Hoarding In Hell [EN]: Chapter 110

110. Assassination (2)

“C-Cooperation?”

Kang Seong-gyu asked, his voice trembling. The fact that they had called as soon as he got in the car suggested a high probability that they were watching him from somewhere nearby.

However, the surroundings were just a quiet underground parking lot shrouded in darkness, and he couldn’t detect any sign of anyone.

[Right, glove box, open it.]

He did as he was told. When he opened the glove box, an unfamiliar paper bag appeared. Inside were several documents.

[We also, have some, problems with, Kang Hyun-mu.]

Kang Seong-gyu swallowed hard.

Unlike the limited scope of Korea, there were many more skilled individuals and far more dangerous dungeons overseas.

When Kang Seong-gyu spoke of borrowing power from the outside, he was talking about government officials or other Hunters, never even considering overseas.

He was a man of limited vision.

[If you cooperate, we will, take care of Kang Hyun-mu, ourselves.]

“W-What do you want?”

Kang Seong-gyu worried that the overseas clan might use this as an excuse to encroach on or invade Jeonneumnyeon.

He didn’t like Kang Hyun-mu, but that would be like inviting a tiger to get rid of a fox.

[Nothing.]

A low chuckle came over the phone.

[However, we will, decide what to do with Kang Hyun-mu. You will be responsible, for cleaning up the aftermath.]

Click. The call ended.

Kang Seong-gyu checked the call history, but the number was blocked.

***

A few days later, at the summit of a mountain near Yeoncheon-gun, Gyeonggi-do [province in South Korea].

A group of heavily armed Hunters was waiting. Soldiers from a nearby military unit were also present.

Jeonneumnyeon’s representative, Commander Oh Dae-seong, and Deputy Representative Kang Seong-gyu were in a serious conversation with an officer.

At that moment, the noisy sound of a helicopter was heard. It was a large transport helicopter, a Chinook. Soon, Hunters jumped out of the landed Chinook.

“Huh, that’s…….”

The Hunters who disembarked were wearing uniforms of black and purple, and heavy exoskeletons all over their bodies.

The exoskeletons had a clear red goat skull painted on the shoulders. Their equipment was also far superior to that of other Hunters.

They were armed with rare equipment from head to toe, and even though the weapon types were different, they were designed to achieve perfect harmony among the team members when examined closely.

“Is that Kang Hyun-mu’s team?”

“I’ve only heard about them, but they’re really amazing.”

“Did they just throw money at all that? Does Kang Hyun-mu have that much money?”

There were envious gazes, jealous gazes, and dismissive gazes, but the underlying thought was the same.

‘They met a good leader and are getting plenty of support. We’re in the same organization, but why is the treatment like this?’

Most Jeonneumnyeon Hunters were armed with ordinary equipment.

Even if they wanted to invest in equipment, their living expenses tended to increase once their income increased, so it wasn’t easy.

Even if the treatment was bad, Hunters still earned more than ordinary people, but they couldn’t help but be envious.

And among them, one man stood out clearly.

Because he was wearing a white shirt and jeans by himself.

However, the strong do not need to assert themselves through clothing.

Because no one failed to recognize him.

Surrounded by Kang Hyun-mu’s team members, Hyun-mu walked towards Commander Oh Dae-seong.

Oh Dae-seong looked back and forth between Hyun-mu and the Chinook helicopter with a reluctant expression.

“I didn’t know you had a helicopter.”

“Ah, I borrowed it.”

Hyun-mu said with a mischievous smile.

“They readily lent it to me when I asked. Including the pilot.”

Oh Dae-seong didn’t know the details, but he just assumed that the rumors that Kang Hyun-mu was receiving secret support from the government were true.

He didn’t know what his relationship with the government was, but things that seemed impossible were being achieved smoothly at the government level.

Kang Seong-gyu simply nodded his head towards Hyun-mu.

“So, how is the situation unfolding?”

Oh Dae-seong sighed deeply and began to explain.

“One of the Jeonneumnyeon Hunter teams entered a 3-star dungeon in collaboration with a freelance Hunter team, and we’ve lost contact with them.”

“Yes. But what’s the problem?”

“The problem is that it’s beyond the Military Demarcation Line [border between North and South Korea].”

