Hoarding In Hell [EN]: Chapter 127

127. To the Old You (1)

Ryoo Soo-ah was silent for a long time before finally speaking.

“Are you kidding me right now?”

Of course, even if a single vote was precious, she wasn’t desperate enough to beg for votes from the person who attacked her.

Ryoo Soo-ah bit her lip and prepared to attack Kang Hyun-woo.

Ryoo Soo-ah didn’t know the full extent of Kang Hyun-woo’s abilities.

Park Hwi-so’s report said he wasn’t that strong, but he also added that it was hard to judge.

There was no guarantee she could win in a one-on-one fight. So, she tried to avoid direct engagement as much as possible.

But to attack her so suddenly, in broad daylight.

Then Hyun-woo crossed his arms, indicating he had no intention to fight.

“I see you know how scary a precious vote can be. But…”

Kang Hyun-woo showed no tension.

“Today, I just came to say hello, Ryoo Soo-ah.”

“…What?”

“So don’t be so wary. I’m quite sensitive right now, so it takes all my patience just not to rush at you and kill you. So shut up and listen.”

Ryoo Soo-ah bit her lip.

But if Hyun-woo had no intention of fighting and wanted to talk, it was a positive sign for her. Combat wasn’t her forte [strong suit].

But Hyun-woo’s intentions were different.

“Did you think I’d kill you right away? Don’t be ridiculous. How could I, someone elected by the people, recklessly kill someone in power? That would be betraying the will of the people. So… I’m going to dry you up to death.”

Ryoo Soo-ah wanted to ask what he was talking about, but she couldn’t open her mouth.

“You will lose all your precious things, and everything you try to do will fail. Nothing will be left by your side, and the power and affection of the people you love so much will disappear.”

Ryoo Soo-ah frowned. Could this crazy bastard be trying to interfere with the local elections?

“Are you going to make me lose the election? That’s ridiculous. The election results are already decided. My supporters are beyond your reach. If you do something clumsy, you’ll only dig your own grave…”

Then Hyun-woo’s laughter filled the drain.

Ryoo Soo-ah couldn’t understand Hyun-woo’s laughter. She couldn’t see anything but Hyun-woo’s silhouette.

But Hyun-woo could see her fear as clearly as if he could touch it, even in the deep darkness.

“Resist with all your might. Use all your power, connections, and abilities to resist. Then you’ll know who’s on your side and who isn’t.”

Hyun-woo said with a clear smile, even in the darkness.

“The flames have already started to rise. Now you’ll have to learn to love the wasteland.”

Hyun-woo turned and disappeared. Ryoo Soo-ah was left standing there, stunned.

Not long after Hyun-woo left, she saw people approaching, having witnessed the accident.

Ryoo Soo-ah reversed the summoning of the monster she had called and approached the light.

She had no idea what Hyun-woo was planning.

“Nonsense.”

Ryoo Soo-ah growled, baring her teeth.

Whatever else, the election was her domain. If he wanted to eliminate her, he should have killed her right here.

And the cards she could play were endless.

Kang Hyun-woo had chosen the wrong opponent and the wrong place.

***

“The person you should fight isn’t me, but the old man. And not in the election.”

In Yoo-min’s lab, as Park Hwi-so raised his arm, Yoo-min began to reapply the bandages.

Hyun-woo carefully watched the skin that was exposed under the bandage, which was unusually scorched.

He thought he saw something like fur, but it was soon covered by Yoo-min’s bandage.

“Are you talking about me?”

Hyun-woo nodded.

“Of course, I could go and take care of it myself. But why would I when there’s someone more efficient and qualified?”

Park Hwi-so stared at Hyun-woo. He seemed to know what he was talking about.

“Ryoo Soo-ah completely believes I’m her enemy, doesn’t fully understand my capabilities, and is mistaken about the battlefield. On the other hand, you’ve known Ryoo Soo-ah for a long time. Even if you’ve hidden a lot, you know her personality and capabilities.”

Park Hwi-so was silent for a moment, then nodded. What Hyun-woo was suggesting was the hunting method of a dog and a hunter.

The dog draws attention while the hunter ends the life.

In this case, the master-servant relationship was completely reversed, but the structure was the same.

Ryoo Soo-ah was only focused on Hyun-woo and preparing only for him.

But she recognized Park Hwi-so as a dead man.

She had completely exposed her back.

“It must be a neck you want to bite so greedily.”

“An easy opponent, I suppose. But didn’t you say you had a separate hunting method in mind?”

