Hoarding In Hell [EN]: Chapter 117

117. Taking Over the Almighty League (4)

Oh Dae-sung halted his attack, noticing Hyun-woo’s strange reaction upon being struck by the Roar.

He had been eager to press his advantage, even employing his Physical Enhancement, but Hyun-woo’s constant dodging without taking a single hit had begun to irritate him.

He used Roar, intending only to briefly stun him, but Hyun-woo’s eyes suddenly glazed over.

‘What could it be?’

Oh Dae-sung knew his Roar had a minor stunning effect.

However, Hyun-woo was enduring it longer than most monsters or ability users, making it difficult to determine if he was truly stunned.

‘Is he resisting with mental fortitude? No, can you even resist that with mental fortitude?’

Oh Dae-sung wasn’t certain, as he rarely used the ability on people.

He was, in fact, surprised that Kang Hyun-woo, who seemed barely able to stand, was a lower level than himself. Suddenly, Hyun-woo staggered, appearing about to fall.

Oh Dae-sung quickly moved to catch him, but Hyun-woo stepped forward, regaining his balance.

‘Is he feigning the hit?’

The moment Oh Dae-sung reassumed his stance, a bizarre voice emanated from Hyun-woo.

“Oh, Butler? What’s wrong? Are you ill?”

Hearing that voice sent chills down Oh Dae-sung’s spine. It was completely unlike Kang Hyun-woo’s, sounding like a young child.

“Are you suffering? Is it difficult?”

‘Is he possessed by a ghost or something?’

But then, Hyun-woo froze. Oh Dae-sung wondered if Hyun-woo was playing a trick.

Just as he cautiously approached, Hyun-woo’s body swayed, his mouth slightly agape.

“Aren’t you happy?”

And at that moment, Hyun-woo, who had only been evading and observing, suddenly charged at Oh Dae-sung.

“Ugh!”

Oh Dae-sung swiftly raised his shield. But Hyun-woo skillfully used the shield as a stepping stone and ensnared both the shield and Oh Dae-sung in chains. As the chains tightened, Oh Dae-sung roared and severed them.

However, Hyun-woo, as if anticipating this, swung the severed chains, repeatedly striking Oh Dae-sung.

The shield blocked most of the blows, but the exposed areas of skin were torn by the force of the impacts.

While Oh Dae-sung was completely focused on maintaining his shield, the chains wrapped around it in a strange, constricting pattern.

In that instant, beyond the shield, Oh Dae-sung saw the gauntlet on Hyun-woo’s right arm burning with an ominous purple light.

It appeared as if his entire arm was engulfed in purple flames.

‘Aura?’

Oh Dae-sung recalled the skill of an aura user he had once encountered, but this energy was several times more intense.

Moreover, that aura had been confined to the human body; he had never witnessed it extending to equipment. But Hyun-woo’s purple flames began to spread from the gauntlet to the chains.

“Ah, damn it. Mr. Kang Hyun-woo!”

Horrified, Oh Dae-sung yanked on the shield. Hyun-woo was nimble but light, while Oh Dae-sung possessed superior strength.

Oh Dae-sung intended to grab Hyun-woo and hurl him into the air, but the shield suddenly felt heavier than ever.

Hyun-woo was tearing off Oh Dae-sung’s shield while wielding dozens of chains in one hand.

The three-times strength enhancement granted by Oshet’s six-handed grip [a skill or item effect] was being amplified even further through the Kanggi [a type of energy or power].

Oh Dae-sung struggled to hold onto the shield but soon felt his Physical Enhancement skill fading.

He had no choice but to release the shield. The moment the shield flew toward Hyun-woo with tremendous force, Oh Dae-sung immediately charged forward.

Then, hoping Hyun-woo wouldn’t die from the impact, he unleashed his ultimate skill.

Hyun-woo swung the chain-entangled shield, striking Oh Dae-sung’s arm.

A long gash appeared. But from the start, Oh Dae-sung had no intention of attacking Hyun-woo, nor did he need to.

Ultimate: Reverse Heaven

The instant Oh Dae-sung’s arm slammed into the ground, all objects within a radius of dozens of meters were launched into the air, accompanied by cracking sounds.

The earth’s surface was upturned, and trees were uprooted, creating a chaotic, inverted forest in the sky. Hyun-woo was caught in the effect as well.

