Rise Of The Hoarder

Finally… It was finally time!

I had been waiting for this, and now that the Final Act had come upon us, there was no better chance to enact my long-awaited vengeance.

“<Summon>”

Instantly, the two objects of my revenge appeared right in front of me as the cool wind blew upon all of us who stood atop the penthouse.

They were both lying on the ground. One instantly sprang up in confusion while the other was still fast asleep.

“W-what is…?!”

“U… uuuuu…”

A smile formed on my face as I made proper use of the window of confusion and vulnerability. It was time to use [Command] and [Inducement].

“Wake up!”

Instantly, the one who had been fast asleep jumped, as if a jolt of electricity had spurred him to life.

“Stand.”

Both of the Gifteds before me rose to their feet in response to my orders. They displayed shock, surprise, and overhelming confusion. From their faces, I could guess what was going on in their mind.

‘What the hell is going on?’ Something like that.

‘I suppose it’s time for the plot twist.’

I deactivated the Stealth Skills that were active on me, revealing my presence to the two who desperately sought the answers to their predicament.

With a broad smile plastered on my face and my hands firmly placed within my pickets, I appeared in front of the standing duo, bringing forth unimaginable surprise from their eyes.

“Jeremy?!!” They both shouted in utter shock and amazement.

From the look on their faces, it was as though they had just seen a ghost. The female’s complexion paled and sweat dripped from that of the male.

They just couldn’t believe what was unfolding before them—so much so that they lost track of their surroundings and how they got to the penthouse.

“Look at you two… Daniel, Melissa… what’s wrong? Not happy to see me?”

Unbearable silence swept through our vicinity as neither part said a single word. Short gasps and wordless sounds momentarily escaped their lips before they swallowed the hard saliva forming on their throats.

Certainly, the thought that had to have been playing on their mind was how I died back then—or rather, how I faked my death.

Ever since then, the fact of my demise had solidified in both their minds and they accepted it as reality. Now clashing with their previously accepted notion and the impossible sight in front of them, it was clear that Daniel and Melissa would be experiencing some sort of shock.

“A-are you really J-Jeremy…? Y-you’re… you’re still alive…?” Daniel muttered, his tone breaking as his brows softened in emotion.

I saw tears well up in the boy’s eyes and wrinkles appear on his forehead. Before I could say anything more, the idiot became overwhelmed by whatever emotion he was feeling and let out the floodgates of tears.

“Jeremy!!! You’re still alive! Thank God! Thank God! I thought you died! I thought you had met your end! Oh, you’re still alive!” He bellowed in gratitude and reminiscent pain.

I watched how he cried in amusement. Just what could have happened to make him such a soft crybaby. It almost made me feel bad for the guy

“So, you’ve been alive all this while, uh? Why didn’t you appear sooner?” Melissa’s voice cut Daniel short, causing me to look in her direction instead.

“Were you scared of the Demons? Is that it? We had to face them all alone, no thanks to you.” Her bitchy voice barked in pride.

There was a lot I could say to her, but I decided to be patient.

“Hmph! Do you know how much Daniel suffered because of you? He was feeling very guilty, you know? How could you make him endure all of that without showing yourself?”

As expected, while Daniel was feeling completely sorry about everything, Melissa still acted stuck-up. As expected of the bitch.

“In any case, how come we’re here. Last thing I remember, I was in my—”

As Melissa was speaking whole looking around her, she finally looked behind and then below… that was when her eyes caught the horrid sight that changed her tone forever.

“ARGHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!” She screamed in horror, pointing at the massacre that was going on beneath the penthouse.

Her scream startled Daniel, who finally turned and witnessed the same thing—dozens of Gifteds scattered all across the grounds, half-eaten by Demons. Gore was already apart, and their faces were left intact—faces that showed fear, despair, and utter misery before death.

“H-how horrible! The Demons… they weren’t completely eliminated?!” The Camp’s trump card muttered, seeing the Hobgoblin Champions that roamed about beneath us. While it seemed like none of them noticed our presence atop the Camp building, they still surrounded us with no way of escape.

At least, that must have been what played in Daniel’s mind.

“J-Jeremy, what the heck is going on right now? Explain it!” Melissa screamed impatiently, her eyes getting paler by the minute.

I saw her legs shake in fright and her whole body followed suit shortly after. Being suddenly exposed to dozens of incredibly Demons walking about right after just lying down in bed… it was certainly the worst time for Melissa, no, the both of them!

“Y-yeah, Jeremy. Ease explain the situation.” Daniel said, looking desperately at me for answers.

With both of them completely confused about what had occurred and even what was about to happen, it appeared I needed to educate them.

“Uhhh?!” Melissa gave a slightly offended look as she displayed surprise by my gall.

“Both of you should shut up.”

Instantly, her parted lips were tightly glued together—same with Daniel.

Their eyes bulged in shock upon realizing they couldn’t say anything.

“The both of you don’t seem to understand what’s going on here, so why don’t I spell it out for you?” My suppressed grin began manifesting and my face warped into that of a devil.

“All your allies are dead, the Camp has fallen, the Demons have swarmed the area, including the interiors of this building, and most importantly… everything thus far…”

I relished the sight of confusion and absolute dismay that slowly formed on their faces.

“… was caused by me!”