Hoarding In Hell [EN]: Chapter 223

223. When the Star Casts a Shadow (8)

Kugugugugung.

As if a fierce battle were still raging somewhere, the ceiling shook with a deafening roar.

Hyeon-mu brushed off the falling pieces of cement from his head and grumbled.

“I hope the reservoir doesn’t collapse first.”

The underground reservoir was built to be sturdy, but it wasn’t designed to withstand earthquakes. Besides, it hadn’t been maintained for a long time and was quite old. Still, it was better than being above ground.

“The fighting sounds more intense; is something happening?”

Hyeon-mu asked Ha-hyeon, but she didn’t respond immediately.

“Ha-hyeon, are you okay?”

“Huh? Oh, yes. I’m fine. It’s just…”

Ha-hyeon was hardly moving, cradling Sang-hyeon’s egg. It seemed she was injecting her spiders into it rather than warming it with her body temperature.

It was like sharing her flesh and blood. It was only natural that she was distracted.

‘Well, I can’t really blame her.’

The reason Hyeon-mu couldn’t move from the bottom of the reservoir since the battle began was explained by the stream of blood flowing along Tam’s blade.

The empty bowl towards which Tam’s blade was pointed was being filled with blood.

It was the blood that Tam was pouring out through the ability of the weapon he had devoured, the Bleeding Dagger.

Around them were cans and bowls that Hyeon-mu had desperately scraped together. All of them were filled to the brim with blood. The bowl being filled now was the last one.

If even one bowl were to spill, the ‘Cursed Ones’ would pour out from the blood afflicted with the ‘Division’ curse, but as long as it didn’t touch the ground, it was fine.

In that sense, just as Ha-hyeon was sacrificing her body to nurture new life, Hyeon-mu was doing something similar.

The difference was that Ha-hyeon was holding it with love and affection, while Hyeon-mu was dealing with curses, hatred, greed, and things like that.

‘Well, isn’t any new life worth celebrating, no matter the reason it’s born?’

Although it was for a completely opposite reason from what he had told Ha-hyeon, Hyeon-mu convinced himself and moved on.

“Most of the spiders in the upper levels have either died or retreated a long time ago, so I don’t know for sure. But, um… the movements of the Familiars have become more intense. They’re hurrying as if they’re being chased.”

Hyeon-mu’s lips curled up as soon as he heard Ha-hyeon’s words.

“The Wailing Star has arrived.”

“The Wailing Star? Already?”

According to Kirson’s report, the Wailing Star’s forces were three days away. It was natural for Ha-hyeon to ask if it was already here.

“There’s no need to look for corpses on the battlefield. Just one strong guy will do.”

Without going far, there was the Faceless One, Kazat’s pet beast… also known as the Underworld Devourer, which could create hundreds of Undead.

Of course, Kazat couldn’t be summoned right now because he had the solemn mission of defending Pyongyang.

‘Even if I summoned him, he might be taken away if the opponent is the Wailing Star.’

You can control Familiars as much as you want, but the moment the real owner appears, the priority changes.

That was one of the reasons why Hyeon-mu quickly consumed the Undead swarm first.

“Anyway, if the Wailing Star is pressing down from above, the rest of the guys are probably popping like trash in a garbage can.”

Ha-hyeon’s expression became subtle. Even though it was a ‘Star,’ the expression of being crushed and popped seemed unfamiliar to her.

Hyeon-mu shrugged.

“And we’re the ones who have to eat up those crushed and popped guys from the very bottom. It’s not a very pleasant situation.”

“…You said there’s a way, right?”

“There is.”

But there were basic conditions. First, the enemy Apostles had to be weaker than they were now.

And at least three of them had to die. Enough for the Stars to think it was a loss.

Hyeon-mu was encouraging them to fight each other as fiercely as possible to create those conditions.

“In the end, the worst-case scenario is if even one Apostle remains intact and faces us properly.”

He filled the last blood bowl.

Hyeon-mu absorbed the blood on Tam and stood up. He felt dizzy from anemia as he suddenly stood up.

