Hoarding In Hell [EN]: Chapter 24

24. Ability User Test (7)

Silence blanketed the audience. They were stunned by what they had just witnessed.

“Oh my god…”

“That was an incredible fight! And what was that at the end…?”

“Was Red Butterfly careless? I didn’t expect it to end so quickly.”

“I don’t even know what happened.”

Even amidst the headhunters’ murmurs, Lee Ji-tae remained silent, his mind replaying Kang Hyun-woo’s final move.

Fast, precise, and refined. The movement was so perfect, he doubted he could replicate it himself.

Of course, Lee Ji-tae was confident he could subdue Kang Hyun-woo and Red Butterfly simultaneously without even breaking a sweat. Any mid-level hunter could do the same. The difference in level and experience was that significant.

But what if their abilities were equal, and the level difference wasn’t so vast?

It was clear that Kang Hyun-woo’s level was low, probably not even reaching level 10. Yet, he was already demonstrating skills beyond his apparent capabilities.

‘If he’s this good before even reaching his full potential, what will happen when he actively participates in dungeons?’ It would only be a matter of time before he caught up to the mid-level hunters who were resting on their laurels.

If established hunters had an early start and were already far ahead, Kang Hyun-woo was like someone chasing after them in a supercar.

“The results have been announced, Chief. Shall we go meet the applicants?”

Min-soo whispered from the side. Headhunters were already heading out to meet the applicants. Lee Ji-tae glanced at the scoreboard displaying the scores.

The winner of the test was Red Butterfly. But neither Lee Ji-tae nor any other headhunter thought Red Butterfly deserved the top spot. They weren’t just simple graders; they were there to recruit talent.

Red Butterfly was excellent, but Kang Hyun-woo had left an even stronger impression.

Moreover, this test wasn’t just a race to collect metal tags.

Lee Ji-tae spoke, “First, go meet this Kang Hyun-woo.”

***

Waiting Room.

All the applicants, except those too injured to move, were gathered. Those who had managed to preserve their metal tags looked relieved, while those who had been beaten and had their tags stolen groaned and glared, many directing their gazes at Hyun-woo. Red Butterfly’s group had all gone to the infirmary because of Hong-ryun.

Kang Hyun-woo was also among those groaning, holding a cold can to his head to soothe the throbbing headache.

It was due to mana depletion. Since there was no way to replenish mana in the real world, he would be stuck like this until he went to Hell [the game world where he can replenish mana].

He had reduced the usage time of the Battle Helper as much as possible to minimize mana consumption, but Domination consumed more mana than he had expected.

He doubted if he could use it properly in real combat, but on the other hand, it also meant it was a powerful skill.

‘Unsuitable for someone at level 7.’

As his level increased and his mana capacity grew, it would become easier to use. But the headache didn’t seem to be going away easily.

It was difficult to recover mana before entering the dungeon. Hyun-woo wanted to return to Hell right away.

‘Even just setting foot in Hell would recover this much.’

Still, compared to the fraudulent skills and items he possessed, mana shortage was a manageable drawback. It was a problem that could be improved. Hyun-woo recalled his appearance when he used Domination at the end.

‘Why did I do that?’

When he used Strong Force on Red Butterfly, it ended so quickly that he didn’t realize it. But his appearance when he used Domination on Hong-ryun… from a third-person perspective, it was like a complete psychopath. Hyun-woo began to wonder if he had such a side hidden within him.

Perhaps the sudden power had begun to affect his morality. Hyun-woo, who was about to contemplate his ego and moral code… didn’t dwell on it deeply.

‘I guess I was more of a scumbag than I thought.’

Wasn’t he a scumbag that even the Constellations [powerful beings in the game world] would vouch for?

People can’t do bad things when they don’t have power. Only when they are given power can you know their humanity. Hyun-woo was judged to be a decent scumbag.

Still, he didn’t kill anyone, so how virtuous was that? He could be a little proud.

Hyun-woo stamped a ‘Well done’ mark in his heart and shook off his worries.

