Hoarding In Hell [EN]: Chapter 56

56. Different Dreams (1)

Park Hwi-so, upon receiving Grand Admiral Ren’s monocle from Hyun-woo, was shocked to learn it was another legendary item. Understanding its potential, he quickly examined its functions.

Park Hwi-so stared at Hyun-woo for a long time, then stood before a mirror, scrutinizing his own reflection.

Finally, shaking his head in disbelief, he approached Hyun-woo.

“Have you ever encountered someone with a skill called ‘Appraisal’?”

“What kind of skill is that?”

“It’s a skill used to identify the properties of items. Those who possess it are usually called item appraisers. They’re incredibly expensive and notoriously difficult to deal with, but to discover the detailed capabilities of an item, you eventually have to rely on them. It’s hard to fully utilize an item’s potential without knowing its functions.”

“How does this compare?”

Park Hwi-so raised Grand Admiral Ren’s monocle without hesitation.

“This is overwhelmingly superior.”

Park Hwi-so elaborated on his statement.

“Appraisal is a skill limited to items. But this? It supposedly applies to humans, items, skills, and even monsters. The most terrifying situation in high-level dungeons is encountering new monsters. You’re forced to learn their weaknesses, strengths, and strategies, often at the cost of significant sacrifice. Looking at the annotations provided with this… it feels like someone acquired this knowledge through immense hardship and sacrifice.”

Park Hwi-so became unusually talkative, as if energized. Hyun-woo was pleased, though he hadn’t anticipated such a strong reaction. But that wasn’t his primary concern.

“So, can you believe my level now?”

Park Hwi-so nodded quickly, as if just realizing something.

“I already believed it. Especially after you showed me this, I can’t doubt it.”

He had even considered the possibility that Hyun-woo would stubbornly insist he was level 26 from the start, but fortunately, that concern seemed unfounded.

Because he would witness a new level again next time they met.

Park Hwi-so now seemed impatient.

“If you don’t mind, I’d like to introduce you to my alliance.”

“Well…”

What Hyun-woo desired was Park Hwi-so, or more precisely, his skills, connections, and capabilities. He didn’t need anything else.

“All I want is your oath of allegiance.”

Park Hwi-so’s expression clouded over.

Hyun-woo didn’t appreciate that expression. But he understood. Park Hwi-so was older, higher level, and possessed more organizational experience than him.

Hyun-woo’s demand might have seemed like a childish outburst.

“Wouldn’t this be an inappropriate time and place?”

“Well, a verbal oath is sufficient for now, but next time, you might have to kneel and kiss my feet. Like after catching Lee Ji-tae.”

Park Hwi-so seemed to think Hyun-woo was joking. But Hyun-woo wondered if he would be surprised by merely catching up to Lee Ji-tae.

Lee Ji-tae was simply a stepping stone to be surpassed.

In any case, Park Hwi-so seemed to view Hyun-woo as an object of intense curiosity, but not worthy of obedience. That couldn’t be achieved through mere tantrums.

He needed to demonstrate sufficient appeal, or force him to submit.

Hyun-woo decided to let it go for now.

“Oh, and there’s something I want to ask you, old man.”

“A request?”

Hyun-woo used his subordinate skill to summon Kirson.

He had revealed Kirson in the Cheonggye Dungeon, so showing him to Park Hwi-so seemed acceptable. He probably suspected something along those lines anyway.

Darkness ripped open, and Kirson emerged from the rift. But Hyun-woo was more taken aback by Kirson’s appearance than Park Hwi-so.

It was the first time he’d seen him since the ordeal, and his appearance had changed dramatically.

One side of his face was scarred, his body had gained considerable muscle, and his skin tone had deepened from its previous ordinary green.

“What’s going on, Boss? I thought you were dead.”

He even joked cheerfully. Hyun-woo chuckled and checked Kirson’s level.

[Hobgoblin Kirson (LV 27)]

Even his name had changed, and his level had surpassed Hyun-woo’s.

“What, what are you?”

“The Yoggulem’s pigs killed many of our kind. We couldn’t stand against them before because of their numbers, but thanks to the Boss, I had many opportunities to kill them. I also took good care of the equipment they had. Kireuk. And the Boss’s level has also increased.”

Even while speaking at length, the snorting sound had diminished significantly.

‘Did he evolve like a Pokémon or something?’

But listening to him, it seemed Kirson had actively participated in the fighting due to personal vendettas.

Just as Hyun-woo’s level had risen significantly when he overcame a difficult opponent, the same was true for Kirson.

But Hyun-woo felt a pang of bitterness that Kirson’s level had risen higher than his own.

“Ah, anyway, that’s not important.”

Hyun-woo turned to Park Hwi-so. Park Hwi-so was completely stunned and had drawn his cane sword.

He looked back and forth between Hyun-woo and Kirson with a bewildered expression.

“What is this… thing?”

Hyun-woo could sense that he had barely restrained himself from saying ‘this monster?’

Kirson glared at Park Hwi-so with a contemptuous expression. But he didn’t act provocatively without Hyun-woo’s command.

“He’s someone I’m using.”

“Using? You’re using a goblin as a subordinate?”

Park Hwi-so asked in disbelief. He was a pitiful person who had met the wrong person and had become full of suspicion.

But it was a natural reaction. Currently, the academic consensus was that it was impossible to even tame or befriend monsters, let alone communicate with them.

“Would it be easier to understand if I said it was one of my abilities?”

Park Hwi-so seemed to regain some composure.

There were still many unknown aspects of skills and mana. There could be skills he was unaware of.

He hesitated and sheathed his sword, but he remained wary of the goblin.

