Descent of the Demon Master

k to Lee Seong-Hwi.
“You started all this.
So, to make things fair, I should be given a chance to end it.
Don ’t you agree?”

Lee Seong-Hwi couldn ’t respond.
It was a miracle that he hadn ’t blacked out from this incredible pain torturing him from every corner of his body.
Never mind verbally answering someone, he couldn ’t even think of anything right now.
The only thing he could do was instinctively resist the flood of pain.

“Y-you think you ’ll be unscathed after doing this?!” Lee Hyeon-Ju cried out again.

Kang Jin-Ho ’s brow twitched ominously.
“…Unscathed, you say?”

His head slowly turned toward Lee Hyeon-Ju, and when their eyes met, she lost all energy in her legs and plopped down on the ground.
Those eyes—those eyes couldn ’t belong to a human being!

For a moment there, she thought she saw something dark writhe within Kang Jin-Ho ’s eyes.
And she was beset with a powerful premonition that something wicked would erupt from that darkness, reach out to her, and start strangling her while sucking out all of her blood!

’

Even the word ’terror ’ was inadequate to describe this horrifying feeling washing over her right now!

Kang Jin-Ho noisily shoved Lee Seong-Hwi ’s face away.
The big guy went sprawling on the ground and whimpered in pain.
Kang Jin-Ho didn ’t even spare a second glance at him and began walking over to Lee Hyeon-Ju next.

“Do I need to repeat myself?” He growled menacingly as he approached her.
“You people provoked me first.
All I ever wanted was to lead an ordinary life.”

“…!”

“You intruded in my life uninvited, yapped on about whatever you wanted and then, what did you say to me? I won ’t be ’unscathed ’? Is that what you said?”

His question was punctuated by his eerie, quiet chuckle.
His words dug into Lee Hyeon-Ju ’s hearing, and listening to his chuckle seemed to make her soul shiver.

“In that case, tell me what you think.” Kang Jin-Ho reached Lee Hyeon-Ju ’s plopped figure.
He squatted down and looked into her eyes.
“Do you think I ’ll be unscathed? Mm?”

“…P-please don ’t kill me.” Lee Hyeon-Ju pleaded pathetically.

She wasn ’t sure why she said that.
Why did she mutter something so inane even though Kang Jin-Ho had repeatedly said he wouldn’t kill her and Lee Seong-Hwi?

Lee Hyeon-Ju ’s hair was turning white from sheer terror, and her messy mind was desperately searching for the right words to say at this very moment.
This was the result, which was, unfortunately, somewhat off the mark.

Kang Jin-Ho reached out and lightly patted Lee Hyeon-Ju ’s cheek.
She shuddered at the sensation akin to a snake ’s cold tongue wrapping around her bare skin.

“Do you know why I ’m angry?” Kang Jin-Ho quietly asked.

“…?”

“I know already that it ’s not possible to keep avoiding the truth.
I know that sooner or later, I must come face-to-face with you people.
And I also know that I ’ll eventually have to give up on my previous peaceful life and jump into your world.
I ’m not an idiot, after all.”

Questions filled up Lee Hyeon-Ju ’s expression.
She couldn ’t quite understand what Kang Jin-Ho was saying to her.
However, he had never expected her to understand, anyway.

“Even if that ’s the case, I still don ’t like the idea of that abnormal world trying to get in my face against my wishes.
You people have this tendency to not give a damn about the lives of others.
You think nothing about pulling people in, and you think that ’s how it ’s supposed to be…” Kang Jin-Ho muttered, the corners of his lips gradually curling up.
“Since that ’s the case, I ’ll act the same as you.
I don ’t really care about your stance.
I ’m simply doing what I want to do.
So, what do you think? Now that you ’re on the receiving end, are you having fun? Like I am?”

’

Kang Jin-Ho ’s hand patting Lee Hyeon-Ju ’s cheek slowly lowered toward her throat.
Even though she could feel this downward movement, she couldn ’t do anything to resist.
The only thing she could do right now was to ardently pray for this hellish time to quickly pass her by.
Or, at the very least, let her black out and not go through this nightmare.

“I warned you, didn ’t I?” Kang Jin-Ho ’s hand tightened around her throat.

Lee Hyeon-Ju ’s tears trickled down her face unchecked.
She had finally realized what her mistake was.
This man, he…
He should have never been provoked.

“Do you really think you can deal with the consequences?” Kang Jin-Ho slowly squeezed, and Lee Hyeon-Ju closed her eyes shut.
“The consequences of ignoring my warning, that is.
Well, do you?”

Her lungs were being set on fire.
And she couldn ’t really tell whether her body was shivering or not.
The merciless fear constricting her whole being left her utterly defenseless, and she was getting blown apart every which way from it.

’I was wrong. ’

Lee Hyeon-Ju thought that a switch inside Kang Jin-Ho had flipped.

For some reason, Kang Jin-Ho had been suppressing himself to fit in with the modern era ’s rules and regulations.
The ’himself ’ in this case turned out to be a monster—a monster far more vicious and cruel than anything or anyone Lee Hyeon-Ju knew.
And it was impulsive, too.

The ’normal ’ Kang Jin-Ho seemed like a totally different person from the version responsible for wrecking Lee Seong-Hwi.
But then, that violent Kang Jin-Ho was also different from the one currently strangling Lee Hyeon-Ju.
This version was undoubtedly arrogant, just as vicious, and also determined.

Lee Hyeon-Ju ’s only mistake was failing to predict Kang Jin-Ho ’s nature being like this.
If she had known the truth ahead of time, Lee Hyeon-Ju would have never approached Kang Jin-Ho so carelessly.

Search tinyurl.com/2p9emv8w for the original.

“Don ’t you worry,” Kang Jin-Ho bared his fangs in a cruel grin.
“As I said, I won ’t kill you.”

He then slowly picked Lee Hyeon-Ju up from the ground.
But then—

“…Aren ’t you feeling cold, Mister Jin-Ho?” A casual-sounding voice interrupted the proceedings.

The slightly puzzled Kang Jin-Ho turned around to look behind him.
Jo Gyu-Min was standing there while rubbing his shoulders and muttering away, “Argh, it ’s getting too cold to stand around doing nothing, you know? Since the situation is not resolved yet, going back to the car now is a bit…
So, how about…”

Jo Gyu-Min rummaged through his pocket, then pulled out a packet of cigarettes.
He took out one cigarette and offered it to Kang Jin-Ho while grinning confidently.
“How about a smoke break? To warm our bodies and all.”

Kang Jin-Ho ’s withdrawn eyes stared at the offered cigarette.
A bout of weird silence ensued.
Soon, though, he slowly reached out and accepted Jo Gyu-Min ’s cigarette.
He mouthed it and replied with a chuckle, “That ’s not a bad idea.”