Ha-hyeon quickly approached and supported him.

“Are you going to be okay? You’re using up your stamina like this before even fighting…”

“It’s better than spilling it when fighting an Apostle.”

Hyeon-mu muttered with a pale face and a smile.

“And this will save my life.”

The Division curse bestowed by the Shattering Star, Gaul, was not the worst curse for Hyeon-mu.

No, there was also a hidden price that wasn’t mentioned in the explanation.

The Cursed Ones didn’t know about that price. Their memories were cut off from the moment Hyeon-mu’s trial began.

In the first place, that price was so obvious that there was no need to explain it.

Hyeon-mu took a deep breath. Then he said to Ha-hyeon.

“From now on, there’s no need to report. What I’m about to do isn’t something that children, the elderly, or pregnant women should see.”

“Not pregnant, but…”

“Anyway.”

Ha-hyeon quickly went outside. She had heard a rough explanation from Hyeon-mu, but she didn’t know if this was the right thing to do or if he could handle the aftermath.

But that was the same for Hyeon-mu as well.

“The odds are about fifty-fifty.”

No, he wished it was even half that.

It wasn’t a high probability for something that risked his life, but it was necessary.

Hyeon-mu muttered heavily and kicked over the bowl filled with his blood.

It was a rough way to celebrate a new birth.

[Consuming a large amount of mana in a short period.]

[Mana capacity has greatly increased.]

***

“Cough, huff!”

Hyeon-mu groaned, spitting out blood. He breathed roughly, like a baby breathing for the first time.

‘What is it, what happened? Did I die and come back to life?’

Hyeon-mu tried to recall his memories. He had been given a trial by the Shattering Star, Gaul, and heard that Cursed Ones would be born if he shed blood.

And that if one of them killed him, they would take the ‘real’ one.

But what was the blood he was spitting out now?

Hyeon-mu grabbed his throbbing head and looked up. Only then did Hyeon-mu realize that there were many people similar to him around, as the blood that had been filling his ears drained away.

No, they were the same people.

As they began to make eye contact one by one, an intense sense of incongruity and an existential crisis swept over them. At that moment, Hyeon-mu realized who he was.

He was not Hyeon-mu. He was a Cursed One.

A fake.

The moment the thought struck, the Cursed Ones looked around with fierce eyes.

It didn’t take long for them to find the target they were looking for.

The guy sitting on the chair with a particularly pale complexion.

He was covered in blood too, but the fact that he was the only one holding Tam in his hand, that prominent feature, proved that he was the real one.

“You must be coming to your senses now.”

Hyeon-mu, holding Tam, slowly got up from his seat. The Cursed Ones couldn’t take their eyes off Hyeon-mu and carefully took their stances.

Hyeon-mu was smiling.

If he were alone, they would have rushed at him without hesitation. But now, there were beings next to them who could sacrifice themselves ‘instead of them.’

Maybe he would create an opening for them while that guy died. That thought was making them cautious.

It was only natural.

Hyeon-mu himself would do the same.

Hyeon-mu slammed Tam into the ground. The Cursed Ones’ gazes wavered. If they could get rid of that guy now….

“Wait, before we fight, I have something to say.”

“Talk?”

One of the Cursed Ones asked mockingly. It was as if he was saying that such a thing wasn’t necessary.

“Yeah. You all know that this isn’t the time for us to be fighting each other. Right now, three Stars are rushing down to crush and kill us all at once. And there are at least five Apostle-level beings.”

The Cursed Ones knew that too. After all, their trial had started from that.

But that wasn’t enough to make them give up their identity.

No, in the first place, they were the divided entities of Kang Hyeon-mu, who were united in the idea that if they couldn’t have it, they might as well destroy it.

“You want me to fight for you?”

“It’s not impossible. But what if we get tired of fighting each other and get caught by the Stars? Are you going to live as gum stuck to someone’s foot, like the guys who are coming in now?”

It was an excessively vulgar expression for referring to an Apostle, but no one felt anything strange about the expression.

The Cursed Ones looked at Hyeon-mu with unpleasant expressions.

