Hoarding In Hell [EN]: Chapter 85

85. The Omnipotent Alliance (3)

“To be honest, while I feel Seo Tae-kyung’s death was unfair, I don’t want to cause trouble for my juniors with unnecessary disputes. Shedding blood is the last thing I want. If we receive a sincere apology and compensation from Taesung, I’m willing to let it go. Accepting Kang Hyun-moo was also to minimize the possibility of conflict.”

*As expected.* Oh Dae-sung isn’t the type to sacrifice his members to get what he wants, unless he’s the one being sacrificed.

To put it nicely, he’s a pushover; to put it bluntly, he’s a sucker. But Hyun-moo had no intention of following his lead.

Because the conflict between the two organizations shouldn’t end so easily.

“Director, I actually have something in mind.”

“You have something in mind?”

“Yes. A way to inflict real damage on Taesung without anyone getting hurt or shedding blood. A way that benefits us and puts Taesung in a difficult position.”

“Hmm, you have such a thing?”

“Yes.”

Hyun-moo grinned and opened his mouth.

“I need you to select a few promising rookie Hunters that you’ve been keeping an eye on. And I’ll need some seed money. Nothing too extravagant. About a billion won [approximately $750,000 USD] should do. I’ll bill you separately for the settlement later.”

***

Taesung Clan Leader’s office.

“He went there, you say.”

The news of Hyun-moo joining the Omnipotent Alliance reached Taesung’s ears faster than anyone else’s.

Lee Ji-tae received a direct report from a collaborator who was one of the Omnipotent Alliance executives. It was almost immediately after the Omnipotent Alliance executive meeting ended.

“No. We didn’t expect it either. We thought he’d continue to be a lone wolf. Seeing him suddenly so active, it seems he’s been preparing to leap forward all this time.”

*Or something prompted the move.*

Lee Ji-tae had seen Kang Hyun-moo’s performance firsthand and was convinced that he was the one who had mined the unidentified crystal moss.

He still hadn’t figured out the identity of the crystal moss, nor had he learned anything concrete about Kang Hyun-moo, and now he was suddenly joining the Omnipotent Alliance.

If he had joined Hwanma, Lee Ji-tae would have assumed it was out of dissatisfaction with him. But the Omnipotent Alliance… Frankly, Lee Ji-tae’s view of the Omnipotent Alliance was closer to that of a trash can.

A group where all the promising talents were snatched away by other clans, and only the stragglers remained.

Sometimes, even clans lower in the rankings than the Omnipotent Alliance were better in quality.

Of course, thanks to the cheap Hunters affiliated with them, most of the dungeon-based industry was running. But most of the higher-ups were definitely rotten, except for Oh Dae-sung.

“Keep watching him for now. We’ll find out what his intentions are.”

Lee Ji-tae felt like his ears were rotting, so he tried to cut short the pointless call. But the other party continued to say things that displeased him.

“There’s no need to say things like ‘I trust Taesung.’ We definitely had nothing to do with the death of Branch Manager Seo Tae-kyung. You can tell just by looking at the video analysis. None of the expedition members returned to where Seo Tae-kyung was!”

Lee Ji-tae slammed the phone down roughly. Tae Min-soo, the head of Taesung’s administrative team, who was watching the scene, wore a complicated expression.

Lee Ji-tae wasn’t one to vent his anger on machines. But he had been on edge ever since returning from the Chuncheon Dungeon.

*He’s probably blaming himself for the Taesung team’s casualties in the Guillotine Dungeon, thinking he might have survived if he had gone himself.*

And to top it off, Seo Tae-kyung’s team was wiped out, and he was even being told that Taesung was responsible, so he couldn’t help but be upset.

“Kang Hyun-moo.”

Lee Ji-tae suddenly opened his mouth. Tae Min-soo straightened his back and listened intently.

“Kang Hyun-moo has joined the Omnipotent Alliance, I hear.”

“It’s an unexpected move, but isn’t it better this way? We’ve been trying to find out who’s behind Kang Hyun-moo, but we haven’t found anything. There are many people on our side in the Omnipotent Alliance, so there will be more eyes and ears.”

