Descent of the Demon Master

>The higher-ups had always insisted for years that the scars and injuries of a dead victim had been the result of their suicide.
Do you really think they'll suddenly start investigating Yeong-Gi's matter as a case of abuse now?”

“No, sir.
I don't think so.” Kim Hak-Cheol began to smile a little.

“That's why you can relax.
We ain't living in Hell Joseon if the brass suddenly develops a conscience and starts investigating every little thing they find.
Don't forget, the most corrupt place in Hell Joseon is its army.
So, don't worry about a thing, and trust me, your hyung.
Just keep your mouth shut, that's all.”[1]

“Understood, sir.
I do believe in you, Sergeant Noh!”

Noh Su-Bong broke out in a fit of cackles before tapping Kim Hak-Cheol on the shoulder.
“Hey, man.
Do you know what is the best way to survive in Hell Joseon?”

“Is it by having quick wits, sir?”

“Hah, this brat! You and your sense of humor.” Noh Su-Bong grinned while pulling out a fresh cigarette.
He lit it up and inhaled its smoke first before continuing from where he left off, “Listen, you dumbass.
The best way to survive Hell Joseon is to become a devil.
Don't you know that devils live in hell?”

While saying that, Noh Su-Bong's gaze grew icy-cold, sending chills down Kim Hak-Cheol's spine.

“What's wrong? You scared?” Noh Su-Bong lightly patted Kim Hak-Cheol's cheek.
“Don't shrivel up like that, you dumbass.
You'll experience far worse bullsh*t than this plenty of times in civilian society, after all.
All you have to do is stick real close to me, that's all.”

“But, sir.
I'm already doing that.”

“Ah. That's true, isn't it?” Noh Su-Bong smirked deeply before tossing the half-smoked cigarette to the ground.
After stubbing it out, he seemed to have remembered something.
“Ah, that's right.”

“Sir?”

“You stashed away everything that bastard Yeong-Gi had written, right?”

“Yes, sir.
I figured throwing them away might get us in trouble, so I hid them somewhere safe, sir.” Kim Hak-Cheol nodded proudly.

Noh Su-Bong's glare grew cold again.
“Good.
Wait until the coast is clear, then burn them all.”

“Understood, sir.”

“Okay, then.
Let's get out of here.
It's almost chow time, anyway.
Did you hear what's on the menu today?”

“Unfortunately, sir, it’s the crap stew.”

“F*cking hell.
Let’s go and tell the PX boys to open their shop right now.”

“Sounds like a good idea, sir.”

The two men cackled while walking back inside their building.
Unfortunately for them, they had failed to notice a pair of cold eyes silently glaring at them from the darkness cast by the building's shadow.

***

“A trip outside?” Charlie Battery Commander Ha Jin-Nam, raised his deeply-frowning face from behind his desk to look up at Kang Jin-Ho.
“You wanna go outside now?”

“Yes, sir.” Kang Jin-Ho standing upright with his hands behind his back nodded slowly.

Ha Jin-Nam slowly lowered his head until it was firmly planted on his desk, then groaned loudly.
“…Jin-Ho, listen.”

“Corporal Kang Jin-Ho, sir.”

“You brat, don't you think you're taking this too far?! Can't you see our current situation? I, your battery commander, am this close to getting dishonorably discharged right now! And everyone else is worried about keeping their necks, yet you wanna go outside the base? Aren't you being too inconsiderate here?”

“My apologies, sir.”

“Sure, I know you're having a hard time.
And how will I stop you if you're dead-set on leaving? However! Even if you have connections and power! Shouldn't you read the room first before using them?”

“My apologies, sir.” Kang Jin-Ho repeated the same reply, evidently not interested in providing other excuses.

Ha Jin-Nam spat out an even louder groan.
“…So, where were you thinking of going? Home?”

“No, sir.”

“Mm? Then, where?”

“I'd like to head to the Capital Hospital, sir.”

Ha Jin-Nam was left speechless for a moment as he stared at Kang Jin-Ho.
“…Hey, that's not even going outside for a bit, is it? More like deserting the base, you dumbass!”