Oh Dae-sung worried that Hyun-woo might be seriously injured. He hadn’t hit him directly, but no one emerged unscathed from being caught in the shockwave at such close range.

But Hyun-woo, as if mocking Oh Dae-sung’s concern, twitched his finger and manifested chains.

He had attached them to Oh Dae-sung just before being struck by Reverse Heaven. As soon as the chains materialized, they contracted, pulling Hyun-woo directly in front of Oh Dae-sung.

Oh Dae-sung was unable to move properly due to the aftereffects of his ultimate skill.

“Ugh……!”

Hyun-woo’s condition was terrible. His body was bruised and bloodied, but he rammed into Oh Dae-sung with all his might, binding them together with chains.

Oh Dae-sung was confused. There was no reason for such intense fighting. It was just a simple sparring match. But Hyun-woo was attacking as if his life depended on it.

Hyun-woo swung his fist, repeatedly pounding Oh Dae-sung. His fist, imbued with Kanggi, struck relentlessly. Oh Dae-sung didn’t simply stand still.

The moment he swung his fist and connected with Hyun-woo’s face, he felt a burning pain. The area where Hyun-woo’s blood had splattered was turning black.

“Th, this is?!”

Hyun-woo’s neck, twisted back by Oh Dae-sung’s blow, snapped back into place. Kang Hyun-woo stared down at Oh Dae-sung expressionlessly, then wiped his face with his palm.

Poisened blood dripped from his hand. He then sharpened his fingertips.

‘I’m going to die.’

Oh Dae-sung instinctively knew that he would die the moment that hand pierced his body.

He desperately tried to escape from Hyun-woo, but the poison was rapidly spreading through his arm. Hyun-woo swung his arm.

Thud.

Hyun-woo’s fingertips stopped just before touching Oh Dae-sung’s nose.

Beyond his hand, Oh Dae-sung saw Hyun-woo’s pupils gradually regaining focus, however faintly.

“Good work… Good work.”

Hyun-woo offered only a brief acknowledgment before releasing the chains and collapsing to the floor.

Oh Dae-sung couldn’t comprehend what had just transpired.

“Did I do that?”

Hyun-woo spoke with a serious expression. Oh Dae-sung had his hand wrapped in bandages, but thanks to the detoxification potion and high-grade recovery potion Hyun-woo had taken from his inventory, he was recovering quickly.

He might have a few scars left, but Oh Dae-sung wasn’t someone who cared about scars.

“Seriously. I really thought Kang Hyun-woo brought me here to kill me.”

Oh Dae-sung had heard the ominous rumors about Hyun-woo. Of course, Oh Dae-sung wasn’t someone who believed such ridiculous rumors.

“Just when I thought I was going to be hit by the Roar, he suddenly switched to the offensive and charged at me… He was scarier than any opponent I’ve ever fought. You don’t seem to remember, do you?”

“Ah, I vaguely remember… but I don’t really know.”

That was a lie. Hyun-woo remembered everything clearly.

Except for the first moment when he almost lost consciousness, all the moments Oh Dae-sung described flashed through his mind like a vivid dream.

The problem was that he remembered it all too well.

‘I definitely heard Renian’s voice… What happened? Was I controlled by Renian?’

Hyun-woo felt a chill run down his spine. Renian and his skills, his inventory, and now, could even his body be shared?

Even surpassing the difference in difficulty that he thought he couldn’t overcome without the Return Stone? [A magical artifact that allows the user to return to a previous state or time].

This was hard to understand. The difficulty issue wasn’t just about being hard or easy, it was a matter of space-time.

He couldn’t understand how Renian could transcend that and influence Hyun-woo. But Hyun-woo came up with one possibility.

‘Or was Renian with me from the beginning, whenever I crossed the difficulty levels?’

Hyun-woo tried to call Renian through his will. If he were in hell, he would have answered immediately, but now there was no response. There was no reason for Renian to hide or avoid him.

‘No, that’s not it. If Renian controlled me, why didn’t he do it in hell? He’s a pacifist who’s always running away from fights.’

There were many things that were hard to understand. Hyun-woo decided that he would have to catch Renian and ask him about it.

Just then, he heard Oh Dae-sung clear his throat. It seemed like he was getting nervous because Hyun-woo was lost in thought.

Hyun-woo decided to make up an excuse.

“Oh, by the way, you fought well for someone who hasn’t fought people much.”

