Hoarding In Hell [EN]: Chapter 70

70. Guillotine Dungeon Expedition (2)

Lee Ji-tae’s statement was unsettling. Was he really backing out at this point?

But Lee Ji-tae seemed determined.

“Excuse me? But…”

“Without knowing the situation in Chuncheon, we must prepare for the worst. Even in the Guillotine Dungeon flood, monsters stronger than expected have appeared, haven’t they? I’ll leave the Obsidian Team here. The rest of the expedition should proceed as planned. Branch Manager Seo Tae-kyung can take command.”

Seo Tae-kyung in Lee Ji-tae’s place?

A wave of unease swept through the hunters. Seo Tae-kyung was stunned. But Lee Ji-tae’s reasoning was clear.

“Branch Manager Seo Tae-kyung has managed the Guillotine Dungeon and led dozens of expeditions here. He likely knows more about this dungeon than I do. And with Priest Johann Hessner present, we should avoid any serious casualties. If you encounter difficulties, seek Priest Johann’s advice. He has experience with dungeon floods.”

While he might seem inferior to Lee Ji-tae, Seo Tae-kyung was a seasoned veteran. The position of Branch Manager wasn’t given to just anyone.

Lee Ji-tae’s gaze shifted to Hyun-woo.

“And we have Kang Hyun-woo with us.”

All eyes turned to Kang Hyun-woo. Considering his performance during the flood, he was more reliable than most. Hyun-woo was surprised by Lee Ji-tae’s sudden trust.

“Kang Hyun-woo, can I ask this of you?”

“……”

Hyun-woo remained silent.

Unexpected events had occurred, but the Guillotine Dungeon itself wasn’t overly challenging.

The real problem was the potential of being dragged into hell during the raid.

Could the expedition succeed without Lee Ji-tae? Johann Hessner was present, but he was a healer, not a damage dealer or a tank.

But.

“I’ll give it a shot.”

Hyun-woo spoke just as the silence grew uncomfortable.

Fortunately, he had a strategy to handle emergencies. A sense of relief washed over the expedition members, though Hyun-woo’s expression remained serious.

‘Still, if the situation is so dire that Lee Ji-tae struggled, casualties are inevitable.’

Hyun-woo wondered if he should adjust his strategy. Initially, he hadn’t planned on babysitting anyone during this expedition.

Unlike the Cheonggye Dungeon, everyone here was a professional. He believed they should be responsible for their own safety.

But taking on a leadership role changed things. Being nominally in charge meant any failures would likely damage his reputation, which was just starting to grow.

The original goal was to save Johann Hessner and clear the dungeon.

But Hyun-woo decided to add another objective.

‘I should try to prevent any deaths, if possible.’

***

The start was different than expected, but the participants were all professionals.

A professional hunter’s virtue was to adapt to the situation and act decisively, rather than being distracted by changes or curiosity.

Seo Tae-kyung, in the tank position, immediately encountered a Ratman upon entering the dungeon.

“Ratman ahead!”

Before the disorientation from entering the dungeon could fade, Seo Tae-kyung slammed his shield into the Ratman.

Nearly a hundred Ratmen with glowing red eyes were gathered near the dungeon entrance. But Seo Tae-kyung’s roar momentarily stunned them, preventing their advance.

This gave the following expedition members time to form ranks.

“The goal of this expedition isn’t collecting loot! Focus on advancing as quickly as possible!”

Seo Tae-kyung shouted, feeling the others fall into formation.

Everyone knew this, but old habits die hard.

Most expeditions focused on loot, making it easy to get sidetracked.

But this was a dynamic dungeon, and a flood was in progress.

There was no telling what anomalies might occur.

“Kill!”

The young hunters of the Obsidian Team shouted and quickly struck the stunned Ratmen before retreating. They swiftly created openings in the Ratmen’s ranks.

‘As expected of the rookies Lee Ji-tae is training.’

The Obsidian Team, like the Red Butterfly Squad, were next-generation rookies being nurtured by Lee Ji-tae.

They were brought along to gain experience in 4-star dungeons, but they were already skilled enough to train in such environments.

‘Red Butterfly’s condition looks good as well.’

Red Butterfly’s level was said to be lower than the Obsidian Team’s average, but her unique martial arts, based on her aura ability, compensated for it.