“Kang Hyun-woo?”

He heard someone calling him. Hyun-woo raised his head. It was a face he had seen somewhere. He seemed to know him, but Hyun-woo didn’t remember him.

“I’m sorry, I forgot your name…”

“I’m Tae Min-soo.” Ah, he was the person who checked everyone when they entered the 3rd gymnasium. Tae Min-soo took out a business card from his pocket and handed it to Hyun-woo.

「Taesung Clan, Office Team Leader Tae Min-soo.」

“Congratulations on completing the difficult test so well.”

“…”

“It was a result that no one expected. You have great skills. May I ask if you have a clan or mentor? It seems like you already have experience entering dungeons.”

“Not really.”

Tae Min-soo sensed that Kang Hyun-woo simply didn’t want to talk about it.

It didn’t matter. Unless he had committed a crime, his logs wouldn’t matter. Taesung had the power to smooth over even such a background in an instant.

Hyun-woo silently looked at the business card. If it were the past, he might have been overjoyed to receive a business card from the Taesung Clan.

But now, he felt nothing.

“Then the story will be quick. There will be an awards ceremony soon, but I came to talk to you before that. Kang Hyun-woo, you have shown great potential and growth in this competition. With more support, that growth is expected to double. If you are interested, how about joining the Taesung Clan?”

“No. I’m fine.”

“Yes. Then let’s talk about the contract terms step by step… Yes? Wait, what did you say?”

Tae Min-soo seemed not to expect Hyun-woo to refuse.

If he joined the Taesung Clan, he would receive generous support. His salary would be guaranteed in the hundreds of millions [of Korean won, a significant sum]. He could be guaranteed a comfortable life without going to Hell. But Hyun-woo had no intention of doing so.

He was tired of having someone over his head.

If he could do that, he would have readily served one of the Constellations in Hell.

“I prefer to be alone. I don’t plan to join a clan yet.”

Tae Min-soo’s mouth dropped open. The other applicants who were eavesdropping were the same.

Rejecting the Taesung Clan’s offer. Most of the applicants in this place had participated hoping that Taesung would pick them.

Even mid-level hunters from other clans couldn’t ignore Taesung’s recruitment offer. As the treatment was top-notch both domestically and internationally, Taesung was the object of envy for hunters.

Hyun-woo returned the business card to Tae Min-soo as if he had no regrets.

“Why don’t you go see that Red Butterfly girl? She’s the number one.”

“No one among the recruitment examiners thinks so.”

Tae Min-soo said firmly.

“Of course, it’s not that Red Butterfly is lacking in skill, but we were scoring with slightly different criteria. Kang Hyun-woo…”

‘His cooperation and ability to work with other hunters were lacking, close to 0 points.’

He swallowed those words for now.

“…showed several times the growth potential, situational judgment, and efficiency of Red Butterfly. You can fill in the lacking parts by joining our Taesung Clan. In my opinion, you and Red Butterfly would have good synergy. Since both of you have talent, I think you will soon be successful in the hunter industry.”

Tae Min-soo whispered, moving closer.

“Kang Hyun-woo, you are still as fierce as a tiger. Anyone will admit that. And Taesung can give wings to a running tiger. We will show you a high place that neither you alone nor any other clan can reach.”

Hyun-woo grinned.

“Even the stars?”

“Yes?”

“Can you reach even the stars?”

Tae Min-soo wondered if this was some kind of metaphor. After a moment of thought, Tae Min-soo barely answered.

“Of course. We’ll let you stir up the nebula beyond the stars.”

***

Lee Ji-tae was replaying the video of Hyun-woo’s battle in his car. It was a clean movement that was admirable even after watching it again.

It was a movement learned from martial arts, but there were no unnecessary actions, and it was a combination of dozens of practical martial arts.

Hyun-woo was defeating the scarecrows with such movements without using a single skill. Lee Ji-tae shook his head, watching the scarecrows fly away and break.

‘It’s like watching a martial arts movie with choreographed moves.’

