Descent of the Demon Master

Chapter 790: Conceiving (5)

Wiggins asked, “...Three days, you say?”

Lee Hyeon-Su slowly nodded. “Yes, master.”

Wiggins' gaze locked on a firmly shut doorway. That steel door was thin and flimsy enough for him to easily break through. But the entire doorway was enveloped in this gloomy air that forbade anyone's approach.

“Three days… But why?” Wiggins quizzically looked back at Lee Hyeon-Su.

“It seems that our Assembly Master is attempting to create a new martial art.”

“Attempting to create…?” Wiggins slowly rubbed his chin with his remaining hand. “Well… Since my lord is basically a grandmaster, it should be feasible for him to conceive a new martial art. Although it will be a stern challenge, that's for sure.”

“Will it be that difficult, master?”

“Rather than difficult… Hmm, I’m not sure how to explain.” Wiggins pondered for a while, then glanced at Lee Hyeon-Su. “Let me use this example. Let’s say you have a deep understanding of music.”

“Okay.” Lee Hyeon-Su nodded while attentively listening.

“Such is your knowledge pool that you're somewhat of a celebrity in the music world. In that case, do you think it'll be easy for you to write a hit song?”

“Uh, well… Mm.” Lee Hyeon-Su frowned after realizing where he got his question wrong. “I see now, master. It’s not the issue of creating a new martial art, but what kind of martial art it will be…”

“Yes, that’s exactly it.”

To folks with deep knowledge and understanding of how music worked, composing a children's lullaby would be a cakewalk. Of course, such a song might not speak to the children's hearts, but that wasn't important in this example.

However, what if they had to compose a concerto containing all of their extensive knowledge? And what if this one piece of music would serve as the definitive proof of the depth and profoundness of their knowledge?

‘Now that… would be challenging, alright.’

This problem surpassed one's level of comprehension. The higher your level, the more perfection you'd demand from yourself. So, it'd come down to where you'd be willing to draw the line and make compromises with your own high standards.

‘But my lord is infamous for never compromising.’

Even though Kang Jin-Ho looked like a pushover and a softie on the surface, he never backed off from something once he made up his mind. Of course, Kang Jin-Ho would willingly back off when it came to fields he knew very little about. However, martial arts were Kang Jin-Ho’s specialty.

He'd never compromise in anything related to martial arts. In that case, Kang Jin-Ho would undoubtedly abuse himself until the martial art he could be satisfied with was finally created.

‘Hmm. Not sure how to feel about this…’

Wiggins frowned slightly. He should be celebrating the fact that Kang Jin-Ho had locked himself up to create a brand-new martial art.

Someone of Kang Jin-Ho's caliber would definitely come up with a martial art surpassing what came before. Otherwise, there would be no point in locking himself up like this. He could've simply used an already-existing martial art that best suited his needs, after all.

Kang Jin-Ho obviously knew that, but he still went into seclusion. It could only mean he was determined to create something uniquely his own.

‘Yes, I should be happy about this development, but…!’

Even then, Wiggins couldn’t get over this single but insistent worry.

Kang Jin-Ho was a perfectionist in all things related to martial arts. So, he wouldn’t accept any flaws in something he created, regardless of how minor they would be.

As was the case with creating things, establishing the direction of the project and its framework was the easy part. What actually took up the most time were revising minor details and finding and fixing various flaws.

A martial art's level of completion would be decided by how patient the creator was while working on those little adjustments and fixes.

‘I’m sure my lord is aware of this, too.’

Taking too long to create a martial art, only to leave yourself with little time to train with it, was worse than not creating it in the first place. This was a race against time itself.

It had to be done as soon as possible, but the creator must not be rushed. Being rushed would inevitably create weaknesses and flaws, and such things in martial arts would prove fatal to any martial artists mastering it.

Even though Kang Jin-Ho was running out of time, he had to give himself enough time to finish his task. That must be the dilemma plaguing him right about now.

Wiggins sighed in amazement while staring at the firmly-shut doorway. “As I thought, my lord is an incredible man…”

This wasn't a matter of one's skill level. Even if Wiggins possessed the matching level of abilities with Kang Jin-Ho, could he focus his entire being on creating a new martial art like this? While stuck in the same situation, too?

‘No, I couldn’t.’

If it was Wiggins, he… Even if he decided to create a new martial art, he'd soon realize that the responsibilities would be too much to bear right now and sneakily postpone his endeavor to another time. That seemed like the rational thing to do.

