Hoarding In Hell [EN]: Chapter 329

329. Get Lost (2)

“Anything to say?”

The caramel in his mouth felt a bit awkward, but Hyun-woo decided to wait a moment.

Without Isaiah Rhen’s help, he would never have been able to return.

Listening to a few words was not difficult at all.

“First of all, congratulations on your earlier-than-expected return. The Stars must find you quite unlucky.”

“It’s something I’m confident in. Something I’m good at.”

The man who had received the Stars and turned his back had left with fervent hope for the future of all mankind, but Hyun-woo was cursed, scorned, and hated, and was driven out.

What did it matter either way?

As long as the result was good.

“So, what did you want to say?”

At those words, Isaiah Rhen smiled and raised his hand.

“This return stone is a bit different.”

Following Isaiah Rhen’s gesture, the return stone in front of Hyun-woo’s chest floated up.

It was much smaller and had a simpler design than the return stone Hyun-woo had possessed before.

“This time, the Stars created the return stone with the purpose of banishing you. Since you were already an existence from the outside world, the power and process weren’t very difficult. It’s just returning you to your original world. However, it is faithful to one purpose.”

The return stone had a circle in the shape of an O drawn on it.

“This isn’t a Star that has turned its back. It’s literally a return stone. Kang Hyun-woo will now return to his original world. The Stars created it to banish you, but… I’ll do you a personal favor.”

Isaiah Rhen swiped his finger across the O-shaped circle, erasing half of it to make a C shape.

“Now, this return stone can only be used one more time.”

“Only once?”

“It’s been three years.”

Isaiah Rhen silently stared at Hyun-woo as he spoke.

“No one knows what has happened in your world in the past three years. Something terribly awful might have happened, or perhaps the same tragedy as this world is unfolding. But Kang Hyun-woo is already used to this place. No, after three years, it might be right to call you a resident of this place.”

“So, if it’s too hard to bear, use it again to come back, is that it?”

“That’s right.”

Hyun-woo quickly noticed the hidden meaning in Isaiah Rhen’s words. It wasn’t just a simple favor.

“If you’re going to cause the end, do it here, is that what you’re saying?”

“There’s no need for your world to follow the same path.”

Isaiah Rhen was worried that Kang Hyun-woo would become a Star of the Apocalypse, just like Teacher.

“No, to be honest, I think this half-baked world needs to be completely finished. The apocalypse started and stopped halfway, making it even more dangerous. This is the first time we’ve encountered a case like this, so we don’t know what to do.”

“Well… I don’t think I will, but thanks anyway.”

It wasn’t an unnecessary consideration. Anyway, there might be a time when it’s needed.

“Ah, and.”

Isaiah Rhen turned his head and spoke to the back.

“There are people who want to say goodbye to you.”

Someone appeared behind him.

The first to appear was Lee Seo-yeon, the agent of the Whispering Star.

***

“In the end, I couldn’t put you in my harem.”

Lee Seo-yeon was dressed in a suit, like a CEO of a normal large corporation.

The Difficulty Increase Hell seemed to have avoided her. However, her name tag was a bit unique.

Chairman Lee Seo-yeon of Taesung Group.

As far as Hyun-woo knew, Lee Seo-yeon had not been able to take the position of chairman until the very end.

‘Anyway, Taesung Group probably doesn’t even exist anymore.’

“What, it might be the last time we see each other, and you’re just staring at my chest?”

“It’s not your chest, it’s your name tag.”

When Hyun-woo retorted without a hint of agitation, Lee Seo-yeon crossed her arms with an annoyed expression.

“Well, whatever. We’re not close enough to say goodbye nicely and shed tears anyway.”

He had definitely been involved with the Whispering Star in many ways, and in some ways, he had grown fond of her.

They had even owed each other their lives, and they had interacted more than with other Stars.

This was partly because both of them were weak in this Difficulty: Hell.

Even so, it was only a business relationship established for a purpose.

Lee Seo-yeon knew that their relationship would remain the same no matter how far it went.

And that this Kang Hyun-woo was not the Kang Hyun-woo she knew.

“If I had known that earlier, I wouldn’t have bothered trying to seduce you…”

“What are you muttering to yourself?”

Lee Seo-yeon returned to a businesslike attitude, stared at Hyun-woo, and opened her mouth.

“Let’s make a deal, Kang Hyun-woo.”

Even in the midst of the world’s destruction, she was facing Hyun-woo with the attitude of a corporate chairman.

“A deal?”

“As you know, I’ve invested a lot in you. And I helped with this return. But I don’t feel like I’ve been properly compensated?”

Hyun-woo chuckled.

Even that tenacious, starving Star had tried to get his debt settled with him, only to end up in that state.

But Lee Seo-yeon was still insisting on getting her debt back.

However, she had no intention of ending up like the Starving Star.

“What, should I give you some of the items I have?”

“I don’t need that junk. I invested in you to turn things around in one shot.”

Lee Seo-yeon hesitated for a moment before opening her mouth.

“There’s something of mine that went to your world. Send it back.”

Lee Seo-yeon approached Hyun-woo and whispered in his ear.

