Hoarding In Hell [EN]: Chapter 322

“Keuhuk. Haa…”

Teacher slammed his head on the floor, vomiting a mouthful of blood. But even more blood than he vomited was flowing from his body.

He hurriedly took out a potion from his inventory and drank it, but recovery didn’t seem easy.

Fortunately, the Ego Weapon only pierced his body in about two places.

However, as expected of the areas targeted by the Ego Weapon, both were near-fatal wounds.

Had he been even a little late, he would have died.

Without the potion made from moss crystals harvested from Difficulty: Hell by Hyunmu, it would have been difficult to gauge his chances of survival.

Even so, it seemed inevitable that some permanent aftereffects would remain.

‘How much… time did I reverse?’

He hadn’t been able to properly gauge it because he was in such a hurry to turn back time. But it was clear that he had reversed quite a bit of time.

Judging by the clouds caused by the electromagnetic storm, the Leviathan mission was still in progress.

Teacher was going crazy.

He had suffered such serious injuries, but Kang Hyunmu would probably be perfectly fine without a single scratch by now.

The problem was that for the time being, he would be in a state where he could barely even support himself, let alone fight.

‘It’s okay. I can just turn back time.’

Teacher tried to calm down and control his mind.

Until he fully recovered, he could just watch Hyunmu act as he pleased and turn back time as many times as necessary.

Kang Hyunmu might have expected his injuries to accumulate each time Teacher regressed, but there was no reason to fulfill that expectation.

If he lacked rest, he could just regress again.

As many times as necessary.

Teacher gritted his teeth and tried to stand up. But at that moment, his legs gave way and he collapsed.

Cold sweat was pouring from his entire body.

‘Is it even possible? Really, to face that crazy bastard?’

Although it was his past self, the difference was clear.

The guy was fighting as if he didn’t care about losing everything he had.

But Teacher couldn’t do that.

He had tasted the bottom of despair, and then tasted the best future he never thought he could have.

If he had never experienced it at all, it might have been different, but now Teacher could never fight like Kang Hyunmu, even if he died.

It was impossible to turn Adam Fault around.

It was impossible to occupy Cheonru [likely a significant location or structure].

It was impossible to split Cheonru, kill Kang Hyunmu, and kill Adam Fault.

‘…Should I just go to the past and kill Kang Hyunmu?’

No. That wouldn’t work either.

If he killed Kang Hyunmu too far in the past, the possibility of reaching the best future would completely disappear. Moreover, there was a possibility that he would follow the Difficulty: Hell route as it was.

Teacher had considered becoming a Star himself. But that was something he had given up on decades ago.

He was on hostile terms with all the Stars, not to mention his disciples. That was why he had yielded the Star to Lee Ji-tae.

As the Star of the End and a Star who had turned his back, there was no way he would look good in the eyes of the disciples.

In the end, the limit of regression was one week before Kang Hyunmu most recently returned from Hell.

‘One week… I have to find every possible method I can in one week.’

Teacher staggered as he stood up.

It was the first time he had ever felt that the ‘best future’ was so far away.

***

Teacher tried to find the best future by reviewing his battle with Kang Hyunmu.

While recovering, he even tried spending a week doing nothing.

Then, Hyunmu, who had not met Teacher even once, skillfully persuaded Adam Fault and became the worst person in the world.

Immediately after that, an announcement that made Teacher utterly dumbfounded began to be broadcast.

[I am a regressor.]

It was a recorded video that Yoo-min had distributed to broadcasters around the world on behalf of Hyunmu.

In the video, Hyunmu was holding up a return stone and talking in an interview format.

[I ‘regressed’ from the future, a world that has become Difficulty: Hell. I apologize for not explaining it to you all this time, but I have returned as the representative of humanity, carrying the hopes of all the remaining humans, in order to overcome the desperate future.]

At this point, Teacher couldn’t help but fall into a frenzy.

“The hope of humanity, carrying it, that’s me! You son of a bitch!”

