Hoarding In Hell [EN]: Chapter 140

140. Unfair Negotiation (3)

“…I didn’t expect my negotiation partner to be you.”

“Consider yourself lucky. My brother would think the thrill of the moment is more important.”

Yumin replied calmly.

Ryu Sua doubted whether Yumin could really fire that gun, but it was definitely loaded and set to automatic fire.

Ryu Sua, as a 3-star ability user, had level 40 stats. But she didn’t want to take a risk that could kill her.

Instead, she decided to rely on her main specialty.

Hypnotism and persuasion.

“Where is Kang Hyun-moo? Is he really away?”

Yumin smiled and replied.

“I’m the one asking the questions, Assemblywoman. I’m easily scared, so if I think you’re up to something, I might pull the trigger.”

Ryu Sua probed subtly.

“Yumin, have you ever killed someone? You seem far removed from that kind of life. Can you really kill someone?”

“Well, mistakes happen quickly, and regret comes later.”

Ryu Sua was speechless.

That was true. Even if Yumin cried and regretted killing someone, it wouldn’t matter to Ryu Sua.

What did it matter how shocked Yumin was if she was dead?

Ryu Sua could only hope that Yumin wouldn’t make a mistake.

“Then…”

“Question.”

Yumin cut off Ryu Sua’s words.

“I said I would ask them, Assemblywoman. Don’t make a mistake.”

“…Yes. Go ahead.”

To use hypnotism, she had to make large hand gestures, but even a slight, quick movement of her hand would make the finger on the trigger twitch, so she couldn’t do that. It seemed like she wasn’t dealing with an easy opponent.

“First, are any other allies involved?”

At the mention of an alliance, Ryu Sua’s body stiffened.

‘How much does this woman know? Is Kang Hyun-moo sharing all the information with Yumin?’

Yumin was a woman who had never come to the surface until now. Ryu Sua had barely paid attention to her.

“One person. One person knows I came here.”

She thought about hiding 쉬빈 [Shibin’s name], but it might be good to mention it as insurance. Then, at least she would think twice before killing her.

“Is that person involved in this?”

It was a vague question. It seemed intentional.

“When you say ‘this,’ what time frame are you referring to?”

“Tell me as much as they’re involved.”

“Recently. They came running after I lost the election.”

“Is that the person called ‘Teacher’?”

Ryu Sua almost stood up from her seat. She knew about Teacher too? If the alliance was just ‘something rumored’ among the hunters, Teacher was a position mentioned with extreme caution even among the alliance members.

“No, do you tell your girlfriend everything, down to the smallest detail? What is this…”

“‘Teacher’ or whatever is only important to you guys, not to others.”

Thinking about it, that was true. But to Ryu Sua, it was like hearing the location of a nuclear missile from a complete stranger.

“…It’s not Teacher. Just an acquaintance.”

“Then how can we meet that Teacher?”

Ryu Sua made a pained expression.

She felt suffocated. To make the most of her skills, there had to be something she could persuade them with.

‘Why did you do this? Didn’t you know this would happen?’

The moment the victor showed off and the loser showed a pathetic figure was the best moment to persuade them.

The intoxication of victory opened up carelessness and sympathy.

Persuading the other person at such times was what Ryu Sua was best at.

But Yumin didn’t give her any room to do that. At the same time, her questions pierced right into the painful spots.

“We can’t just meet Teacher whenever we want. But why…”

“Who is Teacher?”

As soon as an answer came out, the next question popped out without hesitation.

And it was something difficult to answer carelessly.

Ryu Sua said with a stiff expression.

“I can’t just tell you that.”

“Under any circumstances?”

“Yes.”

Ryu Sua said firmly. Yumin tilted her head.

“Then we have to create a situation where Teacher has no choice but to come out, but that wouldn’t be a pleasant situation for you, me, or my brother.”

“…Instead of that, Yumin, if you want, I’ll try to arrange a meeting. There’s no need for one side to be so uncomfortable. I now know Kang Hyun-moo’s value, and I’m fully aware of the alliance. I think I know why Park Hwi-so praised him so much. And I’m also surprised to have discovered you, an extraordinary person, as well as Kang Hyun-moo.”

Ryu Sua cautiously began to praise Yumin. Hyun-moo hadn’t shown up at all this time. Perhaps Ryu Sua thought that there was someone else behind all of this.

