Hoarding In Hell [EN]: Chapter 219

219. When the Star Casts a Shadow (4)

A Shattered Star, Gaul’s Trial.

Despite the sudden proposal, Hyun-woo remained unfazed.

‘Sooner than I expected, but he’s finally making a move.’

Currently, four stars were gathered at this crossroads, locked in a fierce struggle.

Among them, three were moving to forcibly obtain Hyun-woo, while Monstrill was working with him to protect him.

In this situation, only the Shattered Star, Gaul, remained still.

Therefore, Hyun-woo had anticipated that Gaul would intervene in some form.

‘Gaul… the star whose intentions are the most inscrutable.’

The desires of the Starving Star or the Conquering Star are so obvious they’re practically transparent. What they want from Hyun-woo, what they desire, is clearly revealed.

In the case of the Wailing Star, Hyun-woo believes his self-destructive desires are involved.

The Whispering Star attempts to make him an ally not through coercive means, but through subtle and seductive methods.

However, the Shattered Star, Gaul, rarely intervenes and has never shown any particular desire.

‘Gaul was said to have the nature of a conspiracy theorist and schemer.’

Looking back, it was Gaul who first gave Hyun-woo a fragment, and it was also Gaul who prevented him from falling into Monstrill’s hands. It was clear that he wanted something from Hyun-woo.

What that is, I don’t know.

‘No, at best, he probably wants me to become his subordinate.’

Hyun-woo tried to think that simply, but shook his head.

If Gaul is a schemer, he wouldn’t be that simple. To predict him, you’d have to anticipate two or three moves ahead.

‘And Gaul’s trial, at that.’

Nothing reveals the desires of the stars more clearly than a trial.

The situation isn’t good, but Hyun-woo is convinced this is an opportunity.

‘It’s not like trials ever come when my situation is favorable anyway.’

The very fact that Gaul is revealing his intentions even slightly means he’s taking a risk.

Hyun-woo believed that unless Gaul was trying to ruin him, he wouldn’t impose an insanely difficult trial.

“I accept.”

Hyun-woo accepted Gaul’s trial.

[The Star of Monsters, Augustro, is watching you.]

[The Wailing Star, Verd, is watching you.]

[The Starving Star, Yogulem, is watching you.]

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

[The Conquering Star, Ardan, is watching you.]

In addition to the stars that always watched with interest, the Star of Monsters, Augustro, whom he had seen long ago, was also present.

Judging by the fact that he doesn’t show much interest, it seems he doesn’t covet him, but the situation seems quite intriguing.

‘It must be fun. Watching others suffer from afar.’

With Hyun-woo’s bitter smile, a quest notification window appeared. And the moment he saw that notification window, the smile disappeared from Hyun-woo’s face.

[Quest Generated!]

[The ‘Darkest Place of the Star’ quest begins.]

[Eliminate at least five Apostles.]

Five.

The corners of Hyun-woo’s mouth twitched, but he was soon able to regain his composure. After all, the goal of capturing and killing the Apostles hadn’t changed. It’s just that the vague goal has become clearer.

And another thing that became clear was that the number of Apostles invading the shelter was at least five.

Al-Hugin class, or higher, numbering five.

“At this level, it’s a rather dull trial.”

Hyun-woo muttered, trying to act tough. But the notification window wasn’t finished.

[Curse: Division is granted.]

[Every time blood touches the ground, a cursed one will appear from that spot.]

[If the cursed ones kill you, they will permanently replace you.]

***

Kawaro of Gluttony and Sloth thought he could capture Kang Hyun-woo and bring him to his knees before him within half a day.

However, an hour after the surprise attack began, his expression hardened at the news that they hadn’t even found Hyun-woo, and half a day later, his expression was filled with doubt at the news that only some corpses remained of the guy’s forces.

“What happened? There were no signs of other stars moving.”

If there were piles of corpses, he would have thought the Conquering Star, Ardan, had moved. Because those guys can only kill and burn indiscriminately.

If there were no corpses at all, he would have thought the Wailing Star, Verd, had moved. Because the Wailing Star uses corpses as his subordinates.

But he hadn’t anticipated this ambiguous situation.

“Could it be that they hid, avoiding our sight?”

“That’s possible, Kawaro-nim.”

A thin, delicate girl’s voice was heard from outside the palanquin. But that voice came from higher than the palanquin.

“The subordinates have discovered spiders. Perhaps the Whispering Star is also interested in this matter. With her help, it’s possible to hide discreetly.”

“The Whispering Star, you mean Monstrill? Her proxy should be dead.”

Kawaro muttered, then nodded.

“No… rather, that’s why she’s coveting this guy. It’s like a reversal card that appeared at a time when she thought she was completely out of the picture.”

“If a star is taking the target’s side, it won’t be as easy as you think. Moreover, this underground structure is complex and dug deep.”

The delicate voice muttered worriedly. But Kawaro rebuked her as if scolding her.

“Monitoring whether they escape was Itwaro’s job, wasn’t it?”

“Of course, but.”

The girl called Itwaro slowly lowered her head.

Kawaro saw a huge shadow cast outside the palanquin’s curtain. The silhouette outside the curtain was a bizarre thing that was difficult to discern.

Kawaro felt even the surrounding air currents change.

“Then, will Kawaro-nim punish me? Or will you play with me?”

“…No, forget it.”

Kawaro irritably dismissed Itwaro.

If the Apostle Itwaro fails to perform her duties properly, the senior Apostle Kawaro is supposed to take over and discipline her.

