Hoarding In Hell [EN]: Chapter 84

84. The Almighty Union (2)

Initially, Hyun-woo hadn’t intended for Team Seo Tae-kyung to be completely wiped out.

However, Hyun-woo suspected Kirson’s involvement almost immediately. The silhouette he’d glimpsed in the darkness strongly resembled Kirson in his signature raincoat.

Hyun-woo’s order had been to protect Johann, and he hadn’t specified any particular limitations in doing so.

However, Kirson hadn’t exactly been subtle about his dislike for humans, and his interpretation of the order resulted in him ‘luring the monsters away and isolating them from Johann.’

This allowed Johann and his group to safely reach the return stone, but it also led to the annihilation of Team Seo Tae-kyung.

It would have been simple for Kirson to summon the Ratmen with a whistle. The dagger that Commander Oh Dae-sung presented as evidence was likely taken by Kirson from a dead Tae-sung hunter.

With so many corpses around, it wouldn’t have been difficult.

‘I was planning to instigate conflict between the Almighty Union and Tae-sung anyway, but I didn’t anticipate such a dramatic opportunity arising.’

In stable times, rookies don’t get opportunities. If Hyun-woo, a newcomer, wanted to gain recognition from established groups, he needed to create division and exploit any weaknesses.

When unity crumbles and a vacuum is created, Hyun-woo could seize that space for himself.

‘Anyway, what’s done is done.’

The crucial question now was how far the repercussions of this event would spread.

Hyun-woo had ignited a spark in a vast forest. Whether it would remain a small bonfire or erupt into a raging inferno was impossible to predict.

Regardless, Hyun-woo was prepared to use that flame as a guide, navigating the aftermath.

He had secured a reliable source of funding through Park Hwi-so.

He had demonstrated his abilities and gained recognition through the Executioner Dungeon Fluder.

He was also gaining technical expertise through the Garden of Peach Blossoms [a reference to a utopian or idyllic place].

The next step was to acquire an organization to serve as his hands and feet.

Building one from scratch would take too long. Hyun-woo was targeting the largest and most potentially influential group in the country, one that was currently being underestimated.

The largest group of ability users in the nation.

He intended to devour the Almighty Union.

***

Jung-gu District, Seoul. Headquarters of the National Ability Users’ Union.

The entire executive board of the Almighty Union had convened to discuss how to handle the current crisis. Everyone spoke in hushed tones, avoiding loud pronouncements. This was partly due to the news of Branch Manager Seo Tae-kyung’s death, but the primary reason was their shared apprehension.

They did not want a hostile relationship with Tae-sung.

“…How significant do you think this incident will become?”

Kang Sung-gyu, the vice president of the Almighty Union, had been plagued by headaches since watching yesterday’s press conference.

Kang Sung-gyu glared at the executive whispering beside him. The executive sighed heavily and looked away.

‘This is why hunters are like this.’

Kang Sung-gyu suppressed his anger, unfairly blaming the hunters. While he held the title of vice president, he wasn’t a hunter himself.

The Almighty Union, as its name suggested, was an organization uniting ability users from across the country.

It included even hunters who preferred not to risk their lives for the organization, resulting in an immense membership.

Consequently, unlike other clans focused on dungeon raids, the Almighty Union had a strong business orientation.

And business-oriented groups dislike conflict.

“Surely this won’t escalate into a war with Tae-sung, will it?”

Kang Sung-gyu stared at the executive who had voiced such a ridiculous notion, his expression horrified.

“No, is this some kind of ‘Age of Wild Men’ or something? What war are you talking about? Do you realize how serious it is for ability user groups to engage in conflict? In our country, it would be considered an armed uprising. The organization would be disbanded, and everyone would be arrested.”

“Doesn’t it seem like Commander Oh Dae-sung has already made up his mind?”

“Even if he’s angry, he’s a reasonable person. Stop talking nonsense and wait.”

Kang Sung-gyu forcefully silenced the executive, but he couldn’t help but consider the possibility of conflict.

Of course, a public battle between ability users in Korea would be a grave matter. Using their abilities to attack would be treated as a gunfight, and they would all face imprisonment.

Therefore, no matter how enraged they were, ability users would typically resort to fistfights.

However, it wasn’t uncommon for ability users to draw blood, especially in dungeons where the state’s oversight was limited.

That’s why Oh Dae-sung believed that Tae-sung was responsible for Seo Tae-kyung’s death.

‘Lee Ji-tae’s reputation might suffer slightly… but it shouldn’t be a major issue.’

