Hoarding In Hell [EN]: Chapter 233

233. The Trial of the Stars (9)

The moment Curie’s grip tightened around Ha-hyun’s body, Ha-hyun’s greatest concern was Sang-hyun inside the cocoon.

She couldn’t even escape with her spider swarm, worried that Sang-hyun would be crushed inside.

The thought that the gift the Whispering Star had given her was ultimately useless didn’t even cross her mind.

Of course, Ha-hyun knew that it wasn’t Sang-hyun inside the cocoon.

But she couldn’t shake off the foolish thought.

That perhaps Sang-hyun could be revived.

‘What a foolish thought.’

Sang-hyun had said that to Ha-hyun a long time ago.

‘Life is just a continuous electrical signal forming device where the smallest units of organic matter gather to form a complex system, and replace themselves with other organic matter to maintain the continuity of that group. Emotion is just an error caused by hormonal changes resulting from the complexity of those nerves. Some errors benefit the group, but some errors…’

‘Sister, I don’t understand a word you’re saying.’

‘Ah… I mean life isn’t as great as you think.’

Sang-hyun said sternly, tearing off the ear of a still-living goblin.

‘We are controlled by the self called Sang-hyun and Ha-hyun, which is a collection of countless spiders. So, is it any different for this goblin? These guys are the same. Many cells are bound together with their respective functions. The self is outsourced.’

‘No, but sister. I was just asking what it would be like to create a spider clone technique, why are you answering so complicatedly?’

‘And you added that if you use that clone technique, you might be able to live forever.’

‘So, you’re saying it’s impossible?’

Sang-hyun chuckled. She stroked Ha-hyun’s hair and replied.

‘What is the lifespan of our spiders, Ha-hyun? At most a year, at least six months. That is, after a year, most of the spiders in your body will be replaced with new spiders. So, what happened to Ha-hyun from a year ago? Did she die?’

‘Um… no?’

‘That’s right. No. The important thing is continuity. That’s also why we need a certain level of spiders to maintain our self. In other words, using the spider clone technique breaks down continuity.’

‘Couldn’t you just have said it was impossible from the beginning?’

Then Sang-hyun smiled and replied.

‘Well, but it’s not necessarily impossible. If you can maintain continuity in each of those spider clones. Maybe an Apostle-level being could do it. But if you can do that, you can do something even more amazing.’

‘Something more amazing?’

‘The spider clone technique means planting your continuity in another being, not you. If that’s possible….’

***

Ha-hyun’s hand was dyed pure white.

No, it was hard to see it as a hand anymore. It was the spider web itself, made of tens of thousands of strands.

Curie panicked and tried to shake off Ha-hyun, but her arm didn’t move, as if it were fixed in the air.

Only then did Curie realize that Ha-hyun’s white hand had already dug into the inside of her arm, taking control of each and every nerve.

“So that’s how it was done. So that’s what my sister meant.”

Ha-hyun’s eyes were dyed pure white.

Ha-hyun had to mobilize her entire body’s nervous system to control Curie, an Apostle [a powerful being].

In normal cases, her brain would burn out, or she would go crazy.

But Ha-hyun was doing it.

Her eyes and ears were in the millions.

The countless spiders she had in her body were activated, replacing her nervous system.

Ha-hyun could feel the vibrations of the air, the sensation of dust landing on her shoulders, and even the smell of filth that had flowed into this place decades ago.

And beyond her own body, she could even feel Curie’s senses.

How thick her armor was, how hot her body temperature was, and even the excitement, embarrassment, and anger that were transmitted.

Ha-hyun herself didn’t know how she could do this.

Ha-hyun was stronger, faster, and better at handling spider webs than Sang-hyun, but Sang-hyun was much better at mental abilities and skill comprehension.

But now, it felt like Sang-hyun’s memories and understanding of her abilities were permeating her entire body.

Her stomach tickled.

Ha-hyun could feel that what was happening now was not entirely her own.

The Whispering Star had clearly done something. Her sister’s ‘continuity’ inside the cocoon was being passed on to her.

And a force as strong as the Widow Queen Spider was powerfully pulsating from inside her stomach.

A force as hot as a star.

“You insect!”

Curie, who had only been paying attention to Kirson, was horrified and swung her right arm, which had no hand, at Ha-hyun.