He didn’t know where she had learned it, but it was a practical martial art specialized for monster combat.

‘I was skeptical about the All-Powerful Union, but they are experts.’

Seo Tae-kyung had brought experts who had worked with him dozens of times in the Guillotine Dungeon, as if he had come prepared. [The All-Powerful Union is likely a guild or organization specializing in dungeon exploration.]

Most of them were hunters who had spent days searching the Guillotine Dungeon like rats, focused on rescue or capture rather than traditional expeditions.

They were not flashy, but methodically eliminated enemies like machines.

‘Johann… goes without saying.’

As expected, Johann Hessner and his foreign bodyguards were the most flamboyant.

Dressed in black with only their eyes visible and wearing silver armor, they surrounded Priest Johann and remained vigilant.

If a Ratman slipped through, they quickly swung their heavy hammers or maces to crush it. Their synchronized movements at Johann’s command suggested they had worked together for a long time.

The hunters each shone in their own way, eliminating the Ratmen while maintaining their formation.

Just then, someone set off a fixed flare. [A flare is a bright light source used for illumination and signaling.] It was attached to a high point to illuminate the surroundings.

It secured the field of vision and intimidated the Ratmen, who were accustomed to the darkness. The fifty or so Ratmen quickly fell.

It was a smooth start, despite the number of monsters.

‘There’s no need to worry just because I’m not there.’

Hyun-woo wondered if he had worried unnecessarily.

As the Ratmen’s corpses piled up, no more were seen nearby. Seo Tae-kyung confirmed the area was safe and shouted.

“Check-up!”

This was a procedure to check for injuries and abnormalities after each battle. Everyone caught their breath, but no one was seriously injured. The healers could treat any minor wounds instantly.

After the battle, Hyun-woo surveyed the Guillotine Dungeon. It was a dungeon with complex, twisted, low-ceilinged corridors.

Traces of cut crystal moss and crude carvings were visible.

Suddenly, one of the All-Powerful Union hunters noticed Hyun-woo. Hyun-woo was the only one who was clean while everyone else was covered in blood.

“…Kang Hyun-woo? You’re the only one who’s clean.”

“Ah, I was just observing your skills.”

The hunter was speechless at Hyun-woo’s confident statement.

Hyun-woo hadn’t even drawn any weapons or equipment. From the perspective of hunters equipped with even basic items, from gloves to boots to greaves, it was absurd.

Of course, his performance during the flood had been amazing, but that power inspired distrust.

Seo Tae-kyung, who had witnessed the event, paled and tried to stop his colleague. But the hunter spoke anyway.

“Kang Hyun-woo, show us your skills. Everyone’s been making such a fuss.”

It was clearly a provocation, but Kang Hyun-woo chuckled.

If the opponent was pathetic, the provocation was meaningless. It would be absurd for a child to provoke an adult to use their strength.

“Shall I?”

Hyun-woo began walking through the Ratmen’s corpses. People watched to see what he was doing.

Hyun-woo soon found what he was looking for among the corpses. It was a crudely made horn.

“The Ratmen have squad leaders, and they always carry these horns to call their comrades when they’re in danger.”

“…Excuse me? I’ve never heard of that.”

That was understandable.

‘In the present,’ they don’t blow the horns.

Nevertheless, Hyun-woo had confirmed they had horns during the Guillotine Dungeon flood.

However, even though they had horns, they didn’t seem to know how to use them.

‘But they used them very well in hell.’

In other words, the horns were given to them by someone, but currently, they were too unintelligent to use them.

Hyun-woo guessed that the monsters would gradually regain their abilities and original power as the difficulty increased.

That their intelligence was being artificially manipulated by some being.

Hyun-woo put the horn to his mouth. Before anyone could stop him, a long horn sound echoed.

Silence fell. Johann started approaching Hyun-woo with an angry expression, but soon, the sound of footsteps, *dududu*, was heard from the darkness beyond.

An army of red eyes.

“Prepare for battle!”

Seo Tae-kyung shouted desperately. But Hyun-woo raised his hand.

“Rest.”

Hyun-woo leaped towards the countless Ratmen. [This is likely a sarcastic command, as he is about to engage the enemy alone.]

In an instant, Hyun-woo disappeared into the darkness, and Red Butterfly screamed.

The red eyes wavered for a moment.

