Hoarding In Hell [EN]: Chapter 272

272. The Sky is Falling (3)

People often compare very fast speeds to light.

Because nothing can travel faster than light.

Since no information can be transmitted faster than light, the vast universe must wait for the boringly slow speed of light.

However, the distance of about ten meters between Hyun-woo and Lee Ji-tae is practically non-existent when calculated at the speed of light.

The moment Lee Ji-tae used the Wings of Radiance, all Hyun-woo could see was a flash of light.

Lee Ji-tae condensed the act of kicking off, crossing the space, and punching Hyun-woo in the face into a single, sparkling instant.

Of course, it wasn’t truly the speed of light. If it were, Hyun-woo wouldn’t have been able to block that punch.

So, it happened in an instant.

Bang, Kwakwang!

It was a brief moment, but Hyun-woo didn’t immediately register what had hit him.

Only after his body floated into the air did the pain belatedly travel through his nerves to his brain. And then, intense pain was transmitted from all over his body in quick succession.

Seven times.

That was the number of punches that struck Hyun-woo’s body the moment he thought he had blocked the first attack.

‘What the hell?’

Even the expression ‘in the blink of an eye’ felt too slow to describe it. Hyun-woo belatedly felt a sense of déjà vu.

Difficulty: Hell. This reminded him of when he was forced to run a combat simulation in his brain to upgrade the skill: Battle Helper.

At that time, Hyun-woo had fought against someone resembling Lee Ji-tae.

‘Is he already almost that close to that level?’

Hyun-woo estimated that Lee Ji-tae had almost reached the level of Difficulty: Nightmare or Hard.

He was now on the verge of Normal difficulty, but it was an abnormal enhancement.

Bang.

Even as he was thinking, Lee Ji-tae’s attack struck Hyun-woo’s solar plexus once again.

Hyun-woo, who was about to yell ‘Stop,’ was punched in the lips instead.

He couldn’t understand why Lee Ji-tae was wielding a fist instead of a sword. Of course, just because it wasn’t a sword didn’t mean it wasn’t threatening.

Because destructive power is proportional to mass and speed.

Each of Lee Ji-tae’s punches contained enough force to total a large truck.

“You son of a─”

Hyun-woo carelessly opened his mouth and was met with another attack to his face. At that moment, Lee Ji-tae faltered.

Hyun-woo had bitten Lee Ji-tae’s finger.

Normally, the destructive power would be transmitted directly to Hyun-woo’s brain, or his neck would be broken.

But at that moment, Lee Ji-tae realized that a gloomy, dark purple smoke, the opposite of his light, was emanating from Hyun-woo’s body.

Instantly, Lee Ji-tae felt intense pain in his solar plexus.

A shocking impact was transmitted, causing his mouth to gape open. Lee Ji-tae tried to break free, but Hyun-woo held onto Lee Ji-tae’s finger, biting down tightly.

He felt his teeth digging in, reaching the bone.

Bang, Kwajik.

Hyun-woo twisted his neck and pulled Lee Ji-tae’s body towards him. Lee Ji-tae staggered for a moment and was punched in the face again.

He felt his teeth rolling around in his mouth, crunching.

Hyun-woo cocked his fist back once more and aimed it towards Lee Ji-tae’s face.

However, Lee Ji-tae didn’t just stand there and take it. He quickly turned his head and rammed his forehead into Hyun-woo’s fist.

With a thud, Lee Ji-tae’s scalp tore open and blood flowed out. But at the same time, Hyun-woo’s finger was also broken.

Lee Ji-tae didn’t stop and kicked Hyun-woo in the stomach.

And from then on, a brawl began with no defense or evasion.

Because they couldn’t create distance, Lee Ji-tae’s ultimate skill was already turned off.

They were busy beating each other up like children at close range. The fight stopped when a cracking sound echoed at some point.

Lee Ji-tae flinched and kicked Hyun-woo away.

Hyun-woo, who had been pushed back, mumbled and spat something out.

It was two of Lee Ji-tae’s fingers and his own broken teeth.

“How is it, you bastard? Does it hurt you too?”

Lee Ji-tae glared at Hyun-woo with a disgusted expression.

“You animal…….”

“You have to be prepared to get bitten if you’re going to fight an animal. But let’s see, I got hit about five times more, so I feel like I lost a lot.”

“If I had a sword, I wouldn’t have been hit that much.”

“If you had a sword.”

Hyun-woo grinned, revealing his teeth. The empty space where his teeth were broken was hollow.

“You’re already dead now. You know that?”

***

Lee Ji-tae frowned.

