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Kang Jin-Ho accepted the politely offered cigarette and mouthed it, prompting Yi Myeong-Hwan to light it up.

“Fuu-woo…” Kang Jin-Ho leisurely puffed away before addressing the Demon Flames. “Good to see you guys back home. I\'m sure you\'ve gone through a lot to get here.”

“It\'s not much to brag about, sir,” said Yi Myeong-Hwan while sheepishly scratching his head. What a cool thing to say if it was coming from a man who did go through hell to come home… Unfortunately, Yi Myeong-Hwan really didn\'t go through anything noteworthy.

Kang Jin-Ho tilted his head. “Really? How?”

“The thing is… I can remember that dude named Crimson King or whatever rampaging around in anger, sir. But I just blacked out when he came after us.”

“And you couldn’t even fight back?”

“What the… Were you expecting us to fight that monster? All we can do is behave ourselves and die, sir.”

Yi Myeong-Hwan also chuckled while continuing with his explanation. “That’s how we blacked out, and we were already inside a hotel room by the time we woke up, sir.”

“I see. And your bodies were fine?”

“Yes, sir. Since we were totally unhurt, we even got nervous about it. In any case, we\'ve been confined to that room ever since. We got nice food on time and plenty of hot and cold water, so there wasn\'t much to complain about…”

Yi Myeong-Hwan gestured humorously while shrugging his shoulders.

“Of course, sharing a room with these smelly bastards was hellish, so there was that, sir.”

“I hear you,” Kang Jin-Ho chuckled again. He wasn’t smiling for a show, either. Laughter wanted to break out regardless of what he did.

He had no choice but to let these people… go. But seeing them alive and being able to take seats before his eyes was lifting his mood to no end.

‘I guess I’m a greedy person.’

It seemed he subconsciously didn’t want to lose these people either. After chuckling gently at Yi Myeong-Hwan’s joke, Kang Jin-Ho nodded back. “Regardless of what, thank you. You guys did well.”

“No, sir. We haven’t done anything at all.”

“You think you haven’t done anything?” Kang Jin-Ho slowly got up, then stared into the eyes of every person sitting in the office. “No. Thanks to you, I survived.”

“…!”

“Sure, it did look kind of uncool, but so what? I was able to keep my neck. For that alone, thank you.” Kang Jin-Ho slowly bowed at the Demon Flames.

Yi Myeong-Hwan was left speechless by this development. He never imagined Kang Jin-Ho\'s head to bow to anyone like this. Yet, Kang Jin-Ho was bowing to not just any people but his own subordinates!

Yi Myeong-Hwan gripped his knees tightly. Sure, he did expect to receive some kind of a reward. Well, he was human, so hoping for something was only natural. Achieving a meritorious deed in war should be rewarded appropriately, no?

However, this development was well out of his expectations.

“P-please don’t do that, sir!” Yi Myeong-Hwan said, his voice almost verging on yelling from his fluster. “This is really uncool, you know?”

“You think so?” Kang Jin-Ho raised his head and smiled brightly.

“Yes, sir. We only did what we were supposed to do, you know? And that\'s why we cultivated like crazy, too. Even if we had to bury our bones there… We wouldn\'t have blamed anyone, sir.”

Kang Jin-Ho slowly nodded. It seemed expressing his gratitude even more could be seen as an insult to them.

“By the way, sir? It seems someone was a bit disgruntled to see us alive and well.”

Kang Jin-Ho cocked an eyebrow. “Really? It couldn’t be that bad, though?”

“Well, he was pouting and all, so…”

Kang Jin-Ho and Yi Myeong-Hwan chuckled loudly while staring at each other. Lee Hyeon-Su must be swallowing dozens of heartburn tablets by now.

“In any case, get some well-deserved rest, everyone,” said Kang Jin-Ho.

“Yes, sir!”

Yi Myeong-Hwan and the rest of the Demon Flames got up smartly. However, before they could leave, Kang Jin-Ho called out to Yi Myeong-Hwan first.

“Oh, by the way…”

“Yes, sir!” Yi Myeong-Hwan spun around and stood at attention.

Kang Jin-Ho grew somber and issued a new instruction. “Rest up as quickly as you can. You all have a new job waiting for you.”

“How tough will it be, sir?”

“I won’t lie and say it’s child’s play.”

“Sir, you sure know how to work people to their bones.”

“I’m planning to make that my specialty moving on.”

Yi Myeong-Hwan nodded, then exited the Assembly Master’s office.

Kang Jin-Ho watched the closed doorway before slowly rubbing his face. One of the large burdens weighing down on his mind had been finally shrugged off.

He wordlessly stared at the doorway for a long while before picking up his phone.

“...Tell Chang Min I want to see him.”

***

“Oh, my liege! This loyal retainer has answered your summons!”