Screams and shouts erupted. Seo Tae-kyung tried to run to Hyun-woo’s aid, but he felt rooted to the spot.

He sensed something overwhelming lurking in the darkness.

The Ratmen’s screams and shouts soon ceased. But Seo Tae-kyung felt like he had been standing there for an hour.

As the screams subsided, Johann broke a glow stick and threw it into the darkness. The corpses of countless Ratmen were visible.

Strangely, few had visible injuries.

But as the glow stick rolled further, the corpses became more gruesome, with scattered limbs.

The blue light of the glow stick collided with someone’s feet and stopped. Then, something fell to the floor with a thud. It was the mangled head of a werewolf, unrecognizable.

Hyun-woo picked up the glow stick.

Everyone expected Hyun-woo to be covered in blood. But he only had a little on his hands.

Hyun-woo was still strangely clean. The red-stained hands and the bluish light of the glow stick created a bizarre contrast.

Hyun-woo whispered softly.

“Do I look dirty enough now?”

***

The restarted expedition proceeded quietly in a bizarre atmosphere.

The hunter who had sneered at Hyun-woo was now silent. Hyun-woo had anticipated this reaction. He likely appeared like an inhuman monster, which might hinder his goal of gaining respect.

‘But I have no intention of becoming Lee Ji-tae Mk─2.’

One benevolent leader is enough. And the hellish future showed that Lee Ji-tae’s approach wasn’t very effective.

Hyun-woo aimed to be a ruler respected through fear. Whether through admiration or fear, the result was the same.

Since ancient times, people have worshiped incomprehensible and terrifying objects.

It might be insufficient now, but it was enough to leave an impression.

‘It’s better that Lee Ji-tae isn’t here.’

Ultimately, the others had no one to rely on emotionally. Seo Tae-kyung was unreliable, and Johann was a foreigner who couldn’t communicate well.

The Obsidian Team were loyal to Lee Ji-tae, so there was no chance of swaying them, but this was enough to make everyone remember him.

It didn’t matter whether the impression was positive or negative.

That was the first step.

“Let’s rest here for a while.”

Seo Tae-kyung stopped at a certain point. It had only been half a day, but navigating the dark dungeon was tiring.

Seo Tae-kyung knew when his concentration would falter.

The Obsidian Team looked dissatisfied, but they obeyed after seeing Johann silently put down his luggage.

They followed Johann, whom Lee Ji-tae had designated as an advisor, more readily than Seo Tae-kyung.

Seo Tae-kyung didn’t mind. Knowing his place was one of his strengths.

“Kang Hyun-woo.”

Seo Tae-kyung approached Hyun-woo.

“Can you sense anything? I saw you preparing before the monster appeared earlier.”

Hyun-woo nodded, popping a caramel into his mouth.

“Ah, sure. Right now, about 150m away, a werewolf and a group of Ratmen are ambushing us, planning to attack when we turn the corner. And about 200m behind us, about 60 Ratmen are chasing us. I don’t think they’ll attack until the break is over, but what do you want to do?”

“…It’s okay if they don’t seem like they’re going to attack right away.”

He wasn’t showing off; he was simply informing them of the situation. Besides, Hyun-woo sensed thousands of Ratmen, and if he told them everything, they would panic.

Compared to hell, everything here was clear.

“More than that, do you think you can find the way?”

Seo Tae-kyung looked troubled.

“The dungeon structure has changed more than I thought. In the past, there was a pattern, and following it would lead to clues to the boss room. But the structure keeps changing, making it difficult to finish quickly.”

Hyun-woo checked the time. There wasn’t much left.

He would likely have to visit hell during the expedition. Hyun-woo wondered what excuse he would use to leave.

Suddenly, something in Seo Tae-kyung’s words caught his attention.

“The structure keeps changing?”

“Yes. The Guillotine Dungeon is a changing dungeon. Many dynamic dungeons are like that. These obsidian walls collapse and reassemble to create the structure, but it’s not on a large scale, so it’s best to remember the route…”

Seo Tae-kyung stopped. The hunters also jumped up. The sound of running echoed from all directions. The hunters were startled by the sound of thousands of footsteps.

“Is it a surprise attack?!”

“No.”

Hyun-woo replied. The monsters were also agitated. They sensed something.

The entire dungeon began to shake.