But Kawaro was too lazy to take care of such things one by one. He had no idea how to punish Itwaro anyway.

“It’s enough if you find them. As punishment, you missed them, so find them yourself. If they didn’t escape but hid, it’s only a matter of time before you find them.”

He even passed on his work under the pretext of punishing her. But it doesn’t matter.

Itwaro is a child with a great desire for play and toys.

Rather, she will enjoy moving more actively.

“Anyway, we’ll have to go down ourselves. Itwaro, go down first. I’ll follow slowly.”

“Yes.”

Soon, with a thumping sound, Itwaro’s presence disappeared.

Kawaro slightly lifted the palanquin’s curtain and looked outside.

The ceiling of Hyun-woo’s underground shelter was now split open on both sides like a gutted belly, revealing its insides.

Kawaro sighed and got out of the palanquin.

In the low-ceilinged underground, he couldn’t ride the palanquin, nor could he bring the giant to pull the palanquin. Inevitably, he had to walk from here.

‘You’re making me suffer, Kang Hyun-woo.’

Kawaro slowly stepped into Hyun-woo’s underground shelter.

***

“Looks like the maggots are already swarming in?”

Lampel looked down at the underground waterway with a nervous laugh.

At his feet, countless corpses of ghouls and gasts were piled up, forming a hill. His spear had six charred corpses skewered on it like skewers.

“We expected the Starving Star to move first, didn’t we?”

Quirie said.

“Hmph, rushing towards prey so eagerly.”

Lampel swung his spear and threw the corpses against the wall all at once. Six patterns instantly appeared on the wall.

“More importantly, didn’t the target escape? Could it be that they just hid?”

This underground waterway was the most likely escape route if Hyun-woo and his forces were to flee.

The Apostles of the Conquering Star, who had already grasped the terrain, were planning to capture Hyun-woo, who would be pushed out when the Starving Star stirred things up.

But all they could see was the sight of hungry ghouls rushing in, let alone Hyun-woo.

Lampel and Quirie eliminated them all without hesitation.

“Looking at the situation, it seems they hid as you said.”

“Are they crazy? Or do they not understand the situation? The Starving Star would never give up its prey. In this situation, they should have escaped.”

Of course, if they had, they would have been caught by the Conquering Star, not the Starving Star.

“Or they believed the Promised Land was the safest.”

At Quirie’s words, Lampel scoffed.

“Ha, are you still talking about the promise? The Starving Star is already stirring things up in that Promised Land. And we’re already in a precarious place. Looking at the fact that Al-Hugin disappeared near the crossroads, that promise has long been broken.”

“The fact that Al-Hugin disappeared may mean the promise is still ongoing.”

“He probably got caught and killed by an Apostle of the Wailing Star or the Starving Star. He’s the weakest among us.”

Lampel jumped off the pile of corpses and strode away.

Steam rose with a sizzling sound every time his burning feet touched the water pooled on the floor. Lampel, who was walking ahead, realized that Quirie wasn’t following.

“What are you doing? Aren’t you coming?”

Quirie had an unpleasant expression. She clearly didn’t want to go any further. It seemed she was still worried about the promise or whatever.

Looking at her, Lampel looked at her with a pathetic expression. He couldn’t understand how such a timid person was chosen by the Conquering Star.

But Quirie had served as an Apostle for the longest time among the Conquering Stars. She had even served the Conquering Star longer than the proxy.

Therefore, Lampel didn’t lose his minimum respect for her.

“There are no other battlefields, Quirie! If the target chose to hide inside the Promised Land, we have no choice but to enter. Before the Starving Star tears him apart and eats him.”

“I know.”

Quirie burst into laughter nervously, then took a step as if giving up.

“I have to die on the battlefield even if I die, where else would I die?”

And following her, the Ironclad Army, armed with steel, continued their heavy steps.

The Ironclad Centurions.

They were the elite among the Ironclad Soldiers.

The heat rising from between the armor was heating up the underground. The piled-up corpses of ghouls were burning black and collapsing. War was seeping in.

And a swarm of spiders watching it hid into the cracks to avoid the heat.

***

“Hyun-woo? The forces of the Conquering Star seem to have just entered too.”

Hyun-woo’s subordinates were hiding in various parts of the huge maze created by modifying the subway and drainage channels, performing their missions.

Among them, Hyun-woo was laying traps in the deepest part, waiting for the enemies.

Ha-hyun was in charge of identifying the enemy’s movements for the time being. Ha-hyun was better at scouting the enemies in the dark than Kirson.

“Hyun-woo?”

But there was no answer in the room where Hyun-woo, who was supposed to receive the report, should have been. Ha-hyun quietly pricked up his ears.

“Butler, use some strength! Are you going to kill the kid with that?”

“What is the red butler doing?! If you die looking like that, you’ll be too embarrassed to close your eyes!”

Instead, all he could hear were the bizarre cheering sounds of the Lenians. [Lenians are the fairies that Hyun-woo has as subordinates.]

The unidentified fairies that Hyun-woo dragged around had become much more bizarre since their ego split once, so it was impossible to guess what the situation was from the sounds alone.

Ha-hyun had no choice but to open the door and enter. The first thing he saw upon entering was Hyun-woo riding on something bright red.

Before he could even figure out what was going on, Hyun-woo put his full weight on it.

At the same time, a cracking sound echoed, and the bright red thing lost its shape and collapsed.

Hyun-woo then stepped back with heavy breathing. He saw Ha-hyun who had entered and wiped the sweat from his forehead.

“Oh, you’re here?”