Descent of the Demon Master

'A goal… A shared goal…'

Vroom…

Every time Kang Jin-Ho depressed the accelerator, the car surged ahead without fail.

If he kept his foot down, the car continued to accelerate. Lifting off his foot led to the vehicle maintaining its forward momentum. And applying the brakes quickly reduced the car's speed.

Why was this, though? The reason was simple enough. A car's role was to serve as a mode of transport.

To make it convenient for every driver out there, all car manufacturers must observe a certain set of rules. A set of promises, in a way. Such as… Depressing the accelerator made the car go faster while turning the steering wheel made the car change its direction.

However, the Korean Martial Assembly wasn't like that.

It certainly had the clear goal of evolving into something better. However, this goal had not been discussed with everyone in the organization. And the method of getting there had not been agreed upon, either.

With a situation like that, no wonder a topic discussed with everyone in the same room would end up being interpreted in many different ways!

'How bizarre is this?'

Giving this matter a little bit of thought would've been enough for Kang Jin-Ho to quickly figure it out. So, how did he miss something so simple until now?

It wasn't as if he transformed into someone else while hanging out with his friends, so why did it feel like Kang Jin-Ho's perspective got narrower while in the Assembly?

If that was not it, then maybe…

'Is it because my friends are excessively smart?'

A gentle chuckle broke out of Kang Jin-Ho's lips when he recalled Park Yu-Min and Ju Yeong-Gi.

'This is so strange.'

Kang Jin-Ho spent far more time with the Assembly members than anyone else. In that case, he should've grown far closer to them, but the way he felt about them differed markedly from how he viewed his friends.

Kang Jin-Ho and his friends hung out together because they genuinely enjoyed each other's company, not because they expected something in return. And that knowledge made the time spent with his friends special.

Most of all…

'I feel at ease around them.'

Whether it was back when Kang Jin-Ho was another ordinary university student or his current self overseeing so many moving cogs, his friends' attitudes toward him had not changed.

While others wished for Kang Jin-Ho to become a stronger and better person and do more for them, his friends didn't care about that. They just wanted to hang out with him some more and complained when they couldn't.

Thinking about them made Kang Jin-Ho smile gently again.

The Martial Assembly would continue to expand and become stronger. There was no doubt about that. This meant Kang Jin-Ho would encounter more and more people.

Like how he initially had to deal with Lee Hyeon-Su only for people from various regions to join the team later, Kang Jin-Ho would no doubt encounter all sorts of characters in the future through the events involving the Martial Assembly.

However, the number of close friends Kang Jin-Ho had would probably not increase anymore.

Considering where he was in life right now, making more friends seemed out of the question. This meant Kang Jin-Ho would only have those two to call on as his closest friends in the future.

'Others might feel disappointed by me saying that, though.'

Kang Jin-Ho suddenly recalled his friends from high school days. Although their friendship wasn't deep enough like the one he had with Park Yu-Min and Ju Yeong-Gi, they still qualified as Kang Jin-Ho's friends.

While thinking that maybe he should get in touch with them since they hadn't chatted in a long time, Kang Jin-Ho pointed his car in the direction of his family home.

***

"Great to see you, sir!"

"Good morning to you, sir!"

Martial artists energetically bowed deeply in Kang Jin-Ho's direction.

To his credit, Kang Jin-Ho greeted them back without getting too flustered. That was a huge improvement compared to the beginning when receiving such greetings used to make him uncomfortable.

Kang Jin-Ho's status as the demon cult's leader was much greater than that of the Assembly Master, so it should be natural for him to be familiar with people greeting him so respectfully like this, but…

'Well, things like this didn't happen back then.'

Back then, Kang Jin-Ho never ran into lower-tiered martial artists. The living spaces for those folks and the demon cult's leader were completely separated, after all.

The only place he even got to see the faces of these lower-tiered martial artists was on a battlefield. The only other people permitted to speak to Kang Jin-Ho were a handful of elders, and that was about it.

'When I think about it… What a stuffy arrangement that was.'

Kang Jin-Ho found those things quite odd now, but back then? He didn't think anything of it. And that made him realize how much of a factor one's environment played in one's perception and thought process.

Of course, Kang Jin-Ho had no doubt that this was the correct way of doing things, but…

"Assembly Master, sir! Good morning to you!"

"I greet the Assembly Master!"

"Uh… Yeah. Thanks."

"Great day to you, sir!"

Wasn't this getting a bit too much at this point…? Greeting back at all the people welcoming him was quickly turning into a chore.

Kang Jin-Ho obviously had nothing against people greeting him, but was it really necessary for them to rush toward him from far away just to say hello…?

'...Mm? Why are there more people now?'

Cold sweat began trickling down his forehead when he saw more people rushing toward him. That wasn't all either, as he even saw some people jumping down from the upper floors of buildings nearby to get to him!

