Hoarding In Hell [EN]: Chapter 106

106. Monster and Prey (1)

Yu-min closed the book.

Looking around, she noticed stacks of theses, data collections, and books piled up everywhere in the room.

They were all books about mana studies, dungeons, and ability users. And her computer contained even more documents and videos than what was visible.

It felt like it had been just under a month since she followed Hyun-mu into the fallout shelter, but she had already turned it into her own research lab. Yu-min wondered how much of the knowledge in these books she had truly absorbed.

If she were to be modest, about 90%. If she were to brag a little, about 95%.

Of course, when it comes to knowledge, once you surpass 90%, you have to risk your life to raise it by even 1%.

But Yu-min was confident that she stood at the forefront of the mana studies field in this scientific warzone.

It was clear that Hyun-mu was at the forefront of dungeon exploration. But she was definitely at the forefront in a different sense. However, she had been stuck in the same place for years.

‘I wish I could just focus on beating the monsters in front of me like Oppa [an honorific term for older brother or male friend],’ she thought.

Of course, others might think that was easy to say, but the hardship one faces always seems the hardest, and the hardships of others seem easy. And Yu-min judged that she had done as much as she could.

Yu-min brought a large sack and swept all the books into it. After filling it with as many books as it could hold without tearing, she dragged it to the open space in front of the fallout shelter.

Snow was piled high in the open space. Because Hyun-mu hadn’t been around for days, the only traces were Yu-min’s.

She cleared a spot in the snow and dumped the books out.

After repeating this several times, her body, lacking in exercise, was drenched in sweat, and she was able to gather most of the documents.

Yu-min brought an oil drum from the boiler room and poured it all over the pile. Then she lit it.

The flames blazed fiercely. Yu-min belatedly thought, ‘Oh, the fire code,’ but she actually knew. She was just pretending to realize it late.

Her career path was the same.

She already knew that her career path had been ruined from the moment she left Director Do Won-kyung.

Yu-min squatted in front of the burning books and took out a cigarette. It was the first cigarette she had taken out since declaring her separation from Dowonkyung.

She lit the cigarette, but didn’t inhale. She just stared blankly at the flames until it was all burned up.

“Hmm.”

Yu-min quietly sighed.

“Well, I’m smart, so I’ll be able to find a way to make a living.”

***

“Director Do Won-kyung.”

Do Won-kyung entered the lab and stopped when she spotted Hyun-mu.

It was the first time she had seen Hyun-mu come into her lab before she called him, and sit there so docilely, like a sick cat.

“I want to ask for some advice.”

Hyun-mu’s eyes widened. Do Won-kyung chuckled and sat down across from Hyun-mu.

“If an arrogant man who acted like he had everything suddenly acts like a sick cat, it’s obviously a woman problem. What is it? Did you get a diagnosis of erectile dysfunction or something?”

“Do you hate me that much?”

“Let’s see, there’s definitely not a single pretty thing about you… Let’s get a detailed diagnosis later to see if there’s anything pretty about you.”

Hyun-mu frowned, but there was no one else to get advice from other than Do Won-kyung.

“So, what’s the problem?”

“Yu-min has suddenly become strange.”

“What? More than now? Did she finally start human experimentation or something?”

“I wish it were something like that. Then I would gladly bring her test subjects secretly. It’s not that, she suddenly started cooking. She also cleans her room, tidies up the house. She even started doing interior design… People say it’s not good when someone does things they never used to do, right?”

Do Won-kyung’s expression darkened.

“That certainly seems serious.”

“The most serious thing is that she threw away all her books. All those books and papers that were packed on the bookshelf. And she doesn’t go to school either. But she won’t tell me what the problem is.”

Do Won-kyung’s expression twisted slightly. She seemed displeased but didn’t say anything else.

“I see.”

“Do you have any idea what’s going on?”

“I have a rough idea. I think I know why she’s not telling you. It’s not a problem that you can do anything about.”

Hyun-mu didn’t think so. If he thought about self-regulation regarding conscience, morality, and law a little more broadly, there was nothing he couldn’t do.

“Why don’t you tell me anyway?”

“Well, to put it simply, the academic world is almost divided in half right now, and Yu-min is caught up in a kind of factional fight: whether to attack Do Won-kyung, the peerless genius doctor, or to stand on her side. A genius has many enemies.”

“I think you’d have a lot of enemies even if you weren’t a genius, Director.”

“Anyway, that means I’m a genius, right? Thanks. This factionalism isn’t something I tried to create from the beginning, and there are some complicated circumstances. It’s not like there’s only one or two theories or papers that have been ruined because of me. Even ten years ago, I was young. I used to pick fights with anyone, no matter who they were.”

“Don’t talk like you’re not doing that now.”

“Now there’s no one to pick a fight with, and no one to pick on, because I’m at the top. And that’s why I’m the head of the Sejong Research Institute, not the Minister of Ability. Anyway, when I was like a crazy dog biting anyone… Yu-min was my best soldier, no, student. Well, it’s natural since she’s my daughter.”

Hyun-mu was silent for a moment. What did she just say?

“Daughter?”

“Huh? Didn’t Yu-min tell you?”

“Her personality… no, when I saw you before, it felt like you were worse than enemies, not mother and daughter.”

“Some families are worse than strangers, Hyun-mu.”

Hyun-mu knows that too. More than anyone.

“And she looks more like her dad than me. Unlike me, he was a person with almost no enemies. Yu-min liked her dad more than me too. Well, then one day, her dad suddenly died in a dungeon, and I was so busy fighting in the academic world that I didn’t even turn on my phone. Well, she completely turned her back on me because of that.”

