Rise Of The Hoarder

Kevin Smith was a powerless man.

He had always been someone who would be termed as a ‘Bottom Feeder’. Having no other choice but to serve as the janitor for one middle-sized company, he accepted his fate and worked to earn a living.

Being looked down on by both young and old alike pissed him off. Nothing was beneath him.

Still, he had a dream, no—perhaps it was no longer a dream, but a small flickering hope—that his life would one day turn around. His seemingly impossible ambition of rising to power kept him going.

And so, even though he was cussed at during work, had to bootlick his superiors, or went through unfair treatments, he held on to his goal—like a child with his favorite toy.

Who would have thought that such an absurd dream made by a powerless man like him would end up being fulfilled? His wish was heard, and God himself answered it.

During Christmas, while everyone was working due to the immense workload, he was taking care of the toilets—as usual.

Suddenly, the environment shifted, and he found himself in what could only be described to be a ‘Blank Space’. He was all alone there, or so he thought, until he saw a peculiar being in front of him.

The being was white, having the figure of a man, but his presence alone caused Kevin to shiver.

“I am one you people refer to as God.” The strange white being said.

That single encounter changed his life forever.

He was given a system. He was given a Gift. He was given knowledge.

The world was going to enter into a state of unrest—where Demons lurked around every corner. It was humanity’s duty to stop them. Being given the power to achieve unimaginable feats, Kevin was overjoyed by the news.

Of course, he has no concern for the Demons or the ‘fate of humanity’ crap that the white being fed to him. What mattered most was power—the one he had been given!

And so, after the white world vanished and he was returned to the toilet, Kevin knew what had to be done!

The pent-up frustration welling up within him, as well as the darkness that had been swirling in his heart finally surfaced. His bloodthirsty eyes rummaged through the toilet and saw a few office workers who were stunned in the toilet. They must have also experienced the same thing he did.

But, unlike Kevin, they were both stunned by the news and tried to comprehend what was going on. Due to the several years of his life praying for the impossible, Kevin didn’t even experience any form of shock.

He had been expecting something like this!

With the poser he currently had, and the future of the world that was coming to him, Kevin had to make a choice.

Was he going to remain the underdog? Or would he take the initiative and rise to become superior?

The answer was clear!

Once he established that, his next course of action followed with no hesitation. That very moment, Kevin killed the two office workers in the toilet.

[You Have Leveled Up]

[You Have Leveled Up]

Pings rang in his head, just as God had told him. This was real… this was very real!

Looking at the blood in his hands, how the crimson liquid dripped to the ground, Kevin found out that he felt no remorse. Replacing what should have been guilt and anxiety was something else—something sinister!

“It… It feels good!” The newly reborn man grinned in pleasure.

Having gotten a taste, of course he wanted more.

And so, Kevin Smith the Janitor became a cold-blooded murderer and began slaughtering his way through the company building, killing everyone in sight.

He ripped out their flesh, gouged out their eyes, tore through their bodies, broke their bones—over and over again!

That very day, ok Christmas day… a monster was born!

Within a few hours alone, he massacred every single staff in the company, taking in all the EXP and reveling in the power that coursed through his veins. From janitor, to killer, to fiend.

Now that he had gotten rid of all the shackles that tied him down, there was only one path remaining for him to tread—assembling the ones who would lift him up!

Kevin Smith’s Gift was something that was perfectly made for this very purpose, after all. [Natural Leader] allowed him to make anyone his subordinate as long as they willingly accepted.

In exchange, he would be able to use any Skill of his subordinates, depending on the rank of his Gift. Not only could he use their Skill, but any time his subordinates gained EXP, he got a share allotted to him—based on the agreement between Kevin and the subordinate.

It was an invincible power!

All he had to do was build his own army. They would be loyal to him, their skills would be his, and he could Level Up without even needing to fight.

For those in his inner circle, he limited his share to 25 Percent of their EXP. However, his footsoldiers had to give up 50 percent in subservience to him.

He would have gone higher, but that was the limit allowed by the system.

Since his Gift dictated that these subordinates had to ‘willingly’ agree to subservience, all Kevin had to do was place them in situations where they had no choice.

If he set before them certain death or a life of servitude, it was certain which they would pick. Plus, since he was strong—more powerful than any other Gifted he came across, there was no one who could defy him. He was absolutely on top… just like he had always wanted.

But, now everything had gone up in flames.

All his subordinates were dead, and he was the last man left. Looking around him, he saw bloodthirsty Hobgoblin Champions—prowlers who wouldn’t hesitate to rip off his flesh.

He could not beg, he could not pray, he could not escape.

None of the power he had amassed could save him now. They only dissipated, as though they never existed, to begin with.

It was as if all he had obtained so far was nothing more than an illusion.