Based on the Executioner Dungeon incident alone, Oh Dae-sung’s words sounded like those of a loser. Lee Ji-tae was the victor.

And Lee Ji-tae had many followers. People dislike it when their idols have flaws.

The dagger that Oh Dae-sung presented as evidence wasn’t conclusive. It was possible that a Ratman had stolen a Tae-sung hunter’s equipment, carried it around, and discarded it.

He’d never heard of monsters being proficient with throwing weapons, but there were always excuses.

Ultimately, Oh Dae-sung had no choice but to be angry.

Above all, the biggest problem was the lack of hunters strong enough to challenge Tae-sung.

Lee Ji-tae and Oh Dae-sung were both 4-stars, but there was a vast difference in their actual experience, talent, and equipment.

Lee Ji-tae was equipped with powerful gear and had participated in 5-star dungeon raids with overseas clans, earning recognition even abroad.

On the other hand, Oh Dae-sung was known as a rescuer who saved hunters trapped in dungeons, but he lacked experience in completing 5-star dungeons and possessed inferior equipment.

The situation was even worse below that level. The Almighty Union had only a handful of 3-star hunters, while Tae-sung monopolized most of the active 3-stars.

It was said that a regular member of Tae-sung’s team was comparable to the branch manager of the Almighty Union, highlighting the disparity.

“Hoo, what are the bosses saying?”

“Of course, they’re in an uproar! They’re all worried that orders from Tae-sung will be cut off immediately. And do you know how many outsourcing projects we receive from Tae-sung? This morning alone, the sale of accessories to affiliates was stopped.”

Tae-sung possessed the greatest power and capital in Korea, as well as a strong contingent of affiliated ability users. While Tae-sung leaned towards the government, Hwanma had a strong anti-government stance.

The Almighty Union, being a group dedicated to protecting the rights and interests of ability users, had a non-mainstream tendency, but ultimately, it was formed to protect its own interests, leading to numerous interactions with Tae-sung.

If the relationship with Tae-sung soured, many would suffer.

The same was true for Kang Sung-gyu.

“Isn’t this a mess because we elected a muscle-head as our representative?”

“Hey, that’s too much to say!”

Another person bristled at the executive’s continued complaints. It was the hunter in charge of the Gangwon branch.

“Who among the ability users is more active in protecting the rights and interests of ability users than Commander Oh Dae-sung! He personally enters dungeons to save ordinary members and even recovers remains! He spearheaded the effort to block the Ability User Compulsory Conscription Act when it was proposed! Huh! And now, he’s going to avenge Branch Manager Seo Tae-kyung, who was unjustly killed!”

“That’s that, and this is this! It’s not that I don’t think Branch Manager Seo Tae-kyung’s death was unjust, but why are you making hasty decisions when there are still many things to consider! Have you thought about the people who will be out on the street in the middle of winter because of that?”

“You bastard, I’ve been watching you. You guys forced Commander Oh Dae-sung into the commander’s seat to use him as a figurehead! Did Commander Oh Dae-sung ever ask you to put him in that position! We brought him in because we needed to create a union to protect the rights and interests of ability users!”

“This bastard? Are you done talking!”

“Stop it!”

Kang Sung-gyu slammed a book on the desk. The two executives, who had been breathing heavily and flushed, calmed down and sat down.

“What kind of disgrace are you acting out now that you’re all grown up? …I understand what you each want to say.”

It was Kang Sung-gyu who had brought in Oh Dae-sung, despite his somewhat radical idealism.

He was quite popular among low-level hunters, though not well-known to the general public, making him a suitable representative for the Almighty Union.

Now, that idealism had become a problem.

“Let’s wait for Commander Oh Dae-sung’s words first. Maybe he has other ideas.”

Kang Sung-gyu said that, but he hoped that nothing would happen. In the Almighty Union’s current state, there was nothing to gain by opposing Tae-sung.

But if Tae-sung overlooked the matter, things wouldn’t worsen.

“The commander is coming in.”

Finally, Oh Dae-sung entered the conference room.

Kang Sung-gyu had no idea how Oh Dae-sung would resolve this situation, or what his plan was, if he had one.

He was only thinking of somehow resolving the situation by presenting his own solution.

But the moment he saw the person following Oh Dae-sung, all the plans in his head vanished.

“Respected colleagues. I think you probably have a lot of questions for me, but before that, I’d like to introduce a new face.”

Oh Dae-sung cleared his throat a few times and pointed to the person who had entered with him.

“The hero of the Executioner Dungeon Fluder and the hunter who led the actual success of the expedition, the new Gangbuk Branch Manager of the Almighty Union, Kang Hyun-woo. Please welcome him with applause.”

