Descent of the Demon Master

Chapter 976: Invading (1)

“Below… the surface?”

The term “Round Table” described more than one thing. In the ancient sense, it meant an actual round table where Knights representing their nations could sit around and talk to each other. In a broader sense, though, it was simply the name of the organization these Knights were affiliated to.

As for the Round Table Wiggins referred to now? Of course he meant the headquarters of that very organization.

“Headquarters” indicated a place, an address. In other words, it'd be reasonable to

expect…

'...To see some buildings, at least.'

Vator furrowed his brow. “Okay, so… Are you saying the Round Table is underground?”

“Correct,” said Wiggins with a cool nod.

“...Under here? Really?”

All Vator could see was an empty field and some rocks, so to hear there were gigantic man-made facilities below the surface?

‘...Well, there’s no problem with that, now is there?’

Such an arrangement shouldn't be too surprising. Whether it was the Korean Martial Assembly or China's Three Kings and their factions… Most martial arts organizations set up their headquarters in areas far removed from the spheres of “normal” people's activities. After all, having witnesses would never be a good thing in this line of work.

Although it seemed a bit excessive to build underground facilities just to avoid being seen by the public, Vator ultimately didn't see any problem with this arrangement.

What troubled him was something else, though.

“In that case, how do we go down?”

“With magic, of course,” said Wiggins nonchalantly.

“Magic, you say?”

“Yes. You can’t see it, but there is a massive magic circle installed in this area. Once we activate that circle, we can…”

Vator's nostrils suddenly flared up in excitement. “C-c-could it be… teleportation?! I-is that really possible?”

“...No, it calls up an elevator.”

“…!” Vator stumbled back a step or two. “D-don't look at me that way, you fools! I can also get excited by... by things, you know!”

The Demon Flames silently averted their gazes away from Vator. Even then, someone among this crowd still had to voice his opinion without much care for the victim’s feelings.

“Looks like you’ve read one too many comic books, mister,” Bang Jin-Hun snarkily muttered.

“Urgh…” Vator’s face grew flushed. “I-it’s because I don’t know much about magic!”

“Sure, sure. Most people wouldn’t jump to conclusions like that, though.”

“Dammit…” Vator grumbled and chose to clamp his mouth shut instead after realizing that nothing he said would save his dignity this time.

“Okay, so…” Kang Jin-Ho finally said something to save the day. “You’re talking about an array?”

“Yes, I do recall that the people of the East call this arrangement that way. More correctly, though, please think of it as a machine that needs magic to operate.”

“...How intriguing,” Kang Jin-Ho scanned the open field, his expression one of genuine interest.

Kang Jin-Ho had seen a few examples of the so-called arrays and trap formations back in Zhongyuan. However, most of them turned out to be nothing more than some shabby sleight-of-hand tricks. Such things worked back then because the people in those days severely lacked scientific knowledge.

One could argue that ancient China was a scientifically advanced country. And they would be right. However, there was one crucial difference separating ancient China from its modern-day counterpart: knowledge was available to everyone to learn these days.

One didn't need requisite qualifications to gain knowledge. One could learn everything the world offered if they truly wished for it.

However, knowledge in Zhongyuan was a privilege only granted to a special class of scholars. These learned folks could discuss the mysteries of geometry with each other, but the absolute majority of the populace didn't even know how to write their own names back then!

With the situation like that, it was no wonder shabby tricks could easily fool martial artists in Zhongyuan. In that regard, one could make the case that the Western martial world was far ahead of its Eastern counterpart.

Kang Jin-Ho rubbed his chin. “In that case, how do we activate this thing?”

“It’s not difficult, my lord, as I’ll activate it,” said Wiggins while pointing toward the field. “Please move to the central area.”

Everyone finished shuffling toward the location. However…

Wiggins continued to herd everyone around. “Slightly to the left, everyone. Yes, between those rocks.”

“Over here?” Kang Jin-Ho cocked an eyebrow.

“Yes, my lord. That's perfect,” Wiggins nodded, then quickly walked up to a group of stone mounds found to the side of the field.

Bang Jin-Hun leaned toward Kang Jin-Ho and whispered quietly. “Isn't this like, uh, we're in a fantasy movie or something, sir? A medieval fantasy? Isn't it super mystical and stuff?”

“Yeah, kinda…” Kang Jin-Ho nodded. Even he had to agree with Bang Jin-Hun on this one!

Vator, his complexion ruddy red from all the excitement, chimed in. “Heh! This is genuinely exciting, isn't it! It's like I'm about to ride a rollercoaster!”

Bang Jin-Hun tutted away, unimpressed. “Huh? Are you even allowed on a rollercoaster, to begin with?”

“I’m saying that’s what it feels like! What’s the matter with you?”

“That's weird, though. How can a dude who isn't even allowed on a rollercoaster know what it feels like?”

Vator narrowed his eyes in displeasure. “...Director Bang Jin-Hun, you and I will have a private chat later. Got that?”

