Hoarding In Hell [EN]: Chapter 96

96. Angel (1)

‘An extraordinary achievement?’

It was a message I had never encountered before.

I wasn’t sure what distinguished it from ‘impossible’ or ‘ordinary’ achievements, nor what specific accomplishment I had achieved.

But before I could even begin to decipher it, everything around me abruptly began to recede.

“Huh?”

It felt as if I were staring at a monitor with my nose pressed against the screen, only to be forcibly pulled back.

Kazalt, who had been standing closest, vanished in an instant, and dark spaces began to materialize. It was a space utterly submerged in darkness.

Hyeon-woo attempted to speak, but no sound escaped his lips. Though devoid of light, it wasn’t truly dark either. I could clearly make out my own limbs.

Just then, my feet touched solid ground. I felt a wave of relief wash over me. I quickly checked my inventory and skills to ensure everything was functioning correctly. Everything seemed normal.

‘Where am I?’

Then, something appeared. The moment Hyeon-woo laid eyes on it, a thought immediately sprung to mind.

‘A Greek statue?’

It resembled a baby with blank, pupil-less eyes, a pale white face, and white hair.

Its race and gender were difficult to discern, but the wings sprouting from its back and the white, thorny crown adorning its head were particularly striking.

Like those naked baby statues with wings you often see in fountains? It looked exactly like that.

It had the appearance of a beautiful baby angel, but its inorganic, lifeless presence evoked a disturbing sense of incongruity.

Then, ‘it’ opened its mouth.

“Congratulations.”

The moment Hyeon-woo heard that voice, a slight chill ran down his spine. It was a voice he had heard countless times before – the voice of the ‘message’ that echoed in his head.

I never imagined that the voice would belong to a person.

“It may seem like an abrupt invitation, but after witnessing your remarkable abilities, I felt compelled to confirm a few things. Hence, I arranged this meeting.”

“Confirm?”

Intuitively, I sensed that this being existed outside the system, or perhaps was the system itself. In game terms, like an operator or administrator?

Hyeon-woo was aware that his repeated ventures into Difficulty: Hell were almost akin to exploiting a bug.

I suspected that they might be trying to meet me to ‘fix’ the ‘problem’.

The opponent’s level and name remained hidden. I couldn’t determine if this was due to a lack of abilities or because they existed beyond the system’s confines. Judging by the situation, it seemed to be the latter.

“Excuse me, User Kang Hyeon-woo currently exhibits growth speed, rank, and items that far exceed the parameters of Difficulty: Tutorial. This constitutes an unusual situation, and we have been deliberating on how to address it.”

So, that’s what this is about.

Hyeon-woo glared at the angel with a crooked expression.

“So?”

“Could you elucidate the origin and acquisition of that item? We assure you that we will provide appropriate compensation.”

“Who the hell are you?”

That didn’t seem to be the response the angel anticipated.

“I am tasked with rectifying errors to ensure the smooth operation of the system. My duties also encompass eliminating external interference and unforeseen anomalies. I would appreciate your cooperation. I shall reiterate my question: Please disclose the origin and acquisition of that item.”

Hyeon-woo’s response was succinct.

“Effort.”

And it wasn’t a lie. However, the angel, sensing Hyeon-woo’s hostility, offered a gentle smile.

It wasn’t a friendly smile, but rather one that conveyed amusement at a bug exhibiting unprecedented behavior.

“User Kang Hyeon-woo, we are endeavoring to act with the utmost humility. We respect your judgment and efforts, and we actively support you in achieving your aspirations. We would be grateful for your cooperation in ensuring seamless progress.”

It sounded like something a customer service representative would say. Hyeon-woo surmised that this individual was part of the group pulling the strings behind the scenes, orchestrating everything from dungeon appearances to difficulty escalations.

“User Kang Hyeon-woo.”

The angel whispered softly, urging Hyeon-woo. I could feel the weight of power in his voice.

‘Should I refrain from resisting?’