“Do you think he’ll be that careless? The team we sent to the Haunted Mansion couldn’t even get close.”

Tae Min-soo closed his mouth. The Haunted Mansion was a code name for the underground bunker where Hyun-moo lived, a nickname that had been attached to it even before Hyun-moo lived there.

The team hired to install equipment to monitor the underground bunker had infiltrated, but they all lost consciousness and were found at the entrance to the mountain. None of them knew what had happened to them.

“So, the more people watching, the higher the probability of making a mistake.”

*I don’t know.*

Lee Ji-tae was skeptical.

Kang Hyun-moo was someone who had been perfectly hiding his identity until now. Looking at his recent actions, all records were uncertain and unreliable.

He acted as if he had just received his ability assessment for the first time, then suddenly his level rose like crazy, he appeared with equipment he had never seen before, and he was expanding his influence in all directions.

There were even those among the Obsidian Team who idolized Hyun-moo.

Such uninhibited actions of Hyun-moo instilled a strange sense of unease in Lee Ji-tae.

“By the way, how do we respond to Director Oh Dae-sung’s statement criticizing us? We need to make some kind of statement.”

“We won’t care much about public opinion anyway. It will end as Director Oh Dae-sung’s empty cry. Even if you just watch the video, it’s not our fault, so how could that….”

At that moment, Lee Ji-tae trailed off. His pupils contracted momentarily.

“Team Leader Tae Min-soo, when the Omnipotent Alliance team and the Taesung team split up, everyone who wasn’t there was either dead or injured, right?”

“Oh, that’s right. A few people joined later, but.”

“Wasn’t Kang Hyun-moo absent at that time too?”

Tae Min-soo immediately realized what Lee Ji-tae was saying. The expedition members who joined later were all working together, but Kang Hyun-moo had been moving alone all along. He even took down the boss monster by himself.

“……Was it Kang Hyun-moo’s intention?”

“I don’t know. I think we should wait and see for now. He’s the hero who stopped the Guillotine Dungeon Flood. There’s no point in rashly suspecting him.”

Lee Ji-tae’s thoughts became complicated in an instant. If it was someone’s intention, there was a high probability that it was Kang Hyun-moo.

Kang Hyun-moo was the only one whose body cam wasn’t recording and whose whereabouts were uncertain.

Lee Ji-tae was concerned that the situation was spiraling out of control.

“Team Leader Tae Min-soo, are you interested in global warming?”

“Yes? Uh, yes. This summer was especially hot.”

“Do you happen to know why they argue that global warming should be stopped early? It’s because of a solidified gas called methane hydrate that’s sleeping under the sea. Many people think that if it’s just 3 or 4 degrees warmer than now, they can just turn on the air conditioner.”

*But it’s not that simple.*

“The problem is that when the seawater warms up, the methane hydrate melts and rises to the surface as pure gas. Once the gas starts to rise, the climate starts to get even hotter. And the warmer air warms the seawater even more, and more methane hydrate rises. This repeats, and the Earth’s temperature rises endlessly.”

Tae Min-soo knew that Lee Ji-tae was interested in science fiction. It was a story that could only be found in science fiction novels, but it was also a realistic concern.

“The moment the first methane hydrate rises, it’s already too late. The destruction has already begun. I wonder if Kang Hyun-moo’s appearance means something like that. From the moment he appeared, I wonder if there’s anything we can do.”

“Do you think Hunter Kang Hyun-moo will be that much of a threat?”

Lee Ji-tae didn’t answer. Kang Hyun-moo isn’t that much of a threat *right now.*

If Taesung exerts its power, it can easily crush Kang Hyun-moo. But Lee Ji-tae didn’t want to do that. It shouldn’t be done.

“The think tank said that there was someone behind Kang Hyun-moo, right?”

“Of course, wouldn’t there be? The existence of Kang Hyun-moo cannot be explained without an overseas collaborator.”

But Lee Ji-tae shook his head. He, too, once thought similarly to the other executives, but the more he watched him, the more his thoughts changed.

He felt unrestrained violence, recklessness that seemed to be running towards death, an undeniable desire for recognition, a chilling strategic disposition, and a greed that seemed to devour the entire world.