‘Unfortunately, being rational doesn’t always guarantee success.’

Wiggins was much wiser now. He now knew that success usually was accompanied by "adventure".

From the perspective of "regular" folks, many successful people seemed like lunatics for always going on deeply risky adventures. These regular folks would point at the seemingly crazy antics to mock and jeer.

Once upon a time, Wiggins was one of these regular folks. He used to think committing oneself to an uncertain future was indescribably stupid when there was a well-worn path with a clear-cut result at the end.

However, after getting some years behind him… Wiggins came to realize that wasn’t the entire story.

‘I was merely afraid, that was all.’

He had been afraid of throwing himself toward the uncertain future. He was scared of violently shaking up his life's trajectory. He had been reluctant to aim for the proverbial overnight success when there was the slow-and-steady path of a guaranteed future.

Wiggins had been merely scared of all these things.

Challenging for the future would get easier when you have achieved nothing and wouldn't lose anything as a result. However, people who held many things feared losing them and progressively became less willing to challenge for the unknown future.

In that case, what about Kang Jin-Ho?

From Wiggins' personal view… Kang Jin-Ho had already achieved so many things, even if the man himself didn't think that way. That would be a matter of perspective, of course.

Kang Jin-Ho should have plenty of ways to live out the rest of his life in unbridled luxury and comfort. If Wiggins was in Kang Jin-Ho's shoes, he wouldn't have hesitated for a second and joined hands with the Crimson King. Doing so would've given him the right to rule the Korean peninsula.

After joining forces with the Crimson King's faction, the Korean peninsula would've turned into a fortress no one could break through. All Wiggins had to do was live like a king in this fortress. He could even follow Kang Jin-Ho's example and stay behind the scenes, too. A hidden king of Korea! That didn't sound so bad at all.

However, Kang Jin-Ho didn’t go with that option. To be more precise, thoughts of doing so didn’t exist in Kang Jin-Ho’s mind.

Despite achieving so many things, Kang Jin-Ho was still a challenger. And that fact… left Wiggins’ blood boiling with excitement.

‘Even though serving him at my age is tough…'

A bright smile formed on Wiggins’ face without him noticing it. This… was what he wanted to see from Kang Jin-Ho. This was something he couldn’t expect from the stagnant Round Table!

The courage to charge ahead despite all the risks! That was what Wiggins wanted to see, even if he unfortunately could no longer do it himself. If he could, he wouldn't have to rely on Kang Jin-Ho like this in the first place!

A man who used his actions, not words, to lead his people. A man who didn’t drag others with him but carried them on his back… That was how Wiggins viewed Kang Jin-Ho.

Wiggins glanced at Lee Hyeon-Su. “How about his meals? Has he eaten anything since he secluded himself?”

“We did try to bring him something to eat several times before but never got any response when we knocked on the Assembly Master's door,” said Lee Hyeon-Su. “It didn't feel right to just barge in, so…”

Lee Hyeon-Su didn't finish his sentence, but his troubled expression was enough to tell the story. As his attainment in martial arts wasn't extensive enough, he didn't have a clue on how to respond to a situation like this.

Wiggins slowly nodded. “I see. There’s no helping it, then. Don’t let anyone enter the Assembly Master’s office. I think it’ll be a good idea to have some people guard the doorway, too.”

“Will it be fine, though?” Lee Hyeon-Su worriedly asked.

“Mm? Do you think my lord will die of starvation by not eating for a few days?”

“Well, no, but…” Lee Hyeon-Su sighed, then worriedly stared at the doorway.

“It’ll be fine,” said Wiggins. “Right now, any attempt at helping him will only serve as a hindrance. What my lord is doing is not something we can help with, anyway.”

“I guess so. Understood, master. I’ll assign a few people to stand guard here.”

“Good. Do so.” Wiggins nodded while observing Lee Hyeon-Su recovering from his slightly-emotional state to his usual pragmatic self.

‘That’s the right way, my disciple…’

Lee Hyeon-Su must not waver or get shaken up. That was what his role required from him. Even if others could become emotional, he must always hold on to his rational mind no matter what!

Wiggins was satisfied by how well Lee Hyeon-Su was doing in that regard.

‘Life can be so unpredictable at times…’

Wiggins had been searching for a disciple, an heir perhaps, for quite a long time. However, luck wasn't on his side, and he failed to find someone capable of adequately meeting his standards. But now, he found a suitable disciple in a distant land far, far away from home. Who could've guessed this turn of events?

