loss, a sense of inadequacy, at not being chosen. So, when a cultivation 'curriculum' exclusive for the Assembly members became available, they gritted their teeth and threw their entire being into mastering this method.

Thanks to all these developments, it became impossible to find any lazy bums doing nothing important like before within the Assembly’s grounds.

Everyone was advancing forward. Even at this very moment, the Assembly was rapidly transforming.

Many changes have happened so far. The Assembly’s nature had changed, too. Even after all these changes, though, the steady stream of changes didn’t know when to end.

If Yi Myeong-Hwan was being honest, he... Sometimes, he felt exhausted just trying to keep up with all these changes.

‘Let’s not forget about the introduction of Western martial arts, too...’

At least demonic cultivation was somewhat familiar in concept to the Assembly members, so understanding it wasn’t that tricky. However, the stuff Wiggins was teaching was a different beast altogether.

The number of martial artists choosing to learn magic instead from Wiggins was steadily going up. Meanwhile, more and more people with no aptitude for Eastern martial arts began picking up Western swordsmanship and knight-style combat training after Chevaliers had distinguished themselves during the last battle against the Round Table.

On top of that, the Assembly even set up a company in the surface world, allowing it to create a half-open doorway to the ‘other side.’

All these changes were undoubtedly great. Wonderful, even.

It was just that there was one thing getting on Yi Myeong-Hwan's nerves a bit.

He grandly sighed.

‘If only the Assembly Master was less busy!’

With Kang Jin-Ho dealing with all sorts of things lately, he began spending less and less time with the Demon Flames.

While others were busy advancing forward under the tutelage of other directors, the Demon Flames had no choice but to self-train by recalling the lessons they received in the past and poring through the secret manual Kang Jin-Ho had given them.

It felt like someone, or some people, were busy chasing Yi Myeong-Hwan down. What could he do about this anxiety from knowing the gap between him and others was gradually closing up?

‘Maybe... I should speak in private to the Assembly Master soon.’

Yi Myeong-Hwan turned around to leave the Vator faction bastards to their fate and headed to the Demon Flames' training area. His expression was filled with determination.

His fellow Demon Flames must be in a similar state of mind as he was. Which meant they must've lost their motivation, too. As their official leader, it was up to Yi Myeong-Hwan to rekindle the fire in their hearts somehow.

Even if they get pissed off at him, he...

“...Huh?”

Yi Myeong-Hwan’s eyes bulged nearly out of their sockets when he arrived at the training area. That was because he had discovered a familiar face in the center of the crowd of Demon Flames.

“A-Assembly Master?”

Kang Jin-Ho leisurely turned to glance at Yi Myeong-Hwan. The latter flinched a little at how expressionless his boss was.

“S-sir, when did you...”

“Where have you been?” Kang Jin-Ho calmly asked.

“Ah, I was, uh... Mm?”

Kang Jin-Ho narrowed his eyes ever so slightly. “You dare go on a stroll during training?”

“N-no, sir! That's not...” Yi Myeong-Hwan stammered while urgently scanning his comrades. Couldn't they help him find suitable excuses to...

“Sir! Myeong-Hwan does that often!”

“He pretends to be deep in thought while wandering off to who knows where! He does that at least once a day, sir!”

“If this keeps up, we might as well change our leader to someone else, sir!”

These sons of b*tches! What a big surprise, of course they wouldn’t help him out in this situation!

“A-Assembly Master! I swear, it’s not what they say!”

“Your head. On the ground.”

“Yes, sir!” Yi Myeong-Hwan unhesitantly slammed his forehead on the ground to perform the Wonsan bombing raid once more.

Kang Jin-Ho calmly spoke up. “Yi Myeong-Hwan?”

“Yessir!”

“Were you playing computer games just now?”

“...!”

Yi Myeong-Hwan felt cold sweat flood down his spine just then.

Kang Jin-Ho frowned slightly. “I admit that I have been a little... inattentive toward you all. However, even if I’ve been absent for a little while, you still had things you should and could have done in the meantime.”

“Y-yes, sir!”

“So you knew all that?”

“Yes, sir!”

“If you knew, why were you slacking off?”

“...!” Yi Myeong-Hwan squeezed his eyes shut in resignation. He knew there was no way to escape it now.

Kang Jin-Ho scanned the Demon Flames. “All of you, get ready.”

The Demon Flames roared. “Yes, sir!”

“I’ll spar with you properly to compensate for how inattentive I’ve been.”

When Yi Myeong-Hwan heard that, he tried to jump back up to his feet. Unfortunately...

“No, not you. You stay down there.”

“...Yes, sir.”

Yi Myeong-Hwan belatedly remembered that Kang Jin-Ho being hands-on didn’t necessarily mean something good.