Hoarding In Hell [EN]: Chapter 291

291. The Ninth (3)

Adam Fault wore an absurd expression. Of course, Hyeon-woo thought he would.

“Master? You?”

“There are many dogs, but there aren’t many I really want.”

Hyeon-woo said, spraying potion on his arm and drinking it.

“I have to get what I want. If there’s no owner, I don’t need to feel guilty, right?”

At that moment, Adam Fault burst into laughter. It was a sonorous laugh.

It seemed like a pleasant laugh, but it soon turned into a wild roar, a roar that shook the very ground.

“Kkyaeng!”

Only then did Yerddan, who had been fast asleep, jump up. He immediately snatched Hyeon-woo and pulled him back.

A powerful force centered on Adam Fault pressed down on the area. It felt like an invisible, enormous power was crushing the ground.

With each laugh, Adam Fault’s form twisted and writhed madly.

It was already hard to find any trace of human form.

[Kang Hyeon-woo.]

Black and ominous energy swirled, enough to obscure even the red sky.

Hyeon-woo could barely stand due to the raging wind, flying dust, and rising whirlwinds everywhere.

[How do I look?]

Adam’s form was just a black silhouette, rippling towards the sky.

Hundreds of arms, hundreds of eyes, and even more legs forming roots.

The giant monster, shimmering like heat haze, shook its body as if dancing towards the sky.

Just looking at it made him nauseous. An ordinary person might have gone crazy.

Even as he was being dragged away by Yerddan, Hyeon-woo raised the corners of his mouth and shouted.

“It’s like a storm!”

Adam Fault burst into laughter once more.

Just her laughter seemed to overturn the sea and carve away mountains.

Hyeon-woo’s insides were shaken, and blood streamed out. Only then did he realize how much power Adam had been suppressing in front of him.

Hyeon-woo’s words were no different from saying he would put a leash on the storm and pat its head.

Hyeon-woo pushed Yerddan away. After all, this entire space was like Adam’s stomach.

[I am the monster of monsters, the king of kings, the head of all bizarre beings, the incarnation of Augustro.]

“Is it a habit for stars to introduce themselves grandly? Or did you learn it somewhere?”

Hyeon-woo grumbled, but Adam ignored him.

[I do not have subordinates. I do not enjoy service. I devour those who kneel and bow their heads, turning their souls and bodies into my power. I am the leader of all predators, the enemy of all vegetarians.]

Hyeon-woo thought he had misheard something in the last part. He pondered for a few seconds and decided he must have misheard.

[The representatives of the stars I have devoured are seven, and the number of apostles is forty-five.]

Adam lowered her massive body and looked down at Hyeon-woo.

[Whether that star is strong or weak, good or evil, if it obstructs my path, I bite and kill it. Not to mention a weak star like you. So why should I serve you as my master?]

“Because of the rule that you have to protect humanity?”

The sky split open at Hyeon-woo’s answer. Only then did Hyeon-woo realize that it was Adam’s smile. It was a smile that was chillingly overwhelming.

[Do you know how a dog protects its cherished bone?]

“…Well.”

[It digs a hole in the ground and buries it. And often forgets about it.]

Adam didn’t move. She didn’t even growl threateningly.

There was no need to.

Just facing her made Hyeon-woo feel like he was being buried. It was even hard to breathe.

[The promise has already been made, and if I really have the compulsion to protect you… I can create a somewhat stifling environment for you. An environment where no star can harm you.]

“I’m not a bone.”

Hyeon-woo said, looking up at Adam without knowing where to focus.

“I am the human you must serve. The only person who can prove that you are not a beast or a monster. Do you want to be demoted back to a beast?”

[Do as you please. It seems the successor of the promise has become overly self-conscious. You seem to be mistaking yourself for someone too great.]

Whirr, something intangible wrapped around Hyeon-woo’s body.

Hyeon-woo was instantly hung upside down and pulled into the air.

Murdurous forces that could crush his body at any moment were raging around him, and something as sharp as a razor blade was actually digging into his skin.

Adam spoke as if looking at a toy.

[You are nothing without Professor Keller’s orders. Humanity, morality, civilization. All of that is nothing if Professor Keller hadn’t taught me that they were precious.]

“But Maria Keller abandoned you.”

[Do you think so?]

Hyeon-woo thought he had hit a sore spot, but Adam said it as if she didn’t care.

[Do you think Professor Keller can abandon me? Humans are so funny. They take in a beast, teach it, and think they’ve tamed it by putting a leash on it. And when they don’t feed it and take off the leash, they think they’ve abandoned it.]

“Then what is this? If you obey Gaul, why am I still alive? I’m opposing Gaul.”

[I am not obeying Gaul’s representative. And the choice is made by me, not Gaul. No, not even Professor Keller.]

Adam Fault said with a sinister smile.

[Someday, I will tear off Gaul’s skin and rescue Professor Keller from within. Then I can be by her side again, following her orders. I can possess even her scolding, her insults, and her desperation.]

‘Oh my god.’

Hyeon-woo couldn’t help but groan inwardly.

This is a total pervert.

And he felt like he knew how Adam Fault had treated Gaul while he was unconscious.

He must have been chased away like a shattered and kicked dog.

Because he was a guy who dared to defile ‘Professor Keller’s orders.’

Adam had completely separated the shattering star and Maria Keller in her mind.

Because the shattering star had abandoned Adam Fault.

In her mind, Maria Keller and herself are inseparable, so the shattering star is not Maria Keller at the point of abandoning Adam Fault.

This miraculous logic was unfolding in real time.

It could be called the ‘dog owning the owner’ theory.

“You’re a real pervert.”

Hyeon-woo finally spoke out loud. At the same time, the corners of his mouth turned up wickedly.

