Hoarding In Hell [EN]: Chapter 105

105. Welcome to Becoming a Monster (2)

“The Alliance will concentrate all its capabilities on the Champion. We chose Lee Ji-tae based on his character, courage, and abilities. If we pour the Alliance’s power into him, and he turns out to be dangerous, it would lead humanity to hell. Now that we’ve entered Difficulty: Easy, the remaining events will unfold like dominoes. Time is running out.”

“Isn’t that why you planted her with Lee Ji-tae?”

A presence to monitor Lee Ji-tae from the side and guide him in the right direction. Another Alliance member, Park Hwi-so, knew this.

“If I feel I’ve failed, you can just abandon me and use her to manipulate Lee Ji-tae as originally planned. Are you grilling me like this because you care about my opinion?”

The woman was silent. As Park Hwi-so said, Kang Hyun-woo was a remarkable individual. It was a waste to abandon him, which was why she was pressing Park Hwi-so.

To ascertain if he was certain in his assessment.

But while Kang Hyun-woo’s power was beyond imagination, he was unpredictable and uncontrollable. Park Hwi-so had long given up on understanding him.

The woman quietly opened her mouth.

“It seems you believe he can face the upcoming disasters without the Alliance’s help.”

“That’s not what I meant. Please don’t misunderstand.”

But the woman muttered coldly.

“I’m concerned you’re looking at Kang Hyun-woo and reminiscing about the old days.”

“What are you saying!”

Park Hwi-so stood up in anger. But the woman’s expression remained unchanged.

“Think back to your days before receiving guidance from the Teacher. Those vulgar and cruel times. If not for the Teacher, you would already be a corpse somewhere in a dungeon, or living a bug-like existence. I’m worried you’re longing for the days when you ruthlessly cut down the weak.”

“There’s no need to bring up how miserable my past was. Just having that past is miserable enough.”

Park Hwi-so slammed his staff on the floor. The building’s foundation trembled.

“I only think about one thing, as the Teacher taught me: a sustainable future for humanity.”

Park Hwi-so calmed down and began to speak persuasively.

“Consider this: is it really safe to concentrate the organization’s capabilities on one person? Wouldn’t we need insurance, just in case?”

Insurance.

The woman seemed to like that word.

Even if the organization’s total capabilities were focused, it was uncertain whether they could prepare for the future, but as Park Hwi-so said, it was better than having no insurance at all.

If Lee Ji-tae were to die or get injured for some reason, it would be too late to prepare then.

“…You’re right.”

Park Hwi-so breathed a sigh of relief.

“But it will be difficult to expect significant support from us. The value of that man’s Modified Moss [a substance or technology] is clear, so maintain the relationship continuously.”

“I don’t intend to ask for anything. Please give my regards to the Teacher.”

The woman disappeared without a reply. Park Hwi-so sighed again and buried himself in his chair.

Meeting and talking with that woman was more tiring than working all day.

It wasn’t always such a hostile relationship.

In fact, they had even had drinks together before meeting Kang Hyun-woo.

‘Everything around me is changing because of Kang Hyun-woo, that man.’

“Is that woman with the Alliance or whatever?”

“H-heok!”

Park Hwi-so jumped up in shock. But someone grabbed his shoulder and pressed him down.

“You were having an interesting conversation. Why don’t you explain it to me, step by step, old man?”

It was Kang Hyun-woo.

***

Park Hwi-so poured a drink with trembling hands and brought it over.

Hyun-woo sat on the desk and accepted the drink.

Park Hwi-so had always been confident that he had lived by his bold courage and judgment. But he had never felt such shock as he did now.

“Don’t be so surprised, old man. I feel bad that you’re shaking so much.”

“How long…”

The door was closed, and it was certain that no one was in the room.

Even if he hadn’t noticed, the woman who was in the room with him should have noticed Hyun-woo.

But the fact that the woman hadn’t said anything meant that she hadn’t noticed Hyun-woo either.

