Hoarding In Hell [EN]: Chapter 332

332. The Devil Returns (3)

The plane carrying Kang Hyun-woo flew north, towards Moscow.

As they passed through Ukrainian airspace and entered Russia, Hyun-woo suddenly looked out the window. Just then, the co-pilot rushed into the cabin, looking urgent.

“Russian fighter jets are tailing us. They’re ordering us to change course immediately.”

“What?”

“Keep going.”

Hyun-woo didn’t even look at the co-pilot. He was only watching the formation of fighter jets outside the window.

The co-pilot looked at Albert, flustered. Albert’s face turned pale.

“Kang Hyun-woo, we’ll be shot down if we keep going like this. The situation between the US and Russia isn’t good right now. Russia is in a civil war with the Far East rebels, and they found out that our country has been supporting them with weapons. Unless we show signs of defection…….”

“I said, keep going.”

The co-pilot looked surprised at the name Kang Hyun-woo, but the order to keep going made him look even more suffocated.

Albert reluctantly nodded and headed to the cockpit with the co-pilot.

In the cockpit, shouts, presumably in Russian, could be heard. The pilot wiped away cold sweat and said to Albert.

“They’re ordering us to land immediately at a nearby military airport. They say they’ll shoot us down if we approach Moscow for more than a minute.”

Albert snatched the pilot’s microphone and shouted.

“Russian Air Force! I am Albert Cromford, former President of the United States! I am visiting for diplomatic purposes with an important matter, so please allow us to land at Moscow Airport!”

Then, there was the sound of radio communication from the Russian Air Force.

Soon, a harsh voice was heard. The pilot translated with a reluctant expression.

“They say they don’t care, just turn the plane around.”

“I know they cursed.”

Albert also knew Russian well. And he also knew that the pilots had hurled insults at him, encompassing three generations of ancestors and three generations of descendants.

Albert wondered if giving his name had been a mistake.

In fact, it was he who had signed the order to support the Far East rebels with arms.

But he didn’t think they would shoot down a diplomat’s plane carrying a former president.

“Russian Air Force, I repeat. If you shoot down this plane, it will cause a major diplomatic…….”

But the answer came back as a fierce warning sound.

The pilot screamed.

“We’re being targeted!”

“Flares!”

Fierce flames and smoke erupted, and at the same time, the plane turned sharply. The missile narrowly missed and exploded in the air.

Albert, who had been standing, tumbled to the floor. A familiar shadow loomed over the lying Albert.

“They’re really shooting.”

Kang Hyun-woo stood calmly in the swaying plane.

“Did you think those crazy bastards would shoot for show! Do you think you’ll be safe if the plane explodes! We need to surrender and land quickly!”

“I’m sure you guys did something crazy again.”

Since it wasn’t wrong, Albert shut his mouth. Then, Hyun-woo snatched the pilot’s microphone.

“Russian Air Force.”

It was fluent Russian. To be exact, it was thanks to the translation skill.

“I am Kang Hyun-woo. I am visiting to meet Ivan Cherenkoff. If Ivan is still alive, that is. Or anyone else will do.”

Instantly, the noisy Russian chatter went silent. Hyun-woo continued to speak alone in that silence.

“I don’t know if you remember, but I am still in a military alliance with Russia. I will consider another attack on this plane as a termination of the alliance. Let someone who can take responsibility act.”

The answer was not heard for a long time.

Albert stared at Hyun-woo with a dumbfounded expression.

Kang Hyun-woo was great, but did he think anything would come of giving his name?

These crazy bastards who would even attack a diplomat’s plane carrying a former US president?

Albert thought he’d be better off looking for a parachute than expecting anything from this, and he slowly tried to get up.

It was then.

The Russian Air Force fighter jets were seen flying in formation on both sides.

Then, a short radio message was heard.

[We will escort you to your destination.]

***

The plane landed safely at Moscow Airport.

Albert followed Kang Hyun-woo off the plane, looking half out of his mind.

As soon as the plane landed, military personnel and airport police urgently surrounded the plane.

He wasn’t expecting a welcoming crowd, but Albert tensed up again when armed soldiers surrounded them. But the soldiers were just as tense and flustered.

