Hoarding In Hell [EN]: Chapter 330

The Devil Has Returned (1)

Krrrrrr.

In the distance, a mushroom cloud billowed into the sky.

Shortly after the mushroom cloud appeared, a fierce windstorm swept through.

The clothes of those on the Sky Fortress’s observation deck flapped wildly. Song Yeo-un, who had been watching the mushroom cloud, whistled.

“She really dropped it. I didn’t know Lee Seo-yeon had the guts to wage nuclear war.”

“It’s just for intimidation. If she were planning a nuclear war, she wouldn’t have advertised a nuclear attack a week in advance. It loses its impact, doesn’t it?”

Seo Ji-hoo stared at the mushroom cloud with a bored expression, while Song Yeo-un watched with sparkling eyes.

“How many times have you seen it, and you’re still so amazed?”

“Nuclear war is the ultimate game of fire that humans can play. It’s more surprising not to be excited.”

The mushroom cloud was rising from the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Tokyo.

Lee Seo-yeon had almost completely absorbed the South China Union and had even swallowed Japan.

Seo Ji-hoo continued, “Lee Seo-yeon dropping a nuke right in front of her territory is a warning to us. She’s saying she has no intention of yielding. Stop the show of force and get lost, or you’ll see the Sky Fortress turn into a sea of fire…”

“Hmm, has the ‘Mobile Colossal Fortress City, Sky Fortress’ intimidated her so much that even nuclear weapons are avoiding it?”

Seo Ji-hoo grimaced at Song Yeo-un’s playful tone.

The title ‘Mobile Colossal Fortress City, Sky Fortress’ was not officially given by anyone in the Almighty Union.

From the start, the Sky Fortress was hardly worthy of being called a city.

It was more like a collection of makeshift buildings or container houses, and it would be difficult to survive there for even a month without external support.

It was merely a military base with over a hundred fighter jets, a division-level artillery force, and intercontinental ballistic missiles ready to launch at any time, along with the military personnel to operate them.

With such a force standing right in front of her territory and conducting a show of force for a week, Lee Seo-yeon must have been feeling anxious.

“Hmm, but we can’t just barge in after she’s gone this far.”

“Commander Yoo Min will take care of it. We can’t give up Japan. Korea is right next door. From the start, Lee Seo-yeon broke the agreement to keep Japan neutral.”

“So, they think they’re the best?”

“Well, the Constellations are slowly backing out…”

After the Leviathan Mission ended.

As the Apostles disappeared all at once, the game was no longer in progress. There were no difficulty increases or sudden events.

Nevertheless, the ‘Normal’ difficulty was still challenging enough to collapse small nations.

The map changed, borders became ambiguous, and some conflicts were resolved or newly erupted, but in the end, humanity adapted to this system.

Three years was more than enough time to adapt.

Even though some countries collapsed, the world was regaining control under the power of humanity.

As a result, what was keeping humanity in check was not monsters, but other humans.

To make matters worse, as the Apostles disappeared and nothing progressed, the Constellations began to withdraw.

The more reliant forces were on powerful Constellations, the greater the impact.

The South China Union also weakened as the Starving Constellation backed out. However, Lee Seo-yeon seized this opportunity.

“Who would have known that Lee Seo-yeon, who had been steadily building power internally, would suddenly declare herself the proxy of the Whispering Constellation and swallow the entire South China Union…”

Of course, Lee Seo-yeon had put forward another figurehead, but the Almighty Union knew that Lee Seo-yeon was the real leader of the South China Union.

“Lee Seo-yeon must be feeling triumphant right now. She’s shown that they have nukes and the guts to use them.”

“Then we should ask Commander Yoo Min for her opinion. Whether to deploy hunters to Lee Seo-yeon’s hiding place or not…”

“No need.”

At the sudden answer, Song Yeo-un and Seo Ji-hoo turned their heads.

Finding Yoo Min approaching with her coat fluttering, the two bowed politely.

As soon as Song Yeo-un straightened up, she opened her mouth, “So, you’re saying there’s no need to spank Lee Seo-yeon’s behind? Lee Seo-yeon’s expansion is getting a bit dangerous. The South China Union is on the verge of collapse if it stops expanding now.”

“Song Yeo-un’s analysis is correct. Since they can’t absorb Korea right away, they’ll eventually cross the Pacific.”

