Hoarding In Hell [EN]: Chapter 93

93. Debut Stage (1)

The first snow of the year began to fall in Seoul.

It wasn’t just a light dusting; a considerable amount came down. People cheered as the city was quickly blanketed in white.

While unsettling reports of Dungeon Floods continued to surface from around the world, there was also good news to be found.

Dungeon Floods, when properly managed, provided a substantial supply of monster byproducts.

Companies that had been struggling with the dwindling supply of mana moss were now experiencing a resurgence. The market was flooded with products made from monster byproducts.

Perhaps it was because there hadn’t been any floods from high-grade dungeons above 4-star. As long as adequate preparations were made, they didn’t pose a significant threat.

Consequently, hunters were enjoying a special boom, a welcome change from the usual end-of-year lull.

However, Kang Hyun-woo wasn’t in a dungeon for that reason.

“Is everyone wearing them?”

Taian Beach.

It was a rare trip to the coast, but the winter sea breeze was biting.

Hunters didn’t have much choice in their attire due to their equipment requirements, and Hyun-woo had them wearing something peculiar on top of everything else.

Jeonneungryeon hunters shifted uncomfortably, seemingly ill at ease in their enhanced exoskeletons.

“Loosen up your bodies inside them. You’ll learn by doing,” Hyun-woo said calmly, but the hunters seemed more preoccupied with something else besides the exoskeletons.

The hunters glanced around cautiously, and Song Yeo-un, their leader, reluctantly raised her hand.

“Um, Branch Manager Kang Hyun-woo.”

“Yeah?”

“Are we… really going in there?”

Hyun-woo shrugged, as if to ask what the problem was.

“Yeah, it’s a 4-star dungeon today.”

***

Song Yeo-un wondered, for what felt like the millionth time, if Kang Hyun-woo had lost his mind.

‘How many times have we run 3-star dungeons in the past week?’

Even hunters with higher levels than them didn’t undertake such grueling expeditions. It felt less like training and more like outright torment.

But their skills were undeniably improving.

If they had faced near-death experiences about ten times during their first expedition, that number was now down to one or two. Sometimes, they could even avoid crises altogether if they remained vigilant.

The actual expeditions were still harsh and brutal, but they were slowly gaining something akin to confidence.

However, becoming accustomed also meant that their rate of growth was slowing down.

As soon as their growth plateaued, Hyun-woo had dragged them straight to this place: a 4-star dungeon in Taian.

“Scared?”

Hyun-woo asked with a smirk, but no one answered.

Who wouldn’t be scared? The hunters here had barely dared to dream of 3-star dungeons just a week ago. They were still facing near-death experiences in 3-star dungeons, and now they were heading into a 4-star dungeon?

But no one voiced their fears.

They had already faced near-death experiences several times; what difference would a 4-star dungeon make?

If it weren’t for Kang Hyun-woo, they would have spent their lives scraping the bottom of 1- and 2-star dungeons.

“…We’re fine.”

Song Yeo-un took a deep breath and replied. She had already reached her level limit. There was no more room for stat growth, but improving her skills was still worthwhile. Now was the time when training herself, not her stats, became important.

Hyun-woo had shown her a realm she never thought she could reach, and she wanted to climb higher.

But there was another issue to address.

“Um, Branch Manager Kang Hyun-woo… the Taesung Clan is already here.”

“Hey!”

As soon as Song Yeo-un spoke, a voice calling out to Hyun-woo was heard. Instead of looking toward the voice, Hyun-woo gave Song Yeo-un a quick smile.

“I know. I told them to watch.”

Song Yeo-un didn’t understand what Hyun-woo was saying. A group of hunters approached from the direction of the voice.

The epaulets indicating their affiliation with Taesung bore the Taesung mark and a black gem, signifying the Obsidian Team [an elite team within the Taesung Clan].

“Taesung Clan applied for the Taian Dungeon first today, so why… Oh, Hunter Kang Hyun-woo?”

One of the hunters looked at Hyun-woo in surprise.

“Ah, you recognize me right away.”

“How could we not! We haven’t had a chance to see you since the Head Chopping Dungeon expedition. Ah, I heard you joined Jeonneungryeon. The rumors must be true.”

He was acting overly friendly for someone who had only seen him on the news. He must have been one of the members of the Head Chopping Dungeon expedition.

The hunter who spoke was Yoo Seong-yeon, the leader of the Obsidian Team.

Hyun-woo had only participated briefly at the beginning and end of the expedition, so he didn’t remember many people except for a few he had deliberately paid attention to.

“So, are you here to hunt in the Taian Dungeon?”

“Yeah. Is there a problem?”

“Well… we applied for the time slot first today.”

“We can go together.”

“…”

Just because someone applied for an expedition first didn’t mean other hunters couldn’t participate. However, there was an unspoken rule that one should avoid overlapping routes unless help was requested, so people usually avoided the same time slots.

That’s why Yoo Seong-yeon was concerned about something else.

“But… with those hunters?”

The hunters behind Hyun-woo were standing stiffly or shyly.

Taesung virtually monopolized 4-star dungeons.

Hwanma Mama had too few members to produce meaningful statistics, and Jeonneungryeon’s level was too low to conquer 4-star dungeons.