“But why are you carrying around a goblin? They’re stupid and their abilities are…”

As Kirson drew his scythe, Park Hwi-so also drew his sword. Hyun-woo raised his hand to stop Kirson.

“Doesn’t he look a little different from other goblins, old man?”

Park Hwi-so shut his mouth tightly and glared at Kirson before reluctantly speaking.

“He does seem different from ordinary goblins. I think I’ve heard strange stories recently. There’s a rumor that a strange goblin appeared in a 1-star dungeon and terrified the beginners.”

Hyun-woo simply smiled.

He was referring to the incident where Kirson appeared in the Cheonggye Dungeon, killed all the goblins, and pushed Noh Ha-eul to the brink of collapse.

It was the first dungeon Park Hwi-so had arranged, so it was natural he knew about it. Park Hwi-so naturally interpreted Hyun-woo’s silence as confirmation.

“I know Noh Ha-eul well. If he was dangerous enough to threaten that girl, he’s definitely not an ordinary goblin. But he’s still a goblin… yet the aura he exudes is extraordinary.”

“How dangerous does he seem?”

Park Hwi-so glanced back and forth between Hyun-woo and Kirson.

“Looks similar.”

Hyun-woo was slightly offended, but it wasn’t entirely inaccurate. Looking at their levels, Kirson was superior. But Hyun-woo was confident he would win 100 out of 100 times.

“What I want to ask is not about that, but about this friend.”

Hyun-woo patted Kirson on the shoulder. Park Hwi-so looked at Kirson with disgust, and Kirson glared at Park Hwi-so with a threatening expression.

Hyun-woo smiled contentedly as he watched them dislike each other.

“I want you to get this friend into a certain place. It seems difficult for him to go alone.”

“Take a monster with you?”

“Just send him somewhere.”

Hyun-woo whispered about a specific location.

Park Hwi-so looked repulsed, but Hyun-woo remained calm. Park Hwi-so’s threats, then or now, never intimidated Hyun-woo.

That was separate from the fact that he could kill Hyun-woo at any time. Park Hwi-so sighed as he looked at Hyun-woo’s unchanging face.

“I don’t know what kind of monster I’ve gotten involved with.”

“That monster is giving you a sweet gift, old man.”

Park Hwi-so’s sigh deepened.

***

The interview with Park Hwi-so concluded there.

When Hyun-woo went down to the first floor with Park Hwi-so, a Bentley was parked on the side of the road. It appeared to be the car Park Hwi-so drove, not the one he had given to Hyun-woo.

“Then go, old man.”

“Wait.”

Park Hwi-so rummaged through the glove compartment and retrieved something.

It was a folder about the thickness of a finger. Inside, documents with tiny English letters were densely packed. At the end of the folder was a bankbook, containing a substantial sum of money.

“What is this?”

“These are companies established in the Pacific. They only exist on paper, of course. I’ve also opened a domestic corporate account, and I’ll transfer money to these accounts in the future. With this account, there’s no limit to how much money you deposit.”

Suddenly, the small-scale tax evasion felt like it had escalated into an international crime. Hyun-woo scratched his head and asked.

“What kind of company is it?”

“It’s just a shell company, so you don’t need to worry about it. It’s complicated.”

“I’m curious.”

“…Let’s just say I laundered money. I need to bring that money into Korea, but if the source is unclear, I’ll get caught. So, I bought a failing social enterprise in Korea and made it look like I received foreign investment. It’s a support group for injured retired hunters, soldiers injured by monsters, and the bereaved families of hunters. Foreign-invested companies also receive tax breaks, so the taxes are much lower than simply bringing the money in. Of course, all the money circulating here is your laundered money. You can operate as a respectable businessman.”

“But you’re not actually helping?”

“Are you interested in social welfare?”

Of course not. Hyun-woo himself had been at the bottom of the capitalist pyramid until now.

Hyun-woo felt no guilt about using people in difficult circumstances as a means to evade taxes.

But Hyun-woo tapped Park Hwi-so on the shoulder with the folder and said.

“How about actually helping?”

“…What are you talking about? Then your profits will decrease.”

“Why would my profits decrease? Old man, I don’t think you’re setting up a company and making foreign investments just to put a few hundred million in my pocket. Your big picture isn’t just that. I appreciate your constant efforts, but I doubt whether the profits falling to my share are fair.”

Hyun-woo continued before Park Hwi-so’s face could contort.

“Of course, I understand the elements such as sales routes and transaction risks. I can respect that. As a business partner. But the process of making profits needs to be more transparent. Even for a sustainable relationship.”

“It’s difficult to raise it by 150% like last time.”

“I’m not suggesting anything unreasonable. So, let’s double it.”

It wasn’t like a thief, but like a robber.

There were two reasons why Park Hwi-so didn’t explode. One was that Hyun-woo was the only one who could supply the crystal moss.

And the other was Hyun-woo’s next words.

“Instead, I will double the supply of crystal moss.”

“…Double the supply?”

Until now, Hyun-woo had only supplied about 30kg of crystal moss per week. It was a woefully insufficient amount compared to the demand.

He had already requested an increase dozens of times, but Hyun-woo hadn’t budged. Now, suddenly, he was offering to double it.

The words ‘If you could control the supply so easily, why haven’t you sold that much until now?’ nearly escaped his lips.

“Old man. You said that the people who buy this crystal moss are high-ranking hunters, right? Those people already have everything they want, and they still have too much money. If they spend money without hesitation, it’s not just because the crystal moss is pretty.”

Hyun-woo’s lips curled up.

“It’s to become stronger, right?”