The moment Ha-hyun was hit by the cross-section of her arm, her body scattered.

Curie expected a bursting sensation but only felt a hollow one.

It felt like hitting a flying mosquito.

Ha-hyun’s body, which had scattered like mist, was now covering Curie’s right arm.

And she was trying to slowly take control in the same way.

“What a pathetic trick!”

Curie raised the temperature inside her body.

After all, she was just an insect; she wouldn’t be able to withstand being burned.

At that moment, Kirson rushed in, clutching the Winter Reaper’s Scythe.

Curie tried to block him by swinging her arm, but her arm was already bound by Ha-hyun.

Kirson’s scythe once again cut Curie’s neck.

With the bellows unable to function, Curie’s body could no longer burn. But Ha-hyun couldn’t attempt to take over more than her arm either.

Curie’s heart was like lava itself. It was a hot area that Ha-hyun couldn’t approach.

But the head was different.

Thanks to Kirson’s scythe cutting her neck, the heat wasn’t rising properly.

Curie felt a swarm of spiders, like white mist, beginning to cover her head.

Only then did fear appear in her eyes for the first time.

She tried to scream, asking what they were doing, but her throat only made a whistling sound.

Even as she bit the spiders and slammed her head against the floor, she couldn’t stop the spider webs from covering her face.

‘You too.’

In a sensation like drowning, Curie heard something whispering.

‘Let’s become us too.’

***

Kawa-ro’s expression hardened at Hyun-mu’s slick attitude.

Hyun-mu’s expression was brazen, but it would be a lie to say he wasn’t worried.

The worry and concern that Hyun-mu held could not be hidden. But even so, Hyun-mu had no intention of going to save them.

“Unless it’s the same Apostle-level, fighting an Apostle is…”

“Who said there aren’t any Apostle-levels?”

Kawa-ro’s expression hardened again.

Could it be that someone among the other stars was taking Kang Hyun-mu’s side?

There was suspicion that the Whispering Star was helping Kang Hyun-mu. But as far as he knew, the Whispering Star was not in a position to spare any help.

She wouldn’t be able to dispatch an Apostle-level being, especially without a price.

“Don’t tell me you’ve decided to stick with the Whispering Star?”

Hyun-mu didn’t answer. But the fact that Curie still hadn’t come meant that Kawa-ro’s concerns were close to the truth.

As that happened, it was Kawa-ro who became anxious.

‘If that bastard has already gone over to the Whispering Star, the game is over.’

Kang Hyun-mu is a guy who can be resurrected even if he dies.

He didn’t know how he had such an ability, but it was impossible to make him a subordinate by killing him. If he became an Apostle, it was completely impossible.

‘But if that bastard conditionally agreed to the Whispering Star….’

If he went over on the condition of overcoming this crisis, he had to catch him right now.

There wasn’t much time to chat.

Hyun-mu attacked Kawa-ro again.

As his thoughts became complicated, Kawa-ro’s hands and feet became clumsy.

In a situation where even suppressing Hyun-mu was difficult, it was urgent to think that another star was helping him.

Kawa-ro had no choice but to decide to push himself a bit.

“I never thought I’d have to use this here.”

Kawa-ro clenched his fist tightly with a stiff expression, then stretched his arm out long.

Hyun-mu and the Cursed Ones tensed up as Kawa-ro suddenly took a strange pose.

And the moment they felt the power condensing from Kawa-ro, they instinctively dodged.

“Ultimate.”

Kawa-ro’s hand was dyed a bright yellow gold.

“Golden Time.”

Crack.

The moment Kawa-ro used his ultimate [a special, powerful ability], time screamed.

Time was torn to shreds, making a bizarre scream as it was cut into pieces.

The entire world that Kawa-ro saw was dyed gold.

In reality, the world hadn’t turned to gold. It was just that a halo of light had begun to spread as he grabbed and stopped time.

Originally, no Apostle could have this much power.

The same was true for Kawa-ro, the highest-ranking Apostle of the Starving Star.

This was just him offering an enormous amount of mana and sacrifices to the Starving Star, flattering him and borrowing some of his power.

In reality, a huge amount of gold, silver, and sacrifices were being drained from Kawa-ro’s vault and harem.