“Ah, that’s…”

Oh Dae-sung said with an awkward smile.

“Actually, fighting Kang Hyun-woo felt more like fighting a monster than fighting a person. Oh, don’t take it the wrong way. It’s just the ferocity and the momentum. And above all, your movements were unique.”

“I see.”

Most of what taught him was monsters, so it was natural that he would resemble them in some ways. Hyun-woo felt bitter when he thought about that fact.

Fighting Oh Dae-sung made him realize that he lacked the skill to fight people.

In hell, he could just die a few times and gain experience, but there was no guarantee that would happen in reality.

He had to think of his life as a one-time thing.

‘I need to gain as much experience as possible.’

Compared to monsters, humans have complex ways of thinking. Perhaps it’s because they are weaker and more conscientious.

Monsters have unconditional hostility towards humans, but humans make it harder to predict because of their complex emotions.

Just as the conversation with Hyun-woo was about to break off again, Oh Dae-sung cautiously looked around and subtly asked.

“Um… about that child’s voice that Kang Hyun-woo made. It seems like it’s not a normal thing. It’s a bit… it’s a superstitious story, but there’s something like that, isn’t there? A world that can’t be explained scientifically?”

“Huh? Ah, haha. Um, it’s nothing. It’s just that… I lost my younger sibling when I was young, and I sometimes think about them.”

That was a lie. Hyun-woo didn’t have a sibling. But it seemed like Oh Dae-sung wanted that kind of explanation, so he decided to play along.

Then he would think for himself and come to his own conclusions. As expected, Oh Dae-sung began to understand on his own.

“Oh, I see… I understand. The heartrending longing for your departed sibling may be violently urging Kang Hyun-woo. Or maybe your sibling is struggling to protect you. Actually… I have a friend who has divine powers, so how about getting a shamanistic ritual?”

“Ah, haha. I’ll take care of it myself, so you don’t have to worry about it.”

“Don’t say that.”

Oh Dae-sung earnestly recommended it, but Hyun-woo brushed him off and got up from his seat.

The argument continued until they left the dungeon. Eventually, when it was time to get in the car and part ways, Oh Dae-sung couldn’t pester Hyun-woo any longer.

“If you’re uncomfortable with a shamanistic ritual, then get a talisman! I’ll write one for you!”

“Yes, yes. Thank you.”

Hyun-woo sent Oh Dae-sung off with a bitter smile. He had almost killed him just now, but he readily believed the excuse that he was possessed by a ghost and even offered to write him a talisman. He didn’t know how good of a person he was.

‘He may be a good person, but it doesn’t seem like he left much of a mark on history.’

Oh Dae-sung’s name is not mentioned in the White Bone Records. It could be inferred that Oh Dae-sung would have lived a mediocre life in the Almighty League and died quietly in the original history.

Perhaps, according to the life he had shown, he would have gone to save hunters and died without stopping the monster, or something like that.

It was easy to predict. But he was too good of a person to let go like that.

‘With his ultimate skill and the way he uses his body, he’s too good to just leave him be.’

Hyun-woo made up his mind. Today’s sparring was not just to satisfy his curiosity, but also a kind of interview.

Whether to put Oh Dae-sung under him or not.

Of course, he couldn’t put someone who had just left the Almighty League back into the Almighty League.

‘But someone like Oh Dae-sung…’

Hyun-woo turned on his phone and contacted Seo Ji-hoo.

[Yes, Branch Manager. Ah, why did you refuse the position of CEO?]

“Find out about the White Shield Team members and prepare to scout them.”

[Are you talking about Hunter Oh Dae-sung? Yes, I understand.]

Like a human obsessed with titles, he just calls him a hunter as soon as he steps down from the CEO position. He’s still an admirable snob.

[But if we bring in Hunter Oh Dae-sung, what will his position be? Team 1 already exists, and Team 2 and Team 3 are in preparation, but if Hunter Oh Dae-sung comes in as Team 4, it won’t be a good fit, will it?]

“Oh Dae-sung is going to the National Clan’s Special Task Force. Keep that in mind.”

Hyun-woo didn’t even explain to Seo Ji-hoo what that was and hung up the phone.

The framework of the organization that Hyun-woo wanted was slowly taking shape.

Of course, the level was still far from enough, but Hyun-woo tried to look wider and further.

Next, he had to seize not the organization, but the country.