“I recently acquired an interesting item. I dropped by since I was in the neighborhood, but I didn’t expect to see such an interesting scene.”

Hyun-woo only answered that and didn’t explain further.

Park Hwi-so examined Hyun-woo’s attire. He didn’t know where he had come from, but his clothes were torn and soaked in blood. He also smelled strongly of gunpowder.

He might be able to hide his appearance, but there was no way he could hide such a strong smell. Park Hwi-so felt more and more bewildered.

“And the explanation should be given by you, not me.”

“…That woman is indeed a member of the Alliance. She’s one of the few Alliance members I know and can contact.”

“I see.”

Hyun-woo smiled and said.

“Well, I’ll look into that separately, so that’s that. What do you mean by using me as a substitute for Lee Ji-tae?”

“It was just a way to get through the situation. I thought it would be better to have me, who is still clinging on, rather than you, who has cut ties with both the Alliance and Tae-sung. The Alliance is still weighing Lee Ji-tae and you, so I was trying to add more weight.”

“The Alliance’s Champion?”

He had heard even that far.

Park Hwi-so had secretly hoped that Hyun-woo had only joined the conversation at the end, but at this point, he had no choice but to assume that he had heard the entire conversation.

“…Among the ability users, there is a being referred to as ‘Teacher.’ This person’s name and face are unknown, but many members of the Alliance owe them more than their lives. I am the same.”

Park Hwi-so sighed and continued to explain the Alliance.

“As many ability users predicted, the Teacher believed that the dungeon difficulty would increase. The difference is that the Teacher was preparing for that situation more actively than anyone else. Not just blocking one or two dungeon floods, but preparing for an all-out war for the entire human race.”

Hyun-woo’s expression hardened slightly. It was in line with Hyun-woo’s plan.

Currently, humanity only thinks of dungeons as a report of new ecosystems, resources, and technology.

They only judge dungeons based on economic feasibility and don’t think of them as a real threat at all.

By the time they realize the problem, it will be too late.

That’s why Hyun-woo was planning to take control of humanity as a whole before that situation arose.

But there was someone who was already preparing for that situation?

‘Does he already know about Difficulty: Hell?’

The fact that Lee Ji-tae had said something strange might have been because he had heard similar hints from the Alliance.

It is certain that Hyun-woo is the only one in Difficulty: Hell. The title given by the system, not anything else, proves it.

But there’s no guarantee that no one else knows that ‘information.’

In the first place, Hyun-woo only knew about it after receiving the Return Stone from his father.

“The Teacher wants to concentrate the Alliance’s total capabilities on someone who can become the representative of humanity. The Alliance calls this being the Champion.”

“Are you sure you don’t know the name of that Teacher?”

Park Hwi-so looked distressed. He pleaded with Hyun-woo.

“Kang Hyun-woo, I have sworn allegiance to you, but the Teacher is my benefactor. He made me, a bug-like creature, into someone who can function as a human being. Even if I die, I cannot do anything that would harm the Teacher.”

“Even if you die?”

Hyun-woo asked, repeating those words.

Park Hwi-so raised his head and looked at Hyun-woo. Hyun-woo was smiling coldly.

“Can you take responsibility for those words, old man? I don’t need a dog who tries to serve his master appropriately. In fact, considering what you said earlier about putting me as insurance for Lee Ji-tae, I think it’s time for a loyalty test.”

Hyun-woo pulled out the Black Hand Dagger. The dagger, which appeared like a mist, was placed in front of Park Hwi-so, scattering ominous energy.

“Show me some resolve. Then I won’t ask any further.”

Park Hwi-so looked at Hyun-woo with trembling eyes. What did he want? To die, or to reveal something about the Teacher? He had to choose one.

The debt he owed to the Teacher was a debt he could never repay. Park Hwi-so could not sell out the Teacher.

But not following Hyun-woo’s words meant that his relationship with him would end completely here.