Kang Jin-Ho was well aware of these people's tendencies to greet him a bit too enthusiastically, but today? Things seemed to have become especially worse for some reason!

'Wait, did someone put them up to this?'

If that was the case, the likeliest suspect was Lee Hyeon-Su. However, judging from the elated expressions on the faces of these martial artists, it didn't feel like someone had ordered them to swarm around Kang Jin-Ho.

In that case, did Kang Jin-Ho do something to warrant the "upgrade" to his reception in such a short period?

While groaning a little, Kang Jin-Ho headed to the main building's cafe.

"Good morning, Assembly Master!" The cafe owner cried out loudly.

'Your expression says it's not that good, though?'

Kang Jin-Ho sighed again when the cafe owner stared nervously at him.

"Sir! Would you like iced coffee today or something warmer?"

"...I'd like something cold, thank you."

"Sir! I'll get it ready right away! Sir!" The cafe owner roared, again in some nervousness, then proceeded to grind the coffee beans. Kang Jin-Ho silently observed the process like a teacher watching his disciple.

Soon, a cup of coffee was brewed. The cafe owner cautiously presented this cup to Kang Jin-Ho. "Sir, here…"

Kang Jin-Ho brought the straw to his lips and then… slowly slurped the coffee.

"...Mm."

Kang Jin-Ho nodded in satisfaction. Hot coffee was better if he wanted to savor the aroma, but now was the season of iced coffee. He thought it might be a good idea to follow the trend and drink what everyone else drank.

He glanced at the cafe owner. "It's good coffee."

"Thank you very much!" The cafe owner bowed ninety degrees at Kang Jin-Ho.

Issuing a passing grade right away like today was a very rare occurrence.

Kang Jin-Ho wasn't really a picky eater. As a matter of fact, he pretty much ate whatever was presented before him. Then again, didn't he experience a life of digging through trash to fill his tummy with discarded leftover food?

Living such a life taught him to be grateful for having something to eat in the first place. Complaining about how the food tasted was not his style, even though being a martial artist had sharpened all of his senses to the extremes, including his tongue!

However, the coffee was the sole exception. Kang Jin-Ho was super strict with that. At a push, he might also include pizzas, but that was about it.

"How is the business going these days?" Kang Jin-Ho asked curiously to pass the time.

"It looks like we'll have to increase the number of employees and coffee machines, sir. The sales have gone through the roof lately, you see?"

"Oh. Because the coffee tastes good?"

"Well, I think it's more the case of monopoly being the best, sir." The cafe owner grinned while performing a splendid double thumbs-up.

Kang Jin-Ho also chuckled at that sight. "If you need something, please let Lee Hyeon-Su know. He'll be happy to help you."

"Oh, uh, actually, a different department is working with us now, sir."

"A different department?" Kang Jin-Ho tilted his head.

"Rather than Chief Lee Hyeon-Su, Chief Lee Hyeon-Ju is in charge of our affairs now, sir. And she has the decision-making authority, too."

"…" Kang Jin-Ho wordlessly blinked his eyes.

It seemed he had one more thing to remember now. And that would be… How scary Lee Hyeon-Ju could be!

As if to prove she wasn't just Lee Jung-Geol's granddaughter in name only, Lee Hyeon-Ju was expertly taking over any and all work her hands could reach, one thing at a time!

'Even though she can't be in ten places at once…'

Kang Jin-Ho grew a little concerned about the amount of workload she must absorb now. However, he soon stopped worrying about it. Lee Hyeon-Ju was a smart woman. She must know what she was getting into.

"Okay. Thank you for the coffee. Here, let me pay for it," said Kang Jin-Ho while pushing forward his credit card.

"N-no, Assembly Master! I wouldn't dare! It's on the house."

"Please take it."

"But, uhm… You're putting me on the spot, sir." The cafe owner faltered but still accepted the card in the end. He had no choice but to accept it since he knew Kang Jin-Ho would never back off on matters like this.

Once the payment got through, Kang Jin-Ho received the card back, bade farewell, and went upstairs. Everyone he met on his way up animatedly and excitedly greeted him.

'Yes, I know this is a good thing, but…'

A workplace overflowing with energy and enthusiasm was great. Obviously, it was way better than a place where people felt uncomfortable around each other.

Unfortunately, that was what Kang Jin-Ho was feeling right now, all thanks to his lack of social skills!

Kang Jin-Ho hurried his steps and arrived at his office. While holding onto the doorknob, he groaned softly under his breath.

'Huh. I didn't think walking to my office would be so tough…'

If he had his way, Kang Jin-Ho would've much preferred to jump up to his fourth-floor office from the parking lot. However, how could he do that when he had already agreed with Lee Hyeon-Su's opinion that Kang Jin-Ho behaving childishly would cause everyone else to copy him?

'Maybe I should come to work even earlier?'