“No thanks.”

While Bang Jin-Hun and Vator bickered away, Wiggins began his chanting. Bright white light gradually glowed from his hands to create a bizarre-looking engraving in the middle of the empty air.

“...Well, at least that looks kinda cool,” Bang Jin-Hun grunted.

“Agreed,” Vator nodded slightly.

The supernatural-looking engravings floating mid-air began emitting more light before sinking into the stone mounds. Almost at the same time, those plain-looking mounds suddenly began emitting light themselves.

“Oh?”

“Ohhh?!”

Impressed cries and gasps came from various pockets of the crowd. This moment should have been deeply tense and nerve-racking, but these people behaved as if they were in a theater watching a magic show instead!

“You fools! You better psych yourselves up or else!” Vator loudly yelled.

However, that only made the Demon Flames sneakily pout in unhappiness. After all, wasn't Vator the most excited person in this group?

Shu-woooo…

Strange noises hissed and whooshed from the rocks, but then… All the light began subsiding gradually.

“…?”

An awkward silence descended on the field.

After waiting impatiently for a while, Vator finally raised his voice. “How long must we wait?”

That was when Wiggins suddenly spun around and faced everyone. And then… He sheepishly scratched the back of his head. “It seems we have run into a problem, everyone.”

“Huh?”

“I think the Round Table has changed the activation spell.”

“...And what does that supposed to mean?”

“Mm, well… It'll be a long and complicated explanation. Allow me to use an example instead. It's the same as the landlord changing the locks while the tenant is not in the room…”

Vator's eyes opened wider. “Wait a minute. Don't tell me you didn't anticipate something like that?!”

“Of course not. I did consider the possibility.”

“Then, what’s the story here?”

“Well, uh, the lock can be surprisingly complicated, you see…? Changing the lock to something new is unimaginably difficult, so I figured they wouldn’t touch it for a long, long time. But, uh, it seems they have managed to pull it off! I guess that’s worthy of some praise, then?”

Wiggins affably chuckled away, but that only led to veins bulging on Vator’s forehead.

“So, what are you saying? We can't enter the HQ now?”

“Sir Vator…”

“What is it?”

Wiggins solemnly explained, “There will always be more than one door. Actually, the concept of doorways itself is a laughable notion, don’t you agree? Since pretty much anything can qualify as a doorway as long as people can fit through… Why do we have to get hung up on this strange notion?”

Vator cocked an eyebrow. “What are you trying to say?”

“...I’m suggesting that we should find another way in.”

“You are taking the f*cking piss, aren't you?”

Despite being subjected to harsh insults thrown in his face, Wiggins couldn’t even argue back. All he could do for now was sneakily hide his reddened face with his sleeve. He genuinely did not expect an obstacle like this to hinder him.

Vator grunted, then pointed to the ground. “So? How do we get inside, then? Can we destroy the ground here?”

Wiggins shook his head. “That will be difficult. Please remember that this doorway leads to the Round Table. It obviously isn’t sloppily constructed that a simple physical attack can break it.”

“Are you saying we can’t?”

“Yes. It should be impossible.”

“Don’t be an idiot,” Vator tutted away. “Didn’t you say a minute ago that everything’s a door as long as people can fit through? In that case, there is no need to destroy this door, now is there? The Round Table HQ is somewhere below here, right?”

“...Well, yes.”

Vator then pointed to several spots in the ground. “Even if this door is jammed or whatever, we can just dig the ground where there could be facilities and stuff, right? It's not like those things have legs and will flee if we get too close, anyway.”

Wiggins cocked his head to the side. “I have to say, I’m very much impressed by how exceedingly logical that idea is. Especially when it’s coming from you, Sir Vator. Unfortunately, the Round Table’s mages are better at utilizing their brains than you.”

“Before I yank that mouth out and turn it into a duck’s bill by pummeling it for a few minutes, you better stop being sarcastic and tell us straight, got that?”

“What you propose is utterly impossible,’ Wiggins shook his head. “As a countermeasure against such an invasion attempt, paths leading to the Round Table are booby-trapped with the spatial distortion field. If you start digging the earth here, you'll somehow emerge at the outskirts of the forest.”

“...Huh? Is that even possible?”

“It’s possible, Sir Vator. Because magic.”

“T-then, what about the teleportation spell…?”

“That won’t work,” Wiggins firmly replied.

That unhesitant rejection left Vator pouting unhappily. “I don't get it. One space thingy can be done, so why not the other one?”

“Altering the flow of the stream of water is not that challenging. However, severing the water flow and making it come out from somewhere else is physically impossible. Magic can bend Mother Nature's rules to our will but cannot alter them completely.”

But weren't those things basically the same thing? Vator wanted to argue back but decided not to. Trying to debate an expert in his field would only invite unnecessary humiliation, after all!

After grunting loudly, Vator asked again. “Then, what are you planning to do?”

“...Well, I can lift this spatial distortion field.”

“What’s the problem, then?”