‘I can’t let that happen.’

Park Hwi-so grabbed the dagger. He thought that if Hyun-woo didn’t want a corpse, he wouldn’t stop him. But Hyun-woo gestured as if to hurry him up.

Looking at those emotionless eyes, Park Hwi-so felt that he had no intention of stopping him at all.

‘He’s a monster.’

Park Hwi-so closed his eyes tightly.

‘…But I chose that monster.’

To fulfill the Teacher’s will.

“I hope this proves my loyalty to you.”

Park Hwi-so forcefully plunged the knife towards his neck.

At that moment, something grabbed his hand. Hyun-woo had grabbed his hand.

Park Hwi-so felt cold sweat all over his body, and barely felt it cooling down.

Did he prove it with this? But when he opened his eyes, Hyun-woo’s eyes were still inorganic.

“You’re serious, old man.”

At that moment, Hyun-woo pushed Park Hwi-so’s hand with all his might. The Black Hand Dagger mercilessly pierced his throat.

Blood poured into his throat.

***

“I don’t know if I had to do this, but I hope you don’t feel too bad.”

When Park Hwi-so opened his eyes again, he couldn’t understand what had happened.

Park Hwi-so fumbled and touched his neck. There was no wound on his neck, which had clearly been pierced by a knife. But something had changed.

“Something’s different, right?”

Park Hwi-so answered with a groan.

“I feel much younger… and healthier.”

No, it wasn’t just health. Park Hwi-so checked his level.

[Park Hwi-so (LV 42)]

His level had increased.

It had been more than a few years since he had reached the limit level as a 3-star and stayed there. But his level had increased. It meant that his grade had risen.

Park Hwi-so looked at Hyun-woo as if he couldn’t understand. Hyun-woo had clearly stabbed him in the neck. But such a change?

“I didn’t know because it was the first time I’ve taken a human as a subordinate, but it’s a little different from other monsters. Anyway, it’s good that the result is good.”

Hearing Hyun-woo’s smiling voice, Park Hwi-so realized that he had intended to do this from the beginning.

“Did you intend to do this from the beginning?”

“It was difficult to figure out how to persuade you. Well, at least this appropriate opportunity arose.”

Hyun-woo roughly wiped the blood-stained Black Hand Dagger on his clothes and made it disappear into his hand.

“I also considered the situation where you would stab me or run away to protect the Teacher or whatever. If that had happened, you wouldn’t have been able to come back to life now.”

Hyun-woo raised Park Hwi-so’s chin, who was still sitting on the floor.

“It’s okay if you don’t tell me about the Teacher. Now you are completely mine. When the day comes when I’m really curious about the Teacher… you’ll tell me yourself, right?”

Looking at Hyun-woo, who was smiling eerily, Park Hwi-so realized that he was now completely subordinate to Hyun-woo, and that his life and death, and every single action, were in his grasp.

Hyun-woo spread his arms as if he was excited and summoned his subordinates.

From goblins to ratmen to werewolves. Park Hwi-so was increasingly losing his words as he watched the monsters fill his room.

“I have something I want to entrust to you right away. First of all, this friend, this Lycanthrope [a werewolf or shapeshifter] is called Yerdansk, but you can shorten it to Yerdan. Please make him more human-like. Oh, he may look like this, but he’s actually small and delicate.”

“Human-like…?”

“Oh, and I need to draw some blood. Doctor Dowonkyung asked me to. I don’t need much. He said it was just for simple proof. Oh, I forgot that before.”

Park Hwi-so was increasingly unsure if he had made the right choice. Was this person who commanded and controlled these monsters really human?

Did I bring in a stronger monster to fight against the monsters?

Wasn’t this the situation the Alliance was worried about?

But the moment he heard Hyun-woo’s greeting, he realized that he could no longer turn back.

“Welcome to becoming a monster, old man!”

Because he had already become one with them.