Descent of the Demon Master

de and approached the recruit on the ground.
Everyone spectated this scene in a daze.

“Hmm…” Kang Jin-Ho deeply frowned after pressing his hand on the recruit's chest.
Turbid and polluted energy was filling up the recruit’s throat and chest area.
Kang Jin-Ho didn't know the modern medical term for such a condition.
That didn't matter, though, as he already knew how to deal with a situation like this.

Squeeze…!

Kang Jin-Ho slowly and steadily pressed down on the recruit's upper abdomen.

“Cough! Cough!” A series of loud coughs exploded forth from the recruit as bloody phlegm bubbled out of his mouth.

“W-What the heck?!” The assistant instructor nearby gasped.

The recruit's reaction was so visceral that he seemed to be suffering even more than before.
His limbs began flailing about everywhere.

“Grab his arms and legs! You idiots, stop staring and grab his limbs!” The 2nd Platoon Commander cried out in fury.

The assistant instructors rushed in to grab the recruit’s flailing limbs before pressing them down to the ground.

Kang Jin-Ho paid no attention to his surroundings and focused on driving out the turbid energy from the recruit.

'…Right here.'

Wuoong-!

The internal energy leaving Kang Jin-Ho's palm entered the recruit and stimulated his own energy.

“Cough! Cough!” The recruit twisted and turned as blood gushed out of his mouth next.
“Kuh-huk!”

“H-Hey—won't he die at this rate?!” The 2nd Platoon Commander gasped in fear.

However…

“Hah-ahhh…” The recruit suddenly let out a lengthy exhale, and his convulsions became weaker and weaker.
It was as if he had timed that just to mock the 2nd Platoon Commander for worrying.

“W-What's going on here?”

But no one felt relieved when the recruit’s convulsions stopped.
In fact, they were even more scared than before.

“I-Is he still breathing?! Medic!”

The medic hurriedly pressed his ear closer to the recruit's nose.
“Sir! His breathing seems normal.
It's a little shallow, but this much is acceptable…”

“R-Really?”

The assistant instructors holding down the recruit's limbs finally let go and stepped back.

The medic confirmed that the recruit's breathing had returned to normal as he slowly nodded.
“Sir.
This recruit's condition seems stable.
When the doctor gets here, we can let him take over.”

“Haaa.
Haaa…” The 2nd Platoon Commander sighed in relief.
He wanted to plop down on his butt if he could, but there were too many people watching, so he had to force himself to stand upright.
The last five minutes were a real rollercoaster of emotions, weren't they? He grunted and glanced at the recruit.
“What was wrong with this brat, then?”

“I'm also not sure, sir…” The medic could only alternate his confused gaze between the recruit and the 2nd Platoon Commander.

The Commander turned his attention to Kang Jin-Ho and shouted in a sharp voice, “You, recruit! What did you do?!”

Before Kang Jin-Ho could reply, he noticed someone hurriedly running over from some distance away.

“Over here, Doctor! Sir!” The medic urgently cried out.

The base's doctor quickly ran up to the recruit and began examining the patient.
Then, he turned his head to the medic and asked, “What's going on here? I thought he was about to die?”

“Sir, his condition improved a few seconds ago.”

“Recruit No.97, is it? Hmm…” The doctor checked for the recruit's number from the ballistic helmet, then flipped open a medical chart he had brought along with him.
Almost immediately, his expression crumpled in suspicion.
“A recruit with signs of mild asthma, huh? But…
This level of training shouldn't have triggered an asthma attack? Hmm?” The doctor stopped muttering when he noticed the state of the gas chamber's doorway.
“What's the matter with the door?”

“W-Well, that's…” The medic sheepishly glanced at the other assistant instructors, silently asking for help.
Unfortunately for him, no one volunteered to answer.

The doctor's brows shot up, and he glared in the 2nd Platoon Commander's direction.
“How long have you locked up this recruit in there?!”

“W-well, it…
It wasn't that long.”

“I'm asking you, how long?!”

“Come on, Doc.
No one would bother to check the time during the training.”

The doctor shifted his attention away from the uncooperative 2nd Platoon Commander and began grilling the assistant instructors.
“Hey! Did you follow the regulations? Was everything by the book?!”

The doctor began nodding in acceptance when the instructors all stood around hesitating instead of giving a direct answer.
“Fine.
Whether the recruits were at fault or it was the instructors, we'll get to the bottom of it sooner or later.
We'll play the blame game later, that's all.
I've already called an ambulance, and I'll be taking this recruit to the Capital Hospital for a thorough examination.”[1]

“C-Capital Hospital, you say?!”

“Of course! This recruit collapsed from an adverse asthma reaction, so I must ensure that he doesn't suffer from aftereffects! Get him ready immediately!”

The 2nd Platoon Commander began dripping cold sweat at the surgeon's shrill yell.
He was responsible for breaking the army's regulations just now.
Even if the recruit turned out to be fine later, the higher-ups would still want an answer for his sudden convulsion.
That would undoubtedly become a huge problem for the 2nd Platoon Commander.
He stuttered out a question, “D-Does he really need to go to the hospital?”

“You think this is a joke?!” The doctor shot up to his feet and began biting the 2nd Platoon Commander's head off.
“A recruit almost died under your supervision! If this matter isn't investigated thoroughly, the brass will accuse me of sending a kid with a health problem into a damn gas chamber! Why should I take the blame for this?! Enough, I don't want to hear any more from you.
When the ambulance arrives, load this recruit up.”

“N-no, wait a minute…”

Kang Jin-Ho stopped observing the recruit and got up to leave the scene without saying anything.

One of the assistant instructors called out to him.
“R-Recruit, where are you going?”

“I'm going back, of course.”

“T-To where?”

Kang Jin-Ho directed a weird gaze at the assistant instructor before pointing to where the other recruits were meandering about.
“To my original spot, sir.”

“Oh…”

Indeed, where could a recruit go other than where he was supposed to be? Strictly speaking, it would be even weirder to have a recruit hanging around here now, wouldn't it?

“R-Right.
For now, go and join the rest of the recruits.”

After getting his permission, Kang Jin-Ho briefly saluted and unhurriedly walked up to the waiting crowd of recruits.

The doctor tilted his head.
“And who was that?”

The medic whispered quietly into the doctor’s ear, “Sir.
He seems to be the one who carried the recruit outside the chamber while ignoring the instructors’ orders.”

“What? Are you saying he even broke the door, too?”

“Yes, sir.”

“You insane motherf*ckers! You're supposed to take someone having a medical crisis outside the chamber! That's the least you could've done, yet you were actively trying to prevent a recruit from saving a life?! Have you all lost your goddamn minds or something?!” The doctor glared at the instructors around him while shouting in pure rage.
“You dense motherf*ckers! I'll be making my report to the Battalion Commander and show you what the depths of fiery hell look like, so you better prepare yourselves!”

The 2nd Platoon Commander could only squeeze his eyes shut at the doctor's enraged yelling.