But it was Kang Hyunmu who shamelessly uttered that name first, falsely portraying himself as a hero of humanity.

Teacher suppressed his anger and continued to watch the video.

It was infuriating just to watch, but he had to watch it to prepare for it.

In response to the question of what was driving humanity into crisis, Kang Hyunmu once again said with a brazen expression.

[The one who turned our world into hell is none other than ‘Teacher,’ or ‘Bi-gwang,’ who currently belongs to the ‘Alliance.’ He has become an existence called the Star of the End and is driving the world to destruction. Many are being deceived by him, but the reality is different.]

[Oh my god, do you know his identity?]

The reporter in charge of the interview belonged to a credible broadcasting company.

[Of course.]

Kang Hyunmu said while staring intently at the camera.

[It’s embarrassing, but he’s my father.]

At this point, Teacher ended up smashing the phone that was playing the video.

“How could that son of a bitch know!”

Although Hyunmu and Teacher had never met after growing up, they had always been strongly aware of each other’s existence.

Hyunmu would have speculated about Teacher’s identity in various ways, and perhaps recently he had gained some certainty about his existence.

And just when he was confident that he could reach the top, he openly provoked him like this.

Even at the worst timing.

Even Kang Hyunmu’s remarks could seem quite plausible.

Teacher himself looked exactly like Kang Hyunmu, and he looked a little older.

Only then did Teacher feel like he had been hit in the back of the head.

‘Could this be it? The reason why the future was distorted after Kang Hyunmu returned from Difficulty: Hell?’

In the end, Kang Hyunmu became aware of Teacher’s existence in Difficulty: Hell and may have come to believe that he had no choice but to oppose him.

A chill ran down his spine.

If Teacher had judged that he had no choice but to exclude Kang Hyunmu from the future, Kang Hyunmu might have judged that he would exclude himself as well.

He felt like he knew the reason why he couldn’t escape no matter what he did or how much he struggled.

‘Is there really no way to escape?’

That couldn’t be. Teacher tried to find a way somehow. He started turning back time and replaying Kang Hyunmu’s video.

Evidence?

Kang Hyunmu has a plethora of legendary items with insane performance that don’t match the difficulty, an unbelievable growth rate and skills, and a path of growth as if he had foreseen the future.

Reason for hiding it?

If information is stolen in a state where he is not strong enough, there is a risk of it being misused.

Look at the man named Teacher. He has secret and terrifying power and information.

The fact that Park Hwi-so, who belongs to the Alliance, directly testifies only adds to the credibility.

Currently, Kang Hyunmu is known as ‘the worst person in the world’ and someone who must be killed.

In other words, he is the most watched person in the world right now.

If he becomes this famous, people will think that even if he talks nonsense, it’s half plausible.

Not everyone has to believe it.

It’s enough to come down from the worst.

As if to prove that theory, people were already scattering their opinions on Kang Hyunmu’s opinion.

In the meantime, Kang Hyunmu had already escaped from being ‘the worst person in the world.’

As Kang Hyunmu came down from the worst and people who believed in Kang Hyunmu stopped doubting Adam Fault, there was a person who was suddenly branded as ‘the worst person in the world.’

It was Teacher.

[Teacher. Where are you?]

According to Teacher’s orders, they were gathering inside the shadow, but when he suddenly disappeared, the Alliance members couldn’t get a grasp.

In the end, the Alliance members dispersed again, but only one person appeared on the broadcast and appealed to Teacher.

It was Lee Ji-tae.

The attention soared like crazy when Lee Ji-tae, the youngest son of the Taesung Group and known to be dead, appeared.

[Didn’t you say that you would choose the future, Teacher? Is this really the future you chose? We have only believed in and followed you until now….]

And Teacher smashed the phone, which was probably the umpteenth.

***

‘I have to fight.’

A future where he gives up everything and flees is the best future ‘for Kang Hyunmu.’

Kang Hyunmu loses the forces to check him and literally rises to the top of the world.