They didn’t even know whether to be wary of Kang Hyun-woo or to protect him.

That’s how urgently the situation was unfolding at the top.

“Kang Hyun-woo?”

However, someone who would ease their burden soon arrived. Hyun-woo smiled at the bald man rushing through the soldiers.

“Ivan Cherenkoff. Time can’t fix that bald head.”

“Damn it, time can revive the dead, but it can’t revive my hair follicles.”

Ivan looked Hyun-woo up and down with a dumbfounded expression.

However, Hyun-woo had only saved Ivan by chance, and Ivan had only spared Hyun-woo because he couldn’t kill him. There was no reason for the two to exchange friendly greetings.

If there was any relationship beyond that, it was only a military alliance.

“So, what brings you back to life so suddenly?”

“Do I need a reason to come back to life? But to put it bluntly, I came because I need some of your strength.”

Ivan’s face contorted. The moment his gaze turned to Albert, his expression twisted even more.

“Albert, you brought that bastard and said you ‘came because you need some of our strength’? That bastard incited the Far East rebels and led an armed uprising, and now the country is in a terrible state. Terrorist attacks are happening everywhere, and it’s practically a civil war!”

“What? Your troops attacked our troops from the start! Besides, I can’t forgive you for daring to set foot on the US mainland with those dirty military boots!”

Albert shot back without backing down, not at all intimidated by Ivan’s anger.

He didn’t seem intimidated at all, even though there were Russian soldiers everywhere. He was still a former president, after all.

Although it didn’t seem like a very smart thing to do.

“Now, now, everyone calm down. Things like that can happen sometimes in life.”

When Hyun-woo tried to calm them down and continue the conversation calmly, Albert looked at Hyun-woo with an indignant expression.

“Things like that……! Wait, the Russian army attacked the US army from the beginning, starting with the USFK [United States Forces Korea]! And they set foot on US soil during the Leviathan Mission!”

“The Far East rebels also arose because USFK weapons ended up in the hands of local warlords.”

The two began to glare at Hyun-woo, growling. Hyun-woo felt like he had come to get rid of a burden, but ended up adding one.

Ivan continued in a sharp voice.

“Kang Hyun-woo, you said we have a military alliance, but I don’t remember us being greatly indebted to you. But we provided your country with a nuclear umbrella and even mobilized military forces. We even dispatched troops to the US mainland. This is clearly an unbalanced deal, isn’t it?”

Yet Hyun-woo was demanding more. Hyun-woo thought that even for him, this was a difficult request to make with such a thick face.

Hyun-woo tilted his head and opened his mouth.

“Hmm. You said the Far East rebels are the problem. Does the Russian regular army lack weapons against mere rebels?”

At Hyun-woo’s words, Ivan made an indignant expression.

“We are overwhelmingly superior with conventional weapons. But they possess nuclear missiles hidden in the Siberian nuclear base.”

Ivan muttered, grinding his teeth.

“But that’s nothing. Rather, the monsters rampant in Manchuria are the problem. It seems that the ‘Demon King’ Kazat and the Far East rebels have joined hands. They use them to hide or collude, so we can’t do anything.”

“Oh, really? Is Kazat that strong?”

“Needless to say. His followers have absorbed a large number of monsters released during the Cheonru Incident [a catastrophic event involving the release of monsters], and their power has become enormous. No country or organization has ever defeated them. They seem to be on par with the Jeonneungryeon [a powerful organization], but even the Jeonneungryeon doesn’t seem to have the 余裕 [leeway/capacity]…….”

Hyun-woo answered with a bright expression, as if he had found the answer.

“Okay. Then that’s settled.”

“What’s settled…….”

Hyun-woo snapped his fingers and opened a black rift.

As the rift in the air split, someone slowly appeared with black smoke.

Ivan and Albert rubbed their eyes as they looked at the being that began to emerge from the rift.

Gilded gold and silver treasures adorned the ornate robe, and the skulls of ratmen incessantly muttered curses at the end of the staff, and even the clearly heterogeneous black fur color and the purple burning eyes.

It was a face they had seen countless times in reports and the media. There was absolutely no way to mistake it.