It was also fairly amusing to find someone new to serve at his age, Wiggins mused. He glanced at the firmly-shut doorway one more time and smiled deeply.

‘I’m looking forward to this…’

None other than Kang Jin-Ho was inside that office, trying to create a new martial art.

Kang Jin-Ho's realm was almost on par with the mighty Crimson King. However, Kang Jin-Ho's understanding of martial arts should easily surpass that of the Crimson King. Wiggins was certain about this. After all, didn't he already witness Kang Jin-Ho proving his worth during that fierce battle?

So, a martial art created by someone like that…?

“Hah. I’m not even a child, so why…” Wiggins chuckled ruefully.

Lee Hyeon-Su tilted his head. “I’m sorry?”

“No, it's nothing. Don't worry about it,” said Wiggins while lightly waving his hand. He couldn't reveal that his heart was pounding like an excited child to his one and only disciple. He'd get chided for being silly, after all! "Hmm. How unfortunate that I can't train in demonic arts…”

“I thought you could, Master?”

“No, I cannot,” Wiggins shook his head.

Such a thing was only possible for those with an Eastern-style martial art foundation. Even if Wiggins forcibly mastered demonic cultivation, it wouldn’t work with what he had already learned.

“It's unfortunate, but being too greedy will invite unnecessary disasters. Of course, I also desire to become even stronger. I'm still a martial artist, after all. However, the mountain I must climb… isn't this one,” Lee Hyeon-Su calmly muttered before glancing at Lee Hyeon-Su. “Make sure nothing happens.”

“Yes, master. But what will you do in the meantime?”

“I’ll speak to Director Bang. We don’t know how long my lord will be unavailable, so we should think of how to respond in case something happens. But you should focus on ensuring my lord’s safety above all else.”

“Understood, master.”

“By the way, it seems you will have to shoulder more responsibilities for the time being. I might have to miss a few of my classes, so I want you to take over the teacher’s role for me.”

“Me? Really?” Lee Hyeon-Su blinked his eyes in stupefaction.

Wiggins asked back if anything was wrong with that arrangement. “What’s the matter? You only have to teach the pupils what I’ve taught you already. It can’t be that hard, no?”

“Oh… In that case, can I teach them with the same method you used to teach me?”

“...No, make it a bit more refined. A bit gentler, if you will. Don’t imitate my methods, just the theory, okay?”

“Isn’t that a bit unfair, master…?”

“You're being noisy again, you brat. Or would you like to get demoted and learn the same way as everyone else?”

“No way, master. Leave it to me. I’ll handle it so you can rest easy.”

“Will I really get to rest easy, I wonder?” Wiggins shook his head before turning around and walking away from the Assembly Master's office.

‘At this rate, I’ll be the only one falling behind…!’

A rather pleasant-feeling competitiveness began stimulating Wiggins.

Kang Jin-Ho would undoubtedly become even more powerful than before. Humans grew weaker the moment they relaxed and let their guard down. However, Kang Jin-Ho never relaxed despite having achieved so much already. That was why he'd grow stronger… and stronger!

If Wiggins relaxed now and took his foot off the gas, so to speak, people who had been looking up to him would surpass him in no time at all.

‘It’s too early to let that happen to me!’

It seemed that the time to resume his magic research had come.

Everyone was getting stronger. Even if things seemed to be moving at a snail's pace, the Assembly was still going through all the necessary stages for the next evolution. As for Wiggins, he could instinctively feel that the time to start his final adventure had arrived.

“Tsk… How could he force this old man to work?” Wiggins tutted good-naturedly.

Why did it feel like Kang Jin-Ho was persistently pushing Wiggins forward from behind? That he didn't want Wiggins to loosen up but keep striving to get better, to become much stronger?

Seeing how he felt refreshed after getting whipped into shape by his lord, Wiggins thought it was now too late for him to escape from Kang Jin-Ho's clutches.

“Forcing senior citizens to work will get you into big trouble, my lord…” Wiggins muttered while glancing at the distant firmly shut doorway.

Since Kang Jin-Ho was taking his time to create this martial art, just how terrifying would the end product be? Wiggins chuckled and walked in cheery steps, his anticipation swelling like the incoming tide.

“This is why living is so much fun.”

A satisfied grin was etched on Wiggins’ face.