Kang Jin-Ho tilted his head.
“Does that mean I should apply for a leave instead, sir?”

“Uh-whew, goddamn it! It keeps getting worse, doesn't it!” Ha Jin-Nam's groans didn't want to cease, but his hardened expression had softened noticeably in return.
“Fine.
Fine! Get out of here, you bastard! However, don't get caught, okay? If you do get caught, I'm gonna insist that you had deserted.
Get yourself out of trouble by using your connections, whatever; I don't care.”

“Understood, sir.”

“My career is already finished, anyway.
Adding desertion to the list won't change anything, right? Don't forget everything this hyung has done for you, and you better give me a cushy job when we're both thrown outside the army!”

“…”

“I was kidding, you dummy! I'll get a permit for you ready by tomorrow, so get out of here then.
It's Saturday tomorrow as well.”

“Will do, sir.”

“Now, get out of my office, Corporal.”

“Thank you, sir.” Kang Jin-Ho saluted before exiting the battery commander's office.

The air in the corridor felt cold.
However, it was unknown whether that feeling came from the current wintry weather or from the icy atmosphere within the corps.

***

The next day…

It was still early in the morning, and the rain was falling steadily, yet a sleek black sedan was parked out front of the base.

One of the guards asked his partner, “Hey, man.
You know what's going on here?”

“Someone's leaving the base temporarily, sir.
I think that car's here to pick him up.”

“Who's going outside the base now? When the base's atmosphere has gone to the dogs?”

“I hear it's Corporal Kang Jin-Ho.”

“Ah, that Corporal Kang, eh?”

Kang Jin-Ho was seen as an 'exception' among the members of the Charlie artillery corps.
Then again, the soldiers here had eyes and ears.
They could see that the higher-ups were treating Kang Jin-Ho differently and that the visitors coming to see the corporal were extraordinary.
Even a moron would have realized by now that Kang Jin-Ho held a different, more 'special' status than the rest of them.

Even then, no one complained or was dissatisfied with this situation.
That was because everyone knew that Kang Jin-Ho had been working harder than anyone on the base.
He also treated his juniors fairly, meaning there was practically zero pretext to badmouth him.

“He's going outside when it's raining this bad? I guess he picked the wrong day, then.”

“Oh? Looks like he's here.”

“Yeah, you're right.”

Kang Jin-Ho made his way to the guard post, prompting the guards on duty to salute him.
“Victory!”

“Victory.” Kang Jin-Ho quickly saluted them back, then made the formal report to the guard captain on duty before leaving through the gate.

Jo Gyu-Min stepped outside the car and welcomed Kang Jin-Ho.
“How are you feeling, Mister Jin-Ho?”

“Let's talk inside the car.”

“Of course…”

After climbing inside, Jo Gyu-Min handed over the towel he had prepared earlier.
While wiping away the water on his face, Kang Jin-Ho slightly lowered the window.
“Mister Gyu-Min, please take me to Seongnam.”

“Should I drive to the Capital Hospital?”

“Yes.
Please.” Kang Jin-Ho nodded.

Jo Gyu-Min rummaged through his inner pocket, then pulled out a black cigarette case to present it to Kang Jin-Ho.

“What's this?” Kang Jin-Ho narrowed his eyes.

“Cigarettes.
They're new to the market, Mister Jin-Ho.
Have a smoke.”

Kang Jin-Ho wordlessly stared at the case for a second, then opened its lid and extracted a cigarette.
It felt like the inside of his head instantly went blank and dull as soon as he lit the cigarette and deeply inhaled the smoke.

“We'll be departing now,” said Jo Gyu-Min as he turned the ignition on.

The car accelerated away, and the acrid cigarette smoke was sucked out of the open gap in the window.
Kang Jin-Ho's expressionless, withdrawn eyes silently stared at the trails of smoke left behind.

1.
“Hell Joseon” is a common slang term in South Korea to denote how hellishly “competitive” it is in the country.
Joseon was a Korean kingdom that existed before the Japanese Occupation. ☜