“I have a few. I’ll tell you about them. You can fight based on that, or you can come up with your own methods. But I think what you come up with would be better than mine.”

Hyun-woo said with a smile.

“Don’t you ever think about secrets or methods that could ruin a colleague, no matter how close you are?”

“…How sinister. But a few things come to mind right away.”

Park Hwi-so raised the corner of his mouth.

“It seems like rehabilitation will be a bit rough.”

“It’s not good for the patient to move too violently. I’ll help you… I’ll add a few hands. You’ll probably need someone who knows monsters well to deal with Ryoo Soo-ah’s monsters.”

Park Hwi-so looked interested.

“Do you have suitable talent? I don’t think there are any hunters in the All-Ability Alliance who have stood out yet. And Oh Dae-sung wouldn’t cooperate with something like this.”

“A veteran among veterans who has eaten monsters and survived terrible dungeons.”

At this point, Park Hwi-so seemed to realize who he was talking about. He looked worried but nodded.

Hyun-woo summoned Kirson and Kazat. Hyun-woo’s two vassals walked out of the black rift.

Kirson glared at Park Hwi-so with dissatisfaction, and Kazat began to examine Park Hwi-so’s body with interest.

“The wound has healed quite a bit. The fusion seems to be going well. Because he’s originally a weak human, the transplant seems to have been successful without much resistance.”

“The wound is still bursting and oozing pus, though?”

“That’s just a natural reaction that occurs during the treatment process. Rather, there are several other possibilities for rejection. Increased violence, insomnia, minor hallucinations, things like that. But that’s a good price to pay for saving your life.”

Park Hwi-so was silent at Kazat’s words. He seemed to have noticed a few things. Hyun-woo asked Park Hwi-so.

“Is it concerning?”

“No. It’s just a relief that it means I’m not going crazy.”

If Park Hwi-so was okay, then it was okay. Whatever his background, Park Hwi-so was among the three most gentle people he knew.

“I called Kazat to check on you. But how about Kirson staying to help you, old man? Does it seem like you have a chance of winning?”

“…There seems to be no problem in terms of combat power.”

Rather, considering what he had shown so far, he should be worried about whether he would act too cruelly. But Hyun-woo didn’t care about that either.

“Handle it the way you think is best. Eradicate her completely and make sure she can never crawl back up. Whether you save her or kill her, I’ll leave it entirely up to you.”

“All done!”

Just in time, Yoo-min had reapplied all of Park Hwi-so’s bandages. Park Hwi-so moved his body around, as if the bandages were a little tight.

Hyun-woo wondered if Yoo-min wouldn’t like the talk about killing or saving someone, but she didn’t seem to care.

But he felt the need to apologize.

“Sorry, Yoo-min. It seems like I’ve dragged you into something unnecessary.”

“Oh, it’s okay, Oppa [term of endearment used by a younger woman to an older man]. It seems like they started it first, and if you have the ability to repay them, you should repay them as much as possible.”

He already knew that Yoo-min wasn’t exactly a kind person, unlike her appearance, but he really thought he had met a good woman.

He never thought their personalities would match so well.

Hyun-woo had thought that he had changed his personality after stepping into hell. But seeing Yoo-min made him change his mind.

To see a person’s true colors, you just need to give them money and power.

People don’t change easily. If you feel like they’ve changed, it’s just that you’re finally seeing their true colors.

Without money, power, or strength, there isn’t even a chance to reveal one’s true colors. This is Hyun-woo’s true self, and it’s also Yoo-min’s true self.

“Then I’ll go up. You guys can slowly plot the rest of your schemes.”

Yoo-min waved her hand and went upstairs. Park Hwi-so watched her go, then opened his mouth.

“What are you planning to do? Ryoo Soo-ah will definitely do something.”

“Ah, that’s right.”

Hyun-woo shrugged.

“I’m thinking of going somewhere for a while. To a place where you can never find me. If I’m not here, whether you file a complaint, threaten, or try to set off fireworks, you’ll only be wasting your time. I hope you can clean up the situation before I get back.”

Hyun-woo said, looking at the stairs Yoo-min had gone up.

“I’m also considering the situation where Yoo-min gets into trouble… but I don’t think that kind of situation will come. Yoo-min is not an ordinary person, so it will be difficult to treat her carelessly.”

Hyun-woo was silent for a moment. Complex emotions flashed through his eyes.

After a heavy silence, Hyun-woo carefully opened his mouth.

“Old man. Do you know what surprised me the most when this happened?”