The only existing absolute evil left in the world after the Leviathan Mission.

It was the ‘Demon King’ Kazat.

“K, Kazat!”

“F, prepare to fire!”

The soldiers surrounding and guarding the area screamed and pointed their guns.

However, Kazat indifferently scanned the surroundings with his purple eyes gleaming.

Then, Kazat made eye contact with Kang Hyun-woo, and immediately prostrated himself on the floor, as if he were a slave.

“I greet the Great One.”

***

A secret VIP room inside Moscow Airport.

It was a space created for VIPs who had difficulty entering the country officially, but today it was receiving an unprecedented visitor.

Albert and Ivan sat on the sofa in front with uncomfortable expressions, looking at Kazat.

Kazat was quiet, but his staff was not.

The rat skulls incessantly muttered something in an unpleasant tone towards Ivan and Albert.

They didn’t know what they were saying, but it was clear that they were unpleasant words.

Albert opened his mouth, feeling like he had to say something before Kang Hyun-woo returned.

“……Wh, what are those skulls saying?”

Kazat looked at Albert and smiled.

“Originally, there would be no reason to tell a human, but today is a good day and you are humbly asking to learn, so I will make an exception.”

Just then, a skull shouted something.

“He just insulted your mother.”

“What?”

“No, not only that, but he says he’s going to insult your father and grandfather in a row.”

“No, what are you saying…….”

“Not only that, but he’s going to pull out that head and put it in your throat…….”

Just before words that could not be heard continued, Kang Hyun-woo returned.

What Kang Hyun-woo held in his hand was a cup ramen.

“Ah, I thought the ramen tasted different because of my mood, but I heard that the taste can be different due to the air pressure in the plane. Just in case.”

“Kang Hyun-woo!”

Then Ivan couldn’t stand it any longer and jumped up from his seat. He pointed at Kazat with a half-crazed expression and shouted.

“What the hell is that! Do you know how much trouble I had keeping the soldiers quiet? Demon King Kazat calls you master? Are you really the ‘worst person in the world’?”

“Ah, I forgot to mention, it’s good to be careful what you say in front of my subordinates. I’m okay with some harsh words, but my subordinates tend to be overly loyal.”

Hyun-woo’s warning was too late. Ivan was already spitting out dead rats from his mouth.

While repeating the retching and dead rats were pouring out on the floor, Hyun-woo sighed and gestured to Kazat to stop.

Only after Kazat stopped shaking his staff could Ivan barely stop vomiting.

“Subordinates?”

Albert asked, as if he couldn’t believe it.

“Demon King Kazat? Then his followers, Hahyeon, Yerdan, Kirson…….”

“To be exact, they are my followers.”

“What…… what are you? Are you really a Demon King?”

“Which one would you prefer?”

“What?”

Hyun-woo smiled playfully and opened the lid of the cup ramen. The smell of well-cooked ramen spread.

“Would you prefer me to be human, or would you prefer me to be a Demon King? Is it better for Kazat and his enormous monster horde to be controlled by a kind and benevolent human, or is it better for them to follow the control of a Demon King who wants to destroy the world someday?”

Albert swallowed hard. After a moment of silence, he opened his mouth with difficulty.

“K, kind and benevolent human…….”

“Then I will be.”

Hyun-woo answered while slurping ramen.

“If you think of me as a kind and benevolent human and treat me that way, then Kazat and the monsters will be controlled forever under that kind and benevolent human. Got it?”

“Y, yes.”

“Good. After all, good people are treated well.”

However, Hyun-woo chewed the ramen he put in his mouth, then closed the lid again as if he didn’t like it.

At that time, Ivan, who had finally vomited out the last rat remaining in his mouth, gasped and stood up.

Ivan, who had already had a nightmare-like experience, no longer had the strength to argue with Hyun-woo.

He carefully chose his words and opened his mouth.

“Kang Hyun-woo. If Kazat is your follower…….”

“Ah, right. We were going to make a deal.”

Hyun-woo smiled and said to Kazat.

“Kazat, kill all the Far East rebels. Except for trainees under 1 month.”

“Yes.”

Kazat answered immediately without a word and bowed his head. With that, the dissolution of the Far East rebels was decided.