Hoarding In Hell [EN]: Chapter 242

242. Star of Hell (9)

The white man smiled.

“I didn’t originally intend to tell you that far… but since you seem to already know, I’ll tell you. Yes. That’s right. The apocalypse will not restart.”

I knew it. I had been guessing as much.

There was no sense of obligation in the promise, and Xuan Wu had already been killed countless times by other monsters.

Besides, there was no one to enforce the promise.

What stopped the Agents’ movements was a vague fear.

Even that was only tentatively touched after Xuan Wu appeared, decades later.

“Whether the Agents broke the promise or not, the apocalypse would have remained stopped. Right?”

“That’s right.”

Humanity had deceived the stars at the last moment. Or, more accurately, they exploited their own fears.

Even if the Agents were chosen by the stars, their essence came from humans.

The last remaining humans showed them that the apocalypse was actually stopped, instilling the fear that breaking the promise might restart it.

Thanks to that, Xuan Wu had time to grow.

In fact, Xuan Wu hadn’t conceded anything, so it could be said that he had taken a unilateral advantage.

“But the apocalypse never completely stops. Nor does it completely disappear. If you had really chosen to become the Star of the Apocalypse, the apocalypse would have restarted.”

Xuan Wu’s threat to the stars wasn’t entirely empty.

Of course, Xuan Wu had no intention of doing so.

But the white man’s words were tantamount to saying that the apocalypse started because there was a Star of the Apocalypse.

And now it no longer exists.

“The ‘promise’ that humanity made at the end… was it to eliminate the Star of the Apocalypse?”

Eliminate the Star of the Apocalypse and stop the apocalypse.

That was all Xuan Wu could understand.

Apart from the promise, the fact that the apocalypse had completely stopped could be understood in that light.

“It’s right and wrong.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

The white man closed his mouth there and smiled. Xuan Wu felt that he would not answer any more.

“Let’s stop here. You said it was the last question, but you’re asking too many questions.”

“Does it cost money to answer?”

The white man gave a neat smile and stood up.

“What I was originally going to tell you is about the power of the stars. Kang Xuan Wu’s curiosity is natural, but anything beyond this is beyond my discretion to answer. It was fun to play along, but if I tell you all the answers, wouldn’t the people who made the riddles feel embarrassed?”

“Riddles?”

The white man ignored Xuan Wu’s question and continued his words.

“Kang Xuan Wu has now become a star. You will live as a completely different being than before. Your existence is based on your subordinates and territory, and you will become stronger in proportion to that. Of course, if Kang Xuan Wu becomes stronger, your subordinates will also be affected.”

The white man turned the tablecloth.

As the tablecloth turned, Xuan Wu’s gaze naturally followed, and the blackened Earth came into view.

Among the black sewers, a particularly red land stood out like a dot.

“Even among that small remaining land, only a tiny part is your territory. The minimum safety zone that humans left behind while demanding a promise. Now, it will be eroded in an instant.”

The white man lifted the tablecloth and wrapped it around Xuan Wu’s head.

The moment the tablecloth covered his body like a shroud, Xuan Wu felt his body sinking deeply again.

It felt like something terribly heavy was pressing down on his whole body. He couldn’t move at all.

The heaviness of the flesh was felt again.

The white man’s whisper was heard.

“I don’t know if your choice to choose selfish hope instead of humble doom was wise. I will watch whether your light shines brightly, or burns hotly and disappears like a candle.”

***

Xuan Wu opened his eyes.

A pungent yet familiar smell permeated the tip of his nose.

Difficulty: It was the unique toxic fine dust smell of hell.

Xuan Wu felt a slight headache but got up from his seat.

Then something that had been placed on his chest fell with a thud. It was a new, unopened box of caramels.

The surface of the box was scribbled with writing.

[Personal compensation for ‘Humanity’.]

‘Was it that pale guy?’

Xuan Wu was dumbfounded but opened the box. He looked around, smelled it, but there was nothing wrong. It was ordinary caramel.

It seemed good to think of it as compensation for humanity, which had produced a star through a promise.

It was absurd that it was just caramel, but there was no reason to refuse.

Xuan Wu unwrapped a caramel and threw it into his mouth.

Along with the sweet juice, a sense of relief washed over him that he had finally cleared the quest.

The sight of the devastated intersection came into view.

It was already a ruin-like place, but it looked even more chaotic, as if something had happened while he was hiding underground.

‘Did I die and come back to life?’

He didn’t know what had happened while he was dragged away by the white man, but that seemed likely.

Or it could mean that he died as a human and was reborn as a star.

Anyway, Xuan Wu examined his body condition.

Then he suddenly noticed that the pattern on the back of his right hand had grown much larger and darker.

The pattern that started on the back of his hand was now encroaching up to his right upper arm.

Moreover, even without particularly drawing up power, a purple aura was faintly burning.

Just like the stars that shone in their own colors.

The pattern was a small but complete star.

“Hmm.”

Xuan Wu looked at the pattern strangely, as if he were looking at a third arm that had suddenly sprouted.

Suddenly, Xuan Wu spotted a small mosquito on the ground.

The mosquito was staring at Xuan Wu without moving.

Xuan Wu reached out to it.

Originally, unless the other party swore allegiance, he had to kill them to bring them into his fold.

But the mosquito’s red stripes turned purple and flew towards Xuan Wu.

The process was so natural that it felt like he was moving his own hand.

‘A star can subdue weak monsters that can belong to its faction.’

That was the principle by which apostles and agents could control monsters as a matter of course.

Of course, there were limits, just as there were limits to the faction.

