Descent of the Demon Master

Crack, crunch. Snap!

Crisp sounds akin to tree branches snapping and breaking registered in Yi Myeong-Hwan's hearing. These sounds of things breaking usually had the effect of de-stressing people.

No, that wasn't quite right—the act of breaking stuff itself had a cathartic effect on people, not the noises it made. That was why a new, strange service industry called rage rooms began popping up all over the place lately. In those rage rooms, the paying customers put on protective gear and smashed things to bits.

Maybe Yi Myeong-Hwan was in desperate need of one of those rooms, as things have been quite stressful lately!

Unfortunately for him, those crisp noises of things breaking were not cathartic at all. As a matter of fact, it only stressed him out even more.

Why? Because… Those noises came from within his body!

“Kuh-eeeeeeuhk?!”

Yi Myeong-Hwan’s eyes became bloodshot. His crimson vision could only see a massive wall in front of his nose. The truth was, though…

That was no bloody wall! It was just that something large and imposing had completely blocked his view, and his frayed mind imagined seeing a wall instead.

The thing blocking his view was actually a person. More correctly, it was a person called… Vator!

‘...Wait. Can I even call him a human being?'

Now that was something people should be more suspicious of!

If having two arms and legs was all you needed to be classified as a Homo Sapiens, wouldn’t Superman also be qualified as one?

No matter what Yi Myeong-Hwan thought, Vator didn't seem to hail from the same species as him. The big man had already far exceeded the parameters of a human being!

‘I mean, take a look! Look!’

Vator's pot lid-sized hand was pressing down on Yi Myeong-Hwan right now. His motion looked uncomfortably similar to a dad stuffing trash deeper into the trash bag, yet an action as innocuous as that was still enough to torture a human being!

The warning bells ringing in Yi Myeong-Hwan's head were at the loudest they had ever been. What would happen if he failed to endure the power crushing down on him?

He'd get folded in half… backward! Literally!

Even if martial artists boasted an excellent recovery rate, recovering after getting folded like paper would still be impossible. Even if the shattered spine could be put back together piece by piece, the destroyed spinal cord could never be healed, after all!

Knowing this, Yi Myeong-Hwan simply had to endure this torture. Yes, he must! However…

“Kkeuh-eeeeeeeuuuuaahk!”

“Don't just scream! Use your strength, man!” Vator scowled deeply. “Why are youngsters so spineless these days?”

The alarm bells of danger ringing in Yi Myeong-Hwan's head were quickly joined by the rising tide of resentment. Resentment at how unfair this was!

Just who was Yi Myeong-Hwan? Wasn’t he seen as a leader among the younger-generation martial artists of the Martial Assembly? And wasn’t he also the captain of the Demon Flames, the strongest group of martial artists in the Assembly?

Of course, his martial prowess until recently could only be seen as mid-tier among the Demon Flames. However, that story no longer applied to him. Diligent training and experiences in various battles had helped Yi Myeong-Hwan reach the top tier in the ranks of the Demon Flames.

That also meant Yi Myeong-Hwan was on the upper echelons within the Martial Assembly, too!

But what did Vator say about him? Spineless?

What kind of unfair insult was that?!

“You dare get distracted?!” Vator roared.

Cruuuuunch!

“Kkuh-huuuhk?!”

This was bad! Yi Myeong-Hwan's body was gradually folding backward like a shrimp! He could hear the cracking noises coming from his back. Even though he never got a chance to properly use his back until now!

“U-uwaaaaaahk?!”

“I said, don't just scream! Use your bloody strength!”

Yi Myeong-Hwan's rage quickly bubbled up. It quickly overtook his rational mind, and his thoughts began focusing on his desire to crush the giant speaking to him in a relaxed tone.

As the blood rushed to Yi Myeong-Hwan’s head, his whole body began quaking. Something hot and boiling gushed out of his dantian to spread all over his body in the blink of an eye.

“Aaaaaaahk!”

“Hoh-oh?” Vator smirked a little while sensing Yi Myeong-Hwan’s hand strength that tried to push him back.

‘As expected, it’s working.’

Kang Jin-Ho’s orders to Vator were rather straightforward. And that was to push the Demon Flames to the extreme.

When pushed to the extreme, humans tended to unleash strength that should’ve been beyond their physical capabilities. For instance, when a child gets trapped under a car, the mother would somehow lift said car up.