Hyun-woo’s eyes widened for a moment, but it was a reasonable offer.

It didn’t seem too difficult, so Hyun-woo nodded.

“Okay. Well, if you want.”

“Good.”

Lee Seo-yeon stepped back with a satisfied expression.

“Then, let’s not see each other again. Kang Hyun-woo.”

Lee Seo-yeon’s figure disappeared.

And immediately after that, Hyun-woo discovered a bizarre form of beast shimmering like a mirage.

The beast was in the form of all kinds of animals, then it became a form that combined all of them, then it became nothing at all, and finally, it arrived in front of Hyun-woo in the form of Adam Holt.

“You really did it. Kang Hyun-woo. I don’t think I helped much.”

“No… to be honest, if you had helped me, it would have been harder to clean up the mess.”

Adam Holt smiled, raising the corners of his mouth.

‘He even smiles.’

Difficulty: Hell’s Adam Holt definitely seemed freer from constraints than Difficulty: Normal’s Adam Holt.

‘Is it because he gets kicked around like a ball every time he meets Maria Keller?’

It was a reasonable reason.

Hyun-woo thought about the prescription he would give Adam Holt when he returned to Difficulty: Normal.

As if understanding Hyun-woo’s thoughts, Adam Holt opened his mouth.

“Was I a loyal dog in Difficulty: Normal?”

“Oh, yeah. You listened well. You even carried out the order to skewer the owner without questioning it. I was hoping you would hesitate a little.”

“Well, if that owner was Maria Keller, I would never have done anything to hurt her. In that respect, you might be more of an owner than she is.”

What Hyun-woo coveted was Difficulty: Hell’s Adam Holt, but he had now given up. She was already a complete being in herself.

Even if it was a twisted and misaligned shape, a finished product was a finished product.

It was fortunate that he could covet even a half-finished piece.

“By the way… the owner of the return stone wasn’t Lee Ji-tae?”

“Yeah. Everyone seems to have been deceived by Lee Ji-tae.”

“Yeah. We were completely deceived. I knew there were one or two strange things about it.”

Adam Holt was silent for a moment. But she soon nodded and continued.

“But it’s Lee Ji-tae. We trusted Lee Ji-tae and entrusted him with the return stone, so it’s up to Lee Ji-tae who he gives it to and how he uses it. He must have made the right decision. However…”

Adam Holt tapped Hyun-woo’s return stone and said.

“I’d like to meet that person who accepted the Star that turned its back. I’d like to have a serious conversation. What were you thinking, sending such a selfish madman like Kang Hyun-woo into this world?”

Hyun-woo laughed.

Adam Holt turned his back as if that was enough.

It seemed that he still didn’t like to say long goodbyes. But Hyun-woo didn’t forget one thing he was curious about.

“Adam Holt, what color dog collar do you like?”

“Gold. Something flashy decorated in a Middle Eastern style.”

Adam Holt answered, raising his middle finger behind his back.

Soon her figure disappeared.

In the place where Adam disappeared, Maria Keller appeared this time. She was still in the form of shattering crystal.

She didn’t say anything, just silently stared at Hyun-woo, and disappeared without leaving a greeting or a curse.

The genius who had planned the ‘best future’ even before Teacher had to accept hell so calmly. That was her best.

No one appeared after that.

This was all the relationships that Hyun-woo had built in hell.

The rest only cursed, scorned, or hated Hyun-woo.

If there were even familiars, it would have been different, but after the Star that turned its back was destroyed, it was impossible to summon familiars.

Perhaps Kirson, Kazat, Yerdan, and Ha-hyun were all left in Difficulty: Normal.

‘I only used the newly created familiars.’

But, there was still one opponent Hyun-woo had to meet.

Hyun-woo called out the name of the opponent who didn’t show himself until the end.

“Lenian.”

***

“Master.”

Hyun-woo felt a light weight pressing down on his head. Without any warning, Lenian was sitting on his shoulder as if riding piggyback.

“Are you going too, Master?”

Her voice was very dejected. It sounded like she would burst into tears at any moment.

“Aren’t you and I one and the same?”

“That’s not a Star of the Apocalypse.”

Lenian said, pulling on Hyun-woo’s hair.

“I can’t show myself in front of Master. Unless you forcibly tear me out and take me out, like when the previous master was here. And only the master can do that.”

Hyun-woo liked Lenian, but he didn’t want to see her face that much.

Probably anyone in the world would feel the same way.

In other words, even though a conversation might be possible, this was the last time Lenian could show herself in front of Hyun-woo.

Hyun-woo also knew what Lenian desperately wanted.

Lenian doesn’t want Hyun-woo to stay. She wants Hyun-woo to hold hands and laugh happily while destroying the world.

But Hyun-woo couldn’t give Lenian what she wanted.

And if Hyun-woo leaves, the end will never come.

The masterless beast will sadly guard that place forever.

“Um… Lenian.”

Hyun-woo didn’t know what kind of expression Lenian, who was riding piggyback, was making, but he carefully opened his mouth.

“I never abandon my dogs.”

“Dog?”