The woman right in front of her, Yumin.

Maybe she was the one controlling even Hyun-moo from behind.

Ryu Sua naturally began to use hypnotism, moving her hands.

“I want to prostrate myself and apologize to Kang Hyun-moo for what I did wrong. And…”

Tatatang!

Before Ryu Sua could finish her sentence, a gunshot rang out. Ryu Sua flinched in horror.

Smoke was coming from the gun Yumin was holding. Yumin quietly muttered.

“I told you not to do anything unnecessary.”

The moment the shock subsided, Ryu Sua felt a sharp pain in her chest. A red stain slowly spread over her clothes.

Ryu Sua looked alternately at her chest and Yumin in disbelief.

She wanted to ask several times if this situation was for real.

‘No, just for a few slightly different answers?’

Ryu Sua’s body slowly collapsed onto the table.

***

Whoosh!

Park Hwi-so’s sword narrowly missed 쉬빈’s [Shibin’s] eyes.

쉬빈 [Shibin] grinned fiercely and grabbed Park Hwi-so by the collar, throwing him away in an instant.

Thanks to his bizarre martial arts, Park Hwi-so was already cutting through the air as soon as he was caught. But he didn’t hit the wall.

Bang, crack! Park Hwi-so turned his body in mid-air and kicked the closet. The closet shattered, and debris flew up.

In the debris, Park Hwi-so instantly kicked off the ceiling, the right wall, and finally the wall behind 쉬빈 [Shibin].

쉬빈 [Shibin] barely managed to block his back, but he couldn’t avoid the sharp scratches on his arm. Four jagged wounds appeared, as if scratched by an animal’s claws.

쉬빈’s [Shibin’s] face contorted.

‘It’s like fighting a beast.’

No, to be exact, it’s like fighting a monster.

And it’s a monster with intelligence, excellent fighting skills, and even intelligence.

It wasn’t just a feeling. The more he fought, the more ominous the aura emanating from Park Hwi-so became.

And his appearance seemed to be subtly changing.

‘Were his eyes originally… yellow?’

That couldn’t be. Yellow eyes would have been a noticeable feature. But now Park Hwi-so’s eyes were shining yellow like those of a wild wolf.

Also, his fur seemed to be puffing up, and his size seemed to be getting a little bigger.

‘Is it some kind of transformation skill?’

At that moment, a pain scratched his cheek, and blood spurted out.

쉬빈 [Shibin] erased his thoughts. He wasn’t dealing with someone he could afford to have other thoughts about.

When the sword Park Hwi-so was wielding got stuck in the wall, he started swinging his claws with both hands.

쉬빈 [Shibin] endured the scratches and used his skill ‘발경’ [Balgyeong – Internal Energy Emission]. 쉬빈’s [Shibin’s] fist brushed against Park Hwi-so’s solar plexus. It was a fist that was too slow to even feel like a threat.

But the moment the fist touched his stomach, Park Hwi-so’s body bounced away with an explosive sound. Even his shirt was torn to shreds.

When Park Hwi-so crashed into the wall with a bang, 쉬빈 [Shibin] was sure he wouldn’t be able to get up for a while.

“Krrr…”

But Park Hwi-so gritted his teeth and immediately got up. 쉬빈 [Shibin] made a disgusted expression.

“No, why don’t you at least pretend to be in pain?”

쉬빈 [Shibin] realized that this fight would only end when at least one side was incapacitated. He didn’t want to use it if possible, but he decided to keep the use of his ultimate skill in mind.

It was then.

Ding-dong.

The bell rang. Park Hwi-so and 쉬빈 [Shibin] both flinched and stopped at the same time. Park Hwi-so wasn’t so irrational that he would fight even in this situation.

They caught their breath, straightened their clothes, and assessed the situation. The bell rang again.

“Guest, we’re from the front desk.”

It didn’t seem like they would just leave. Park Hwi-so gestured to 쉬빈 [Shibin].

It seemed better for 쉬빈 [Shibin], who was in relatively better condition, to check.

쉬빈 [Shibin] wiped the bloodstains from his cheek, put on a friendly smile, and opened the door as little as possible.

“What’s wrong?”

“Ah, guest, it’s not that, but the next room said it’s a bit noisy… Oh my, guest. You have blood on your cheek.”

쉬빈 [Shibin] gave an ambiguous smile and roughly wiped it off with his shoulder.