Humans subconsciously restricted their strength output to avoid injuries to their bodies. However, when their survival was at stake? Or when things were incredibly urgent? Then, people would miraculously unleash strength several times greater than what they could use in a regular situation.

The same principle applied in martial arts, too.

Whether it was demonic or orthodox in nature, both types of qi were meant to protect the person mastering it. Once the martial artist was in danger, the qi output would go through the proverbial roof.

Repeating this process should naturally increase the qi reserve, and the martial artist would become more proficient at wielding it.

‘...What a shockingly primitive method this is.’

You wouldn’t try this method just because you knew it’d work. After all, you needed to meet a crucial prerequisite for this type of training… And that was experiencing several close brushes with the danger of your body getting destroyed beyond repair or even you dying altogether!

Maintaining the balance on this tightrope would obviously be terrifyingly difficult. But there was another danger to look out for. And that was the mind of the person experiencing this process breaking down! As proof…

“Uwaaaaaah! You stinking son of a b*tcccccccch!”

Vator tutted softly.

‘He’s lost it.’

Then again, Yi Myeong-Hwan going crazy didn't surprise Vator in the slightest. Vator pressed down a little harder than before.

“Kku-rururuk!”

Yi Myeong-Hwan couldn’t withstand Vator’s force and finally collapsed. Vator withdrew his hand before Yi Myeong-Hwan’s body could be permanently damaged.

Plop…

Yi Myeong-Hwan silently collapsed to the ground and began spasming pitifully.

“Hmm…” Vator stared at Yi Myeong-Hwan. The corners of the big man’s lips slowly curled up.

‘This brat. The more I see him, the more gutsy he gets.’

Vator had to admit that he went a little overboard today. He didn't plan to go this far, but Yi Myeong-Hwan enduring so well had inadvertently spurred the big man on to do more than what was necessary.

Humans would usually get tempted to test how far they could push things after encountering resistance, after all!

‘Well, his tenacity is one thing, but…’

Vator clenched his fist before opening it again. His palm felt ever so slightly numb.

Back when Yi Myeong-Hwan was pushing Vator's hand up, a copious amount of demonic qi gushed out of his body. And it left behind an impression on Vator. What should he call this feeling, though? A dull ache?

‘His cultivation is also improving at a rapid rate.’

It had only been a few days since Vator started ‘guiding’ these Demon Flames. Despite the brief length of time, their strength had improved noticeably.

The 'guidance' method Kang Jin-Ho ordered Vator to use was proving how effective it was. But the credit should still go to these youngsters who had extraordinarily managed to endure this primitive and savage method.

‘For sure, this… is fun.’

Guiding the younger generation was turning out to be unexpectedly fun for Vator. Especially when the pupils’ strength was shooting up appreciably. Such a development also encouraged and energized the teacher in charge.

“Well, then…” Vator casually pushed Yi Myeong-Hwan away with his foot, then smirked at the other Demon Flames. “Who’s next?”

“…”

It seemed the pupils weren’t having as much fun as Vator.

***

“Mana is not much different to qi,” said Wiggins, a subtle grin etched on his face. “Language is simply a way to express a definition. Let's take water, for instance. In Korea, you say ‘Mul’ for water, while in English, it’s water. In Chinese, it’s ‘Shui’. No matter what you call it, though, the water's nature does not change… Even if how you use it can differ.”

One of the martial artists sitting behind a desk raised his hand. “Sir! Does that mean we can consider qi and mana as the same?”

“Yes, you can.”

“But aren’t they different?”

“Good question, young man,” Wiggins nodded, then slightly pushed the spectacles up his nose. He was quite pleased by the fact that someone was attentive enough to pose this question. “Let me ask you something in return. Is qi accumulated through the orthodox cultivation the same as the demonic cultivation’s?”

“No, sir. They are different.”

“Let's take it from there, shall we? Why are they different? Even though they both began as external qi? The answer is simple. The difference is born from how you absorb and accumulate it. Remember that an element's nature will transform depending on what you do with it.”

“Oh…!”

“It's a simple enough problem,” Wiggins continued to explain. “The world around you will change depending on how you handle an object. You've been handling qi until now. That gives you the advantage of being able to sense not just qi but mana, too. Most people would have to spend who knows how long to even sense nature's energy like you can.”

“Sir!”

“And you also don't need to learn how to wield that nature's energy. Although you'd be starting late compared to the Western mages, you are still in a much better position than those starting with absolutely no knowledge or abilities. In my estimation, you will become proficient very, very quickly.”