If I were to make a rational assessment, that would be the wiser course of action. Perhaps it would be best to compromise to a degree, secure what I could through compliance, and minimize any potential harm.

As Hyeon-woo remained silent, the angel’s smile broadened ever so slightly.

But what could I do? Hyeon-woo’s personality was simply too intractable to allow for such compromise.

Before Hyeon-woo could fully process it, his fist had already connected with the angel’s face.

The angel, caught completely off guard, was sent reeling backward by the force of the blow.

“Oops.”

Hyeon-woo muttered, as if he had made a mistake.

***

“Sorry, your face looked too artificial… I just wanted to punch it once.”

The angel, who had been sprawled on the floor, slowly began to rise.

He didn’t seem to engage any muscles, moving as if the ground were elevating him. Hyeon-woo glanced at the angel, offering a slightly apologetic expression.

“Oh, but, your face… I didn’t realize it was actually a manufactured face.”

The angel’s face contorted as if it were a lump of clay being reshaped. The angel moved his distorted lips and said.

“That’s unpleasant.”

“Did I ruin your art project? But I think it would be better to make it again.”

Hyeon-woo drew Tam and charged toward the angel simultaneously.

“Then I’ll have to smash it all up first, right?”

The instant Tam’s blade flashed, the angel swung his left arm. Tam’s blade effortlessly cleaved the angel’s arm in two. But that was precisely the angel’s intention.

The arm, seemingly split apart, instantly fused back together, completely blocking the sword. The angel’s pupils darted rapidly.

“Tam, the Starving Star, a gift from Yogulem [likely a reference to a powerful entity or deity]. Wait, is that the real thing? There’s no way the real thing could have been released already.”

Then the angel flinched, as if he had stumbled upon a revelation.

“No, wait. Why is this attribute here?”

“Don’t get distracted while fighting!”

Tam being captured was exactly what Hyeon-woo had hoped for. He immediately injected poison blood into Tam. But the angel didn’t seem to react.

Judging by his condition, it appeared that he genuinely lacked any bodily fluids. But Hyeon-woo’s objective extended beyond this.

He activated Hellburg’s Twisted Passion, a legendary weapon that he had recently fed to Tam in the Decapitation Dungeon.

The angel’s arm, which was gripping Tam, instantly flared with intense heat. Before the angel could react, the heat, combined with the reacting poison blood, triggered an explosion.

Bang!

The angel’s arm shattered, scattering in all directions. The angel’s pupils dilated. Hyeon-woo didn’t hesitate, swinging the freed Tam once more.

The angel threw himself backward to evade the sword. Hyeon-woo wore a dumbfounded expression at the clumsy evasive maneuver.

“What is it? Are you going easy on me?”

The angel was still smiling. But Hyeon-woo sensed a stiffness in his face.

“What is that sword… Where did you get it?”

Tam? Hyeon-woo couldn’t fathom why the angel was so agitated. The poison blood and heat didn’t seem to have inflicted significant damage on the angel.

The angel’s shattered arm was already reassembling itself. Hyeon-woo answered nonchalantly.

“I got it with my blood and sweat. Why?”

“I don’t know if you’re ignorant or arrogant. But it’s clear that an unexpected entity has intervened, so I will acknowledge this as an emergency and rectify the error.”

The angel distanced himself from Hyeon-woo, neglecting to repair his severed arm.

At that moment, Hyeon-woo suddenly detected a strange presence emanating from the angel, who had previously felt entirely inorganic.

Hyeon-woo experienced a slight sense of unease, but he couldn’t dwell on it any longer. The angel began to open his mouth.

“Command: Summon: Labyrinth Hounds: Recognition: Hostile to humanity: Level cap: Maximum.”

Suddenly, a colossal wolf materialized out of thin air.

It was a wolf with a fiery red mane and an immense size. It glared at Hyeon-woo, its eyes rolling as if dripping with blood.

[Labyrinth Hound (LV 60)]

Suddenly confronted with a level 60 enemy. It was enough to elicit a hollow laugh from Hyeon-woo. If I die here, will I truly be resurrected in hell? Hyeon-woo felt a wave of negativity wash over him. That’s what I should expect in hell.