Kang Jin-Ho frowned, his cheeks subtly twitching. He turned his head to stare silently at Lee Hyeon-Su.

Even Lee Hyeon-Su shook his head while making the expression of a defeated man. “It’s unfixable, sir. I tried.”

“Although it’s not the end of the world, it’s not easy on our mental health either, that’s for sure.” Kang Jin-Ho grimaced while scratching his head. He told himself to make a plan to change Chang Min’s manner of speech before it was too late. “In any case… Take a seat, both of you.”

“Yes, sir.”

Once everyone was seated, Kang Jin-Ho addressed Lee Hyeon-Su. “We need to strengthen our forces.”

“Yes, I agree.”

“The way I see it, we can’t drag it out for long.”

“Yes, sir. The other side won’t indefinitely wait for us, after all.” Lee Hyeon-Su spoke as if he had accurately read Kang Jin-Ho’s mind.

“What do you think, then? Will they stay... ‘well-behaved’?”

“No, sir. Wishing for that is unrealistic. They probably won’t do anything openly, but behind the scenes? It’s safe to assume they will try all sorts of underhanded means. I’ve already been making preparations to counter them.”

“Hmm…” Kang Jin-Ho organized his thoughts first before addressing Lee Hyeon-Su. “How long do you think the other side will hold themselves back?”

“It’ll depend on the situation in China. Their decision not to go to war with us is solely based on the movements of the other Two Kings and their factions, after all. Depending on what happens in that standoff, things will rapidly change, sir.”

“I see. And your prediction is…?”

“At the longest, two years to meet all the requirements. However, realistically speaking, we won’t have more than half a year at most.”

“Half a year…” Kang Jin-Ho slowly nodded. That time frame was about the same as what he had been thinking. “The ones with the definite possibility of powering up within half a year are from the demon cult.”

“I agree, sir.” Lee Hyeon-Su nodded.

He had already witnessed how much stronger the Demon Flames had become in such a short time. Not utilizing this incredible resource would be an act of sheer lunacy. It’s just that…

“But, Assembly Master…”

“Yeah?”

“Doesn’t demonic cultivation come with side effects?”

“It does,” Kang Jin-Ho unhesitantly replied. “You become more violent, and your urges will get the better of you more often.”

“As bad as our Demon Flames, sir?”

“No. The demon cult members will be at least twice as bad.”

Lee Hyeon-Su’s expression froze. “Then, what about keeping them under control…?”

“It’s going to be problematic, yes.” Kang Jin-Ho pensively replied.

He had been thinking about this for a while. Side effects could be minimized if the cultivator receiving the proper, uncorrupted demonic cultivation from Kang Jin-Ho was a blank slate. However, those Chinese demonic cultivators were already stained deeply by the trashy, incomplete demonic cultivation. Even Kang Jin-Ho wasn’t sure what would happen.

Obviously, he must try his best to minimize the undesirable side effects, but… In the worst-case scenario, it might be better to not teach them any demonic arts at all.

Kang Jin-Ho rubbed his chin. “To get stronger faster, you need to take on a few risks.”

“You’re right, sir.” Lee Hyeon-Su nodded again to indicate his agreement.

To acquire something radical, one must go on a reckless adventure. Safely nurturing talents with as little risk as possible wouldn’t have been a bad choice to make, but Kang Jin-Ho and Co. didn’t have that luxury.

In that case, they had to shoulder the risks whether they liked it or not!

“Assembly Master, we have many ways to approach this situation. What will you…”

“We’ll have to stick with the method of me teaching a handful, then they go on to become instructors for the rest.”

“I see. However, even if we mobilize every demon cult elder, each one will have to teach way too many people, sir.”

Kang Jin-Ho shook his head. “I’m not thinking of using the elders.”

“I’m sorry?”

“I’m going to rely on the Demon Flames.”

Lee Hyeon-Su\'s eyes quaked subtly just then. It wasn\'t as if he hadn\'t considered this option. Maybe this was the most logical way. However…

“Sir, would they be willing to accept this situation?”

“…”

“Of course, the Demon Flames cultivate using demonic arts, and they are undoubtedly much stronger than those riff-raffs. I\'m sure they are on par with the demon cult\'s elders, and with enough time, they should become strong enough to look down on the same elders. However… In the end, they are outsiders. Koreans. Would the demon cult members willingly listen to them?”

“There are many ways to make them listen,” said Kang Jin-Ho.

That was all the persuasion necessary to make Lee Hyeon-Su accept this method. Since Kang Jin-Ho said so, that would be all.

“However, it’s not necessary to force everyone to obey. Having too many people is not good for us, after all. No, we will only accept those willing to obey. We need to be a bit pickier this time, then focus on their growth.”

“That direction seems like a good idea,” said Lee Hyeon-Su. However, he hesitated afterward, seemingly reluctant to continue.