Hyun-mu’s expression briefly turned dumbfounded before his gaze turned to the officer next to him.

“Is that okay, Lieutenant Colonel?”

“Since North Korea collapsed due to the monsters, the Military Demarcation Line doesn’t really mean much anymore. We’re just maintaining the barbed wire and border to prevent monsters from crossing over and harming the South. In fact, some units have even moved further north to make it easier to defend.”

Oh Dae-seong said with a serious expression.

“Beyond the Military Demarcation Line, the Flood [monster wave] has been left unattended for a long time, making it no different from a dungeon. If you just wander around, monsters roam around like *jabmob* [fodder monsters].”

“No, why did they go to a place like that?”

Oh Dae-seong’s expression became a little embarrassed. This was clearly Jeonneumnyeon’s mistake. Kang Seong-gyu spoke up to explain.

“Since there are no competitors in the North, no one goes to mine *sujeong ikke* [crystal moss, likely a valuable resource]. So, some Hunters from North Korea *murihaeseo* [recklessly] cross over. Some of the Hunters are in debt from gambling, and it seems they overdid it.”

Oh Dae-seong’s expression twisted.

The reason Kang Seong-gyu came was because of that. It was clear that some of the executives who were running businesses were urging the Hunters, causing them to overdo it.

However, Hyun-mu showed no interest.

“You said freelance Hunters went in too? What are those guys doing?”

“They knew their skills would be lacking, so they hired them… As you know, most freelance Hunters are either those who were fired for causing problems or those from *logeu* [rogue guilds/groups]. So, we’re considering the possibility that they were attacked by them.”

Hyun-mu nodded. Anyway, it meant he had to go in and check.

A 3-star dungeon wouldn’t require him to be called in, but the fact that it was a dungeon in the North explained everything.

Dungeons that are easily invaded by external monsters are vulnerable to the Flood.

The dungeons in the North were all like ticking time bombs, so they were worried that the reason they lost contact this time might be due to the Flood.

“I’ll go in.”

“Yes? No. I’d be grateful if you could just lend me your team members. I’ll go in myself, and you can just monitor from the outside to make sure the Flood doesn’t leak out.”

“No, no. I’ll go in. Commander Oh Dae-seong, please watch from the outside.”

There was no way Oh Dae-seong could win against Hyun-mu, who was being stubborn.

Oh Dae-seong also didn’t think he was better than Hyun-mu in any way, so he decided to accept it quietly.

“Then let’s get started.”

***

Kang Seong-gyu clenched his fist tightly as he watched Hyun-mu fly away in the Chinook helicopter.

He recalled the Hunters he had met a few days ago after receiving another call.

On the riverbank where he arrived after receiving the call, a mixed group of men and women stood around a black limousine.

As soon as Kang Seong-gyu arrived, a man wearing sunglasses, who seemed to be the leader of the group, held out his cell phone. As soon as he picked up the phone, it rang. It was the man with a strong foreign accent he had heard over the phone.

[Nice to meet you, Mr. Kang Seong-gyu.]

The other Hunters were wearing inconspicuous, shabby clothes that were all different. However, their sharp eyes and expressionless faces spoke of their experience.

“Who are these people……?”

[People who will, do the work, for you. Don’t ask, anything else.]

Their features were distinctly East Asian, but it was clear from their unfamiliar scent that they were foreigners.

“What do I need to do?”

[As written in the document, pair them with other Hunters, and send them to the designated dungeon. It would be good if it was a group of Hunters who have been there several times. If you want to increase the success rate, you can add a few more.]

The designated dungeon was the dungeon beyond the Military Demarcation Line, where many problems had already occurred among the Hunters.

Kang Seong-gyu happened to know that some of his executives, though not directly under his command, were sending Hunters there.

[Your job, ends there. They will, take care of the rest.]

And now he had arrived at the present.

Everything was flowing as the voice in the call had predicted. Kang Seong-gyu thought that he might not be the only one carrying out this order.

Now, Hyun-mu and his party would arrive at that northern dungeon and face a crisis.

Kang Seong-gyu muttered to himself.

‘I’ve done enough.’