Do Won-kyung scratched her head with a pen and said,

“Well, people like me have to struggle several times more to survive in this field. Maybe I’m the type who shouldn’t make a family from the beginning. I don’t even believe in the concept of maternal love. Still, it felt good to see Yu-min grow up learning from me and her dad. But, hmm. After she came to my lab, I could see that she was getting worn out… When she said she was leaving, I thought it was a good thing.”

Do Won-kyung stared straight at Hyun-mu and opened her mouth.

“She looked much more comfortable when she was with you, Kang Hyun-mu. At least more than when she’s with me. But it’s a bit… concerning that she’s giving up on this field completely.”

“Isn’t there anything I can do?”

“In a bloody way? Stop it, it’s useless in the long run. Even neutral people will hear bad rumors. More than you… what should I do? The problem is that Yu-min probably wouldn’t like it very much.”

Yu-min returns to Do Won-kyung’s lab. That would solve almost all the problems.

“Try to be less of a pain.”

“Do you think she ran away because it was hard to work under me? She left because she didn’t even want to see my face. Once she makes up her mind, she runs with all her might without looking back, so it’s no use trying to persuade her to go to school. If she wants to gain a foothold in the academic world, she’ll eventually find her own way.”

Do Won-kyung clicked her tongue. Hyun-mu fell into thought after hearing her words. In the end, the problem is that academic world.

“Does she necessarily need to gain a foothold in the academic world?”

“What?”

“Um, it’s nothing. There are a few things I’ve been thinking about. I was planning to put Yu-min in after she graduated, but maybe I can start a little sooner.”

Do Won-kyung didn’t know what Hyun-mu was thinking, but she felt a sense of unease.

His gaze also included her.

She had a feeling that he was planning to involve even her in something.

Just as she was about to say something out of anxiety, Hyun-mu’s gaze turned towards the door. The moment Do Won-kyung’s gaze followed, the door was suddenly opened roughly.

Men in black suits rushed in.

“Everyone, take your hands off the computers, and researchers, please come this way and cooperate with the investigation!”

The researchers stood up with surprised expressions. Do Won-kyung also had a surprised expression, but soon her face twisted with anger.

“Hey! Who are you!”

Do Won-kyung pointed at the man in the suit in front of her and approached him.

As she approached, a large man tried to block her, but the man in the suit took out a piece of paper in front of her.

It was a search and seizure warrant.

“I am Ryu Jin-yeol, a prosecutor from the High-ranking Officials Crime Investigation Unit. Director Do Won-kyung, you are currently suspected of military corruption, leaking top secrets, forging official documents, intimidation, assault, tax evasion, and other charges. We would appreciate your cooperation with the investigation.”

The signature of the head of the Corruption Investigation Office was clearly written on the search warrant.

Do Won-kyung couldn’t understand why this powerful group had suddenly attacked her.

While Do Won-kyung was staring intently at the document, other investigators quickly rummaged through the lab, shutting down all the computers and taking out the hard drives.

The researchers were stunned by the sight of them taking over as if they were occupying the place.

“Oh, oh! You can’t touch that carelessly!”

Lee Si-won rushed over as one of the investigators tried to confiscate the exoskeleton that was being reassembled.

Just as the investigator was about to roughly push away Lee Si-won, who was clinging to him, his hand was grabbed by someone.

“What, who are you?”

Hyun-mu didn’t answer and looked back at Do Won-kyung while holding his hand tightly.

Do Won-kyung was still not moving. The investigator tried to pull his hand away, but it didn’t budge at all, as if he had stuck his arm inside a wall.

The investigator soon realized who was holding his hand.

“Ability user! It’s Kang, Kang Hyun-mu!”

Clatter! As soon as the shout burst out, the investigators simultaneously drew their guns. Some were armed with automatic rifles.

Prosecutor Ryu Jin-yeol, who led the investigation team, sighed deeply and said to Kang Hyun-mu.

“Mr. Kang Hyun-mu, this case has nothing to do with you, so please let go. If you do not cooperate, you will be charged with obstruction of official duties.”

No matter how strong an ability user is, they cannot withstand a gun. That is the accepted theory.

Unless they have a skill that controls physical force itself or evade with acceleration abilities, ability users die the same way when shot.

“You’re the ones interfering.”

Ryu Jin-yeol judged that he was not taking it seriously.

The Corruption Investigation Office is a powerful group. They could shoot Hyun-mu right away, but they didn’t want to see blood.

He gave a wink to one of the investigators as a warning. It meant to fire a warning shot.

But he didn’t shoot. Just as he was wondering if he didn’t understand, he saw him belatedly turning the gun. Towards Ryu Jin-yeol himself.

“Oh, wha….”

Before he could finish speaking, a gunshot rang out.

Ryu Jin-yeol screamed and ducked. The bullet was embedded in the ceiling.

Ryu Jin-yeol couldn’t understand what was going on. Then he witnessed an unbelievable sight.

All the gun barrels in the room were pointing at him.

Ryu Jin-yeol instantly imagined his body being riddled with bullets and collapsing.

“Hyun-mu.”

Then Do Won-kyung opened her mouth.

“Don’t bother that insignificant guy. It seems like the problem is with the guy behind him.”

“I didn’t do anything. I guess he was dissatisfied with his boss.”

In an instant, the investigators began to busily move their hands and disassemble their firearms. The clicking sounds filled the lab.

Only after completely disassembling the guns did the investigators suddenly come to their senses.

The floor was already full of bullets and shattered gun debris.

Do Won-kyung took out her cell phone and started contacting someone. Soon the other party answered the phone.

“Park Gyu, you son of a bitch. You must have been thrilled these past few days thinking about screwing me over, huh?”

[……It’s nice to hear from you too, Director Do Won-kyung. Or, should I say former director now?]