Hoarding In Hell [EN]: Chapter 165

165. A New Order (1)

Hyun-woo stood up without realizing it.

The cocoon of the Widow Queen Spider he had found in the womb flashed through his mind.

A cocoon being torn and melted. Could it be that they found that cocoon?

But looking at it closely again, it was much smaller than the Widow Queen Spider’s cocoon.

The Lower Moon Spider called again.

“Human?”

“Ah, you startled me by calling so suddenly. What is that?”

The Lower Moon Spider seemed embarrassed and guilty as she opened her mouth.

“Sister.”

“…The Upper Moon’s Faceless Spider?”

All sorts of thoughts raced through Hyun-woo’s mind. But the cocoon was not what Hyun-woo had feared.

The Lower Moon Spider shook her head and said.

“No. She made a cocoon inside my sister’s mask and shared a part of ‘us.’ As ‘we’ prosper here and reach a sufficient number, a new ‘us’ will appear based on my sister’s mask.”

“Then… is your sister being reborn?”

“No, it’s just based on my sister’s skeleton; it’s a completely different being. Of course, I don’t have the Queen’s abilities, so a child with far less ability will be born, but I couldn’t just bury the mask. Still, the appearance will resemble my sister a bit.”

Hyun-woo’s expression became complex.

‘It feels like a ghost is returning.’

The Upper Moon Spider wasn’t dead, so it wouldn’t be a ghost, but in any case, it would feel like the victim is returning from the killer’s perspective.

Even though she said it was a completely different being, he couldn’t know what to do if it had any memories.

“And…”

Suddenly, the Lower Moon Spider spoke lightly.

It was the first time he had seen her hesitating like this, as she always spoke directly.

“I want to stay at your shelter for a while.”

“…Huh?”

“I’ve been with my sister for a long time. There were more of us when the Queen was here. But suddenly being left alone… I think it’s a bit overwhelming. I wish I could stay at least until another ‘us’ is born from this cocoon.”

Complex calculations ran through Hyun-woo’s mind.

The Lower Moon Spider’s abilities are outstanding. It would be great to have her on his side. Especially if she’s willing.

Of course, this relationship wouldn’t be loyalty, but something similar to friendship, but that could be changed over time.

Especially considering who she originally was.

“Hmm, it’s okay, but I’m not always at the shelter. I’ll probably be away for quite some time.”

“Oh, really? That’s a bit disappointing. Still, I’d like a moderately lively environment. I talked to that Kazat guy a bit, and the atmosphere there doesn’t seem too bad.”

Hyun-woo couldn’t resist the impulse and asked.

“If you become my subordinate…”

Hyun-woo quickly bit his lip.

Was he supposed to make the Lower Moon Spider his subordinate in this situation? Was he being asked to kill the sisters twice? But the words were already out of his mouth.

The Lower Moon Spider looked surprised, but she didn’t get angry or frown.

“Oh, really? Would that be okay?”

“What do you mean?”

“Taking me as a subordinate. I was originally a subordinate of the Whispering Star, but I was just an accessory to the Queen, so I don’t think it matters. But it’s a bit hard to live alone in this world… But you’re weaker than me, right? Can you handle taking me as a subordinate?”

Hyun-woo made a strange expression.

“I’ve taken in plenty of subordinates who were higher level than me.”

“What? But you’re still alive… Ah, you have a constitution that lets you come back to life even if you die. How convenient.”

“No, more than that, I have to kill you first to make you my subordinate. Is that okay?”

Then the Lower Moon Spider returned a strange expression.

“Don’t tell me you’ve only taken in subordinates who you’ve killed so far?”

Hyun-woo’s face became subtle.

The Lower Moon Spider looked dumbfounded and snatched Hyun-woo’s right hand. After counting the patterns engraved on his right hand, the Lower Moon Spider shook her head.

“You’re so weak, how have you managed to stay alive?”

“Well, sorry for being weak.”

The Lower Moon Spider held Hyun-woo’s hand and stared at it for a while, then muttered as if she had made up her mind.