Indeed, things could get easier for him by coming to work before more people showed up.

While considering his options, Kang Jin-Ho pushed the door open and entered the office.

"Good morning, sir."

Kang Jin-Ho stopped and stared weirdly at the person standing inside his office. It was none other than the scary Lee Hyeon-Ju, obviously waiting for her boss's arrival. She was even holding a stack of documents, too!

"...Mm." Kang Jin-Ho grunted a little.

"My apologies," Lee Hyeon-Ju bowed her head deeply. "I have several things to report to you about, but you don't have a secretary, and waiting for you outside the door was also tricky with so many people walking past. Please forgive me for my rudeness."

"No, it's fine. I don't mind."

Lee Hyeon-Ju seemed conscious about entering her boss's empty office without prior permission. However, Kang Jin-Ho didn't really mind it. This wasn't his bedroom but his office, after all.

"Okay, what brings you here?"

"I have a report on the Assembly's legitimation process."

"Mm…!"

Kang Jin-Ho got another reminder that the Assembly had changed a lot since he first got here.

If Japan had invaded in the past, everyone in the Assembly would have dropped what they were doing and focused on that one thing only. That was because the people dealing with internal affairs also had to deal with external matters.

If Lee Hyeon-Su was in charge of the Martial Assembly's legitimation process, he would have no choice but to postpone it while focusing on fighting off the invasion attempt by the Japanese.

Lee Hyeon-Ju joining the team, however, had led to the establishment of a boundary separating internal affairs and all the external shenanigans. And now, the Assembly's internal matters continued to chug along regardless of who was doing what on the outside.

"Alright. Let's hear it, then."

"Sir," Lee Hyeon-Ju smartly nodded.

It should be fine to summon everyone for a morning meeting, but Kang Jin-Ho wasn't dully bothered by the idea of holding one extra meeting by himself. When he took a seat on the couch, Lee Hyeon-Ju smartly presented the stack of documents in his direction.

"Mm…" Kang Jin-Ho perused the documents before sighing deeply. "It's still difficult for me."

Lee Hyeon-Ju subtly grinned. "I heard you were reading up on various business theories. However, theories alone aren't enough for real-life situations, sir. It's not the case of you studying incorrectly, but more like you haven't caught up to the required knowledge level."

"That would be great if it were true," Kang Jin-Ho chuckled awkwardly. "So, do you mind making it simple for me to understand?"

"No, sir. I'll be glad to. We've finished reviewing the organization for any potential legal issues, and all the preparations are as ready as they can be. However, now we must enter the negotiation phase."

"...Negotiation phase?"

"Yes, sir," said Lee Hyeon-Ju while pointing to a section on the document. "Please take a look. This number is the value of our current assets."

Kang Jin-Ho cocked an eyebrow and shifted his gaze to the numbers printed on the document.

'Let's see. How many digits is that? One, two, three… Hmm?'

Something seemed weird just then. Why were there so many digits? This amount… It was not something a regular person leading an ordinary life could ever witness in their lifetime!

Kang Jin-Ho dazedly looked up and stared at Lee Hyeon-Ju. "So much?!"

"Actually, sir? That's a conservative estimate done to protect us. We've excluded what you'd call uncertain assets and still got that estimate. Since we've only counted above-board assets… I'm sure the real wealth should far exceed what you see on the document, sir."

Kang Jin-Ho slowly nodded in stupefaction.

'Huh. So the Assembly is really loaded.'

Up until now, people kept telling Kang Jin-Ho that the Martial Assembly was wealthy beyond imagination. However, he didn't think the organization would be this wealthy! With this much asset, the Martial Assembly could even take on large global corporations and win.

"So, uh… Where did all this money come from?"

"It's not some amazing secret, sir," Lee Hyeon-Ju replied with a bitter smile. "It's simply the case of the Assembly accumulating wealth over a long period but never really using it."

"Really?"

"Yes. The Assembly focused on accumulation, even though it had no clear purpose or goals requiring this much wealth. But that means we now own a lot of real estate across the country, sir. Which is why our asset value is estimated so highly. However, if we flip that around…"

Lee Hyeon-Ju sighed and shrugged helplessly.

"Compared to how much we own… We don't have a clear source of income, sir. It's simply the case of us squeezing dry what we already possess to pay the wages of our members."

Kang Jin-Ho wasn't completely sure of what Lee Hyeon-Ju said. However, he was still sensible enough to nod along. She obviously knew what she was talking about, after all.

"I see. Then, what is the problem we're facing?"

"Verifying our situation in full has helped me reaffirm my decision, sir. I have zero doubt that the Assembly… must emerge from the shadows and into the light." Lee Hyeon-Ju's steely, determined gaze locked on Kang Jin-Ho and didn't waver an inch. "We can't delay it any longer, sir."

That was when…

Knock, knock…!

...They were interrupted by a knock on the office door.

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