Descent of the Demon Master

it'll speed up the process.
That's why please wait for me.”

“I see.” Kang Jin-Ho nodded, realizing that Jo Gyu-Min had a point here.
He sighed deeply and began to ponder.

'…Since when did I get this impatient?'

Wasn't he acting impatiently right now? Far too impatiently, to boot!

“…It was merely a facade, huh.”

Jo Gyu-Min tilted his head.
“I'm sorry?”

“…It's nothing.” Kang Jin-Ho shook his head, then quietly chewed on his lips.

While living as the Heavenly Crimson Demon Emperor, he thought he had become blasé about life itself.
Even during his final moments, he remained aloof about it, didn't he? Now that he thought about it, though…

Maybe, a part of him had always perceived his life in Zhongyuan as not 'real.’ That had to be it; otherwise, it made no sense for him to get this anxious about a mere acquaintance, someone who wasn't even his family member.

Kang Jin-Ho called Park Yu-Min on the phone again.
“Where are you?”

– I'm in the hospital.

“In that case, come to the front entrance.”

– Okay.

A short while later, Park Yu-Min and his haggard face stepped outside the elevator.

Kang Jin-Ho waved his hand at him and waited until his friend got closer before asking, “…When did her condition start to deteriorate?”

“A few days ago.
Her condition got worse from then…”

Kang Jin-Ho almost blurted out, “You should've taken her to a hospital right away,” but he managed to hold himself back and clenched his fists instead.

This was not Park Yu-Min's fault.
The doctor said Sister Yi's condition had improved to a point where they could simply rely on anti-cancer treatments, and she would still make a full recovery.
In that case, it was unrealistic to expect Park Yu-Min to consider every little possibility and prepare beforehand.
Besides, didn't Kang Jin-Ho keep pushing his friend to rejoin his gaming team as soon as possible?

Maybe, this wouldn't have happened if Kang Jin-Ho had stayed behind for longer in the orphanage and paid more attention to Sister Yi's condition.
In other words, all of this was…

'…My fault.'

That was such an obvious conclusion.
However, he wasn't blaming himself.
Not exactly.
However, anybody with inside knowledge would start pointing fingers in Kang Jin-Ho's direction—saying that his arrogance had given birth to this situation.

Jo Gyu-Min reached out and grasped Kang Jin-Ho's shoulder.
“For now, we should speak to the department head first.”

“Agreed…”

The road to the doctor's office seemed so arduously long and unending.
Kang Jin-Ho didn't want to hear the doctor's words, but he also knew he had to listen.

While feeling like a prisoner on his way to the courtroom to hear his death sentence verdict, Kang Jin-Ho silently trudged forward.

He stepped inside the doctor's office and was greeted by Department Head Kang Chun-Sik with a sweaty, anxious face.
Kang Jin-Ho sat on a chair on the opposite side of the doctor and waited for the report.

Kang Chun-Sik coughed to clear his throat first.
“…I, uh, I'm not sure how to convey my condolences, everyone.”

“Please tell us the diagnosis only, Doctor.”

When Kang Chun-Sik heard Kang Jin-Ho's stiff, unfriendly voice, he began to sweat even more.
“Well, then.
After performing the gastrectomy, we eliminated most of the patient's tumorous growths.
Although some minor growths remained in nearby cells, we as doctors believed that there was no need to resort to invasive procedures, and available anti-cancer treatments should be more than sufficient enough to heal her, sir.”

Kang Jin-Ho didn't say anything and waited for the report to continue.

The department head wiped his forehead.
“Unfortunately, her tumors suddenly spread far faster than we had anticipated.
And it has basically spread to the rest of her body.”

“So, what is your prognosis, Doctor?” Kang Jin-Ho asked in a low voice.

Kang Chun-Sik daubed away more cold sweat, then sighed at length.
Eventually, he spoke of the truth that had to be said, “My apologies, but there's no hope.”

Kang Jin-Ho squeezed his eyes shut.

“As a doctor, I'm deeply ashamed to give you this news, sirs.”

Without saying anything, Kang Jin-Ho got up.
His rage began boiling even though he knew the doctor in front of him had no fault.
He had no choice but to leave; otherwise, he might end up saying some terrible things he would regret later.

When Kang Jin-Ho wordlessly exited the office, Jo Gyu-Min and Park Yu-Min also followed suit.
The three of them eventually walked out of the hospital itself.
Kang Jin-Ho immediately pulled out a cigarette and lit it up.

Park Yu-Min covered his face and quietly murmured.
“It's…
It's all my fault.”

“No, it isn't.” Kang Jin-Ho firmly shook his head.

“If only I've been paying more attention…!”

“Don't beat yourself up.
You know there's nothing you could've done, anyway.”

“I…”

“If anyone's to blame, blame me.” Kang Jin-Ho sucked in a lungful of cigarette smoke.

He should have continued to keep an eye on this matter.
Indeed, it was his style to continue forging ahead after starting something, and he would never let up until he had reached the end, even if it meant he would have to break some rules and go beyond the boundaries of acceptable means.
If he had stayed longer and helped with Sister Yi's treatment, wouldn't the situation be different than that of today?

Crackle…

Kang Jin-Ho sucked in another deep breath, causing the cigarette's embers to burn crimson.
As a distant, numb expression formed on his face, he addressed his friend, “Let's go to her room.
I should at least say hello.”

His steps felt so much heavier than before.

***

“…You've come, Jin-Ho,” said Sister Yi.

As for Kang Jin-Ho, he couldn't say anything.
He couldn't think of anything to say.

This was not the first time he had watched an acquaintance die before his eyes.
However, the deaths he had witnessed until now were either sudden accidents or combat-related, where the victims didn't even have enough time to scream.

Not once had he ever experienced seeing an acquaintance gradually wither away like this.
And Sister Yi's complexion that words like 'wane' or 'gaunt' couldn't even adequately describe robbed Kang Jin-Ho of his ability to think properly.
Just what was he supposed to say or do in this kind of situation?

Park Yu-Min got closer to the bed.
“Director, Jin-Ho got his leave to come to see you.”

“I see.
It's so wonderful to see you again, Jin-Ho.” Sister Yi extended her hand.
“Please come closer.
Let me hold your hand for a second.”

Kang Jin-Ho wordlessly approached the bed and carefully held Sister Yi's hand.
It was cold.
The uncaring fact that the person before his eyes was dying felt so much starker and real as he held this skin-and-bones hand with almost no semblance of body heat left in it.

Sister Yi smiled at him.
“Did I make you come here in a rush?”

“No, ma'am.”

“I'm sorry.
Your duties in the military must be difficult, yet I made you worry about some old lady, too.”

“…No, ma'am.”

“I'm grateful that you came to see me like this, Jin-Ho.”

Kang Jin-Ho didn’t know what to say again, and he could only chew his lips.
That was because he had sensed it.
He sent in a little bit of his qi into Sister Yi's body through her hand, but it got swiftly repelled by the dark, poisonous energy completely filling up her body.
With this, he knew—there was literally nothing he could do.

Kang Jin-Ho was not God.
He did not possess the ability to pull back a person on the brink of death and restore their life.
As such, his head slowly sunk.

Sister Yi saw his lowered head, then addressed Park Yu-Min, “Can you give us a minute, Yu-Min? I'd like to say something to Jin-Ho.”

“Yes, ma'am.
I'll be right outside.” Park Yu-Min staggered out of the doorway, and the room was blanketed in an eerie silence.

“…Jin-Ho?” Sister Yi quietly called out to Kang Jin-Ho.