“No. It’s better this way. I was going to give it to you anyway…”

The Lower Moon Spider took something out of her pocket. Hyun-woo’s face hardened when he saw it.

It was half of someone else’s mask that had been split. It must have been a type of Faceless Spider. But the mask’s appearance was similar to someone Hyun-woo had seen.

It resembled the Widow Queen Spider.

“This is the Queen’s mask that I found while looking for you. When I found it, it was already broken, so I couldn’t make it into a cocoon like my sister… But I thought it would be better to give it to someone I knew than to let it fall into anyone’s hands. It’s too much for me to have.”

The Lower Moon Spider turned the mask over and held it out. A pattern similar to the one engraved on the back of Hyun-woo’s right hand was engraved on the back.

It was a fragment of a star.

While Hyun-woo was panicking, the Lower Moon Spider thrust it against his chest as if she was passing it on.

“Take it or bury it somewhere, do whatever you want. I don’t care. It’s not a trace of the Queen, it’s just a trace of the Whispering Star. I don’t want to care about her anymore. But once you absorb that fragment, you’ll be able to take in subordinates without killing anyone.”

***

Hyun-woo returned to the shelter and looked at the broken mask of the Widow Queen Spider.

The fragment of the star was shining with a deep green light.

Considering that the abilities of his subordinates would be strengthened just by absorbing the fragment, there was no reason to hesitate, but Hyun-woo was feeling uncomfortable for one reason.

It was because of Monstrill.

He had already left a deep mark on his body through Monstrill’s trials. Each time he passed the trials, the stars were leaving indelible marks on Hyun-woo’s body.

Whether mental or physical.

“What should I do with you?”

‘Accept it.’

Suddenly, an alien thought popped into Hyun-woo’s head.

A thought that came at a good time. It was Monstrill’s whisper.

[The Whispering Star, Monstrill, is watching you.]

‘Accept it, Kang Hyun-woo. You have nothing to lose, right?’

‘What’s your intention this time?’

‘I just have a similar thought to the Lower Moon. It’s better to give it to you than to let it fall into someone else’s hands. It would be a headache if it fell into Gaul’s hands. It would be even better if you took in the Lower Moon with this.’

Was he hoping he would take in the Lower Moon Spider in addition to the fragment? It was too good to be true, so he was suspicious.

As a result, Monstrill had given Hyun-woo problems, hints, and even a reward.

‘Do you know? You’re making me more suspicious by urging me on like that.’

There was no answer from Monstrill. Only a feeling like a smile was transmitted as if tickling him.

‘Accept it, Kang Hyun-woo. I’m on your side.’

‘Why should I trust you?’

Hyun-woo scoffed at Monstrill’s voice.

What Monstrill had done to Hyun-woo may have been beneficial in the end, but it left dirty traces. It was hard for Hyun-woo to accept it as a favor.

But that didn’t mean he hated Monstrill.

Everything was chosen and decided by Hyun-woo himself.

He abandoned the Widow Queen Spider because it was not beneficial, and he dismantled the Upper Moon Spider because it could be a threat.

Even though there was a way to save her.

‘Okay… then there was one answer left to a question I hadn’t asked before, right? I’ll tell you that answer now.’

Hyun-woo was nervous, but he couldn’t help but listen. It wasn’t a voice that couldn’t be heard by covering his ears and screaming.

‘What is it?’

‘You felt it while going back and forth between the past world and the present world, but it was hard to believe. But I was convinced when I saw your reaction when you heard the name.’

He hadn’t exactly hidden the fact that he was going back and forth between Difficulty: Easy and Difficulty: Hell.

He didn’t want to be unable to do what he had to do because he was worried about the stars’ gazes.

Besides, Hyun-woo was convinced that what he did in Difficulty: Easy had no effect on Difficulty: Hell, although he hadn’t found any evidence yet.

That meant the two worlds were completely different parallel worlds.

No matter what he did in Difficulty: Easy, this world would continue to perish. That’s why the stars wouldn’t be interested either.

It was Hyun-woo who was traveling between the worlds, not them.

But it seemed to have a special meaning for Monstrill.

‘The fact that you are a human who remembers the past world means that you already know who I am.’