“That’s why I like you even more. Won’t you be my dog?”

***

A silence ensued for a while. Even Adam Fault seemed to have lost words at Hyeon-woo’s words.

[There’s no remorse at all.]

“Why isn’t there any remorse? At first, it was a definitive imperative, but now it’s an invitation. It’s much more polite. No, but really, aren’t you going to be my dog? I feel like I’d be really reliable if I just had you.”

Whoosh. Hyeon-woo suddenly felt the force holding him disappear.

It was a height that could have broken his head, but Hyeon-woo soon landed softly on the sandy beach.

[You can’t become a master just by being stubborn.]

“Then what do I have to do? Do I have to become stronger than you?”

[I don’t even expect that, but even if you do, it has nothing to do with me.]

Adam’s massive body began to shrink. As Adam’s body, which had covered the area like a storm, shrank again, she looked somehow smaller and more tired than before.

Adam pondered something for a while before opening her mouth.

“Well, how about using some tricks?”

“Tricks?”

“I have no intention of ever abandoning Professor Keller.”

“Tricks?”

“You own Professor Keller.”

So, Adam’s words meant to smash the shattering star’s representative and bring them in as a subordinate.

“Are you telling me to stop talking nonsense and get lost?”

“It’ll be easier than bringing me in as a dog.”

Adam let out a low laugh. It wasn’t the wild laughter that shook his insides like before.

She staggered up from her crouched position.

“Hyeon-woo, from now on, I will only watch your fights. I have acted rationally for the first time in a long time, but I hope you don’t expect me to continue to do so. In the first place, the reason I didn’t interfere in your fights was because I was afraid you would become lazy and weak.”

“Can we meet again?”

“If you don’t get too attached.”

Adam said coldly. But it didn’t feel cold.

As expected, Hyeon-woo thought that this Adam Fault was much kinder than the Adam Fault of difficulty: normal.

The perversion might have gotten worse, though.

Adam turned to leave, then stopped again.

“Come to think of it, how far has your world progressed now?”

“I just conquered Cheonru and entered difficulty: normal. Why?”

Adam was silent for a moment. But she soon opened her mouth as if she had made up her mind.

“Of course, it won’t flow exactly the same as this world, but if you’re still serious about taming me.”

Adam’s bright yellow eyes, which had turned slightly, trembled.

“The Adam Fault in your world will be much easier to tame. Especially around that time.”

Hyeon-woo slightly opened his mouth and looked at Adam. But Adam didn’t look back and moved on.

At that moment, a gust of wind swept over Adam’s body. Adam’s body, which had been rippling like smoke, disappeared without a trace with the wind.

But the unstable atmosphere was still shaking the surroundings.

Hyeon-woo listened to the buzzing wind.

[And if you get a dog.]

Even after Adam disappeared, the wind was still whispering like lingering feelings.

[Never abandon it.]

***

UN Special Inspection Department Inspector Samuel Muller’s expression hardened as soon as he got off the elevator.

The atmosphere at Chrome Headquarters was much more chaotic than he had expected. The stove had been left unlit for a long time, and documents were scattered haphazardly everywhere.

Chrome agents were running around busily, investigating and preparing countermeasures for the aftermath of the difficulty increase.

The shock was even greater for Samuel, who remembered Chrome’s past.

It was a natural occurrence given the recent increase in difficulty, but even if all other government agencies in the world were in chaos, Chrome should not be.

“Professor Keller is inside.”

As soon as Samuel appeared, a tall woman approached him.

Adam Fault. Her face was also much thinner than before. Samuel was embarrassed by her appearance, which was quite different from what he remembered.

“Adam, how long has it been since you last ate?”

“…Come this way.”

Adam didn’t answer and led Samuel.

Chrome Headquarters itself was not very large, so there was no need to walk for long.

Most of the facilities were located in the agency affiliated with the Special Inspection Department, and only extremely important resources were processed here.

As soon as Adam knocked on the door, a loud shout was heard.

“Get out!”

“Professor. Inspector Samuel has arrived.”

“I said get out!”

Adam let out a long sigh and opened the door.

At that moment, a thick glass flew and hit Adam’s head. The glass shattered into pieces.

She could have blocked it with her ability, but she didn’t.

A drop of blood formed on her forehead.

“This is Inspector Samuel. He said he has met Professor Keller before.”

Adam reported without wiping away the flowing blood.

Samuel sighed as he looked at Maria Keller’s room. There was nothing left to be surprised about.

Empty bottles and broken glasses were scattered everywhere. Not to mention torn papers and trash.

Maria Keller glared at Adam with bloodshot eyes before slowly turning her gaze to Samuel.

“Get out.”

She wasn’t talking to Samuel. Adam silently closed the door and went outside.

Maria, left alone with Samuel, put a cigarette in her mouth. She tried to light it with a lighter, but her hands were shaking, making it difficult.

Then Samuel approached and lit the cigarette for her.

“Do you remember me? Professor Keller?”

“Of course.”

Professor Keller blew cigarette smoke into Samuel’s face.

“You’re the guy who tried to kill Adam as soon as we found him. If I hadn’t stopped you, you would have been killed by Adam instead. You have a lot of guts. How did you even think of walking here with Adam?”

“Haha. That’s all in the past.”

Samuel said, stroking his own face. At the same time, Maria’s face hardened.

The more Samuel rubbed his face, the more the color and shape peeled away from his face.

In the place where the color had disappeared as if it had been smeared, a colorless face as white as a Greek statue appeared.

Samuel’s kind smile disappeared, leaving only a blank face.

That mouth opened and closed.

“The plan has changed. Keller, why are you avoiding our meeting?”