He couldn’t do anything more than this. But he still wasn’t sure if he had done the right thing. He was suddenly afraid that he might have brought in something bigger. But now this matter was out of his hands.

All that remained was Hyun-mu’s fate. And his own fate.

***

The Chinook helicopter and several helicopters that had followed to transport troops landed behind them. Soldiers jumped out of the helicopters all at once and surrounded the dungeon.

Unlike the other fields covered in snow, the entrance to the dungeon was a field of round, yellowed grass.

“*Haneulso, haneulso, dangso hwiparam* [code names], reporting that we have safely arrived at the Wolf Dungeon!”

Hyun-mu asked after seeing the soldier sending the radio message.

“Why Wolf Dungeon?”

“It’s a place that doesn’t have a proper name, but we often hear wolf howls here! It seems to be because there are occasionally werewolf-type monsters that escape.”

It was a private who had come along as a guide who answered.

The private seemed to be looking for an excuse to talk to Hyun-mu, stealing glances at him with curious eyes, and seemed to have seized the opportunity.

Usually, at that age, they tend to despise or envy *neungnyeokja* [gifted/skilled people, often referring to Hunters] from the perspective of ordinary people, but he seemed to have a strong sense of *sonyeonshim* [boyish enthusiasm/admiration].

“Okay. Keep the entrance well guarded.”

Hyun-mu also gave Oh Dae-seong a nod before heading towards the dungeon entrance.

‘Flat terrain, long yellow grass, high probability of being an open area.’

The Hunter team followed Hyun-mu inside. After a slight distortion of vision, a wide field appeared.

Hyun-mu shielded his eyes from the bright sunlight, which was different from that in Korea. A vast field came into view.

And countless eyes as well.

Hyun-mu immediately shouted.

“Prepare for battle!”

At the same time as Hyun-mu’s shout, dozens of werewolves charged. The fierce roars that erupted simultaneously shook the minds of the Hunters who had not yet come to their senses.

Hyun-mu immediately realized that the werewolves had used skills.

‘From Difficulty: Easy onwards, monsters using skills increased significantly.’

However, Hyun-mu, who had experienced Difficulty: Hell, had already experienced the werewolves doing even worse. Hyun-mu charged first without even taking out *tam* [his weapon].

However, the Hunters were still unable to come to their senses due to the aftermath of the roar.

“Get your heads out of your asses, you bastards!”

The moment Hyun-mu shouted again, the wondrous achievement, ‘The One Who Opens a New Era’ title was activated, and the surrounding Hunters snapped to their senses.

As the negative debuffs were removed, morale soared in an instant.

The Hunters, with their eyes back, immediately tore apart the charging werewolves.

It was an open area, and many enemies quickly closed the distance. It was the worst start, but the Hunters barely overcame the moment of crisis without any major injuries.

After that, it was just a one-sided hunt.

As soon as the werewolves felt that the Hunters were not easy, they scattered and began to circle around.

“*Muri sanyang* [pack hunting]…… They’re herding their prey.”

Seo Ji-hoo muttered from behind Hyun-mu. Seo Ji-hoo had only reached level 3, but he was already becoming an experienced veteran who had experienced many dungeons.

“*Muri sanyang* [pack hunting]?”

“They circle around like that, and if there’s a weak guy among us or someone who stands out, they’ll focus their attack on him. It consumes mental strength and stamina. This is the first time I’ve seen werewolves act like this, but I can definitely feel that the difficulty has increased.”

It meant that time was being consumed. Hyun-mu quickly scanned the horizon.

“Well, if you give me some time, I can clean it up quickly.”

“No, we don’t have time to be doing this.”

Hyun-mu took a big step forward. As soon as the balance was broken, two wolves charged from both sides at the same time.

‘Their learning ability is still low.’

Hyun-mu crossed his arms, grabbed the jaws of the charging wolves, and threw them away.

The werewolf, whose snout was tightly bitten by Oshet’s six-handed grip, was swung around like a weapon, blowing away all the surrounding werewolves.

The werewolves’ formation collapsed in an instant. Seo Ji-hoo did not miss that timing.

The Hunters charged all at once.

“They must have been waiting a long time for us, so we should find them as soon as possible.”

Hyun-mu muttered with a smile.