In the end, the Leviathan mission fails, but with no one to oppose Kang Hyunmu, Hyunmu rises to the position of a Star with absolute power.

Kang Hyunmu becomes the victor.

This may be the best future for humanity, if it is the best future.

But in that future, Teacher was likely to be not only hunted down as an enemy of humanity, but also killed.

Because there was no way for Teacher himself to live under Kang Hyunmu’s Star.

‘That’s ridiculous.’

Teacher felt a sinister emotion.

That animosity that Kang Hyunmu had said, ‘I’d rather destroy the world than see you win,’ came to Teacher as it was.

It wasn’t to the point of destroying the world. Teacher still had the idea that only that was not allowed.

But he didn’t want to see a world where Kang Hyunmu won, even if he died.

He felt that the best future that Kang Hyunmu had ruined after returning from Difficulty: Hell was better.

Nuclear war is frequent, humanity is in endless civil war, and the game is still going on.

Still, isn’t it not as bad as Difficulty: Hell?

‘It’s the path you chose. Kang Hyunmu.’

Of course, he had no intention of following that path as it was.

Teacher could still choose a path that was better for him and worse for Kang Hyunmu.

Then, Teacher suddenly thought about the path Kang Hyunmu was taking.

‘If Kang Hyunmu can do it… there’s no reason why I can’t.’

It wasn’t just difficult, it might be impossible. He didn’t even think about it because it might be the worst idea.

But what does it matter if he fails? He can just turn back time again.

Teacher and Hyunmu both had a strong tenacity to challenge again without being frustrated by failure.

Teacher gritted his teeth and began to prepare for a new future again.

A future that is not the best.

***

Teacher began to rebuild the best future he had.

But it wasn’t smooth sailing.

The injuries he had sustained had already accumulated considerably, and the Alliance members were shaken by Teacher’s sudden change.

Even with very minor factors, the future was distorted and the desired results were not achieved.

Still, Teacher continued to repeat and tried to draw out the results he wanted.

And the 194th regression.

Teacher finally faced the future he wanted.

“Hey, now that I think about it, I’m curious. If you keep turning back time like that, won’t you die of old age? You’re just turning back time to the past, not going to the future.”

Now, even Kang Hyunmu was aware that Teacher had regressed countless times.

Teacher was too lazy to even answer now. If you add up the time he fought with Kang Hyunmu, it was almost close to a year.

He had been fighting and repeating the fight with this crazy bastard for a year.

“I’ve already answered that 17 times. It’s your fault for not remembering.”

This was the best kindness Teacher could do. No, it was a strategy.

The future changed quickly with just one word, so Teacher had to put effort into every word.

Hyunmu narrowed his eyes and tried to interpret Teacher’s words.

‘I’ve gotten old a lot.’

He realized it when he had been looking at Kang Hyunmu’s face for a year.

Teacher’s appearance only looked like he had just reached old age, but his actual age was much older.

Teacher himself couldn’t know his exact age.

How could he gauge his age when he was turning back time like this?

Just as Hyunmu’s physical age became much younger as he became an ability user, Teacher was the same. In addition, he was using every means to extend his lifespan.

“For the best future.”

Teacher murmured quietly, but his voice had no strength.

Now it was just a meaningless slogan.

The only person around who could hear the slogan was Lee Ji-tae.

The other Alliance members were confronting the Omnipotence Alliance hunters quite far away from here. Park Do-ryeong was mediating the battle.

And Adam Fault was silently watching the fight a little away from Kang Hyunmu.

Teacher knew that he was standing as if he was neutral, but in fact he was on Kang Hyunmu’s side.

‘Compared to the first fight… quite a lot of people have survived.’

Lee Ji-tae, Park Do-ryeong, the hunters of the Omnipotence Alliance, and the Alliance members survived.

Teacher felt that fact was strange.

He realized that the people he had given up on and killed from the beginning were the people needed to find the best future.

Teacher wondered if Kang Hyunmu had intended this future, but he thought it was an overinterpretation.