Kang Hyun-woo gave a gentle smile and nodded lightly to the executives of the Almighty Union.

***

“Everyone’s expressions weren’t good.”

“Don’t worry about it. Most of them are pigs and dogs anyway.”

After the meeting, only Oh Dae-sung and Hyun-woo remained in the conference room after everyone else had left.

Following Hyun-woo’s brief introduction, the meeting had continued awkwardly and ended anticlimactically.

Everyone had left in a hurry, half out of their minds, trying to understand what was happening and what the repercussions would be.

Hyun-woo couldn’t help but chuckle at the executives’ reactions.

‘I guess they thought it would be glossed over or end with a light expression of regret from Tae-sung.’

Until now, the scales had been heavily tilted in Tae-sung’s favor, leaving no room for the dispute to escalate.

But with the emergence of a new counterweight named Kang Hyun-woo, the situation became unpredictable.

A top-level hunter they had never seen before suddenly joins the Almighty Union?

Just seeing him emerge from the Executioner Dungeon with the Tae-sung team led them to believe that Kang Hyun-woo was essentially affiliated with Tae-sung.

Considering that they hadn’t seen a single article about it in the media, it was highly likely that no one else knew yet.

“Still, wouldn’t they be uncomfortable that a newcomer like that suddenly took the position of branch manager?”

“Considering Kang Hyun-woo’s achievements, even the branch manager position is insufficient. I’d like to give him the position of vice president, but our Almighty Union isn’t a group that only represents hunters…”

Oh Dae-sung trailed off, but Hyun-woo understood. That was precisely why Hyun-woo coveted the Almighty Union.

The Almighty Union’s rich talent pool and diversity were attractive enough.

Hyun-woo wasn’t just aiming for the hunters of the Almighty Union, but also all of its factories, businesses, and manpower.

Even if the hunters lacked power, they might be able to create synergy if they were equipped with the items that Hyun-woo brought from hell.

‘But before that, I have to take control of the Almighty Union.’

Hyun-woo was already gathering information quickly through Park Hwi-so behind the scenes, including information about Oh Dae-sung.

“It’s a pleasure to have a reliable hunter like Kang Hyun-woo with us at this time when the ranks are faltering.”

“You’re welcome.”

Hyun-woo hid the dark serpent in his stomach and smiled as he replied.

“I’ve already heard a lot about Commander Oh Dae-sung. I heard that you always stand on the side of the weak and lead the juniors to success. While Tae-sung is steeped in elitism and Hwanma is buried in secrecy, the Almighty Union has become a bulwark for low-ranking hunters.”

It wasn’t just empty flattery; it was genuine.

Oh Dae-sung was such an active activist that if he had been born a hundred years earlier, he would have been involved in the independence movement or the labor movement.

There’s a common perception that ability users are already in the upper class of society, but ironically, such perceptions can make them socially vulnerable.

Ultimately, an ability user is just an ordinary human being when you strip away the skills and stats.

Unlike a job, being an ability user isn’t something you earn through effort, making them susceptible to exploitation. There are also many temptations for crime or illegal activities, not to mention excessive control or oppression by the government.

The Almighty Union was doing its part just by bringing those hunters into the light.

“Haha, it’s not that much. It’s just an exaggeration. I also thought of Kang Hyun-woo as the new hope of Korean ability users. I didn’t think I’d have a relationship with you… Now that things have turned out this way, how about we become brothers if you’re not uncomfortable? Let’s talk comfortably.”

“I’m uncomfortable.”

“Okay, then from today… Ah.”

Oh Dae-sung closed his mouth at Hyun-woo’s blunt refusal.

There was an awkward silence between the two for a moment.

In Hyun-woo’s eyes, Oh Dae-sung seemed like the typical ‘get drunk, rub shoulders in the sauna, and become close as brothers’ type.

But Hyun-woo had no intention of putting a ‘hyung’ [older brother or respected elder] like that over his head.

‘Even if I get along with him, Yoo-min probably won’t like it very much.’

He would have to put Oh Dae-sung above him for now, but he didn’t intend to keep him there for long.

“Ahem, ahem. It seems that Kang Hyun-woo doesn’t like making personal relationships very much.”

“I’m just looking for something truly worthwhile to do for the hunters. I think making personal relationships would only cause unnecessary misunderstandings. More than that, do you have any plans on how to deal with Tae-sung in the future? I’ll trust and follow the representative, but I’d like to know the details if you have a plan.”

“A plan…”

Oh Dae-sung sank into his chair with a bitter expression.