Rise Of The Hoarder

I had used a Silencer to make sure no one could hear me.

Only those who were high-leveled or rich enough to buy a Counter Item would be exempt from its effects.

The only issue was that there wasn’t supposed to be anyone of the sort still lingering in the Entrance Area rather than adventuring the upper parts of the Tower.

I didn’t expect anyone to have heard me, but here was this guy.

His body seemed perfect, and his smile was charming.

The white hair, crimson eyes, and beautiful skin made it seem like he wasn’t human, but, he certainly was—at least, I would hope so.

The girl beside me stared emptily at me with her red eyes.

Something about her felt familiar, but she didn’t seem to even recognize me at all. She simply clung close to the guy and kept a stoic expression.

“Ah, pardon me. It is bad manners to overhear a conversation like that…” He broke into a slight chuckle.

It was this statement that got rid of the uncomfortable air of silence that permeated the area around us.

“… I just got curious once I saw you, and, well… It sort of happened.” The stranger spoke.

“I see… Do you know me, perchance?” I asked, narrowing my gaze on the man before me.

Physically, he seemed to be my equal—or maybe even more superior.

Considering I used a Potion to achieve this state, was it the same with him?

“Oh, yes. I do.” He said with a smile.

Now I was curious.

To be fair, I also felt some sort of nostalgic feeling with this guy, but I couldn’t really place my finger on it.

Besides, I was wearing a mask that hid my identity. If someone was high-leveled enough, they could see through it, but then I would be notified about that breach.

Plus, even if they did, my current face was different from the child-like one I had back then.

It made me wonder just how this guy knew me.

“You must be the Masked Hero, right? I’ve heard rumors about how you save people outside the Tower.”

His answer disappointed me.

“A-ah, I see…”

“Plus… You’re also the Hoarder, right? First place in the Rankings?”

I narrowed my eyes at the guy who asked. So far, he didn’t seem to leak any hostile intent. Still, his very existence was suspicious.

“Am I? Why are you asking? Besides… Isn’t it rude to interrupt a conversation without introducing yourself first?”

The pendulum swung in his direction.

“Oh, that’s right. I apologize.” He laughed softly.

“I am Pariah. This here is Lilith. It’s nice to meet you.”

Silence…

… Silence filled the area.

My silencer was still on, and I simply extended it so even the newcomer’s words didn’t get leaked.

Still…

‘WHAAAAATTTTT?!’

I hid most of my shock, but a small dal still managed to escape my face. Of course, it was covered by my mask, but still…

‘The second and third place in the Leaderboard… they are these two…?!’

Tia and the rest of the people behind me also made stifled shrieks of surprise. It was enough that the first Ranker was present, but the second and third as well? That was indeed something most people wouldn’t have dreamed of seeing.

Multiple questions poured into my mind, but I didn’t let myself lose composure.

“Ah, interesting…” I smiled.

Now that they had shown their cards, I had to return the favor.

“Yes. I am the Hoarder. Nice to make your acquaintance. These here are Tia, Darwin, Terry, and Sara.”

Now that I thought of it, all the top seven Rankers were currently in the same place. Was this coincidence, or—?!

“The pleasure is all mine.” Pariah offered a hand to me.

As the leaders of our respective groups, it was courtesy to do stuff like this. I could easily refuse, but this guy had already piqued my interest.

​ And so, I shook his hand.

‘Hm…?’

Not long after we shook hands, our limbs detached from each other.

“So, what exactly did you come here for?” I asked, working out some details in my head.

“Out of curiosity, I eavesdropped. But after hearing your plan, I became interested. Would it be possible to add me to your alliance?”

‘What?!’

More and more of this guy’s identity and intentions eluded me. Though, I had to admit… I was very curious.

“Why do you want to join the alliance?” I asked with a stern face.

“Well, it seems like a valid way to confirm the same suspicion of mine. Besides, you said you’re short on two people, right? It will be complete if you add both of us.”

Even though Pariah was being talkative, Lilith barely said anything. She just clung close to her brother/cousin/whatever.

‘Hmm… this is a tough choice…’

There were surface-level elements, but I had to look beyond those to completely decide.

To be honest, it benefitted me if he would go through a different door, and my curiosity was at its peak, but… accepting so easily would be suspicious.

“What’s in it for you, though?”

That was a perfectly normal question.

I was going to use my Demons to escort each group. Even if these two were to join in, they wouldn’t be exempt from the rules.

I made that abundantly clear.

So, why did they want to join in on a raid as merely some extras? They had to be up to something.

“Oh, nothing much. In fact, this will benefit the alliance even more.”

“Oh? What could it be?”

The one called Pariah smiled even more as he stretched his hand to make an offer.

“I would like my drones to also serve as escorts for each group. That way, there will be extra security and guaranteed safety. Plus, I’m curious about all the doors and wish to record them with the Automatons in my possession.”

‘Oh? So, that’s it! Not bad!’

My grin grew wider, as did his.

It would seem like both of us had a good grasp of each other’s personalities.

I could easily refuse. It wasn’t like the whole thing was so very important to me, in the first place.

However, the existence of this person was a mystery in itself.

Not only could I not read his thoughts despite maintaining physical contact for five seconds, but I also couldn’t see the details of his Stats… or even a Status Introduction!

The worst part of all… was the fact that I couldn’t access his INVENTORY to view or steal any Items there.

This guy was like a living exception to my abilities!