And the more Lee Ji-tae knew about him, the more certain he became.

“Kang Hyun-moo should be by my side.”

Lee Ji-tae clenched his fist tightly and muttered.

“He is a force that cannot control himself. He doesn’t even know his own potential. Only I can recognize him and make him shine. Kang Hyun-moo, the sword, will become even stronger in the scabbard called Taesung.”

Lee Ji-tae said emphatically, as if convinced.

“I must bring Kang Hyun-moo to my side.”

***

Two days later, Hyun-moo headed to the training club where the Hunters were waiting.

When a unique foreign car appeared, the Hunters around it stared with curious eyes.

Most of them belonged to the Omnipotent Alliance, and although they were Hunters, few were wealthy enough to buy foreign cars without worry.

But among them, the car that Hyun-moo brought was a rare car that he had never seen before.

Hyun-moo was now used to the attention, but he was more concerned with other thoughts than arrogance.

*I didn’t know that Mr. Park Hwi-so was someone who enjoyed this kind of attention.*

Perhaps he developed this hobby because he works in the shadows, trying not to be noticed?

He was reminded of a story that in some countries, when it was forbidden to flaunt luxury with clothes, people began to flaunt luxury with cigarettes.

Anyway, Hyun-moo started heading to the training club. He was going to look around at a few of the Hunters that Oh Dae-sung had carefully selected.

The training club, which nurtures rookie Hunters, is no exaggeration to say that it is the most important institution in the clan.

However, Hyun-moo’s expression subtly hardened as he stopped in front of the club.

A makeshift structure made by adding sandwich panels [insulated panels used for walls and roofs] to an empty lot was erected. The framework was exposed as it was, and the traces of rust were visible. A few desolate exercise facilities that could be found in a park were placed next to it.

It didn’t look like a training space for Hunters at all.

At that time, a man with a sharp impression standing at the entrance approached. He was young but neatly dressed in a suit, and he gave off an oppressive yet cold impression.

He didn’t fit in this ruin-like space, but Hyun-moo instinctively felt that this man was in charge of this place.

“Are you Hunter Kang Hyun-moo?”

“Yeah.”

“My name is Seo Ji-hoo. I’m here to guide Hunter Kang Hyun-moo.”

Seo Ji-hoo bowed lightly without showing any signs of intimidation and began to lead the way.

Hyun-moo was slightly puzzled, wondering if the Omnipotent Alliance had such talent, given his confident appearance. Of course, it was better than being submissive.

*But he’s in charge of this ruin.*

“You seem too good to be in charge of such a shabby place. Were you demoted or something?”

“What do you mean?”

Seo Ji-hoo looked at Hyun-moo with sharp eyes. It wasn’t so much that he was angry, but that his eyes were originally like that.

“I’m not in charge here. I’m an intern training manager who joined the company a month ago. Please be careful with your words.”

“……Intern?”

“My probation ended last week, so I’m a full-time intern who will receive 1.2 million won [approximately $900 USD] in full from this month without any deductions.”

*No, how can an intern be so overbearing?* Anyone who saw him would think he was Lee Ji-tae. Looking at his impression alone, he looked like Lee Ji-tae without humanity and a heart.

“No, who in the world uses an intern as a training manager?”

The training manager has a crucial role in checking the schedules and training courses of new Hunters.

He didn’t think it would work properly looking at the state of the camp, but he didn’t expect a month-old intern to be there.

“Looks like you’re not even a Hunter? Who’s in charge of the facility?”

“I applied for an office job, but my predecessor quit, so I was temporarily appointed. And all the full-time employees either left early or didn’t come to work.”

Hyun-moo chuckled. What a mess. Even if he was a parachute appointment [a person appointed to a position based on connections rather than merit], the branch manager came, but they sent out an intern who wasn’t in charge or responsible?

He wasn’t one to fuss over protocol, but the intention was so clearly evident that it was laughable.

*So, I’m being looked down upon.*

It was clear that this was not something the person in charge here had done, but something ordered by someone somewhere above the Omnipotent Alliance who didn’t welcome Hyun-moo.