Wiggins could sense this heightened sense of tension emanating from the pupils filling up this classroom.

‘Very good.’

Passion was overflowing from these pupils. Obviously, Wiggins had taken in several disciples before. He even had the experience of teaching as many people at once as this classroom. However, none of them had been as passionate as these Assembly members.

That was because Wiggins' previous disciples weren't desperate to learn magic. But the story was different with these folks.

They tried so hard to master Eastern-style martial arts, but the available paths simply didn't suit them for one reason or the other. However, they still didn't give up on the dream of becoming stronger and continued to hold on until now. And now…

They were presented with an opportunity to gain strength through another method. In that case, who wouldn't want to jump in with both feet?

“Usually, magic is taught through a master-apprentice style mentorship. But I can't teach each and every one of you that way. Since I've never taught anyone like this before, expect some errors to creep in, everyone. However! As long as I try my best and you also play your part to the best of your abilities…! We will all achieve the desired results. That I promise you!”

Everyone energetically nodded. They could feel the conviction in Wiggins' voice. Besides, they had no reason to doubt him, knowing how he had conducted himself until now.

“Also…” Wiggins used his chin to point to his side. “Even though he’s not better than you in any appreciable way, it’s also true that he started learning magic before you. If, for some reason, you have questions but can’t ask me, you can always seek him out.”

Lee Hyeon-Su, who had been standing like a scarecrow next to Wiggins until then, sneakily turned his head. And, when everyone's attention was focused on him, he smiled brightly and addressed them in Korean, which Wiggins still couldn't speak.

“Anyone seeking me out, Imma f*cking kill you.”

“…”

Lee Hyeon-Su spoke in a very warm and friendly tone. Judging from his gesture or tone, he looked like a generous senior gently pacifying all the frozen-stiff juniors at a lecture.

“Do I look like I’ve got all the time in the world? Since time immemorial, studying is supposed to be done alone. If you can’t figure something out, go look in a bloody dictionary or something, okay? If you dare bother me with this crap, I will bury you six feet under. Don’t test me.”

“Yes, sir…”

Wiggins tilted his head when the classroom’s mood suddenly became weird. “Mm? What did you say to them, Mister Lee?”

Lee Hyeon-Su smiled brightly and spoke in English. “I told them that I'll do my best to help and that the door to my office is always open.”

“...Is that so?”

“Yes, sir!”

Wiggins’ frown deepened as he peered closely at Lee Hyeon-Su and his straight face. Despite Wiggins’ suspicious, probing gaze, Lee Hyeon-Su remained unfazed. Nay, brazen!

“...I see. Speak only English when we’re in this classroom, Mister Lee.”

“Understood, sir!”

“Hmm…” Wiggins grimaced again. His suspicions didn't want to go away, but he had no evidence to back them up.

After smacking his lips a bit, Wiggins shifted his attention back to the pupils. “In any case…! From this moment on, you will be mastering something new. Even if the teacher tries his best, it'll still be meaningless if the pupils aren't prepared to work just as hard. I hope you all understand what that means.”

“Yes, sir!”

Wiggins chuckled affably while noticing all the sparkling eyes of the pupils before him.

‘Hah. I feel like a university professor for some reason.’

While thinking that things might get interesting for him, Wiggins stepped slightly forward. “Alright, then! Shall we start the lesson by learning how to drain mana? My well-trained assistant, if you will.”

“...Yes, sir.” Lee Hyeon-Su stepped forward with a crumpled expression after being demoted to Wiggins’ guinea pig.

‘You know I have a crap ton of things to do, so how could you force me into doing this, sir?!’

Although dissatisfaction ran rampant in Lee Hyeon-Su's heart, he dared not voice it out loud. That was because the Martial Assembly had become a bit more violent these days after Kang Jin-Ho lost a couple of marbles in his brain.

Especially Wiggins…! It was as if he had finally learned the effectiveness of corporal punishment, judging from how he resorted to using his cane whenever the fancy took him these days.

“Now then, let’s get started, everyone! I guarantee you this. One of you will definitely become the shining beacon leading the Assembly in the future!”

Wiggins blowing hot air proved effective. The light in everyone’s eyes burned even fiercer now.

‘Hmm. Sir Wiggins is born to be a con man, isn’t he…?’

With the exception of Lee Hyeon-Su, of course!