Of course, there were high-level hunters like the Five Great Stars [renowned and powerful hunters], but Yoo Seong-yeon knew all of them. None of them were among these hunters.

Song Yeo-un and the other Jeonneungryeon hunters were used to Yoo Seong-yeon’s gaze.

The Jeonneungryeon hunters themselves were well aware of their limitations.

They knew that their only value was their numbers.

If there was a hierarchy among hunters, they were like privates and corporals, while the Obsidian Team was like well-trained academy officers.

Song Yeo-un and the other hunters began to lose confidence and lowered their gaze.

“Stand up straight.”

Hyun-woo said coldly. Hyun-woo had his back to them, but the cold aura he exuded captivated the hunters in the area.

Song Yeo-un froze, straightening her back without realizing it. The Obsidian Team was also caught up in the atmosphere.

“This is the team I’m raising, and the team I’m taking.”

If they were disposable from the start, it would be one thing, but Hyun-woo had decided to invest in them.

What was wrong with them in the first place? What happened when humanity was entrusted to those talented elites?

They turned the world into hell.

Of course, it might be faster to cultivate talented and strong people from the outset.

But Hyun-woo thought it was better to train a well-disciplined dog that listened and bit effectively than to bring in a talented person with unnecessary opinions.

At least if the dog didn’t bite its owner first, Hyun-woo wouldn’t consider abandoning it.

“Once you become my people, I’ll pull you out even if you fall into hell. I’m very possessive. So don’t waste my time and get to the point.”

Hyun-woo whispered coldly.

“I’ll ask again, is there a problem?”

Yoo Seong-yeon shut his mouth tightly.

Could he have any complaints? Even if he did, he wasn’t in a position to voice them. From the beginning, Yoo Seong-yeon had no intention of offending Hyun-woo.

“I was mistaken. If Hunter Kang Hyun-woo is leading, there’s no way there will be any safety issues. We will follow this expedition with the intention of learning from you.”

It wasn’t sarcasm, but sincerity.

After all, the Obsidian Team was only visiting to check for flood signs.

With floods occurring frequently around the world, they couldn’t afford to be complacent just because it was a fixed dungeon.

Moreover, Yoo Seong-yeon saw this as an opportunity.

He had doubted his ears when he heard that Kang Hyun-woo was teaching rookies in Jeonneungryeon. He didn’t seem like the type to nurture juniors.

But if he could observe this expedition, he could gain insight into his other skills.

‘Does Kang Hyun-woo also have the talent to nurture juniors?’

Overwhelming force alone is attractive. Among the Obsidian Team members who participated in the Head Chopping Dungeon expedition, there were some who tried to imitate Hyun-woo’s fighting style.

Of course, it was ridiculous. That’s how fascinated they were by Hyun-woo.

Yoo Seong-yeon wasn’t much different. He was also in a growth stagnation period.

As the conflict with Taesung ended without incident, Hyun-woo led the hunters toward the dungeon entrance. Yoo Seong-yeon thought as he looked at his back.

Until now, Kang Hyun-woo’s actions had been far from conventional.

‘But if he guarantees the growth potential of his subordinates, along with the way he protected his team members just now…’

Before long, many hunters will rally behind Hyun-woo.

***

The entrance to the Taian Dungeon was a giant tree that suddenly protruded from the middle of the coast.

It had a forest-like feel similar to the entrance of the Cheonggye Dungeon. For beginners, the inside of the dungeon would also remind them of the lush forest where goblin hordes poured out.

‘But instead of goblins, orcs and trolls come out here.’

Yoo Seong-yeon thought as he watched Hyun-woo’s hunter team move ahead.

Orcs were low-level monsters that they also faced in 3-star dungeons, but trolls drastically increased the difficulty. They could be said to be the barrier that separated beginners from experts.

Yoo Seong-yeon was curious to see how they would react when they first encountered trolls.

‘He’s not going to babysit them all the way here, is he?’

Yoo Seong-yeon had witnessed Kang Hyun-woo’s skills firsthand. He was someone who should be in a 5-star dungeon, not a 4-star dungeon.

He would probably just observe or assist the hunters in their hunt.

When the orcs appeared, Yoo Seong-yeon’s prediction was somewhat accurate. The hunters formed a line and dealt with the orcs, cutting and stabbing them down without much difficulty.

There were some close calls, but no one was injured.

‘They’re about 3-star level.’

Since most of them were known to be 1- or 2-star hunters, the highest level would be around the limit level of 30. Compared to their level, their skills seemed pretty good.

Although a bit chaotic, their movements were precise and efficient. It was like being trained by a very skilled instructor.

‘But I don’t know why a hunter like Kang Hyun-woo is trying to raise them…’

That’s when it happened.

A monstrous roar that shook the entire forest erupted. A green giant with long arms emerged from the dense bushes.

“Troll!”

Yoo Seong-yeon watched with a mixture of anticipation and worry. Would they display unexpected skills now? Or would they disappoint him?

Since Kang Hyun-woo was present, they didn’t need to intervene, but he was still concerned that there might be casualties.

‘Judging by their skills in catching orcs, it seems impossible for them to defeat trolls.’

He thought that Kang Hyun-woo would probably step in at an appropriate moment.

However, the situation unfolded in a direction that Yoo Seong-yeon had never anticipated.