The Starving Star’s debt is harsh. On the other hand, how much time he would allow was entirely up to the Starving Star’s whim.

Knowing that, Kawa-ro hurriedly set out to find Hyun-mu.

The ultimate could end immediately, or it could last for about 5 minutes. It was entirely up to the Starving Star’s mood.

But with that much time, his vault would be emptied. If he didn’t want to become penniless even after catching Kang Hyun-mu, he had to hurry.

But as soon as Hyun-mu realized that Kawa-ro was up to something, he moved using the shadow spider web.

The same was true for the Cursed Ones.

Feeling like he was going crazy, Kawa-ro searched for them and barely found Hyun-mu and the Cursed Ones.

And soon, he burst into frustration.

There was no one holding the Tam [a special item].

It seemed like they had put it in their inventory or thrown it away.

With quick judgment, Kawa-ro instantly recalled and counted the detailed characteristics he remembered—scars and flaws, the direction the blood had splattered, the state of their clothing, etc.

The moment his hand moved like lightning, the heads of four of the Cursed Ones fell off.

But he couldn’t distinguish which of the remaining three was Hyun-mu.

Kawa-ro felt like he was going crazy, then decided to think more calmly.

It was simple. Wouldn’t he get the answer while torturing them?

Kawa-ro’s hand moved to cut off the limbs of the remaining three.

That was the moment.

A scratching sound reached Kawa-ro’s ears.

It was an unbelievable sound.

It was the sound of time being scratched away.

Something else was interfering with the space-time that the Starving Star had stopped.

‘Impossible.’

No, it was possible. If another star had intervened.

But who in this place belonged to another star?

Regardless of Kawa-ro’s unfairness and questions, the time that had been dyed gold quickly began to fade.

Slowly, everything around him began to move.

“Damn it.”

Kawa-ro hurriedly rushed in and snatched one of the Hyun-mu’s.

The guy who hadn’t yet escaped from the aftermath of the time stop was caught by Kawa-ro. And the moment he tried to grab another one, the guy’s eyes flashed.

Black mist surged like a flame.

This is dangerous.

The moment Kawa-ro thought that, the guy strongly struck his hand. A tearing sound echoed as if he was digging with a knife, not a hand.

Kawa-ro realized that his left hand had been torn away.

‘Again, again! Damn it, he’s grown again!’

Speed, strength, reflexes.

Hyun-mu had grown stronger than before ‘Golden Time’ had unfolded.

Of course, the difference in specs was still large. The wound on the back of his hand wasn’t big either.

But as blisters grew between the wounds and pus flowed out due to the poison, cold sweat began to break out.

‘Am I nervous? At a guy like this?’

At that moment, another Hyun-mu rushed at him. Since he wasn’t holding the Tam, he couldn’t tell who Hyun-mu was.

Kawa-ro then realized something.

The Cursed Ones are destined to aim for the real one. Because they covet the real one’s position.

The probability was 33%, but if the one in his hand was the real Hyun-mu….

“Arrogant and foolish bastards. I gave you enough chances!”

Kawa-ro strongly struck one of the reservoir pillars with his empty hand.

The pillar shattered, and the ceiling cracked, with dirt and dust pouring down.

“Tell me who the real one is! Then I’ll give you a chance to kill him!”

The Hyun-mu’s gazes crossed.

It was an attractive offer. After all, there was a guarantee that they would be able to take the real one’s position.

But the Hyun-mu’s grinned.

They had no intention of accepting the generosity of someone, especially their enemy, and receiving salvation to take the real one’s position.

No matter who the opponent was, compromising with an opponent who had antagonized them and receiving salvation was not possible for ‘Hyun-mu’ from the start.

“Well.”

One of the Hyun-mu’s opened his mouth.

“I think that’s something we’ll decide among ourselves after you die?”

Cold sweat broke out on Kawa-ro’s back.

These bastards are crazy.

Kawa-ro turned his gaze here and there, then turned to the Hyun-mu in his hand.

He couldn’t fight the two of them while holding this guy. And suddenly, he felt a strong presence from behind.

Another Apostle was approaching.

Kawa-ro had no more time to hesitate.

Instead of thinking for a long time, he began to run, believing in the 33% probability while holding Kang Hyun-mu.