Park Hwi-so could tell that Hyun-woo wasn’t asking for an answer. He was answering himself. To pour out what he had felt all along.

“When you looked like you were going to die, I stabbed you in the neck without hesitation. To save you.”

Park Hwi-so’s gaze quietly turned to Hyun-woo.

If Hyun-woo had been even a little late in moving his hand, Park Hwi-so would not be here now.

Although he had abandoned a significant part of his human form, being alive and dead were clearly different. At least Park Hwi-so was satisfied.

“I am grateful for that.”

“No. I’m not saying that because I want to hear your gratitude.”

Hyun-woo made a bitter expression.

“When I took you to Yoo-min’s lab and made you into a state where I could attach things and save you… I was suddenly scared. What if you weren’t my vassal? Or what if it wasn’t you who was attacked this time? What if Yoo-min had been caught in the explosion?”

“…”

“I can’t revive anyone I didn’t kill. Even if I revive them, they’ll be revived as a vassal, a being tied to me.”

It might be okay if you don’t care about trivial things. But having your life and death entrusted to someone else is never a welcome thing.

“At that time, I unknowingly looked at Yoo-min, who was covered in sweat after finishing the surgery… and I thought.”

Hyun-woo continued with a stiff expression.

“Wouldn’t it be better to kill Yoo-min in advance and make her my vassal?”

Park Hwi-so straightened his back without realizing it. He knew what Hyun-woo was trying to say.

And it was a truly unpleasant and unsettling idea.

“Only after time passed did I realize how chilling my thoughts were. Killing in advance because you’re afraid of dying. It’s like putting food in the freezer to prevent it from spoiling. To store it easily.”

This was also a change that Hyun-woo had experienced while experiencing countless deaths in Difficulty: Hell.

He had come to regard death as insignificant, as merely an inconvenience.

But that was abnormal.

“But thanks to that, you saved my life, didn’t you?”

“That’s a relief. If something like this happens again, I’ll probably kill you again. And then take you out of the refrigerator and warm you up again. But I don’t like this. I don’t want to get used to it either.”

Hyun-woo glanced at Park Hwi-so.

“So please, old man, don’t die. And take good care of the people around me, including Yoo-min, so they don’t die either. You can kill everyone else. I’m selfish and young, so I’m not ready for that yet.”

Hyun-woo’s attitude of not caring if everyone else died except for his own people was similar to a child’s tantrum.

Park Hwi-so chuckled.

“No one is prepared for the death of those around them.”

Hyun-woo’s words were morally bankrupt, but Park Hwi-so took hope from them.

Hyun-woo’s affection for his people, his vassals, was definitely extraordinary.

Especially since he was an overwhelmingly powerful person who could wield absolute power over his subordinates.

What if the range of people Hyun-woo could think of as ‘his people’ became wider?

Beyond family and organization, to the point of nation, country, and the good of humanity?

Then he could become a more cruel poison to the enemies of humanity than anyone else.

But Park Hwi-so felt uncomfortable using Hyun-woo, who trusted him.

‘Still, a pure relationship at our age is an old story. I’m sorry, Kang Hyun-woo.’

***

【Difficulty: Hell

Entering the Star of the End.】

“…I’ll be busy this time.”

Hyun-woo muttered, filling his lungs with fine dust.

The thought of Park Hwi-so, who would remain in the current world of Difficulty: Easy, came to mind again.

The Ryoo Soo-ah that Hyun-woo had seen was a person with similar capabilities to Park Hwi-so, but with an overwhelmingly superior organization and influence.

Therefore, it would be a difficult fight, but Hyun-woo didn’t think Park Hwi-so would lose at all.

‘But there’s no choice.’

Hyun-woo hadn’t just thrown Ryoo Soo-ah at Park Hwi-so alone. He was desperately preparing for the bigger threat that would come while proceeding with this matter.

‘Ryoo Soo-ah is just small fry [insignificant].’

That’s why he had kept Ryoo Soo-ah alive. To draw out the real potential threat behind her.

‘I’ll make it so they can’t stand it unless the alliance and the guy called Teacher come out.’

If those two, who are members of the same alliance, start to antagonize each other, the other alliance members will inevitably show their presence.

Park Hwi-so still seemed to respect the man called Teacher, so he couldn’t say it, but Hyun-woo was trying to use this opportunity to use Park Hwi-so as bait to catch Ryoo Soo-ah and the man called ‘Teacher’ beyond her.

Hyun-woo felt uncomfortable using Park Hwi-so, who trusted him.

“Still, a pure relationship at our age is a childish story, isn’t it, old man?”