Soon, the video moved on to the fight with Red Butterfly. But then, someone was seen approaching the parking lot.

It was Tae Min-soo.

Lee Ji-tae saw Tae Min-soo approaching with slumped shoulders and roughly guessed the result.

“Did he refuse?”

“Yes. No matter how high I raised the conditions, he didn’t seem interested.”

Lee Ji-tae nodded as if he expected it. He didn’t seem very surprised.

“He refused while talking about reaching the stars and other pie-in-the-sky stories.”

“Stars?”

Lee Ji-tae suddenly showed interest.

“Yes? Have you ever heard of it? I thought it was a story circulating among young people, but I’m not familiar with such things.”

Lee Ji-tae pondered for a moment and bit his pen.

“…Well. I don’t know what he meant, so let’s watch for now.”

“Hoo, I guess you expected him to refuse.”

“He didn’t seem like a friend who would work under someone.”

“How did you know without even talking to him?”

“A friend that strong has that unique arrogance. The arrogance of, ‘Why should I cooperate when I can grab everything myself?’ Leave him alone until he figures out what he wants. The faster he flies, the greater the frustration when he hits a wall. We’ll probably meet again soon.”

Tae Min-soo wondered why Lee Ji-tae was so sure. But soon, he realized who he was facing again.

The best hunter in Korea, one of only 70 4-star ability users in the world.

As someone who had grown at an unparalleled rate, it would not be an exaggeration to say that he had already walked the path that Kang Hyun-woo would take.

“Did you accept Red Butterfly?”

“Yes. Well, she just needed to join the Northern Expedition. Come to think of it, Red Butterfly’s group also asked if Kang Hyun-woo was joining Taesung.”

“Oh dear, did they seem resentful?”

“No. They seemed eager to meet him again.”

Lee Ji-tae smiled.

***

The sun was already setting outside the window.

Hyun-woo was starting to get hungry, but he still couldn’t bring himself to go outside.

Headhunters from somewhere, recruitment examiners from somewhere, reporters from somewhere, and management staff from somewhere were busily moving around among the applicants. The target they were looking for was one: Kang Hyun-woo.

The fact that Kang Hyun-woo had rejected the Taesung Clan’s offer had spread like wildfire among the headhunters. It was a natural result since he had rejected them outright in the waiting room full of applicants.

“Ugh… If I had talked in a private room, everyone would have thought I had joined the Taesung Clan and moved on.”

It was already too late. He thought about rejecting them confidently, but he wasn’t confident that he wouldn’t hit at least one of the headhunters who were begging him to reconsider while being swarmed by so many people.

Hyun-woo hesitated and turned on his phone again. As soon as he turned on his phone, text messages started pouring in one after another.

「Hello, Kang Hyun-woo. Our M&W Management is making every effort to connect hunters with the best private companies. We promise the best treatment in the world…」

「I am Ho-yeon, the team leader of the Howan Mama Clan. I would like to meet you…」

「I was impressed by your spirit to reject Taesung. Our National Ability Users Federation welcomes you at any time…」

「Where are you, oppa [a Korean term used by younger women to address older brothers or male friends]?」

「Our Iron Wall guarantees top-notch treatment and a monthly income of 100 million won…」

‘It’s still this chaotic.’ Hyun-woo was about to turn off his phone again before the battery ran out. But then, a text message caught Hyun-woo’s attention.

「I said, where are you, oppa?」

It was Yoo-min. Before Hyun-woo could reply, another text message came from Yoo-min.

「You can’t come out because of those zombie hordes?」

「I brought the car, so come to the 4th entrance of the underground parking lot of the 3rd gymnasium.」

‘Sometimes I feel that Yoo-min knows Hyun-woo surprisingly well.’ Considering that it hasn’t been long since they actually met, it was even more so.

He didn’t know if it was because she was considerate of others or simply had good intuition.

Hyun-woo started to move. But he had to stop after a few steps. She was standing in the middle of the hallway.

Red Butterfly.