Wiggins frowned deeply. “It's time, Sir Vator. Even if I utilize every bit of knowledge I've accumulated over the years, I will still need twelve hours, at least.”

“…!”

Bang Jin-Hun groaned loudly. “That's long enough for us to go away and have some decent meal before coming back here! Since that's the case, who’s hungry?”

Although he said that in jest, even Bang Jin-Hun could see how bad this situation was.

“Dammit. Twelve hours…?”

The most important aspect of this particular operation was not covertness but swiftness. Wiggins knew his side must continue pounding away at the opposition before they had a chance to reorganize and prepare a counterattack.

But now, they needed to sit back for twelve hours? Obviously the Round Table wouldn't just suck on their thumbs and do nothing in the meantime. Also, that would be ample enough time for reinforcements from various parts of the continent to arrive.

By the time Wiggins and Co. managed to open the doorway, the Round Table would have finished surrounding the entire forest with so many soldiers that they might resemble an army of ants!

“...My apologies, my lord,” said Wiggins, his expression filled with indescribable fluster.

There was no mischievousness in his demeanor this time. He genuinely was flustered.

Even if the Master himself was here, he'd still need ten days of nonstop hard work to crack open the magic circuit of a perfect defensive magic circle before altering the activation spell.

“Necessity” and “time” were two factors required for things to get done. The Master wouldn’t have seen the need and wouldn’t have the spare time to change the lock of the Round Table.

Would one of the highest-ranked mages in the current era waste ten days of his valuable time on preparing a countermeasure against the slimmest of all slim possibilities of Wiggins sneaking back into the Round Table? When calculated using the cost-to-benefit ratio… What an unbelievably stupid thing that would be!

However, someone went ahead and did this unbelievably stupid thing! No wonder Wiggins was left deeply flustered by this unexpected development.

Kang Jin-Ho narrowed his eyes. “Any other way in?”

Wiggins ruefully shook his head. “I… I can’t think of any at the moment, my lord. I’m sorry.”

“Hmm…” Kang Jin-Ho glanced at the ground. “What is directly below us?”

“It’s the entrance where the elevator moves through.”

“Why can’t we break through here?”

“The defensive magic cast over the area is simply too strong, my lord. Most methods cannot even put a dent in it.”

“Really?” Kang Jin-Ho rubbed his chin. “Even you can’t do it?”

“No, my lord. Someone like me wouldn't be able to create a magic circle like this. What you're seeing is one of the inheritances left by the supreme mages that lorded over the ancient world. I wouldn't dare undo a magic circle of this caliber. The best I can do is dispel the spatial distortion field around here and create an avenue for us to break into the underground facilities.”

“That makes it simple, then,” said Kang Jin-Ho, then thrust his hand into the mid-air. After extracting the Crimson Destiny from subspace, he leisurely unsheathed his treasure sword. “So… I only need to destroy this part, right?”

“…! M-my lord, please wait!”

One thing became certain for Wiggins right at that moment. He might boast a higher understanding of magic compared to everyone here, but it seemed he fell way behind everyone else when it came to the understanding of how Kang Jin-Ho operated!

Because, as soon as the Crimson Destiny appeared, everyone near Kang Jin-Ho’s vicinity swiftly distanced themselves as far away as possible. There wasn’t even a hint of hesitation whatsoever!

“B-but, if you destroy this doorway, everything else around here will also…”

Vator suddenly picked up Wiggins in the middle of shouting and placed the stunned Englishman under his arm. “You idiot! Don’t you know some people can’t be reasoned with!”

“B-but! This won't...!”

That was when Wiggins’ eyes captured the vivid image of Kang Jin-Ho leaping up into the air.

After reaching a height of around five meters in the air, Kang Jin-Ho's figure was instantly enveloped by reddish-black demonic qi. This flame-like demonic energy quickly converged on the Crimson Destiny before creating a gigantic blade of pure qi!

Kang Jin-Ho, his expression flat, viciously chopped this energy blade down on the ground! And then...!

KA-BOOOOOOOOOOOM!!!

The entire forest was rocked by an explosion akin to a nuclear bomb detonating. The whole world momentarily became as bright as day, followed quickly by a violent storm sweeping everything aside.

“Hiiiieeeeek?!”

A massive windstorm crashed into the Assembly's martial artists like the blast area of a rocket, throwing them to the ground without mercy. Trees got uprooted, while boulders of varying sizes got flung away.

Quite literally, a massive explosion went off right in front of their noses!

Eventually, the blinding rays of light gradually subsided, and the violent winds died down to reveal the status of the open field to everyone’s disbelieving eyes.

The land had split apart as if an earthquake had ripped through the area. And they could see a pathway going down right below that chasm.

“…”

Kang Jin-Ho lightly landed on solid ground, then pointed at the chasm with his chin. “Let’s finish this quickly before the cops show up.”

Forget cops, the entire British Army will show up at this rate, my lord!

You… You incorrigible man!

Wiggins could feel his heartburn kick in just then.