“What should I do? Should I bring you a bandage?”

“You don’t have to worry about it. I was watching a movie with a friend and got a little excited.”

쉬빈 [Shibin] said that much and closed the door. But the employee knocked on the door again. It was a persistent employee. 쉬빈 [Shibin] was a little annoyed, but he forced a smile.

“Is there anything else you want to say?”

“Ah, it’s not that the movie sound is loud, but… it was a complaint that it was noisy because you weren’t answering your phone. Our hotel has thorough soundproofing, so I told them that there’s no way your cell phone ringtone could be heard…”

쉬빈 [Shibin] closed the door. He turned to Park Hwi-so with a stiff expression.

Park Hwi-so wasn’t in the mood to fight again either. 쉬빈 [Shibin] took out the cell phone that was lying on the bed.

There were several missed calls. It seemed like he hadn’t heard them because he was fighting. 쉬빈 [Shibin] gestured to Park Hwi-so.

“Cell phone.”

“What?”

“Check your cell phone too, 아저씨 [ajusshi – a respectful Korean term for an older man].”

Park Hwi-so frowned and took out his cell phone. He also had several missed calls. And when they checked the caller, they both came to their senses.

“…Did Teacher contact you too?”

쉬빈 [Shibin] didn’t answer Park Hwi-so’s question. After a moment of silence, they both awkwardly tidied up their clothes.

쉬빈 [Shibin] sighed deeply and first reached out to Park Hwi-so.

“I think I’ll need to explain the situation later, but let’s stop here today. It seems like Teacher is trying to resolve the situation. Considering the grace we both owe Teacher, we can’t just ignore it.”

Park Hwi-so was silent for a while. But he didn’t have much of a choice either. Park Hwi-so shook 쉬빈’s [Shibin’s] hand.

***

When Ryu Sua opened her eyes, she saw an unfamiliar ceiling.

It was a room with exposed concrete and a musty smell.

She was startled to find that she was alive and tried to get up.

But her hands were chained behind her back.

For some reason, she couldn’t muster any strength, so she couldn’t break free. Her clothes were still stained with blood, but she no longer felt any pain from the wound.

“I sprayed some good potion on it, so you better stay still.”

At the voice, Ryu Sua turned her head in surprise.

Kang Hyun-moo was sitting in a chair.

“Kang Hyun-moo…”

“To make a docile kid like Yumin even shoot a gun, how much did you provoke her?”

“Docile? Provoke?”

Ryu Sua thought Hyun-moo had used the wrong words. At that moment, she felt a surge of injustice and tried to pour out her words, but Hyun-moo silenced Ryu Sua by waving his hand.

“Well, whatever. I was going to have a little chat.”

“What kind of chat do you have with someone you shot with a gun, tied up in a secret room?”

“That’s exactly the style I like, Assemblywoman. When I try to talk fairly with someone who opposed me, I feel nauseous and frustrated.”

Hyun-moo pulled the chair to a position where he could look down on Ryu Sua exactly.

When he crossed his legs, Ryu Sua could even see the soles of his shoes.

Ryu Sua groped her fingers. Hyun-moo grinned and took something out. It was a ring with a reddish glow.

Ryu Sua’s face turned pale.

“Looking for this?”

“[Coil of Ill Omen (Legendary)]”

“[Special Ability: Can have up to one ‘Snake’ type monster as a ‘Familiar’. ‘Snake’ grows larger by molting each time it ‘devours’ a monster of a higher level than itself, and grows to the maximum level allowed by the difficulty. Cannot be controlled if ‘Communion’ is not high.]”

It was an item that only she, who was good at raising ‘Communion’ thanks to her ‘Hypnotism’ skill, could handle, even though her combat ability was low.

Because it was easy to be exposed once used, it was something she had never used publicly except that day on the Gangbyeonbuk-ro [a major road in Seoul].

“I called this out again, and a much smaller and cuter one came out than the one I saw on Gangbyeonbuk-ro back then.”

Ryu Sua gritted her teeth. It was because Hyun-moo had killed the Red Serpent in an instant on Gangbyeonbuk-ro. Originally, it should have escaped through the lower reaches of the Han River.

“I thought you summoned the Red Serpent with a skill or ultimate. But your level is lower than I thought. And you even have this legendary item.”

Hyun-moo opened his mouth.

“What are you guys, the alliance?”