“Use us to fight, and you’re going to sit here comfortably? That’s really reliable.”

“Once you die and one of us becomes the real one, I’ll think about it.”

There was no meeting or whispering to ask for opinions. After all, they were all united and thinking the same thing.

Even now, they were all thinking of stabbing Hyeon-mu in the back if he showed even the slightest opening.

Hyeon-mu thought that they would naturally react that way as he watched their reactions.

You can endure losing. It can happen in life.

But you can’t stand someone else benefiting from your loss.

Moreover, if that loss was your existence and the benefit was life as ‘Kang Hyeon-mu,’ there was no need to say more.

‘I’m me, but I’m really trash.’

If all humans were like him, they would have definitely perished. Ah, have they already perished?

Hyeon-mu sighed and leaned his body against Tam.

“Then try it.”

“What?”

The Cursed Ones, wary of Hyeon-mu’s changed atmosphere, glared at him.

Hyeon-mu slowly counted the number of Cursed Ones who had been born. About 12. Similar to before.

“You, the one who was talking so rudely. I’ll definitely kill you, even if I don’t kill the others.”

Before the pointed-out Cursed One could say anything, Hyeon-mu quickly moved.

The Cursed One who was in the attack range quickly raised the Restrainer Yahr and blocked the attack.

He staggered, but at the same time, he spat out dark spiderwebs to find a blind spot to escape.

The spiderweb anchored to the ceiling, and the moment he tried to leap, the spiderweb suddenly snapped from the ceiling.

The Cursed One’s body, having stopped moving, was thrown into the air. Hyeon-mu didn’t miss the gap.

Tam’s blade cut the Cursed One’s body in two. The blood that burst out splattered on Hyeon-mu’s body.

Hyeon-mu glared at the surrounding Cursed Ones with fierce eyes.

Of course, none of them died from Hyeon-mu’s momentum.

They were just surprised and annoyed that Hyeon-mu hadn’t shown an opening during that short time.

“You’ve set up spiderwebs everywhere.”

One of the Cursed Ones glared at Hyeon-mu with a look of annoyance.

The entire reservoir was full of traps laid out invisibly. At this rate, it was as if Hyeon-mu was fighting in an overwhelmingly advantageous setting.

“And there are Familiars waiting outside, with orders to catch and kill anyone who runs away without my permission.”

Hyeon-mu pulled Tam back to his body as if there was no one else who would attack.

“Do you think I have even a speck of a desire to yield to you? Your thoughts are my thoughts. I can’t give up my existence either. If I die fighting the Apostles, I might have a chance, but you guys don’t.”

“…”

A look of realization flowed among the Cursed Ones.

If it were them, they would never create such a situation. They would definitely try to stab him in the back.

It doesn’t matter what you say to persuade them.

“But as I said, I don’t want to be dragged away as a slave. No matter how I think about it, this is the only way. So I’ll give you guys a chance.”

“What chance?”

A listless atmosphere spread among the Cursed Ones. It was as if they were saying, ‘So what?’ Hyeon-mu said calmly.

“Right now, you guys can’t beat me even if you swarm me. I don’t have Tam, and the Familiars aren’t controlled. I don’t have an Inventory either. All I have is the Restrainer Yahr and my skills. Are you going to attack?”

“You’re saying we can’t beat you even if we all attack at once?”

A disbelieving answer came out. No matter how many traps he had laid, these were beings with equal stats to Hyeon-mu. They didn’t think there would be such an overwhelming difference in skill. Hyeon-mu grinned.

“Look at the floor, and think about why I was covered in blood from the first time we met.”

Only then did the Cursed Ones realize that the entire giant reservoir was flooded with blood up to their ankles.

They hadn’t realized it because they were born covered in blood from the beginning, but there was too much blood.

“You guys aren’t the first ones I tried to persuade. You’re about the 16th group.”

“The 16th…?”

“Of those, 8 groups rejected my offer, and 7 groups agreed and left alive. Think about whether you’re going to die like dogs or plan for the future.”