“I know.”

At Yoo Min’s answer, Seo Ji-hoo and Song Yeo-un looked at each other.

They soon nodded with expressions that said, ‘If the Commander knows, then that’s that.’

If Yoo Min says so, then it must be so. Then she must have a plan for it.

However, they couldn’t help but feel puzzled. Until recently, Yoo Min had been taking a hard line against Lee Seo-yeon.

Song Yeo-un snapped her fingers as if something had struck her.

“Has Chrome finally agreed to cooperate with us?”

“No. Adam Fault and Lee Ji-tae have decided not to interfere, as always.”

“What? Then, could it be the Alliance?”

“Park Do-ryeong is engrossed in playing cult leader, and Teacher is still just an unrotting corpse.”

Song Yeo-un looked utterly clueless.

The only forces with the power to shake the world right now were the Almighty Union, the Alliance, the South China Union, and Chrome.

Among them, the South China Union was the largest in terms of power, even if its quality was somewhat inferior. That’s why the Almighty Union was keeping them in check.

“Um… then what is it? Is Lee Seo-yeon surrendering or something?”

“Yes. She hasn’t contacted us yet, but she will soon.”

“Yes?”

“Not right away, but she will soon. We’ll move the Sky Fortress back. If we can win without a fight, that’s the best. For now, let’s let Lee Seo-yeon be happy and mistaken that she’s won.”

***

A remote mountain area in Romania.

The iron gate hidden in an old ruin opened heavily.

A man in black clothes entered the gate with a heavy expression.

Their eyes held a slight expectation, excitement, and fear. On their chests, they wore brooches shaped like shining eyes.

As he entered, someone quickly approached from inside the hallway.

It was a hunter in shabby clothes.

“May the best future arrive.”

After exchanging the brief greeting, the man in black clothes hurriedly spoke.

“Is that man inside?”

“Yes. Former President Albert, sir. We have taken all possible measures to restrain him.”

The man in black clothes was former U.S. President Albert Cromford.

He had left office amidst the worst approval ratings due to various misfortunes after the Leviathan Mission, but he was still a powerful figure and a bigwig in the Republican Party.

And like ordinary Alliance members, he was a fanatic who dreamed of Teacher’s resurrection and looked forward to the best future.

“Not a corpse, but restrained? If that man is real, there’s no way he could be restrained.”

“We happened to have a powerful restrainer on our side. He can also use magic. We even mobilized Ginyu’s Chains, which even sealed Adam Fault. If he breaks through this, we should assume there’s no way to restrain him.”

Albert nodded at the mention of Ginyu’s Chains.

It was an item devised and created by the genius Maria Keller to hold the monster Adam Fault.

No matter who ‘he’ is, he wouldn’t be able to escape from it.

Albert followed the hunter down the hallway. Soon, he was able to face a huge space.

In the middle of the space, illuminated by dozens of spotlights, was ‘he’.

Albert felt himself swallowing involuntarily.

“He’s really alive…”

Kang Hyun-woo.

It was undoubtedly Kang Hyun-woo, his whole body restrained by chains, and to make matters worse, he was being injected with anesthetics through needles stuck all over his body.

Seeing his chest trembling slightly, it was clear he was asleep.

After the battle with Teacher, news spread that Kang Hyun-woo had died. However, at the same time, his body suddenly disappeared, so rumors that he was still alive also spread.

However, so many people had seen Kang Hyun-woo’s body that it was dismissed as a tall tale, like the idea that Michael Jackson or Hitler were still alive.

But Kang Hyun-woo was clearly alive before his eyes. And his limbs were intact.

“Where on earth did you find him?”

“A goatherd in the backwoods found him. He said he was lying in the middle of a high mountain area. Our people identified his appearance and immediately moved him here. We were lucky. He’s been in this state for the past three days.”

You can’t just pick up someone like Kang Hyun-woo on the street. But other than coincidence, there was no explanation that could be accepted.

Albert stared intently at Kang Hyun-woo.

“How… how can he be so intact? Teacher was in such a state.”

Teacher was beyond miserable.

If he hadn’t touched him directly and received a diagnosis from a doctor, he wouldn’t have believed he was alive.