‘I already know you?’

‘Yes. And I know that you will never betray me, and that you will not betray me either. We are on the same side.’

‘Stop with the riddles. Until I find out who you are, you’re just a pervert I don’t know the inside of.’

Monstrill made a laughing sound again.

‘Accept a part of me. Hyun-woo. We are on the same side. We are aiming in the same direction. We can shine brighter than anyone else.’

‘You’re getting more and more suspicious.’

But Monstrill didn’t answer anymore. Hyun-woo felt that Monstrill had completely left.

He might still be watching, but at least he wouldn’t answer anymore. Hyun-woo sighed.

He pondered for a long time, but in the end, he came to the same conclusion he had reached many times.

Hyun-woo reached out his right hand towards the fragment of the star.

***

The stone mansion built on the foothills in southern Seoul, also known as the Ghost Mansion, was bustling with many people for the first time in a while.

Song Yeo-un, the leader of the Omnipotence Alliance’s hunter team, was one of those people.

She was anxiously pacing back and forth in the hallway, waiting for the results.

“Ms. Song Yeo-un.”

“Yes, yes!”

A woman wearing glasses opened the door and called out.

Song Yeo-un knew who the woman was.

The owner of the Ghost Mansion, the overturner of all theories and hypotheses, the watcher on the back world’s spiderweb, the one who drove former Assemblywoman Ryu Soo-ah crazy with a few words at a debate, the mastermind behind ‘that’ Kang Hyun-woo.

It was Yoo Min.

“Come in.”

Song Yeo-un felt a chill as she stepped into Yoo Min’s lab.

At first glance, it looked like an ordinary lab, but it was clear that unimaginable equipment was being researched here.

The rumors about the Level 3 Platform, a top-secret research institute, were already circulating subtly. Especially for a member of the team, they couldn’t help but be aware of the equipment coming from there.

And there were rumors that Yoo Min was even the manager of the Level 4 Platform, a research institute hidden even higher than that.

Even Dowonkyung, which once led Korea and the world in mana studies, was only operating the Level 3 Platform.

Song Yeo-un shuddered as she imagined how many schemes and intelligence were in this seemingly ordinary woman’s head.

“Um… Ms. Song Yeo-un? Can you hear me?”

“Ah! Yes! Yes! I was listening! Definitely! But I’m a bit slow, so I’d appreciate it if you could tell me one more time!”

Yoo Min made a strange expression.

“No. I haven’t said anything yet. I just thought you looked a bit out of it.”

Song Yeo-un shuddered once again. To notice that with just one look, as expected of Yoo Min.

Song Yeo-un couldn’t even breathe easily, fearing that everything about her would be exposed.

“Anyway, the test results are roughly out.”

“Yes, yes!”

Song Yeo-un and all the Kang Hyun-woo team hunters underwent re-examination for ability assessment.

It was a necessary examination since everyone’s grade had increased and their level had risen considerably due to their experience in the Taebaek Dungeon.

Large clans like Taesung also had their own assessment agencies.

The Kang Hyun-woo team hunters had now been assessed to be mostly 2- or 3-star, and Song Yeo-un was the last in line.

Yoo Min opened her mouth.

“Ms. Song Yeo-un is a bit unusual.”

“Huh?”

She mispronounced out of nervousness. Yoo Min continued without smiling.

“It’s a whopping 4-star… but it’s a bit unique, should I say?”

“Uh, what do you mean, w-wait. I’m a 4-star?”

If so, does that mean she’s on par with Lee Ji-tae, Oh Dae-sung, and Park Do-ryeong? No, Lee Ji-tae has already revealed that he’s a 5-star, so he’s an exception.

But even so, 4-star was a distant realm for Song Yeo-un.

“Yes. But that’s not the important thing.”

Being a 4-star is enough to drive her crazy, but that’s not the important thing, she says.

Song Yeo-un felt like her soul was leaving her body. Yoo Min hesitated over the title, but decided on a businesslike title as it was an official occasion.

“It has a similar form to Mr. Kang Hyun-woo. A rare trait to see in humans.”

“Nyehe?!”