He didn’t know what confidence Kang Hyun-woo was speaking with. But he knew Hyun-woo wasn’t one to make empty threats.

If he said he would do it, he would definitely do it. Even now, he never expected that such an even result would occur.

‘Even with the teacher’s help…….’

Moreover, Kang Hyun-woo seemed to be in much better condition than himself, who had almost unilaterally attacked him.

Every time he was hit by Hyun-woo’s fist, a shock that shook his soul was transmitted, and he was still dazed.

At that time, Park Do-ryung approached Lee Ji-tae and whispered.

“The rehabilitation treatment isn’t over yet. Don’t do anything reckless.”

“I know.”

Anyway, Lee Ji-tae also felt that his murderous intent towards Kang Hyun-woo had subsided a little after swinging his fists to the fullest.

Of course, his resentment towards Kang Hyun-woo was still there, but there was a more important cause.

Hyun-woo glanced at the crystal stone next to him.

The energy felt inside the crystal stone was no different from the other ordinary dungeons he had broken so far. This wasn’t what Hyun-woo was looking for either.

‘In this respect, having fewer numbers is disadvantageous.’

Although the Almighty Union was also operating, it seemed that the People’s Front would achieve its goal first. There was no time to drag it out for long.

Hyun-woo pulled out the broken teeth and took out a potion from his inventory and drank it.

The masked woman also picked up the finger that Hyun-woo spat out and handed it to Lee Ji-tae along with a potion. Hyun-woo smiled at the sight.

“Looking at that mask, it seems like you’ve definitely joined the alliance, Lee Ji-tae. Aren’t your tongues tingling from licking the soles of other people’s feet, you who used to look down from above all the time?”

Lee Ji-tae seemed speechless at Hyun-woo’s words. He didn’t retort, but Park Do-ryung opened his mouth instead.

“I think I’ve said it many times, but the alliance is not such an authoritarian organization as you imagine. Rather, it’s like a loose community linked by a single ideology. Only a few of them know each other and form an organization.”

“Ideology?”

“It’s the ideology of creating the best future for humanity.”

“That sounds really cult-like.”

Then Lee Ji-tae opened his mouth again.

“If there are a thousand people, there are also a thousand roles.”

Hyun-woo sneered and replied.

“Did you finally feel like talking?”

“……The alliance is more vast than you think. ‘Alliance’ refers to those who build a single front against the future when hell comes. The teacher has been preparing many things for a long time under the cause of saving humanity.”

“So, I’m saying it’s like a cult.”

“It’s different from a pseudo-religion. The teacher knows his own shortcomings. And he also knows that there is no such thing as perfection. That’s why he’s preparing for the ‘best future’.”

Best.

Hyun-woo was still bothered by that word.

“To draw the best results, anyone can be a member of the alliance as long as they fulfill their role in the right place. Even if they don’t even know that they themselves are an alliance.”

“Now it even sounds like a dangerous multi-level marketing scheme. Are you even a diamond grade? Did a once well-off *chaebol* [a wealthy family or conglomerate] become a quasi-incompetent in the meantime, Lee Ji-tae?”

“If you meet the teacher in person, you won’t say that, Kang Hyun-woo. The anxiety disappears and conviction comes. The conviction that no matter what I do, no matter what mistakes I make, I belong to the cause.”

“So, let me meet him.”

Hyun-woo still tried to sneer and laugh, but his lips didn’t move when he thought of Park Hwi-so.

It took Hyun-woo so long to move even Park Hwi-so’s heart, even though Park Hwi-so had been attacked by the alliance several times.

Even now, Park Hwi-so was worried that one of them would get hurt, so he didn’t want Hyun-woo to meet the teacher.

“The People’s Front, Chrome, Taesung, Horanmama, even your Almighty Union, all move under the picture drawn by the teacher. Among them, the most important condition for welcoming the best future that the teacher is preparing…”

Lee Ji-tae took a deep breath and glared at Hyun-woo.

“Kang Hyun-woo, you are the biggest axis. No, you’ve taken up the biggest axis.”

“What? Ah, this guy is spoiling me.”

“……Spoiler?”

“How can you suddenly say that I’m important to that teacher guy? If you say that, I want to interfere.”

“Didn’t you hear me say the best future for humanity?”

“Whose standard is that best future based on?”

Lee Ji-tae flinched.

Occasionally, Kang Hyun-woo showed unexpected sharpness.

Hyun-woo ignored Lee Ji-tae and grabbed the crystal stone. The crystal stone shattered in his hand, making a crunching sound.

“At least it won’t be based on my standards. Then, at best, it’s only the second-best future for me.”