But Xuan Wu’s control over his faction, which was completed as a star, was several times greater than before.

Xuan Wu injected toxic blood into the mosquito.

Usually, only a very small number of mosquitoes could absorb Xuan Wu’s toxic blood and be revived to possess his blood, but now it simply became a mosquito with toxic blood naturally.

‘A star can inject instincts and powers into its subordinates.’

This was the reason why those included under the star’s faction had similar abilities and similar thoughts.

In the end, the stars could only be unified under a single ideology and power.

Xuan Wu watched the mosquito move naturally according to his will.

Now, the mosquito would live going back and forth between the instinct Xuan Wu had planted and its own instincts.

Then Xuan Wu felt a change in the mosquito.

The purple pattern gradually faded, trying to return to its original red pattern.

It seemed to be trying to return as if it had belatedly realized that Xuan Wu was not its master.

But Xuan Wu had no intention of easily letting go of what he had brought into his faction.

Just before the mosquito escaped from the faction, Xuan Wu moved his hand in an instant and grabbed the mosquito.

Thud, blood oozed from Xuan Wu’s hand.

‘A star can absorb power from its subordinates.’

The moment he killed the mosquito, he felt the power he had given and some of the power the mosquito had flowing into his body.

The remaining remnants crumbled and disappeared.

It was very weak, but he felt his overall power rising on a different principle than experience.

‘What am I, some kind of demon king?’

To use his subordinates to the fullest and absorb them was an act so vicious that even Xuan Wu was surprised.

‘It would be useful as an emergency potion.’

Of course, it wasn’t like he wasn’t going to use it.

Come to think of it, it was similar to ‘blood of the hungry,’ which was part of the characteristics of toxic blood.

That only filled his stamina and mana because he had to eat it completely, so Xuan Wu’s ability could be said to be a more evolved version.

‘And…….’

“Boss?”

***

Suddenly, a voice calling Xuan Wu from behind was heard. Kirson, with a surprised expression, was approaching.

It was the first time he had met him since becoming a star, so he wondered if anything had changed, but other than the fact that he had grown a little taller, there didn’t seem to be any major changes.

“No, Boss. Where have you been all this time?”

“Why?”

“You suddenly disappeared on the day the apostles attacked, so we were so embarrassed. Did you go to the world of Difficulty: Easy? You didn’t even call me… Did you come back from there?”

“No. Well, it’s annoying to explain, but anyway, there were unavoidable circumstances. But how much time has passed?”

“It’s been about a week. It’s not that long, but the stars caused such a mess, so I was so nervous.”

A week? Xuan Wu was horrified to hear that so much time had passed when it seemed like he had only seen the white man for a short time.

A week was enough time for the shelter to be devastated. But Kirson and the area around the intersection seemed strangely quiet.

“It seems like the war hasn’t broken out yet.”

“It’s the calm before the storm. Everyone is gathering their forces on a large scale right now. This place is the center, so there’s a high probability that it will soon become a battlefield. We’re preparing to evacuate, keeping anything that might be beneficial. Ha Hyun is in command.”

“Ha Hyun? Ha Hyun isn’t the commander type.”

“Oh, to be exact, there’s someone helping her from the side… Anyway, you’ll know when you see it.”

Kirson seemed eager to take Xuan Wu down to the shelter.

He seemed anxious about the ground, constantly glancing around.

Well, it’s natural since the intersection is no longer a safe zone like before.

Xuan Wu followed Kirson, then suddenly grabbed his hand.

“What, what is it, suddenly?”

“Wait a minute.”

Xuan Wu recalled the pattern that had been embedded in Kirson’s hand a long time ago.

Kirson is neither an apostle nor an agent. But he had a pattern.

Perhaps anyone could have the pattern itself.

The decision of whether or not to be recognized by the star would determine whether or not they would become more than just a member of the faction.

“……How long are you going to hold it? I thought the boss might be into that kind of thing…….”

“There was something I took from you a long time ago,” Xuan Wu interrupted Kirson.

“You’ve done enough. So I’ll give back what I took.”

Xuan Wu very naturally carved out a fragment from his star and planted it back in Kirson’s hand.

A new pattern began to appear on the back of Kirson’s hand.

Kirson looked at his hand in surprise.

The pattern, similar to Xuan Wu’s, was shining with a purple light similar to crystal moss.

“Boss, this is…….”

And at the same time, Kirson’s appearance suddenly began to change.

His whole body grew rapidly, becoming larger and leaner.
Hair like a lion’s mane grew around his neck, and long horns sprouted from his forehead.

His entire hand became sharp like a dagger, and a purple aura rose from each joint.

After completing the transformation, Kirson cracked his neck.

He was about the same height as Xuan Wu, but he seemed like he would be taller if he straightened his back, as he was slightly hunched over.

“……What is it?”

“……That’s what I want to say, Boss.”

Kirson looked at Xuan Wu with a bewildered expression. Kirson looked at his body and said.

“Oh, to be honest, this is my original form. To be exact, it’s the form I had when I belonged to the star that conquers. From here on out, I’m not a goblin, I’m an imp. It refers to those who have been chosen by a transcendent being among goblins to serve. In fact, they’re errand runners or small fries.”

Kirson said with a pleased smile.

“Still, I’ve surpassed my birth race. Only I can do this. If I grow more from here, I’ll get wings and my horns will get bigger, but I’m not greedy for that yet.”

“Do the other guys become like that too?”

“If the boss is willing to give that much power.”

Kirson said, looking at his right hand with the pattern embedded in it.

“……But it seems like I’ve become the boss’s first apostle.”