Albert had tried to awaken Teacher with the best abilities he could mobilize, but all he could do was barely keep him breathing.

“Kuh, Teacher sacrificed his body so much to give us the best future, but why is Kang Hyun-woo, ‘the worst person in the world’…”

“But former President Albert, now that it’s been revealed that Kang Hyun-woo is so intact, doesn’t that mean there’s a possibility that Teacher can be healed too?”

Albert nodded heavily.

Teacher’s mysterious life force was one thing, but there were many in the Alliance who believed that he could be revived.

Park Do-ryeong, who was practically the representative of the Alliance right now, was the one who most skillfully manipulated that hope.

Teacher will rise again someday.

And when that day comes, he will lead us to the best future.

Not just overcoming the worst, but going to a brighter future!

“That Park Do-ryeong bastard clearly has no intention of reviving Teacher. He must be enjoying playing the representative of the Alliance right now.”

Albert said, raising the corners of his lips.

“But the cult leader act ends there. Park Do-ryeong doesn’t even know that Kang Hyun-woo has returned.”

Albert gestured. Soon, Alliance agents approached Hyun-woo and inserted needles.

Blood began to flow out of Hyun-woo along the plastic tube. Before long, it filled a pack.

“Take that blood to Teacher. Without Park Do-ryeong knowing.”

“Yes.”

There was a rumor circulating in the Alliance, whether to believe it or not.

Teacher’s blood was mixed with Kang Hyun-woo’s blood at the end of the battle, and as a result, he was struck while his power was being taken away by Kang Hyun-woo.

Therefore, the rumor was that if Kang Hyun-woo’s blood was retrieved and transfused back, Teacher would regain his original power and return.

And Albert was one of those who fervently believed in that rumor.

Kang Hyun-woo is alive, so why can’t Teacher be revived?

After the agent who drew the blood left, Albert watched Hyun-woo.

“Then now we have to think about what to do with that evil being.”

“Touching him carelessly might be like pulling the sleeping lion’s whiskers. Rather than that, it would be better to leave him restrained like this forever…”

“That might be right. When Teacher is resurrected, we’ll leave the disposal to him…”

It was then.

Albert felt his heart sink. Albert, who had been staring intently at Kang Hyun-woo for a while, turned to the hunter with a troubled expression.

“Hey, didn’t Kang Hyun-woo just open and close his eyes?”

“Yes? That can’t be. We’re injecting Kang Hyun-woo with the undiluted anesthetic that would anesthetize five elephants. We’re thinking it can’t be helped even if he dies like this.”

“No, clearly…”

Albert realized that he hadn’t seen it wrong.

Kang Hyun-woo was opening his eyes. With clear eyes, without any signs of being anesthetized, he was quickly scanning his surroundings.

In that moment, Albert found himself collapsing to the floor without realizing it.

“Haaam.”

Hyun-woo’s yawn echoed particularly loudly throughout the ruins.

“No way…”

Clang, crack, crrrrack.

Ginyu’s chains collided, making a loud noise. Kang Hyun-woo, who was clearly being injected with anesthetics, had woken up and was stretching.

The hunter hurriedly began to call security personnel. Hyun-woo tried to stretch coolly, but found that the chains were binding his body.

“What’s this?”

Albert’s heart was pounding, but he was relieved to see that even Kang Hyun-woo couldn’t break the chains.

Ginyu’s chains had the ability to absorb mana like a wet sponge.

The stronger the ability user, the more mana was absorbed, making it a suitable item for restraining ability users.

“No matter how strong Kang Hyun-woo is, he can’t break the chains that even restrained monsters…”

Crrrrrack. Thud.

In an instant, an unbelievable sound echoed. The chains suddenly exploded and scattered.

The shattered chain fragments were scattered and embedded in the walls, showing how strong the force was that broke them. Hyun-woo shook off the remaining chains and slowly moved his feet.

Albert immediately ordered the hunters.

“Stop him!”

However, what Albert saw at that moment was the sight of the Alliance hunters turning their backs and running away.

The hunters who had guided Albert to this place, as well as the hunters who were waiting, were running away as soon as they saw Kang Hyun-woo moving.

Albert blankly watched them run away.

Then someone tapped him on the back. Kang Hyun-woo was standing right in front of him.

“What day is it? I think I slept like a log for the first time in a while.”