The crystal stone shattered, and the surroundings were dyed gray.

“Not here either.”

Hyun-woo smiled and looked at Lee Ji-tae.

“Let’s run again. It took too long. Let’s compromise here. You guys give up what you’re looking for for now and stop the People’s Front. I won’t interfere with that either. Do you agree to this?”

“What you’re looking for, do you know what we’re looking for?”

“You’re looking for that. That, um. What should I say.”

Hyun-woo tilted his head and opened his mouth. He was contemplating the right word. Then he came up with the right term.

“That’s right, the Heart of Cheonru.”

***

In the midst of the chaos in Cheonru due to Kang Hyun-woo and Lee Ji-tae, the ground was becoming hell.

Fortunately, Chrome’s agents and the EU’s hunters remained on the ground and were dedicated to rescuing civilians, minimizing damage.

But there was a limit to that too.

If monsters continued to pour down from Cheonru, they would eventually have to withdraw.

Tatatatata.

Now that most of the helicopters had risen to Cheonru, there was one helicopter that belatedly rose alone.

The Taesung Group’s mark was engraved on the left side of the helicopter.

The Taesung Group’s helicopter landed on Cheonru without any interference.

After a while, Lee Seo-yeon, wearing unfamiliar hunter attire, got off the helicopter.

And immediately following her, a masked person got off with a gun pointed at the back of Lee Seo-yeon’s head.

When the masked person gestured, Lee Seo-yeon sighed and said to the helicopter pilot.

“Go down first. Tell the other hunters not to follow.”

“But, miss.”

The helicopter pilot looked at her with worried eyes. However, with a gun pointed at the head of the master he served, he couldn’t force her.

In the end, the helicopter rose again alone and headed to the ground. Lee Seo-yeon felt the coldness of the gun pointed at the back of her head and muttered.

“Now it’s just the two of us, so let’s just put the gun away, Yoo-min. It seems like you were already enjoying this situation.”

“Don’t most middle school second graders dream of hijacking at least once?”

Yoo-min took off the stuffy mask.

She took off the gun, but the muzzle was still pointed at Lee Seo-yeon. Lee Seo-yeon still looked annoyed.

“If I was going to exclude you, I would have gotten rid of you a long time ago. With that gun…….”

At that moment, Yoo-min pulled the trigger. With a roar, a rock the size of an adult on Cheonru was cut off as if bitten by a beast.

Lee Seo-yeon closed her mouth at the sight.

“Ah, this is like an upgraded version of Magic Bullet, but only my brother can make it. But you can put attributes in it. By the way, I got a rather unique skill, and I can put really strange attributes in it?”

It was the story of the skill that Yoo-min still temporarily possessed, ‘Beast of the End’.

Of course, even if it wasn’t an enhanced magic bullet, Lee Seo-yeon would die if she was shot.

Lee Seo-yeon sighed and said.

“What I mean is, I have no intention of harming you. From the beginning, I decided to cooperate with Kang Hyun-woo. So why would I harm you now?”

“Um, I stopped you from taking the Taesung hunters up to Cheonru by taking you hostage, and forced us to go up alone?”

“It’s definitely a sufficient reason, but.”

Lee Seo-yeon muttered, grinding her teeth.

“That’s trivial. Anyway, my purpose was just to come up to Cheonru and do what I had to do. I don’t think that will conflict with Yoo-min’s purpose.”

“I thought it was a desk job, but it seems like you have something to do in the field?”

“I’d rather ask Yoo-min that question. As far as I know, Yoo-min has never even been to a dungeon, so why would you go to such lengths to come up here?”

Yoo-min just smiled.

Knowing that she had no intention of telling her, Lee Seo-yeon shrugged and moved first.

“I’ve been transported to Cheonru, so take care of the rest. I’m going to find the People’s Front. You’re going to find Kang Hyun-woo anyway, so it’s not good to run into the People’s Front, right?”

It was then. Someone was standing in the direction Lee Seo-yeon was going.

Lee Seo-yeon recognized that he was a hunter from the South China Federation just by looking at the clothes he was wearing.

Thinking that she could save time, Lee Seo-yeon was about to approach him, but was immediately grabbed by Yoo-min.

“Hey, look closely.”

It was dark, so she couldn’t see well, but the hunter’s appearance was strange somewhere.

The hunter’s appearance was rotten here and there.

Lee Seo-yeon and Yoo-min realized that their breath was visible.

Although the altitude was high, a coldness that did not match the season swept through their bodies.

“It’s an undead.”

The hunters who had been killed in various parts of Cheonru were getting a chance to rise again.