Hyeon-woo retrieved the necessary items from his inventory and began to prepare as best he could.

“Kirson, Kazalt.”

The familiars were summoned, tearing through the darkness. They seemed disoriented by the sudden change in scenery, but quickly grasped Hyeon-woo’s intent and immediately entered battle mode. The angel remained indifferent, even after witnessing Hyeon-woo’s actions.

The angel issued one more command, as if to completely shatter Hyeon-woo’s resolve.

“Status: Immortal.”

Hyeon-woo’s expression hardened.

The angel smiled crookedly and whispered.

“It’s time to learn humility.”

***

Thump, crack!

A horrifying sound reverberated through the space.

Hyeon-woo, who had been crushed beneath the labyrinth hound’s paws, barely managed to extricate himself.

He was drenched in blood from head to toe and in a terrible state.

Hyeon-woo gasped for air, struggling to stand, leaning on Tam for support. I couldn’t discern Kirson’s whereabouts. He had either fled or was concealed somewhere within the mangled remains.

Kazalt had undoubtedly been devoured. I distinctly saw him being swallowed whole by the labyrinth hound.

Hyeon-woo’s condition was dire. It was questionable whether his limbs, which had been gnawed on by teeth, would function properly. Hyeon-woo took a deep breath.

“I think I’m going to die.”

But the angel remained silent.

“But I think I’m in better condition than the dog you summoned, right?”

The labyrinth hound’s body, summoned by the angel, was torn to shreds and scattered in every direction.

Hyeon-woo was far from unscathed, but he could confidently assert that he was in better shape than the labyrinth hound.

The severed body parts were attempting to coalesce, as if trying to regenerate due to the ‘immortal’ status.

However, they were immobilized by the restraints of the covenant that Hyeon-woo had woven around them. Even if they were to regenerate, the affected areas, saturated with poison and scorched by heat, would be of little use.

It was, in effect, a fate worse than death.

Hyeon-woo flicked his fingers when he noticed that the angel showed no signs of relenting.

“Kazalt.”

Poof. Kazalt emerged, tearing through the labyrinth hound’s belly.

Accompanied by his hundreds of rats.

It seemed that there were more rats swarming within the labyrinth hound’s body than blood. Though drenched in blood, their fur remained thick.

“Devour it all, leaving nothing behind.”

“Yes, my great one.”

Kazalt, who had been solely focused on inflicting internal damage, now directed the rats to consume the labyrinth hound’s fragments.

The labyrinth hound began to vanish, as if dissolving into the rats’ stomachs. Immortality was rendered meaningless in this state. The angel’s expression grew even more severe.

“…You are a mass of insects. The labyrinth hound is an entity that is impossible to defeat at the current difficulty. Furthermore, it was granted the immortal attribute…”

“Your words are too few. You should ask what I do.”

The angel attempted to summon something again, as if trying to deny the reality of the situation.

Hyeon-woo was already exhausted. If he summoned another monster of the same caliber, he could certainly subdue it.

At that moment, Hyeon-woo snapped his fingers. Kirson suddenly materialized from among the corpse fragments that no one had paid attention to.

The angel’s pupils widened, as he had been solely focused on Hyeon-woo. Kirson’s scythe cleaved the angel’s neck without hesitation.

Instantly, a milky white liquid gushed from the angel’s neck, which resembled a lump of clay.

The angel, who had been about to shout a command, was caught off guard as he sputtered gurgling blood.

For the first time, shock registered in his eyes. All attempts to issue commands failed, and only bubbles escaped his lips.

Kirson didn’t stop there. He relentlessly slashed at the angel, completely tearing off his jaw.

The angel, having lost his tongue and neck, could no longer utter a word.

The body attempted to regenerate, but Kirson kicked it away and dragged the angel’s head before Hyeon-woo, presenting it to him. Hyeon-woo gazed down at him, as if relishing the moment.

“You want to ask how I did it, right?”