Kang Jin-Ho noticed the hesitancy of his subordinate and quietly waited.

A short while later, Lee Hyeon-Su finally broke his silence. “May I ask a question, sir?”

Kang Jin-Ho silently nodded.

Lee Hyeon-Su briefly sucked in a deep breath, then cautiously asked, “Sir, the Demon Flames originally started cultivating orthodox martial path before switching to demonic arts, didn’t they?”

“Yeah, they did. And?”

“Does that apply to everyone as well?”

Kang Jin-Ho tilted his head. “I don’t follow. What do you mean by everyone?”

“I mean, well… Does one\'s martial realm or something else affect the chances, sir? That\'s what I\'d like to know. The Demon Flames were originally at a low realm, and that\'s why they could get stronger through demonic cultivation. However, would someone with a higher realm find it difficult to switch to demonic arts?”

Kang Jin-Ho narrowed his eyes. “Well, the realms do affect your chances, sure.”

“...I thought as much.” Lee Hyeon-Su frowned in slight disappointment, but his expression brightened almost instantly at what Kang Jin-Ho said next.

“However, nothing is stopping those experts from mastering demonic arts. They will see a satisfactory return on investment, too.”

“Is that really possible?”

“Yes, I\'m telling you it is,” Kang Jin-Ho shrugged his shoulders. “Demonic cultivation methods are supposed to be provided to the cult believers. Don\'t forget that the primary focus of a cult is to spread its faith.

“Imagine how big of a problem it would be if a cultivator from an orthodox path wants to join the cult but can\'t learn demonic arts. That\'s why most demonic arts are designed to supersede other cultivation methods.”

That story didn’t apply to all demonic arts, however. Unique, quirky demonic arts or those rated as the best of the best were never meant to be spread to others, after all.

“Why are you asking me this, though?” Kang Jin-Ho curiously cocked an eyebrow.

“Oh, uh…”

“You want to learn the demonic arts?”

Lee Hyeon-Su shook his head. “No, sir. I think it\'s pointless for me. Yes, I did consider attempting it earlier, but right now? I don\'t think I\'ll make any significant contribution to the overall combat strength of the organization, even after learning some demonic arts. And I\'m already learning something else at the moment, anyway.”

“Hmm. Then, why?”

Lee Hyeon-Su chuckled slightly. “It\'s not me, but someone else expressed his wish to try his hand at the demonic arts.”

“Someone else?” Kang Jin-Ho furrowed his brow. A high-level expert wanted to master demonic arts? But who could it be…? “Who is it?”

“It’s me, master!”

The office door was suddenly shoved open, and a huge figure entered the room, but then…!

BANG!

The huge figure’s head slammed against the office’s ceiling. The giant creakily lowered his head while frowning deeply. “Why does the ceiling in this office have to be so low…?”

‘No, it’s you who’s too big.’

Kang Jin-Ho almost blurted that out due to how dazed he was. Eventually, he managed to clamp his mouth shut before frowning slightly. “Wait, it’s you?”

“That’s right.”

“And you… want to master demonic arts?”

Vator tutted. “That’s right. Why? Is there a law that says I can’t?”

Of course there was no such law. Kang Jin-Ho couldn\'t see a reason why not, but shouldn\'t Vator have plenty of reasons why he couldn\'t?

“But, Vator, don’t you detest demonic arts?”

“No. I detest the demonic cultivators, not the cultivation methods.”

Wasn’t that the same thing, Kang Jin-Ho silently mulled to himself. He couldn’t see how that was any different to the other.

Vator’s brows quivered as he spoke in his thunderous voice. “Master, I’ve acknowledged it.”

“Acknowledged what?”

“At this rate, I’ll never reach the Crimson King’s realm in my lifetime.”

“…”

“I\'ve always lived proudly as the Warrior of the Wild Plains. I believed that even if it was not today, I would grow strong enough eventually to defeat anyone. However, it\'s time that I acknowledge the truth. I\'m no longer a young man, while the enemies are considerably powerful. I will not be able to forge ahead if I obstinately stick to my old ways. I\'ll only remain as the defeated. Nothing more.”

Vator’s voice grew even louder like thunderclaps.

“If there is a way to break through, why should I hesitate? I shall master demonic arts if doing so can make me stronger! If severing my leg will grant me extra strength, I shall do so without hesitation! Now, give me an answer, master! Can I become even stronger!”

Vator’s eyes staring at Kang Jin-Ho burned fiercely. Anyone looking at the fire burning in those eyes would realize only the straightforward answers were permitted right now.

Kang Jin-Ho silently stared at the big man before raising his voice. “You…”

His voice remained calm, resolute.

“...Will become stronger.”

Vator’s large mouth slowly cracked open to form a gentle smile.