Rise Of The Hoarder

Dark hooded cloak, check!r

Cool gloves and boots, double-check!r

Nice sword to go along with it, triple-check!r

‘And finally, the fox mask I bought online after watching one of my favorite anime, quadruple check!’r

Excitement welled up within me as I stood, facing the troublemaking Ogre before me. Having an air of coolness around me, along with the mysterious identity I gave myself, how could I not feel amused.r

‘Psych, I’ve always wanted to do this at least once!’r

I had to give it to God. This world was making me live out a lot of my fantasies, and I was definitely going to indulge in more.r

Drawing my Core-5 blade from [Subspace], making it have an effect of summoning, I pointed it at the Demon with a smile hidden underneath the white mask I had on.r

The sword I gripped tightly was a memento of my former ally. After losing the previous one I had against the Hell Kobold King, as well as many of my daggers since their durability wore out against its mana protection, I received these new ones when I finally got out of the pit.r

And I didn’t know this until after I had pushed him to his death. Apparently, in my Absence, he was ‘Smithing’ more Enhanced Weapons for me, and even managed to make another Core-5 Sword from the Demon Cores littered around at the time.r_.

‘If I had known earlier, would my decision have been different?’r

Of course, I knew the answer was no. He would still have been a burden either way. And while I was grateful for the goodies he made, they weren’t going to be of any use against stronger Demons.r

Fortunately, the one I was currently about to execute was a weak one, so I could put the sword to some use.r

‘Even in death, I can’t help thinking about that Paul guy.’ I smiled in nostalgia.r

Still, I looked so damn cool! Like some protagonist in an anime, or novel, I was exuding the aura of ‘OPness’.r

“This shouldn’t take long… let us begin, shall we?”r

“GURRRUUUUKKKK!!!” The Hell Ogre growled at me in rage.r

‘The Status Condition was still in effect and this made it nearly as powerful as it was initially.’ My thoughts trailed.r

It made no difference to me though. Compared to a mere Level 39 monster, I was an overwhelming foe it could never hope to defeat.r

>WHOOOOSHH<r

Instantly, my legs pushed against the rock and I dashed toward the monster, drawing my blade to finish it in one hit.r

The sword ignited into a red aura, sending sparks flying around me as my body was also covered in crimson energy.r

“GURUU-“r

Before the Demon could utter another irritating sound, I sliced at its head using the blade and went behind it, turning my back against the ugly beast.r

>SWISH<r

The Demon halted instantly, its bulky body throbbing as it struggled to move.r

“It’s over!” I said, shaking off the blood that stained my sword.r

As soon as I swished the Demon’s blood away from the smooth sword’s edge, it became instantly decapitated.r

>SPLURGGGEEEE!<r

Purple liquid gushed out of its neck as its head fell on the ground with a thud.r

I returned my sword to [Subspace], which made it seem as though it vanished into thin air, and then turned to face my fallen foe.r

The monster’s body was already turning into ash, and in a moment its physical body dissipated, leaving behind the Demon Core.r

For a moment, I glared at the core, seeing its size.r

‘It’s only this much, eh? Unimpressive…’ I mumbled.r

The Demon was extremely weak by my standard, and the Core it left behind was of very little value to me.r

Of course, one of its skills caught my eye. The regeneration ability of the Ogre could be useful for me. However, the Cooldown speed and Period it would last were bound to be very disadvantageous for me. Plus, since it was the only one of its kind which I had seen, there was no way I could upgrade the Skill.r

Suddenly, an idea struck me, making me grin widely underneath my mask.r

‘Let me think of this as an investment. It’ll be sure to give me high returns…’r

“U-Uh…. W-who are… y-you…??” I heard a struggling voice.r

Looking in the direction of the sound, I saw the wounded leader looking at me with shock and awe.r

It was obvious that she had never seen anyone defeat a monster so quickly, especially one of that level.r

Of course, I had no intention of revealing my identity or engaging in any conversation with her. Not only was it against my grand plan, but it was also… not cool.r

‘As the mysterious knight, I should make my exit. Hehehe, my job here is done.’r

In a flash, I left the place, leaving behind no trace, except for what the group would owe me.r

The Demon Core, and some first aid.r

“Hicc… hicc… I don’t know who you are… but thank you so muchhh!!!” The group leader cried out in gratitude.r

From my distance I could hear her voice, making me derive a slight satisfaction from my actions.r

Of course, that wasn’t the major objective, but it didn’t hurt to enjoy myself once in a while.r

With the First Aid, the leader would be able to treat her members, and by Absorbing the Skill within the Demon Core, she would be able to learn Regeneration and heal her more serious injuries.r

“Perfect!” I grinned.r

Now a good distance from their location, I unequipped my attire and returned them to Subspace, donning a more casual wear. While the group was recovering, it would be best to use the opportunity to pillage the rest of the buildings around me.r

The group would regain consciousness in a few hours time, meaning I had time to explore quite a bit. It would be a shame if I let anything fall into their hands since they were so incompetent.r

“It’s better me than anyone else!” I smiled.r

It was finally time to resume my adventure.r

‘Hehehe, let’s do this!’r